Breaking the Law.

We must reject the idea that every time a law's broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.  Ronald Reagan.

There is a movement that is trying to change that precept and hold society guilty rather than the individual.  By doing so, the fundamental principles of our nation are at risk of being rewritten and our constitution abandoned. 

Personal responsibility (or individual responsibility) is “The idea that human beings choose, instigate, or otherwise cause their own actions,” whereas social responsibility is “an ethical framework and suggests that an entity, be it an organization or individual, has an obligation to act for the benefit of society at large.”

An example is the estimated loss of $1.4 billion dollars, according to data from Property Claim Services, a Verisk Analytics company. It could take months to assess the financial toll related to recent unrest, and yet, very few individuals have been held to account. 

If Society is to blame who pays the debt of those protests?  It is easy to hold individuals responsible simply by identifying those who we involved, but even if Society is to blame for the actions of those involved, in this ongoing riot, who is responsible for the damage?  Surely not the shop owner.

When we transfer personal responsibility away from the individual and into the ethereal realm of “society” the ethical framework is also reorganized and rewritten to accommodate the needs of the many without regard for the needs of the few.  This may sound great but when you are the shop owner and your needs are not deemed societally prudent, then you, the individual is forgotten and discarded.

The United States was founded on the principles of individual rights and liberties, not on the collective whims of a social hierarchy.  We may have developed some of those hierarchical patterns, they are the result of left-leaning leaders who wish to move our country away from our fundamental constitution and into a more socialistic style of government. 

“You might be surprised to learn that the federal government does, by-and-large, follow the US Constitution–but not the one that was penned in 1787”.  “Congress does follow the written Constitution,” said Gary Porter, who serves as the Executive Director of the Constitutional Leadership Initiative. He pulled a small booklet from his shirt pocket.

“This is a pocket Constitution,” he said. “It’s 4,400 words. About 7000 words if you count the amendments.” Porter then turned toward a large document on a nearby table. It looked like an encyclopedia.

“Here is the Constitution enforced today,” he said, flipping the book open with some effort.  The book is approximately 3000 pages compared to the four (4) pages of the original. https://conventionofstates.com

We have already changed the fundamental aspects of our original constitution and with it our inalienable rights and freedoms and with it our responsibilities and duties converting ourselves from individuals to social slaves, more concerned about how others view us than how we see ourselves.  Without personal responsibility narcissistic endeavors fill our lives, leaving us with no room for others or other opinions. 

I am assuming some understanding by the reader that Marxism, Socialism, Fascism, and Communism are all related behind the ideology that the centralization of power diminishes the need for individual growth and weakens the connection between all men through the process of reduced individual responsibility.   How easy it is to bend a law or break a law when society is blamed and not the individual who actually committed the crime.

Why would an individual want to work harder for the nameless and the powerless god of socialism?  What is there to gain by being innovative when the philosophy and ideology clearly proclaims that all they do is for the good of the many, but the many are historically given less than the few at the top? 

In the United States, our congress passes laws for the masses and just like most MSFC’s (Marxist, socialist, fascist and communist) those laws do not apply to the upper echelons of society, leaving the masses wondering why the few are treated better than the many? 

The answer to that question is simple when a law is broken, the individual is responsible, regardless of who broke the law, or how much money or influence they have or their relationship to other powerful people, they are subject to the same laws as are we all. 

Ronald Reagan had it right.  Our emphasis on the individual is the most efficient way to create a workable society where equal justice is afforded to all.  When we focus our efforts on the individual and support his or her rights of free choice, free speech, and opportunity, we automatically provide those same privileges to society as a whole.

We may still choose, that may not always be the case.  Perhaps we should make the choices back to what we used to have, or at least what we were supposed to have.  The constitution was written well, its precepts can work for everyone, but it will not work, and has failed to work when MSFC like precepts are introduced. 

It is time to stand up, speak the truth, fight for what is right, and “never, never, never surrender”.  Winston Churchill.

Questionable Moralities

Understanding politics is not difficult when you understand the motivation of the individual politicians and the groups who hope to influence those politicians.

There is a symbiotic relationship between the good and bad of both ends of that spectrum.  The organizations that want to influence the positive end of the scale, do so, mostly from an altruistic ideology.  They are not devoid of financial goals or the hope of economic benefits, but they possess a moral guideline that limits their “do whatever it takes” philosophy to make money.

Forbes compiles a list of the most ethical companies each year.  The problem with the Forbes lies in the process of how to get on the list.   Each company must pay for the privilege of being tested and I assume each of the testing variables is known prior to the company being tested, making the test somewhat invalid if the company in question has ulterior motives to be on the list.

Perhaps I am being a bit negative but when I know I am being tested, I cram for the test, study the details that will be required by the exam and only study those things that will ensure a successful outcome.  Not a bad strategy but it does not increase my long- term understanding, nor does it change my initial underlying motivations, it is only a test that must be passed in order to get the award promised by the test, a diploma, a certificate, or a name on a list.

Understanding a politician is the process of understanding their long term political history.  Of course,  people can change but those changes, in order to be fully recognized must have history, again not unlike the child who is caught with his proverbial hand in the cookie jar who promises never to it again.

The past performances of an individual or a large multinational corporation is the best predictor of future actions and inner motivation.

On a personal level, I have had to undergo a few major changes in my life, as all of us do to maintain our inner and substantial ideology.  Doing so takes time and sacrifice and it is only through the process of sacrifice that genuine change can occur and only time will cement those changes into the minds of others who watch us, love us, despise us, and trust us. 

The difficulty in determining a future motivation is uncovering the past decisions of an individual and an organization, by sifting through the various tests that were undertaken to bolster their outward appearance.  These tests, whatever they may be, prove or disprove the worth and value of an individual.  

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Those with a clear heart are motivated by the outcome of these trials and tests and are bolstered toward self-improvement, striving to better themselves and helping those around them. 

We all suffer the tests of life, that is a given, a constant and persistent reminder that our existence is not simply a static occurrence of time or circumstance.  Our lives, all our lives have meaning and purpose.  The morals or the lessons we learn or forsake, due to unhealthy motivations, determine the strength or weakness of our character.  The more we pursue that which is positive the less we follow that which is negative, it really is that easy.

Unfortunately, our leaders, very seldom seem to have the predilection of selflessness that when pursued never fails to instill in the recipient the desire to do better, to do what is right or what is in the best interest of others.  They are too often so entangled by the cords of egoism and greed that their connections invariably lead to more narcissism and arrogance.

When a country like ours, or any country for that matter allows its leaders to masquerade as moral, honest or sincere but are covered by humanlike trappings that hide the incubus or succubus below the patterns of behavior is easy to ascertain.

A succubus or Incubus (the male form) is a demon from Hell that occupies the human body.  It is a myth but based on what I see in our political system, in our society, and in the world in general, they seem to have some real-life correlation.  How else can you explain the attitudes of so many who willingly want to destroy our constitution, dismantle our police and justice systems, destroy the family and our individuality by grouping everyone into a political group or subgroup based on color, race, gender preference, etc...

Our political leaders, those who are willingly trying to destroy the United States and those who are unwilling to defend it might as well be demons from Hell.  My prediction based on what I see is that our constitutional rights will continue to erode while our society continues to fracture.  With those widening cracks comes structural failure and our infrastructures will falter, leaving millions without the basic services they have become accustomed.  Every facet of our civilization will be rewritten and as has been done throughout history, our history will be rewritten and the facts of who we once were will be forgotten.

A grave prediction for sure but only if we, those who can see clearly, fail to act in restoring the rule of law, moral integrity, and the foundations of our Constitution.  “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Edmund Burke.

Now more than ever Good Men are Needed.

I think and understand, do you?

I think, and yes, I know, who really cares about what I think?  But as I was saying, I think and therefore I opinionate, I suppose, I theorize, and I speculate.  That is what thinking is all about.  If we do not think and hypothesize, make assumptions, and draw conclusions based on our thoughts then what good is thinking?

The Democrats do not want us to think for ourselves, they would prefer to do our thinking for us, and it appears we are more than willing to let them. 

What we think defines us as individuals.  How we react to what we think defines us as courageous or cowards.  However, it matters what we think and what we think depends on what we understand in relation to what we have learned. 

Learning is determining what is worthwhile and what is not.  In other words, and like the old computer adage says, “Garbage in, garbage out,” telling us all that learning the right things will help find what is worthwhile to learn.  Too often we trust those who say they know something but fail to realize the rhetoric is worthless without experience and understanding.

Too often we have mistaken knowledge for wisdom, it is not.  Wisdom is the ability to wisely use the knowledge obtained and learned, not the wholesale acquisition of trivial facts.  Facts can be fun but for the most part facts are worthless, especially in a time like ours where the facts of one day are different then the facts of tomorrow, leading many to fall sway to winds of doctrine that plague our society. 

A few years ago, I had a student who claimed he did not need to learn anything.  All that he needed was readily available on his phone and he proceeded to prove his worth by having me ask him any question I could think of.   I thought for a moment and then asked him to look up how to build a wall?

He quickly typed and started to read.  The steps he read were correct but then I added I meant a brick wall.  Again, he typed and read the directions and with a proud smile, he said, “see,” it’s all here, he tapped his phone in triumph.  

  

“So, go build the wall,” 

He obviously could not, and he knew he could not.  He had no actual experience building anything, even a simple block wall.  (there is nothing simple about it.)

We are bombarded with facts, figures, percentages and information and start to think that because we have thought we understood the words, we have the ability to follow through, but that follow through takes time and effort and hours of practice to be competent, to have wisdom and experience.

The 4^th of July is two days away and most of us are complaining about having to stay at home, again, because of the facts that bombard us hourly with increases of those infected by the coronavirus.  

The questions I ask myself are:

1.        Why do we have a July 4^th Holiday?  This may take some time to learn.

2.       Is this a Holiday that I want to celebrate?  If not, ask your boss if you can work instead.  No reason to celebrate if you do not understand, believe or agree with the events of this historical day.  You may even want to extend your rioting hours, call your local BLM chapter, I think they might be able to help.

3.       Can we celebrate this day within the context of the current shutdowns and restrictions?

There are many ways to pay homage to the lives of those who have passed, there are even more ways not too.  Despite the issues, I have with our national, state, and local leaders I want to continue to learn what is best for me and my family.  I want to follow the admonitions of Paul, the Apostle as written in the Articles of Faith that says:   

       

"We believe in being honest, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul  "We believe all things, we hope all things," we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things,".    

      

Knowledge is good but understanding and applying that knowledge is so much better.  “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive, but speaking the truth in love may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.”  

   

We are surrounded by those who would push us into the unknown winds and do so without regard for our safety, our well being nor our very lives, but as we gain understanding and wisdom we can overcome their tempestuous ways and find safe harbor in the reality of understanding and though faith in God and his Son Jesus Christ.

Have a Happy and Safe 4^th of July.