Land of the Free?

The United States of America is touted as the land of the free, but are we?

Our constitution and bill of rights uphold the freedom of speech, yet our courts and politicians seem to frown on the idea of prayer. Prayer is personal, not needing to be spoken. “Every thought of God is prayer. Holy, true and honest purposes are prayer. Earnest thought, search without vanity is prayer.” - Rahel Levin Varnhagen, letter to Count Custine, 1817. Are our legislators and legal system set on controlling our very thoughts?

Every person in America has the right of “the pursuit of happiness”, yet actions of our government’s administrators want a ban on the happiness of a minority, the gay community. Marriage has always been a union of a male and female, but there is nothing to say a civil union of two individuals of the same sex could not be legal. To declare such a union as illegal is an erosion of human rights.

Our governmental system is set up with an advantage to those individuals who are married. Why then are we depriving a minority group of this right? What will be next, a ban on marriage between ethic groups? What about age, would the union of two people with too many years difference become illegal, and who would decide? Is it more to the liking of our government that people just live together with no bonded rights?

We have in industry that thrives on individuals who are unmarried. The health insurance industry has a big business helping those individuals without partners with insurance to cover their needs. If a policy of domestic unions were enforced, many who are not now covered by insurance would be. This would take the burden on the public, who are now paying for it.

Our government is one of the most powerful in the world. In many cases, what we do first, others follow. Why not lead the world and show them we are not just a nation of words, but actions. That we are indeed the land of the free; that we have the freedom to practice our peaceful religious beliefs without governmental control. We have the right to pursue happiness in out domestic lives without government restrictions or intervention.
The only way this can happen is by the election of our political representatives. This means everyone needs to voice their opinion on Election Day and VOTE.

Our political election system is not perfect and needs reform, but it is the best we have. As the system is today, the Electoral College is in control when placing a president in office, not the people. When a majority of the voters in a state say one candidate should be president, all the electoral votes go to that person. This, in of itself, stops a third party candidate from becoming president. There is no way the Electoral College could be abolished, states with a smaller population would not ratify it, but that is not to say we cannot change it. Why not let the votes of the people really count; have the Electoral College votes split as the voters voted. If 48% of the state’s population wanted one candidate, 30% wanted another, and 22% still another, why not split the Electoral College vote the same way? Doing this would insure the people have their say and the old “two party” system could be done away with, or at the least, improved. People would not feel their vote is wasted on a third party candidate, their voice could be heard.

This nation was founded on religious principle, with human rights in mind. We have evolved in many ways to improve our view of what human rights and freedoms are. It is not now the time to digress and begin removing these rights. As a democratic republic each and every person should be equal under the law and have a voice. The right to prayer, marriage or civil union and the election of our governmental officials should fall on us, not the system. The constitution begins; “WE THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES,” it does not say; the system or the few of the United States. The pledge of allegiance sites “with liberty and justice of all”.

Hundreds of thousands of American lives have been spent to show the world what freedom truly is. Should we not show this same freedom to ourselves? Civil liberty is sacrosanct and should NOT be diminished one iota. Ordaining everyone should believe and behave the same is the death null to expression, knowledge and understanding.

When the rights of any individual group are impaired, all lose a little.

Ed Williams
©

SOMETHING STRANGE

Have you ever noticed that anyone in political office can do nothing right and creates more problems? Anyone running for office can do nothing wrong and can fix the problems the other has created? If this is true, the act of being elected must make a person dumb and incompetent. Why would anyone want to loose all their facilities and hold a public office? I guess it must be the money.

If money is the problem, then why not stop paying elected officials. Give them a place to live, a food and clothing allowance and nothing more. Maybe then they would do the job and go home to private live. In this case, if they stay and have more money than they started with, we know they are stealing from us or doing something illegal. There is a place for people like that, it’s called PRISON.

Ed Williams
©

Definitions

Here are a few definitions to think about in today’s world. The first one should be an easy one to understand. The definition of a United States American is; a person, who, by birth or choice, lives, works and honors this country, having allegiance to no other country before it.

Allegiance is standing by and for the country of ones choice, upholding its honor and laws in either peace or war.

A patriot is a person who honors, upholds and stands for the country in good or ill times. One who comes forth to protect and defend whenever needed, who has no shame at standing and saluting the flag.

A veteran is one who services their country in the military at ANY TIME, ANYWHERE, in ANY POSITION. Willing to do what they’re told and go where they are sent, to serve their country’s needs.

It seems sad and an irony that we have citizen who are not any of the above. Yet we have people who are not citizens at this time who fall into all of the above categories.

There are a few items not listed in the definitions, very important omissions. There is no mention of religious affiliation, gender or ethnicity. The reason is simple; they have no place. We are a nation of one people, period.

Is it not now time to show the ones living in this country that being a citizen is not enough? We WILL fall if everyone pulls in different directions. The full might and glory of this country has been the ability to join as one and fight all who try to oppress freedom. Our very symbol stands for purity, blood spilled, and honor. The American flag, not the eagle, is that symbol. Each American is that symbol. We stand for the freedom of ALL, not just the privileged few. If we withhold freedom from one, who will be next, you?

Let us stop fighting among ourselves and unite as one. Freedom is never given, only fought for and earned at a high price. Our personal freedoms are at stake here, the freedom to be ones self without harming another. Join the fight for freedom.


Let the only one judge that is above judgment.



Ed Williams
©

Political Reform Part I

The time has come, if not past due, for political reform. This is a daunting task as our elected officials seem to like things as they are. They are the only ones who can pass the bills needed for these reforms, but it is we, the people, who can and must demand them.

First, start by limiting the campaign war chest to the amount the official will make over the term they are running for. Next, limit the donation amount they may receive to a maximum of $500.00 per person over the length of the campaign. Stop all donations from political action committees (P.A.C.), corporations, unions, special interest groups, etc. In other words the only legal donations would be from individuals with a cap of $500.00.

Now that we have limited the amount they may raise, we need to ensure they don’t keep any to carry over to the next election. Any funds not spend in the campaign should go into the state treasury and placed in a public assistance fund. This way, win or lose, the public comes out okay. These changes should be effective from the time a candidate registers to Election Day. If they lose in the primary and do not make it on the final ballet, the situation remains the same for the disposition of the money.

If our elected officials have to follow these rules, how long do you think it will take to clean up campaigning, to focus on the issues? Without the monetary influence of big money, the interests of the people should move to the forefront.

So far this has been about our federal and state officials, but it could be taken further, to the city and county levels also.

There would be no need to limit the time a volunteer could work on a campaign, only the financial resources they have to work with. In the end, they are working to help make things better for us all.

Politicians may control the purse, but we control the purse strings.

Ed Williams ©

A Prospective Look

This political year a lot is being made of the military records of both presidential candidates.

Maybe it is time to look at the country as it was then and what was going on in order to put into perspective what both men did, and why.

The 1960’s and early 1970’s were a very turbulent time in this nation’s history. A war in Southeast Asia raged with American youth dying daily. Two sides of the nation looked with opposing views. The war was needed or the war was evil and unnecessary. We had hippies, dippies and dropouts. There were drug havens and communes. There was free love and rampant hate. Young men running to Canada in order to stay out of the fight, university campuses under siege, riots in the streets, burning bras and draft cards, streets and houses a blaze. Families torn apart by malcontent or political ideology, some never to be reunited!

This nation was in trouble, big trouble from both outside forces and internal strife. Listen to the music of the times and hear just what the youth felt. Songs of peace, love and anti war, yet they and the nation saw the assassination of leaders like the Kennedy’s, Martin Luther King, and Malcolm X. Death and dying, in graphic detail, on the nightly news filled our living rooms. Our military, pelted with fruits and vegetables as they returned home or worse yet, being spat on for wearing the uniform of this country and called baby killer.

Our involvement in Southeast Asia really began with Dwight D. Eisenhower, a republican; believing the Vietnamese needed a little guidance to help make a democratic nation. John F. Kennedy, a democrat, sent even more men there to help with training the fledgling nation’s military. The war went into high gear under the guidance of Lyndon B. Johnson, another democrat: we had to win the war and stop communism from spreading. It was only under the presidency of Richard M. Nixon, a republican, who ended the war.

Wisdom and maturity are in short supply when you are young. Some see life as a way to have fun, an endless summer. Others believe they are immortal and can do anything they want. With time, all youth grow older and some, wiser.

With this short glimpse on the past, look, study and decide if the two men wanting to be the next president were honorable and honest about it. After that, look to what they have done to date and the issues they stand for. Decide which one is truly the person for the job.

Looking to the past is necessary to help understand the present and help shape the future. Living in the past will do nothing to benefit anyone.

Ed Williams
©

A Political Thought?

Be not like a bird that sees the grain but not the trap.

- Ibn Tibbon, Tzavaah, 1190

QUALITIES

What are the qualities we need for our elected officials to have? Look at this list and see which ones are requisite. Good looks, sex appeal, money, honesty, intelligence, leadership, integrity, political know-how, good communication skills, snappy dresser, education, personality, sense of humor, good judgment, foresightedness, worldliness, faith, principles, virtuous life style, selflessness, athletic, level headedness, determination, even temperament, excellent health.

This is a pretty good start for a list, but as you may guess, incomplete. There are several I left out, such as experience. By virtue of our constitution, anyone running for office will have life experience. Many items on the list can be summarily dismissed by virtue of the past. We have had leaders who were not good looking, had little sex appeal, little money, limited political know-how, lacked good communication skills, dressed poorly, had no sense of humor, had limited involvement with the worldly, led a non-virtuous live, were self-centered, and had little to no athletic skills. Leaders as Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald ford, Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton, to name a few, show this. None of these men were everything on the list, yet they all got the job done with some degree of success.

Some qualities would be nice, but others are essential. Honesty, principles, integrity and leadership are the four attributes we cannot afford an elected official not to have. While on the campaign trail, a candidate may say or do almost anything to win votes. This is not the time span you should really be looking at them. Look closely to their past deeds and actions to glean the truth. If you cannot find a history of honesty, integrity, principles and leadership, this is not the person we want in office and should not receive your vote.

Political candidates and parties build platforms to show the policies and ideals they profess. This is not to say they will abide by any of them after the elected office is obtained and should be ignored by the voter. These platforms may sound great at a rally or in a speech, but that is a far cry from what really happens once reality sets in.

A political candidate’s past is a good indicator to what they will do once in office. If their past is not to your liking, their present and future will be the same. Look closely to hidden facts and shrug off the political hype.

The next four, six or more years may depend on your vote within the next few weeks. Choice with care, as your future and the wellbeing of this nation are at stake.

Ed Williams
©

An observation

This was sent to me by a friend, I have seen it many times before, laughed and deleted it. This time, it dawned on me, this is one of the very reasons Christians are looked down on, because it’s true too many times. It seems, to someone who is not a Christian, just because you claim to be one, doesn’t mean you act like one. Too often people make a big show and just don’t follow through with actions to back it up.

If every, so called, Christian would DO as their faith and religion states, there would be far less trouble in the world today. Do people really believe making a statement of faith and being baptized is all that is needed and their actions hold no consequences because they are saved?

Read the joke and think about it. Do you fit into the same category in one form or another? If so, maybe it’s time to make a few changes.

Ed Williams

An honest man was being tailgated by a stressed-out woman on a busy boulevard. Suddenly, the light turned yellow, just in front of him. He did the right thing, stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection.
The tailgating woman hit the roof, and the horn, screaming in frustration as she missed her chance to get through the intersection with him.


As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up into the face of a very serious police officer. The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands up. He took her to the police station where she was searched, fingerprinted, photographed, and placed in a cell.


After a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened the door. She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal effects.
He said, "I'm very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping the guy off in front of you, and cussing a blue streak at him... I noticed the 'Choose Life' license plate holder, the 'What Would Jesus Do' bumper sticker, the 'Follow Me to Sunday School’ bumper sticker, and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk.


Naturally, I assumed you had stolen the car."

Thought for the day or week

Provoke not one of another belief.

- Asher b. Yehiel, "Hanhaga"

Thought for the day or week

An individual is a person, when and because he knows himself as such; a group is a people, when and because it knows itself as such.

- Mordechai Kaplan, "Future of the American Jew," 1948

The Middle East vs. Southeast Asia

Once again we find ourselves in a war with little hope of winning. As with Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan are just wars, for the right reasons, but are not being fought as a war. Politicians are running and dictating the ‘Order of Fire’ our troops must follow, not the generals and strategists.

In Vietnam, the war started out small with our position as mere advisors and grew from there. As the combat escalated we fought valiantly even though we were forced to fight with one arm tied behind our backs. Iraq started out strong, with threats and bombs, but still with pulled punches. With our nation so divided and polarized now, I fear a repeat of the 1960’s with protests, riots and the loss of patriotism. A war we do not win, but merely stop to end the fighting and dying.

As it stands now, we are in too deep to just pull out. Depending on what the president in office the next four years does, this war could very well be the stumbling block to this nation as Afghanistan was to the USSR. They fought for years, expending lives and billions in capital, never to recover their losses and still did not win.

As for the actions and decisions of the next president, I am sure of two things: if Bush is re-elected he only has history and historians to rule on his decisions. Kerry will have the populous to worry about; therefore his bid for re-election will remain in the forefront of his actions. A newly elected president wants to prove them self and will do what they think the public wants. A president in their second term will do what they want, with little or no regard about what public opinion. Both men could be correct in regards to their outlook on the war, but only time will tell.

If any war is to be won, the politicians need to let the armed forces do their jobs. No politician, regardless of their background, really knows what is going on in the heat of combat. A politician sees votes, won or lost; the soldier on the front sees death, life and maybe another day. Once a person becomes a politician, they are no longer a warrior. Yes, they do battle, but only in facts, pseudo-facts and innuendoes, of policy and public opinion. Their battles center on the vote.

In a war, the soldier sees the battle as life and death, hopefully his life and the enemy’s death. He knows the smell of fear, the sound of death, the taste of loneliness, and the fatigue of victory. They know all these things and more, when they can only defend themselves after a buddy lies feeding the ground his life’s blood. Our armed forces are warriors who destroy only to create. They must destroy the enemy in order to create something better.

Vietnam lasted ten years, more or less. Will we still be fighting a limited war in Iraq for the same length of time? We need to let our forces crush the enemy by the rules of war, not politics. Once the enemy is decimated, the new government can take over the business of ruling their nation and we can leave. In Vietnam we faced women and children carrying bombs to kill us, in Iraq they are the bomb. In Vietnam we were called baby killers and looked down upon. We lost that war! Will we now do the same thing to our armed forces? In war you can only win if you live and the enemy dies, period. As General George Patton said, “No soldier ever won a war by dying for his country; he won it by making the other guy die for his.”

Do you think we would still be a free nation if we had fought WWII as we have fought every war since? The longer we make our armed forces fight a limited war, the more discontent will arise here at home.

If we let the opinions of friendly nations like France and Russia dictate the way we wage war, are we truly a nation unto ourselves? Is Russia a friend? France, as we all know, is truly a friend, at least when they are in trouble and need our help. Any nation that does not stand with us in our time of need can not be called a true friend. Why then should we spend billions of dollars in aid and keep military bases on their soil to protect them? Let them make their own way in the world without our help. I’m sure they will find they need us more than we need them.

When a soldier takes a prisoner, they are not held for ransom and beheaded. Only a terrorist does that. A terrorist is an enemy who deserves no quarter. As we are facing acts of violent terrorism in the war zones, so we are facing political terrorism by a few nations. Anyone who smiles and shakes our hand only to drive a knife in our stomach or back with the other hand deserves a reaction, swift and decisive.

Any leader, either political or religious, who not only supports but advocates terrorist acts warrants immediate capture by any and all means possible. After a speedy trial, and then found guilty, executed without delay.

In Vietnam we saw acts of terrorism on the population similar to what is going on in the Middle East. We did next to nothing and lost the war. Have we, as a nation, learned nothing? Fight terrorism with no holds barred, unlimited warfare. Hunt down the terrorists like rabid dogs. If they put up a fight, destroy them without delay. You can not free a people without removing the threat of retaliation from those who oppress them.

Terrorists look at numbers. Is it not now time for us to also look at the numbers? A repressive regime is not made up of only a handful of despots. They are supported by many like minded individuals and groups. Cutting off the head, in this case, can not and will not end the tyrannical nature of the beast. Only total annihilation of these groups can possibility end the killing. Once the population is free of this tyranny, they may once more join the modern world in commerce and civility.

The Arab and Muslim world once led with enlightenment and technology. If we are indeed the bastion of freedom is it not our place to help them out of the darkness and back into the light?

We, as Americans, need to hold our political representatives accountable for their actions. If they continue to vote for war, let it be a war we can fight without the limitations they have been placing on our fighting forces. These limitations have so far resulted in the needless death of many of our young men and women. This does not include the loss of our civilian contractors being butchered. THIS IS A CRIME.



Peace through the act of war is a tedious proposition.

Ed Williams
©

The Debate

This is the only article by me you will see about the debates on this site. I do NOT watch them and try not to listen to the spin doctors after. Debates seem to me, to be little more than a show for the population. I do not want a politician to entertain me, I want them to serve and do the right thing in office. Sound bites and snapshots do not show what the person stands for or will do in office. Look at their public service record, times when they are at ease and their families. This is more telling than any debate or paid advertisement. Entertainment is an escape from reality; I want any person in office to have not only their feet, but their mind firmly planted in the realm of this world.