IN DEFENSE OF COMMON SENSE
By Hetty Gray
“On and No”
July 3, 2013
“The Fourth of July Column”
This is the celebration of our nation’s birth. I know that the men who laid the foundation for America would be appalled at the conditions we face today. Instead of looking ahead to expansion and progress, the American people see a weak economy only bolstered by indices that ignore the vast numbers of people who have given up hope and stopped looking for work.
Every day we see the faith of the founders cast aside and replaced by an unrelenting push for self-interest and prurient behavior. And what of the ten rules that held forth as the premier guidelines for mankind over millennia? They are labeled passé and unnecessary.
Delaware refuses to allow church services on public beaches and defends the decision by a ban to link church and state. I am reminded of the location of a beautiful Presbyterian Church in Champaign, Illinois. Where is it? It’s at the intersection of Church and State. Not so subtle, right?
How long will we put up with this? We should have firm defenders when it comes to the onslaught of government control and snooping.
The traditional vanguard of truth that finds its origins in little hand-run printing presses of the colonists in the 1770s that opposed King George. It evolved into a historically active public watchdog. Time was when the worst day of a politician’s life was when a reporter dug into his activities and exposed the ugly underbelly of supposedly acceptable behavior. The press informed us and protected us in the past. It was our “junk yard dog” but we may never have realized its true value.
Today, all but a handful of those attack dogs are neutered and toothless — in short, the majority of the national media are feckless.
Those who claim to know what is “best for America” clamor for “natural foods” but support and defend “unnatural lifestyles and behaviors”. In nature, one will not find males pursuing other males unless they mean to kill them. So much for using their use of the term “natural.”
We have dumbed down education for decades and now the bitter fruit is about to dump on us like a load of bricks. Oh, I am sorry for that reference. The activists pushing all this wouldn’t recognize phrases or names associated with hard work done with hands. Their idea of handwork is to see Americans asking for handouts — government freebies.
It is extremely hard to control people of independent means. Every time another person goes on the government dole, we chip away at the legs of independence upon which Americans not only built this great nation but also look to for its future. Once the majority income status is low, then elites can control the population without check. Forget balance.
You can see the whole situation as an extension of the old saying, “There is no free lunch.” What is the new saying? “You’re about to get your lunch!”
What will happen to young people who average about $800 seeing a hit of $5500 when Obamacare is fully implemented? We don’t get fewer uninsured. The CBO estimates that no fewer than 30 million will be uninsured even after all these Draconian changes drown what is left of our economy.
Jobs “fueled” by petroleum and allied industries are in the crosshairs —- not to mention the coal industry. China opens a new coal-fired plant every week and observes no emission controls. Tundra emits tons of carbon dioxide and man has absolutely nothing to do with that. What do our leaders do? They hobble the industry that spawned this great nation and allow nations around the globe to do as they wish. Coal, as few people mention, exports to other countries. Not only do the “greenies” seek to ban coal here, but they also want to ban exporting it to other countries. I remember when to be “green” was to know little or nothing. Hmmm…. That really hasn’t changed, has it?
Nuclear still holds forth as our best option. The French purchase our nuclear waste to reprocess for their electricity. Fusion may be just around the corner, yet there hasn’t been a nuclear plant built here for many years. It is still the safest form of energy production. What worries me is that our leaders continue to believe that Iran is using uranium for peaceful means. Oh, sure….
In this digital age, we have forgotten the old switch. You know it, the ON-OFF switch. What can we do? We reverse ON to NO. It’s a simple concept, but it will be very hard to do. It will take all of us.
• NO to accepting media and activist groups to market homosexuality as a legitimate lifestyle option to our children.
• NO to children before marriage
• NO to vacuous education from K-college
• NO to low expectations
• NO to limits on free speech
• NO to name calling in lieu of factual argument
• NO to ad hominem attacks
• NO to greed over need
Instead, do this.
• ON to God and faith
• ON to honesty in business — small and large
• ON to ethics in government
• ON to truthful campaign promises
• ON to parents with firm but fair rules
• ON to ending regulations that hobble entrepreneurs
• ON to dreaming — dreams spawn invention — invention spawns progress
Take the on RAMP
• R Responsibility
• A Ambition
• M Mettle
• P Patience
We must push responsibility undergirded by reason and thought. Instill ambition in our youth. Everyone should believe he or she could achieve in life. Adopt the old fashioned work ethic. Metal is important, but mettle is critical. Nothing worthwhile comes easy. Patience is the byword for all of us. We need to be consistent but patient.
And what of the other switch position?
• Turn OFF political correctness. It is ridiculous and insulting.
• Turn OFF disincentive
• Turn OFF elitist doctrine that seek to diminish all others
In response to these offensive behaviors, use this version of the switch. Adopt OFF and
Switch to:
• OUR
• FOUNDERS’
• FAITH
Embrace OFF. It’s our only hope.