My Journey – So far

April 22, 2014 at 5:00 pm

It’s funny how life works.  The daily interactions and experiences we have seem trivial at the time but can have profound ramification on our futures.  Here I sit, trying to strategize how best to proceed with the writing of this post, the future of this site, my reading list, my son’s education, financial planning, dinner tonight… It’s an unceasing string of seemingly random thoughts that are all interconnected, at least for me.  Everything fits into a web and has varying degrees of influence on the other nodes of the web.  It was this web that brought me to the political opinions I hold now, which in turn changed my views, or at the least enlightened my views on many other topics.  My political journey so far is what I’d like to talk about in this post. I was brought up in a conservative, Republican household.  I don’t recall the issue-specific positions my parents took on most things.  It was the typical Republican platform, patriotic, lower taxes, anti-gay marriage, pro-life…  While I took on many of those view as a child and teenager something about them – something I can’t pinpoint – didn’t agree with me.  I missed the age cutoff […]

Consent and the Nature of Rights

June 2, 2013 at 1:39 pm

I was recently to a physician, and as is standard these days there was a stack of paperwork that needed to be completed.  Patient information forms, medical history, office financial policy, HIPPA, and consent forms.  What caught my attention was the consent form.  Why is it necessary?  If I scheduled an appointment, is it not obvious that I would like to be examined?  While it is logical to come to such a conclusion, consent must be specifically given.  Consent is an important concept with far reaching implications. From whence does this idea of consent come?  It comes directly from the principle of ownership.  Consent is the engine through which you allow others to utilize, institute change, or exert influence over your person, your property, or other items that are under your control.  Why is consent necessary?  It is the difference between a beneficial transaction, and an act of aggression.  It is choice.  When you enter into a contract you are consenting to its terms.  When you accept a job offer you are consenting to work for an agreed number of hours at an agreed wage and to abide by company policies and procedures.  Every beneficial interaction between individuals requires, at some level, consent. […]

The Constitution is Not Dead (But it Isn’t Living Either)

October 14, 2011 at 3:23 pm

The United States – often recognized as a beacon of freedom to the world, though perhaps more so in the past than in the present.  The original colonists came here seeking a fresh start, a land of unrivaled opportunity, and a reprieve from the oppression of the British Crown.  Immigrants in more recent times come for similar reasons.  They come to escape oppression, to pursue new opportunity, to endeavor to better themselves and their families by taking advantage of the freedoms we here take for granted.  The ultimate reason is the freedom to determine one’s own destiny.  At one time, this was the single most appealing feature of the land of Lady Liberty to others around the world.  Slowly, the United States is slipping from its previous grandeur.  As the citizens sit back and allow themselves to be lulled into oblivion by mind-melting television shows and the latest in fashion, football or celebrity gossip the freedom and liberty that we take for granted is being stripped away.  Like an onion, each layer is slowly removed and eventually, it will be gone entirely.  With each layer compromised come the stinging tears of those who witness the degradation.  We are not yet past […]

Time For A Revolution

July 4, 2011 at 1:48 pm

Two hundred and thirty-five years ago today, fifty-six men pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honors to start what would be the most free and prosperous nation on Earth.  Declaring their independence from the grip of King George and the British Empire they risked everything to breathe life into a country founded upon the principles of freedom, liberty, and prosperity for all who possessed the desire to take the forces of destiny into their own hands and mold a future of their own choosing without interference by an overbearing, and oppressive government.  This was a concept never before seen on this planet. They built this country from the ground up. They designed a government for the people, controlled by the people. They protected the people from the government by writing one of the most pivotal documents in the history of the world – The US Constitution. They had it right. We have let our nation fall because of our apathy, and our laziness. The people must be vigilant, and we have not been. We have allowed our federal government to seize power that it was never intended to have. We have grievously misplaced our trust in what the government and […]