December 22, 2014 at 3:27 pm
Violence is everywhere. We see it in the news daily, it’s in our TV shows, our movies, our video games and sometimes a part of our lives. Recently we’ve read multiple news stories about police violence against unarmed individuals. In some of these stories the innocence of the alleged victim is dubious. In others, video seems to prove beyond doubt that the police used unnecessary lethal force. As Issac Newton’s Third Law observed in physics, so we are seeing in society; an equal and opposite reaction to ever increasing levels of police violence and brutality. Most recently, two members of the NYPD were shot to death while they sat in a patrol car. Anti-police sentiments and protests are on the rise everywhere. Some of the outcry is the result of perceived racism. Some stems from a recognition that the police – once known as “peace officers”, have become something quite different. This isn’t Mayberry. Today your average hometown police squad has a cache of automatic weapons, body armor, tear gas, grenade launchers, armored military vehicles and perhaps even a weaponized drone. I have yet to meet someone who expressed a feeling of comfort, safety or peace upon seeing one of […]
June 11, 2014 at 10:45 am
Tuesday night, June 10th, 2014 residents of Virginia’s 7th district made history by voting out Republican House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in the GOP primary election. Cantor, a career politician and neo-conservative was ousted in favor of newcomer David Brat, a local university economics professor. Brat is being hailed as a “tea party” candidate, and while his views seem to align well with those generally held by tea party affiliates he actually received no backing from the major tea party organizations, due to the evidently misled belief that Cantor was untouchable. Brat’s win truly is a history making event, and one that sends a shock wave through the GOP establishment. Late night’s victory marks the first time in US history that a House Majority Leader has been unseated in a primary election. The implications of this win are far reaching. Cantor has been a vocal supporter of amnesty measures for so-called illegal immigrants – an issue that has been coming to a head recently with immigrant children currently flooding over the US-Mexico border as an unforeseen ramification of President Obama’s recent declaration that children would not be deported. Mr. Brat was able to use this to his full advantage to […]
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 […]
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 […]
October 7, 2011 at 4:25 pm
When I wrote about the Occupy Wall Street movement a few weeks ago I had not really intended on it becoming a recurring topic, but as events transpire I find myself compelled to speak out further. The movement has continued to gain momentum and has spread all over the country, and to various locations around the world. More people are getting involved, and more media attention is being cast in their direction. Some of the attention has been on the movement itself, and some on the actions of the NYPD and other police departments in response to it. At this point, we should regard the Occupy movement as a potential danger. It is very volatile. I do not suggest that we should be concerned that it will escalate to a point of violence, though that is not out of the question, it seems unlikely at this point it time. The danger stems from the fact that the protestors are so very disjointed. There is no leader, and there is no clear mission or set of demands. The protestors might as well be there for the simple fact that they have nothing better to do. Clearly they share in their frustration […]
September 9, 2011 at 11:45 am
This Sunday marks the 10th anniversary of the attacks against the United States that leveled the World Trade Center in New York City, punched a hole in the side of the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and left the burning remains of a commercial airliner in a field near Pittsburgh, PA. The official death toll from that day was 2,975 including the hijackers of the 4 planes. Those of use who remember the day will never forget it. We will never forget where we were, or what we were doing when we heard the news. We will forever have burned into our mind’s eye the image if the Twin Towers falling. We will never forget. On Sunday, we should all take some time to reflect on the lives lost on that day 10 years previous, and on the lives lost since that day as a result. Prayers and kind wishes go out to those who lost friends and loved ones in the attacks, and in the wars that followed. When we heard the news, the foremost question was ‘why?’ Why would a group of people plan and execute such a horrific act against the United States? We were told by our […]
August 26, 2011 at 1:28 pm
One of the most important tasks that I would like to see this site accomplish is the dissemination of knowledge. Throughout history there have been numerous contributors to the cause of liberty. Some of those fine individuals saw fit to frame their thoughts, arguments, and wisdom in written form for the betterment of posterity. I find that utilizing these powerful texts is a wonderful way to advance thought and expand the mind’s plain of consideration. As I have the opportunity to complete each of the many books on my reading list it is my intention to provide you with my impressions of each manuscript. Perhaps doing so will prompt you to discover the book for yourself, or encourage discussion of books we have had the mutual pleasure (as I hope the case will be) of reading. To kick things off, I will begin with the latest book I’ve been able to check off of my list. Liberty Defined: 50 Essential Issues That Affect Our Freedom by Ron Paul In Congressman and Dr. Ron Paul’s latest book he tackles alphabetically 50 of the issues that he believes are the most important to the cause of liberty. Each of the 50 […]