George Ought To Help

If we approve of state programs that redistribute wealth we must also approve of threats of violence made against peaceful individuals because this is how the funds are collected.

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Craig K 4 days ago in reply to carlsoane

There is dynastic wealth in this country, no doubt about it. But it doesn't emanate from hard working Americans who simply want to provide a step up for their children, or children's children. It comes in the form of politically well connected families. Family with ties to banking and/or political power. As long as Ben Bernanke and his ilk are buying treasuries, toxic assets, etc, from friends in the banking industry, as long as people like Peter Orszag get abstract, high paying jobs at Citi after serving in government by bailing out the company he now works for, there will be dynasties.

Warren Buffet and Bill Gates live in a different world then we do. If they want to give away their vast fortunes, then good for them. It's their money. But just because they have vast fortunes which they want to give away, does not give them the right to give away other people's fortunes - large or small.

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"When men are brought face to face with their opponents, forced to listen and learn and mend their ideas, they cease to be children and savages and begin to live like civilized men.
Then only is freedom a reality, when men may voice their opinions because they must examine their opinions."
-- Walter Lippmann
(1889-1974) American writer, journalist, and political commentator
Source: The Indispensable Opposition, 1939
http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Walter.Lippmann.Quote.A7A4


"Any fool can make a rule, and any fool will mind it."
-- Henry David Thoreau
(1817-1862)
Source: Journal, February 3, 1860
http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Henry.David.Thoreau.Quote.AFDE


"The dissenter is every human being at those times of his life when he resigns momentarily from the herd and thinks for himself."
-- Archibald Macleish
(1892-1982) Poet, playwright, Librarian of Congress, & Assistant Secretary of State under Franklin Roosevelt
Source: 4 December 1937
http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Archibald.Macleish.Quote.A7B9

"I never liked the atmosphere of Washington. I early saw that it was impossible to build up a race of which the leaders were spending most of their time, thought and energy in trying to get into office, or in trying to stay there after they were in."
-- Booker T. Washington
(1856-1915) Author
http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Booker.T..Washington.Quote.71BC


"We now have so many regulations that everyone is guilty of some violation."
-- Donald Alexander
IRS Director
1975?
Source: before Congress ~1975
http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Donald.Alexander.Quote.1F38


"Considering the natural lust for power so inherent in man, I fear the thirst of power will prevail to oppress the people."
-- George Mason
(1725-1792), drafted the Virgina Declaration of Rights, ally of James Madison and George Washington
Source: The Papers of George Mason, 1052 (Robert A. Rutland Ed., 1970)
http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/George.Mason.Quote.BBDA

Former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk Endangers EVERY American

Former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk Endangers EVERY American

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"It is easy to think the State has a lot of different objects --
military, political, economic, and what not.
But in a way things are much simpler than that.
The State exists simply to promote and to protect
the ordinary happiness of human beings in this life.
A husband and wife chatting over a fire,
a couple of friends having a game of darts in a pub,
a man reading a book in his own room
or digging in his own garden --
that is what the State is there for.
And unless they are helping to increase
and prolong and protect such moments,
all the laws, parliaments, armies, courts, police,
economics, etc., are simply a waste of time."
-- C. S. Lewis
(1898-1963), British novelist
http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/C..S..Lewis.Quote.80F3


"Congress will ever exercise their powers
to levy as much money as the people can pay.
They will not be restrained from direct taxes
by the consideration that necessity does not require them."
-- Melancton Smith
(1744-1798) opponent of Alexander Hamilton during New York's ratifying convention
http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Melancton.Smith.Quote.B6E2


"I consider the foundation of the Constitution as laid on this ground:
That 'all powers not delegated to the United States, by the Constitution,
nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States or to the
people' (10th Amendment). To take a single step beyond the boundaries
thus specifically drawn around the powers of Congress, is to take
possession of a boundless field of power, no longer susceptible to any
definition."
-- Thomas Jefferson
(1743-1826), US Founding Father, drafted the Declaration of Independence, 3rd US President
Source: Opinion on the Constitutionality of a National Bank, letter to George Washington,15 February 1791,
The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Boyd, ed., vol. 19 (276)
http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Thomas.Jefferson.Quote.71CB


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JohnK 6 days ago in reply to CountryThinker

The Constitution has been reduced to seven words: general welfare... regulate commerce... necessary and proper.
That's it.
There are no limitations on federal power. 

vikingvista 6 days ago in reply to dislikedisqus

The problem is not teachers, students, or parents. Just like with the post office the problem is not postal workers. With union shops, the problem is not union workers. With California government, the problem is not civil servants.
The problem is the incentive structure.
You can't change human nature, and you can't fix a pathologic system by maintaining its pathologic incentives.

The Other Eric 6 days ago

 

I am absolutely in favor of improving education in the United States.
It's for that reason I oppose spending any tax money on schools.

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"And that the said Constitution be never construed to authorize Congress to infringe the just liberty of the press, or the rights of conscience; or to prevent the people of the United States, who are peaceable citizens, from keeping their own arms; or to raise standing armies, unless necessary for the defense of the United States, or of some one or more of them; or to prevent the people from petitioning, in a peaceable and orderly manner, the federal legislature, for a redress of grievances; or to subject the people to unreasonable searches and seizures of their persons, papers or possessions."

-- Samuel Adams

(1722-1803), was known as the "Father of the American Revolution."

Source: Debates and Proceedings in the Convention of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1788 (Pierce & Hale, eds., Boston, 1850)

http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Samuel.Adams.Quote.B683

"Tis a Mistake to think this Fault [tyranny] is proper only to Monarchies; other Forms of Government are liable to it, as well as that. For where-ever the Power that is put in any hands for the Government of the People, and the Preservation of their Properties, is applied to other ends, and made use of to impoverish, harass, or subdue them to the Arbitrary and Irregular Commands of those that have it: There it presently becomes Tyranny, whether those that thus use it are one or many."

-- John Locke

(1632-1704) English philosopher and political theorist. Considered the ideological progenitor of the American Revolution and who, by far, was the most often non-biblical writer quoted by the Founding Fathers of the USA.

http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/John.Locke.Quote.A3DC

"One of the greatest problems that we as a free people face today is that for the past 100 years trial judges in the U.S. have routinely misinformed jurors that they were bound to accept the judge's opinion of what the law is; which law to apply; and whether or not they had to find a defendant guilty. In so doing these judges have welded shut this all important safety valve, which our Founders so wisely provided our society -- and the result has been an explosive one."

-- Mike Robbins

Source: Fully Informed Jury Association Activist, Summer 1995.

http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Mike.Robbins.Quote.F729


"It is clear in our criminal justice system that the jury has the power to nullify -- that is, the power to acquit or to convict on reduced charges despite overwhelming evidence against the defendant. ... In a criminal trial, the court cannot direct a verdict of guilty, no matter how strong the evidence. In addition, if the jury acquits, double jeopardy bars the prosecution from appealing the verdict or seeking retrial. Similarly, if the jury convicts the defendant of a less serious offense than the one charged, the prosecution cannot again try the defendant on the more serious charge. This result occurs regardless of whether the jury consciously rejects the law, embraces a merciful attitude, or is simply confused concerning the law or facts. Thus, nullification -- with or without authority, intended or not -- is part of our system."
-- Anne Bowen Poulin
Professor of Law, Villanova School of Law
Source: Article: The Jury: The Criminal Justice System’s Different Voice, 62 U. CIN. L. REV. 1377, 1399 (1994).
http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Anne.Bowen.Poulin.Quote.7B60


"The power of nullification plays an important role in the criminal justice system. ... Because an accused criminal is restricted in the defenses he or she can raise, the law recognizes only certain defenses and justification, and correspondingly, limited evidence. The jury’s power to nullify provides an accommodation between the rigidity of the law and the need to hear and respond to positions that do not fit legal pigeonholes, such as claims of spousal abuse before the battered-spouse syndrome received acceptance. Jury nullification permits the jury to respond to a position that does not have the status of a legally recognized defense. The power to nullify guarantees that the jury is free to speak as the conscience of the community. "
-- Anne Bowen Poulin
Professor of Law, Villanova School of Law
Source: Article: The Jury: The Criminal Justice System’s Different Voice, 62 U. CIN. L. REV. 1377, 1400 (1994)
http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Anne.Bowen.Poulin.Quote.2BB1


"But, sir, the people themselves have it in their power effectually to resist usurpation, without being driven to an appeal of arms. An act of usurpation is not obligatory; it is not law; and any man may be justified in his resistance. Let him be considered as a criminal by the general government, yet only his fellow-citizens can convict him; they are his jury, and if they pronounce him innocent, not all the powers of Congress can hurt him; and innocent they certainly will pronounce him, if the supposed law he resisted was an act of usurpation."
-- Theophilus Parsons
(1750-1813)
Source: in the Massachusetts Convention on the ratification of the Constitution, January 23, 1788,
in _Debates in the Several State Conventions on the Adoption of the Federal Constitution,_
Jonathan Elliot, ed., v.2 p.94 (Philadelphia, 1836)
http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Theophilus.Parsons.Quote.BF18

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NATIVITY

Merry Christmas

Amazing Grace Techno - Computer Controlled Christmas Lights from Richard Holdman on Vimeo.

I shot this video in the morning right before sunrise so it has some nice ambient lighting. This is my 2007 Christmas Display with 45,000 lights and 176 channels of computer control. Visit www.holdman.com/christmas for more info. The Song is "Amazing Grace" by Yule.

Juan Valdez should be a wealthy man.

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"[E]very Man has a Property in his own Person. This no Body has any Right to but himself. The Labour of his Body, and the Work of his Hands, we may say, are properly his. The great and chief end therefore, of Mens uniting into Commonwealths, and putting themselves under Government, is the Preservation of their Property." -- John Locke (1632-1704) English philosopher and political theorist. Considered the ideological progenitor of the American Revolution and who, by far, was the most often non-biblical writer quoted by the Founding Fathers of the USA.
http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/John.Locke.Quote.07AA


"Positive laws are tyrannical. One's individual rights -- whether they be life, liberty, or property -- must be sacrificed by the state in order to fulfill the positive rights of another. For example, if housing is considered a "right," then the state will have to confiscate wealth (property) from those who have provided shelter for themselves in order to house those who have not.... True justice is realized when our lives, and property are secure, and we are free to express our thoughts without fear of retribution. Just laws are negative in nature; they exist to thwart the violation of our natural rights. Government ought to be the collective organization -- that is, the extension -- of the individual's right of self-defense, and its purpose to protect our lives, liberties, and property." -- Mark Da Vee Source: Defining Justice, The Freeman, P. 566-67, August, 1996 http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Mark.Da.Vee.Quote.752A


"The doctrine of non-resistance against arbitrary power and oppression, is absurd, slavish, and destructive of the good and happiness of mankind. -- New Hampshire Constitution, Source: Article 10 http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/New.Constitution.Quote.5380

"Is your life worth protecting? If so, whose responsibility is it to protect it? ...
How can you rightfully ask another human being to risk his life to protect yours, when you will assume no responsibility yourself?" -- Jeffrey R. Snyder American attorney, author Source: A Nation of Cowards, 113 Public Interest (Fall 1993). http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Jeffrey.Snyder.Quote.392C


"In March, 1982, Kennesaw, Georgia, passed a mandatory gun ownership ordinance which requires all heads of households to own a firearm -- handgun, rifle or shotgun. In 1982, our crime against persons, which include murder, rape, armed robbery, aggravated assault and residential burglary, decreased 74%. In 1983 these same crimes decreased [an additional] 46%. ... I would also like you to be aware that our population has increased in excess of 20% since 1982. We have had no accidents nor incidents involving our citizens with regards to firearms. ... It is a pleasure to see our senior citizens strolling the streets at night without fear of becoming a victim of violent crime." -- Robert L. Ruble Chief of Police, Kennesaw, Georgia Source: November 5, 1984, unpublished letter to Ann Landers
http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Robert.Ruble.Quote.6504


"If you own your life, then you have the right to defend yourself against anyone who would deprive you of it. ... And, if you have the right of self-defense, it follows that you have the right to act ... to obtain means appropriate to that defense. That brings us to firearms, particularly the handgun, which so many people would outlaw. The handgun has been called the equalizer ..., and for good reason. It affords smaller, weaker people the chance to defend themselves against bigger, stronger people who threaten them. Handguns offer the otherwise defenseless a convenient, practical, inexpensive method of safeguarding themselves and their families. Banishing handguns -- even if the big and strong were also denied them -- would leave the small and the weak defenseless." -- Sheldon Richman V.P. of Future of Freedom Foundation, author Source: The Right to Life Equals the Right to Possess Firearms, The Tyranny of Gun Control, 40 (Future of Freedom Foundation 1997).
http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Sheldon.Richman.Quote.A418


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My comments at

Meeting Rep. Dan Branch

Tim Lebsack | Points: +32 | Tuesday December 7, 2010, 13:24 PM

Dan Branch didn't ignore the Libertarian Party of Dallas County in March 2010. He sent two shill delegates to our County Convention to persuade us to NOT nominate a candidate to run against him.
Dan Branch's false delegates were not as persuasive as he had planned. Disappointing that Dan Branch and Dallas County Republicans will stoop to such tactics to keep a career politician in control of the taxpayer's coffers. 

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"[F]or everybody has a natural right to defend his own person and property against aggressors, but also to go to the assistance and defence of everybody else, whose person or property is invaded. The natural right of each individual to defend his own person and property against an aggressor, and to go to the assistance and defence of every one else whose person or property is invaded, is a right without which men could not exist on earth."
-- Lysander Spooner
(1808-1887) Political theorist, activist, abolitionist
Source: Vices are Not Crimes, A Vindication of Moral Liberty (1875)
http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Lysander.Spooner.Quote.209F


"I'm convinced that we have to have federal legislation to build on. We're going to have to take one step at a time, and the first step is necessarily -- given the political realities -- going to be very modest. Of course, it's true that politicians will then go home and say, 'This is a great law. The problem is solved.' And it's also true that such statements will tend to defuse the gun-control issue for a time. So then we'll have to strengthen that law, and then again to strengthen that law, and maybe again and again. Right now, though, we'd be satisfied not with half a loaf but with a slice. Our ultimate goal -- total control of handguns in the United States -- is going to take time. My estimate is from seven to ten years. The problem is to slow down the increasing number of handguns sold in this country. The second problem is to get them all registered. And the final problem is to make the possession of all handguns and all handgun ammunition -- except for the military, policemen, licensed security guards, licensed sporting clubs, and licensed gun collectors -- totally illegal."
-- Nelson Shields
Co-founder and Chairman Emeritus, Handgun Control, Inc.
Source: A Reporter At Large: Handguns, The New Yorker, July 26, 1976, 57-58
http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Nelson.Shields.Quote.C2AE

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"If you believe it reprehensible to possess the means and will to use lethal force to repel a criminal assault, how can you call upon another to do so for you?"



"Crime is rampant because the law-abiding, each of us, condone it, excuse it, permit it, submit to it. We permit and encourage it because we do not fight back, immediately, then and there, where it happens. Crime is not rampant because we do not have enough prisons, because judges and prosecutors are too soft, because the police are hamstrung with absurd technicalities. The defect is there, in our character. We are a nation of cowards and shirkers."



"As the Founding Fathers knew well, a government that does not trust its honest, law-abiding, taxpaying citizens with the means of self-defense is not itself worthy of trust. Laws disarming honest citizens proclaim that the government is the master, not the servant of the people... The Bill of Rights does not grant rights to the people, such that its repeal would legitimately confer upon government the powers otherwise proscribed. The Bill of Rights is the list of the fundamental, inalienable rights, endowed in man by his Creator, that define what it means to be a free and independent people, the rights which must exist to ensure that government governs only with the consent of the people."
-- three quotes from Jeffrey R. Snyder
American attorney, author
Source: A Nation of Cowards, 113 Public Interest (Fall 1993)
http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Jeffrey.Snyder.Quote.F47B