promise kept

they said they were setting up a mail in membership system.

and unlike politicians they followed through on their promise.

Yay OathKeepers!!

Got my membership app in the email and printed it out yesterday. Filled it out and if my desk will barf up a stamp it goes in the mail today. 

crisis on purpose

followed a link trail thru The Newbius Papers to an old American Thinker post about Manufactured Crisis Strategy.

Looks like I’ve got some more reading to do, understanding the opposition is key to success.

.. I’m already doing the worrying

pop quiz

took a GoToQuiz off a facebook link today … some of the questions I think could have been worded better.  I find that these quizzes tend to lead you into things. I prefer more specific wording.

1. Laws should restrict abortion in all or most cases.
- morals should restrict the numbers of pregnancies.
- abortion should never be used as a form of birth control
- we should not pass laws for the masses because individual responsibility is lacking.

2. Unions were indispensable in establishing the middle class.
- the unions were indispensable.
- the unions did not establish a middle class.
- the function of unions seems to be duplicated by government agencies in many cases today. we don’t need both.

3. In nearly every instance, the free market allocates resources most efficiently.
- most efficiently? perhaps not. Does that make it bad? no.

4. Public radio and television funded by the state provide a valuable service the citizens.
- state funded public radio and television can and should provide valuable services to the citizens. Emergencies, Amber alerts, severe weather, etc.
- do our state funded stations do things they shouldn’t? yes.

5. Some people should not be allowed to reproduce.
- I agree with this. The problem is that I have no trust for the political body that would have to be formed to oversee the selective concept “SOME”.

6. Access to healthcare is a right.
- Access to something someone else provides is not a right. EVER.

7. The rich should pay a higher tax rate than the middle class.
- every person should pay the same rate.
- the rich should not be able to avoid taxes by buying loopholes.
- there is no way to determine where the rich begins and the middle ends.

8. Sċhool science classes should teach intelligent design.
- School should teach children to think independently, not to regurgitate the opinions of others.

9. Marriage must be heralded for the important role it plays in society.
- for what purpose? by whom? what role?

10. Sometimes war is necessary, even if it means you strike first.
- Striking first is not war, it is an attack. War is the result of a failed first attack or a failed defense.

11. Patriotism is an overrated quality.
- hard to say until I know who is doing the rating and how high the ratings scale goes before it reaches overrated.

12. Radio stations should be required to present balanced news coverage.
- privately owned radio stations are a business and as such should be able to present whatever coverage they desire.
- I can change the channel if I don’t like the message or the method.

13. Government should do something about the increasing violence in video games.
- the video game industry is a business and as such should be able to produce any product they want to market.

14. If our leader meets with our enemies, it makes us appear weak.
- if our leader meets our enemies on his knees with his pants around his ankles we appear weak.
- if our leader meets our enemies with his foot on their throat then no.. we don’t appear weak.

15. We must use our military from time to time to protect our supply of oil, to avoid a national crisis.
- we should use our military daily to protect what is ours.
- we should not consider things outside our borders to be ours.

16. Strong gun ownership rights protect the people against tyranny.
- people protect people against tyranny
- people have used many tools to fight tyranny.

17. It makes no sense to say ‘I’m spiritual but not religious.’
- huh?

18. It is not government’s responsibility to regulate pollution.
- it is the governments responsibility to minimize the infringement of our rights.
- poor ethics cause pollution.
- we’re all swimming in the pool .. don’t pee in it.

19. Gay marriage should be forbidden.
- marriage is a church thing, if your church says it’s ok fine…. i’m goin to a different church thank you.
- the fact that the gov makes you be married and fill out paperwork is the gov meddling in church business.
- the fact insurance companies and ER nurses can’t or won’t deal with some ‘domestic partnerships’ is a symptom of too many rich lawyers.

20. It should be against the law to use hateful language toward another racial group.
- see bill of rights item # 1
- nowhere in the constitution does it say I have to be careful to not offend you.
- you have the freedom to be as p/o’d at me as you’d like. enjoy.
- ‘ignorant dumbass’ works just fine if I have a problem with someone. I don’t need to color code it.

21. Government should ensure that all citizens meet a certain minimum standard of living.
- some corrupt political agency will have to be formed to determine ‘minimum standard’.
- people should have the freedom to live as they choose. (choose meaning choose to work hard or not, make good decisions or not)

22. It is wrong to enforce moral behavior through the law because this infringes upon an individual’s freedom.
- you cannot enforce moral behavior.
- you can prosecute immoral behavior, but shouldn’t unless said behavior infringes the rights of another citizen.

23. Immigration restrictions are economically protectionist. Non-citizens should be allowed to sell their labor domestically at a rate the market will pay.
- I don’t know what economically protectionist means but if it means restricting immigration protects the economy then I doubt it.
- Illegal immigrant is just a fancy term for successful invasion of our territory by a really small enemy force.
- legal non-citizens should be allowed to ’sell their labor’ (we call it ‘work’ here in Texas) just like anyone else.

24. An official language should be set, and immigrants should have to learn it.
- An official language was set.
- Citizens should have to learn it.

25. Whatever maximizes economic growth is good for the people.
- economic growth is good
- there is no way to determine maximum growth.

26. Racial issues will never be resolved. It is human nature to prefer one’s own race.
- my crystal ball says never say never.
- my race is human .. so yeah, you sheepherders, I prefer my own race.

27. People with a criminal history should not be able to vote.
- agreed
- a lot fewer people should have a criminal history.

28. Marijuana should be legal.
- abuse of yourself shouldn’t be against the law
- abuse of another while under the influence (or not) should be a crime.

29. The state should fine television stations for broadcasting offensive language.
- people should stop watching television stations they don’t like.

30. It does not make sense to understand the motivations of terrorists because they are self-evidently evil.
- understanding the why helps to understand the who and the when.

31. The lower the taxes, the better off we all are.
- uh yeah .. duh

32. Minority groups that have faced discrimination should receive help from the state to get on an equal footing.
- oh hell no.
- they can pull themselves up by their bootstraps just like everyone else had to.

33. It is wrong to question a leader in wartime.
- it is wrong to hesitate during a battle.
- question before or after the battle.

34. Tighter regulation would have prevented the collapse of the lending industry.
- if my research is correct … the idiot driven regulation of the lending industry ultimately caused its collapse.

35. It makes sense and is fair that some people make much more money than others.
- it makes sense
- if by fair you mean equal, then how can it possibly be fair if one has more than the other?
- if by fair you mean morally right, then yes it makes sense.

36. Toppling enemy regimes to spread democracy will make the world a safer place.
- killing off enemy regimes makes the world safer.
- making enemies of people who leave us alone makes the world more dangerous.

37. The state has no business regulating alcohol and tobacco products.
- the gov has no business regulating products produced and marketed within the country.
- import / export is the gov’s business.

38. If an unwed teen becomes pregnant, abortion may be a responsible choice.
- um no – abortion is not birth control.
- abortion is not a last ditch way to buy your way out of consequences caused by irresponsibility.
- if the life of either the mother or the child is in jeopardy as determined by a qualified physician then abortion becomes an option (this is extremely rare).
- if the pregnancy was the result of a criminal act then abortion becomes an option (this should be extremely rare but is unfortunately all too common).

39. International trade agreements should require environmental protections and workers’ rights. (meaning: no free trade with countries that lack pollution controls or labor protections)
- its virtually impossible to police worker’s rights and environmental protections outside our borders.
- why is trade with countries that don’t self-moderate these areas desirable ?

40. Gay equality is a sign of progress.
- I’m pretty sure Gay people aren’t limited any more than anyone else.

41. The state should be able to put a criminal to death if the crime was serious enough.
- the victim should be able to put a criminal to death during the act.

42. The military budget should be scaled back.
- military waste should be scaled back. a lot.

43. Economic competition results in innumerable innovations that improve all of our lives.
- Economic competition results in innovations.
- improving lives is possible
- improving all our lives sounds like forced change or lack of recognition of others’ possible desire to not partake of the fancy new innovations.

44. It is not our place to condemn other cultures as backwards or barbaric.
- see bill of rights # 1
- say what you want, just remember there might be consequences.

45. When one group is slaughtering another group somewhere in the world, we have a responsibility to intervene.
- individual moral responsibility to respond ? yes, if I think group B doesn’t deserve eradication.
- collective political responsibility to respond ? yes, if group B is our ally.

46. We’d be better off if we could just lock up some of the people expressing radical political views, and keep them away from society.
- We’d be better off if we could educate our citizens well enough so they wouldn’t swallow bad advice from a pretty face or melodious teleprompter.

47. Unrestrained capitalism cannot last, as wealth and power will concentrate to a small elite.
- capitalism cannot last if corruption is allowed to be unrestrained.

48. It is a problem when young people display a lack of respect for authority.
- agreed
- it is a problem when authority figures are not deserving of respect.

49. When corporate interests become too powerful, the state should take action to ensure the public interest is served.
- the state should take action before corporate interests become powerful enough to coerce or control society.

50. A person’s morality is between that person and God only. Government should not get involved.
- a person’s morality is between himself and those he interacts with.

51. The state should not set a minimum wage.
- agreed

52. A nation’s retirement safety net cannot be trusted to the fluctuations of the stock market.
- shouldn’t be taxed to the point where you need a safety net for retirement.

53. Offensive or blasphemous art should be suppressed.
- again see bill of rights # 1
- don’t like it don’t look, vote with your patronage

my results are conservative libertarian.. .go figure

The Preamble to The Bill of Rights

Congress of the United States
begun and held at the City of New-York, on
Wednesday the fourth of March, one thousand seven hundred and eighty nine.

THE Conventions of a number of the States, having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added: And as extending the ground of public confidence in the Government, will best ensure the beneficent ends of its institution.

In short, the States required the Bill of Rights to be included in order to LIMIT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

crap

well it doesn’t look like I’m going to make it to the local Tea Party today, I’m still recovering from yesterday’s trip to the DR.

I was looking forward to watching the mis-reporting on the news.

the anti’s

I am not anti-government. Any functional society needs government.

I am anti-tyranny.

I am anti-politician.

I am anti-deficit.

I am anti-oppressive taxation.

I am anti-big business.

I am anti-crime.

I am anti-abuse.

The problem is that our current crop of elected officials is anti-Constitution and at least half our current crop of voters is anti-informed decisions.

natural born

I moved this up from the comments section of the earlier post.

It is clear that any person born on US soil is a citizen. The question is:  What constitutes a natural born citizen?

It is safe to assume the authors of the Constitution were intelligent men, well versed in the usages and nuances of the language. It is clear these men had an appreciation of the necessity for clarity within the document as well as it’s need to endure over time. Logically, there is no reason to use the term ‘natural born citizen’ at one point and ‘citizen’ at another unless there are unique definitions for each. The use of synonyms in creative writings is common practice; to do so in an official document opens the door for misinterpretation.

Attorney General Bates, in his opinion on citizens and race, clearly references his “fruitless search” for a clear definition of “citizen of the United States”. He does reference the Constitutional use of Natural Born Citizen and states “not made by law or otherwise, but born”.

Perkins v. Elg, 307 U.S. 325 (1939)

This case pertains to dual citizenship and the term natural born citizen, while mentioned in passing, is hardly part of the discussion.

In fact, the idea that a person with dual citizenship could live abroad until their 45th birthday and then return to the US to run for President is ludicrous. This gives credence to the idea the founding fathers would use terminology prohibiting just such an occurrence, especially since absentee rulership was a major issue of the revolution. Including the term citizen to signify “born in the US” and natural born citizen to signify “born to citizen parents and reared by citizens as a citizen” would help to ensure Presidential eligibility for only those people with a demonstrated family allegiance to the country.

In re LOOK TIN SING, on Habeas Corpus.
(Oirouit Oourt, D. (JaUfornia. September 29, 1884.)

the rights of citizenship shall not descend to persons whose
fathers never resided in the United States.

United States v. Wong Kim Ark (No. 18)

The natives, or natural-born citizens, are those born in the country of parents who are citizens. As the society cannot exist and perpetuate itself otherwise than by the children of the citizens, those children naturally follow the condition of their fathers, and succeed to all their rights. The society is supposed to desire this in consequence of what it owes to its own preservation, and it is presumed as matter of course that each citizen, on entering into society, reserves to his children the right of becoming members of it. The country of the fathers is therefore that of the children, and these become true citizens merely by their tacit consent. We shall soon see whether, on their coming to the years of discretion, they may renounce their right, and what they owe to the society in which they were born. I say that, in order to be of the country, it is necessary that a person be born of a father who is a citizen; for, if he is born there of a foreigner, it will be only the place of his birth, and not his country.[emphasis mine]

The true bond which connects the child with the body politic is not the matter of an inanimate piece of land, but the moral relations of his parentage. . . . The place of birth produces no change in the rule that children follow the condition of their fathers, for it is not naturally the place of birth that gives rights, but extraction.[emphasis mine]

To what nation a person belongs is by the laws of all nations closely dependent on descent; it is almost an universal rule that the citizenship of the parents determines it — that of the father where children are lawful, and, where they are bastards, that of their mother, without regard to the place of their birth, and that must necessarily be recognized as the correct canon, since nationality is, in its essence, dependent on descent. [emphasis mine]

Personally, I don’t care if he’s born again born here born there. The rule should be established and some one should be checking eligibility before the damn election. The NCAA checks thousands of student athletes for eligibility each year, we have the technology. They checked McCain. The info should be presented, checked, verified, and made public. Anyone running for office should have their info in hand and be proud to show it. At a minimum his proofs are suspect and it should have been resolved prior to any election.

The point remains “natural born citizen” is different than “citizen”. It stands to reason that ‘natural born” implies an additional ‘level’ (for lack of a better term) of citizenship. I see no realistic way to quantify ‘increased citizenship’ except with longevity – an additional generation or requiring US citizen parentage is logical and reasonable.

We can reference citizenship, and dual citizenship all day long. Until there is a difinitive ruling (which we should have had long since) on the usage of the terms when the document was written it’s up in the air.