Duane Clemons

What price freedom?

 Pagan+Politics  1 Response »
Aug 202010
 

Seems an odd question to some. I can tell you the exact price, here in Kansas anyway. It’s $3.92. That’s right, our state legislature just sold out each and every resident of this state to the federal government for $3.92 a person. That is the breakdown of the latest blackmail job from the federal government to return to us our own money for highway funds. All that was required for us to receive our $11.2 million in federal highway funds was to pass a primary seatbelt law. Now the various law enforcement agencies can pull you over for suspicion of not wearing your seatbelt. It is now a primary offense.

Not the first time we sold out, just the latest. Mandatory seat belt laws were awhile back, as was the 21 year old drinking age (that one would have cost us a 10% reduction in highway funding) We are being held hostage by the federal government, the ransom is our very own tax dollars that we dutifully send to the big machine. If we comply with the demands of our omnipotent big brother, we get some of our money back. Some because about 53 cents of every dollar is consumed in the beaucracy, depending on the source perhaps more. Wow! Imagine how that would translate into other transactions for goods or services. How about only getting a half gallon of gas for every gallon purchased?

This is nothing new, the national parks are nearly all a result of theft by the federal government, from the states as well as individuals. Recently, we returned to my father’s Appalacia for our yearly gathering of Ancient Riders. As is my custom, I frequently go for early morning rides. One such morning I stopped at the ranger station in the Great Smoky mountain national park to ask directions to the “road to nowhere”. There happened to be an older gentleman visiting the volunteer who was manning the office and he was a wealth of information. “Red” filled me in on the entire story from his perspective. The TVA, he said had bought all the land and run the families out under imminent domain. They had paid from two to as much as eight dollars an acre, to each of over 1000 families, to acquire the necessary land for the Fontana dam and lake. The TVA promised they would build a road from the other side and a tunnel so the folks could have a way to visit the cemeteries where their family members were buried, over 1000 graves that either were above the lake level or had been moved there. Well, at this point he gave the “gov’ment” a good all around cussing. The TVA had built the road and tunnel all right, but the road ended on the other end of the tunnel so the only access the people had was by horseback. Red said he had made the trip twice a year since 1945. Apparently our leaders deceiving us is nothing new.

On returning home I decided to study this a bit more. Not a whole lot can be found, but it does appear that the TVA took control from ALCOA of the Fontana project around 1935. The dam started producing electricity in January of 1945, about nine months before the war was over. ALCOA would remain the main user of the power from this dam for the next 25 years. Without any of the $70,000,000+ price tag. Finally, in February 2010, the government came through. The department of the interior cut a check to Swain county North Carolina for $52,000,000 in lieu of finishing the road that was promised 65 years ago. Of course, none of the family members of the original displaced residents have seen a dime. They still visit their family plots on horseback.

The cost to the families who were displaced was enormous. Their freedom, their way of life. Here were people who had been independent all their lives, third and forth generation on the same land, handed a check for a few hundred dollars and expected to go find a new home. To assist in the “electrification of rural America”. What a load of crap! How about “to support the corporate interest”? Sound familiar? What was the plus for these simple folks? Education that they didn’t know they were missing? Better living conditions? They never knew they were poor. I contend it was to further empower the government and their corporate interests. People who lived in the hills and raised their own food had little need for the stores and such that were found in the towns, but move them off their land and where are they going to go? The same result of the millions of acres that were taken for national parks. Get the people rounded up and close to towns depending on the government and it’s interests and the power grows.

These people had a price set on their freedom by the federal government, too. Just as we have been doing, and are doing still. $3.92, that is todays price. What will it be tomorrow…less?….more? Or just the best offer.

 Posted by Duane Clemons at 3:38 pm  Tagged with: , ,

Primary thoughts, the greater good

 Pagan+Politics  9 Responses »
Aug 012010
 

Well, having gotten finally through the haying season, with a stretch of 100 degree Kansas heat, and back from the two week gathering of my Ancient Rider family, my thoughts turned to my next post here. Much is going on in the country, but my current dilema has been the Kansas primary election slated for next Tuesday. As you all know I have been unaffiliated (independent) when it comes to my voter registration, but that changed last week. I switched my registration back to Republican for the first time since Bush I.

This was a very tough decision to make since I think the Republican party, as a party, is just as corrupt and out of touch with the American people as it was when I left it. The Democrats are no better, worse in some ways, which is why I haven’t joined them. So why did I re-register as a Republican?

Simple: we have a primary election coming up that will decide the next US senate seat, the Secretary of State, the Governor and one House seat. The Democrats have not fielded a candidate in any of these races who stand a snowball’s chance in the Kansas summer of winning the race. In fact, Kansas hasn’t elected a Dem to the senate since the 30′s. At least two reasonable, and by that I guess I really mean viable, candidates are present on the Republican side, so in essence, the primary will decide the November outcome.

The only way to truly make a difference in this election is to vote in the primary, and since Kansas primaries are closed (only open to the registered affiliated voter) here I am. I admit it leaves a bad taste in my mouth, but what is the other choice? In each case there is a “reasonable” Republican candidate and a “fringe” candidate. I hesitate to use the Tea Party label, but I am somewhat apprehensive of a couple of the “fringies”. I believe it is important to elect intelligent, REASONABLE people to run our state and represent us in DC.

The problem of illegal immigrants will be one key that may decide the outcome of three of these elections. (Sam Brownback will win the Governor’s office, even if he revealed himself as Satan) In the Secretary of state race, one of the candidates is the author of the new Arizona law, and he has alot of support here. Two of his platform stances involve voter ID and registration, insuring that voter fraud is no longer a factor. In the other two races it will also play an important role. In each case one candidate is soft on illegals, the other much more strict. We’ll see how it turns out.

I decided that I didn’t want to be on the sideline bitching about who won because I was an independent. If some of you think I am compromising my values…..maybe I agree with you, but at least my voice will be heard. Sometimes a person has to act for the greater good.

 Posted by Duane Clemons at 10:14 am  Tagged with: , ,

Memorial day, update required

 Uncategorized  22 Responses »
May 312010
 

Hey folks, busy weekend. I am the newly elected commander for my American Legion Post. Here is the 20 + year old reading that we do at each county cemetery where a veteran is buried. I would appreciate any constructive commentary. Such as, in the first line, maybe “It’s faith in it’s Gods”???  I will hold this post for several years and am interested in making the “blessing” more encompassing.

“I believe in America. I believe it became great because of it’s faith in God, it’s hope for independence, and it’s love of freedom. I am grateful for America’s glorious past; I am awed by it’s unbelievable present; I am confident of it’s limitless future. I am not ashamed to take my hat off to stand at attention when Old Glory passes by. I do not apologize for the lump in my throat when I repeat the Pledge of Allegience. I am not embarrassed by the tears in my eyes when I hear the Star Spangled Banner. Like millions of Americans, I want a free choice, not a free handout. I prefer an opportunity to prove my abilities on the job rather than a license to demonstrate my frustrations on the street. I am an old-fashioned American with a new-found determination to do my part to make democracy work. Comrades, this day is sacred with the almost visible presence of those who have gone before us. We honor the memory of those who gave their lives in the service of our country, and of those others who have dropped their burdens by the wayside of life, and have gone to their eternal rest. May the ceremonies of today deepen your reverence for our dead. Let us renew our pledge of loyalty to our country and it’s flag. Let us resolve by word and deed to emphasize the privilege and duty of patriotism. Again our nation has assembled to honor it’s heroic dead. A thousand battles of land and sea and air echo the glory of their deeds. Under the quiet sod or beneath the murmering waves, their bodies sleep in peace, but in the destinies of men, their souls go marching on. Because of them, our lives are free. Because of them, our nation lives. All who stand with us today, will you not consecrate yourselves with us to emulate their sacred service, that those who rest in heroes’ graves may not have died in vain.”

Thanks to all the veterans out there, looking forward to your input.

 Posted by Duane Clemons at 6:59 pm  Tagged with: ,

Exercising your rights

 Uncategorized  125 Responses »
May 162010
 

About the time I started writing for this project I started an experiment, of sorts, myself. I have been a gun owner since age 8, that’s when my dad bought me my first .22 rifle. I cannot remember a time in my life when guns were not a part of it. I have respected their function and use for longer than I can remember. They are a useful, necessary tool. When my own children came along they received the same upbringing. Guns were not something you “put away” because you had children. They were something else that had the potential to be dangerous, therefore the children were taught the proper respect for guns, power tools and hot woodstoves.

As a Kansas resident we have just been able to apply for concealed carry permits since 2006, but in most places here open carry has been legal since the state was formed. I took the class, paid the fees and was issued my CC permit about a year ago. There are exceptions as to where a permit holder can legally carry, public government office buildings, schools, etc. The state legislature is considering amending these laws to allow concealed carry in those government buildings where it cannot assure that noone is carrying weapons (use of metal detectors and security personnel). As the law stands now, any private business owner may post a sign that no concealed carry is allowed on the premises. I no longer patronize any of those businesses. To me the “No CC” sign might just as well advertise “plenty of unarmed victims here” for the criminal element.

The experiment I undertook was to carry openly every day whenever possible. I work for the Post Office so I could not carry at work but I have made it a point to carry at all times when not on the clock. I live in rural Kansas, outside a town of 100 people. The closest “big town” is Holton with about 3500 people. To be fair, I know almost every LEO within a 50 mile radius as well as almost every business in the rural areas so it was no surprise that very little notice has been paid. A friend of mine met me in Holton awhile back and we were standing on the street corner of the town square looking at a couple pistols on the hood of his truck when the police chief rolled by. Nothing more than a wave. I have met the county sheriff, deputies, and several town officers while open carrying and the most questioning I ever got was “How do you like that Springfield .45 or what kind of pistol is that?” regarding a 9mm or a revolver.

Trips to the city have always causes me a bit more angst. High crime areas are exactly where we should be carrying personal protection, but I was always a bit apprehensive in dealing with LEOs that I do not know. To date I have had contact with two officers outside my local area while open carrying.

 The first was a young man in the parking lot in a North Topeka shopping center, a Topeka PD traffic officer, the population is 125,000 or so in the city. I’m sure someone had called in to report a man with a gun as I had been in several stores over about an hour’s time. I walked out of the store and he met me on the sidewalk “Excuse me sir, may I see some identification?” I told him no. Funniest look I’ve ever seen on a person’s face. “I beg your pardon?” he said. I asked if I was suspected of committing a crime or he had other probable cause for asking for my ID. He said no and actually seemed quite confused, wanted to know where I was going, I told him that was none of his business either. I walked into another store and he was still sitting in the lot in his cruiser when I left about a half hour later. I fully expected to get stopped when I pulled onto the street but I was not. Apparently he called in and got a quick education on the 4th amendment and Kansas law while I was in the store.

The second was just last week in Leavenworth, Kansas, population around 35,000. I was looking for an address, not paying attention and got pulled over for speeding. The officer came up to the car, saw the gun on the seat, asked me for license and insurance. I told him I needed to get them out of the glove box, he asked if the gun was loaded, I replied “of course”. He kind of laughed and just said leave it there. I got a warning ticket and he told me to watch my speed. He was an older guy, about my age, probably 50-55 or so. He reminded me of a highway patrolman friend of mine. He says he always assumes everyone is armed when he does a traffic stop and that he has nothing to fear from any normal citizen.  He is one who writes letters to the newspaper encouraging personal responsibility in our personal protection.

Too often you hear that law enforcement is against armed citizens. Admittedly, I’m not in the most populated area of the country, but that is certainly not the case here. It doesn’t matter which party they belong to either, my local sheriff is a Democrat, as is the one in the neighboring county. It took an override of  Democrat governor Kathleen Sebelius to get our CC  law passed (she has since moved on to bigger and better things), but in the ranks of local law enforcement they realize that when seconds count, the police are minutes away.

As time goes by and more honest, law abiding citizens exercise their right to carry, I suspect it will get no more notice than a pair of pliers on the belt of a farmer….except to those who are looking for victims.

 Posted by Duane Clemons at 12:32 pm  Tagged with: , ,

Emergency preparedness

 Uncategorized  8 Responses »
Apr 272010
 

I am going to shift gears a bit. We are approaching the severe weather season here and where we live we are out of the reach of big city/small town weather alert devices. These are a very good example of the government doing something that just about everyone can agree is a good thing. Being in a remote area is by choice so we have to be a little more aware of impending weather than our brothers and sisters in “civilization”. Classes in school teach kids to be prepared for severe weather. Where to go when caught out in the open country, etc. Have a few days supply of food on hand in case it’s some time before help can arrive. The usual “be prepared” stuff.

Let’s shift that focus to a bigger “what if”. Look at worst case scenarios for a minute, say some sort of epidemic or a nuclear explosion and the EMP which may (or may not I suppose) disrupt our electric grid. Something that would leave us cut off from the things most of us rely on as public utilities, electricity, water, sewage. We had a severe ice storm here two years ago that left us, here in the rural wilds of Kansas, without power for 13 days. You would have thought the world had come to an end for many of the displaced city dwellers who had recently moved to the country. In their effort to “get away from it all” they found that they truly got their wish. There were ALOT of houses for sale the next spring.

We, as did most of the farm folk who have lived in the country most of our lives, simply fired up the generator for a few hours each day to run the heaters, freezers, well pumps, etc. that are a part of daily life. It surprised me to learn that the average person only had a couple days worth of provisions in their home. We have a freezer full of meat and vegetables as well as canned goods, cereals, flour, etc. It was inconvenient, mostly because the of the cold weather, but we have a wood heat source and a private well, propane cook stove and water heater, so life went on.

When I bought my farm here, it was on the roles with the ASCS office and drew numerous subsidies and payments for various land programs, conservation easements, etc. Very early on I found that these also drew unwanted visits from the FSA and other farm agencies dictating how I cared for and managed my land. Getting paid for doing nothing was against my nature so I cancelled all farm programs, I wasn’t trying to farm for a living and I thought it would be better for the program and money to be used for those who did. I seeded most of the place down to alfalfa and that is where it is today. About a year ago one of the guys from the office showed up trying to get me interested in signing up for another conservation program. I was out cutting thistles at the time and he told me I should go to the “noxious weed” department and get , I forget the name, but some type of herbicide to spray on the fields. His stay was short and I suggested he not come back. The government was trying to get involved again and was pushing poison to boot.

Later that same summer, a representative of the health department I think it was showed up wanting to take a well sample. “What well?” I asked. “Our office shows you are not on the rural water system so we assume you have a private well.” Beaurocrats in action. “I do have, the operative word here is PRIVATE, now get the hell off my land”. The local sheriff actually contacted me about this one, said the woman claimed I threatened her. Good thing we have known each other a few years. It’s hard to get away from the system.

The reason I have a well in the first place is the un-godly price for rural water service here. $4000 for the meter! Then I would have to pay for the horizontal boring under the road and trenching back to my house, nearly 1/4 mile. Would have been nearly $10,000 for the privilege of being charged $75 a month for water. The whole well system cost less than $5000 including the massive 50 tons of sand for a natural filter. I pay $8 a month for the electric meter at the well.

The by product of my attempts to get away from the “system” and all the regulations and oversight, intrusions and guidance from the nanny state, if we were cut off from the rest of the world from a natural or man-made disaster, after 60 days I would need to find some gasoline to run the generator. I suspect that after 60 days either things will be back to normal, or they never will be again.

I have a good friend who claims he is prepared for the worst, he’s one of those displaced city folks I spoke of earlier. He’s been accumulating a small hoard of gold and silver coins, convinced our ecomomy is in trouble, dollar going to be worthless, yada, yada. Figures he can get whatever he needs with a handful of coins. Guy doesn’t own a gun, doesn’t have a clue how to butcher something if he killed it, or bought it for that matter. I asked him what he’s gonna do if somebody like me, who has guns shows up at his place? There’s being prepared and facing facts, you just can’t get thru to some folks!

 Posted by Duane Clemons at 2:06 pm

Coming of age, an abortion discussion

 Pagan+Politics  55 Responses »
Apr 202010
 

First , my apologies for my absence lately. It is spring time here in Kansas and the ground has dried enough to get some farm work done. Mother nature waits for no man and the days have been long lately, often collapsing into bed near midnight after a 20 hour day. I love the smell of the freshly turned Earth, the promise of new growth. Ah! What a beautiful time of year to be a Pagan!

My soon to be 17 year old daughter is about to enter the world of dating when her birthday rolls around next month. Obviously the world is a much different place now than when I started dating over 30 years ago. I think in many ways we are much less safe. The world is a serious, complicated, scary place. We have had some heart-felt discussions and a few arguments in the past few months as this time approaches.

One of the main things I have tried to instill in my kids has been personal responsibility. I was mostly successful with the three older boys. Each has had his scrapes with authority in one manner or the other, and each has faced the issues head-on and not asked for a bail out from mom and dad, only occasional advice. I have a college junior (going into criminal law), a minor league baseball umpire, and a US Marine. So far so good.

My daughter, as well, has been reasonably responsibly, although a little less aware of the world around her maybe. One episode of skipping class and hanging around a couple of the “wrong kids” that led to the discussion of what happens now vs. when you’re out of school when you pick the wrong group of friends. In school the wrong friends get you grounded and riding the school bus, after school detention, extra running in sports practice. Inconveniences. Later in life the wrong friends get you hooked on drugs, arrested, AIDS, or dead. Choices and personal responsibility.

A couple weeks ago we had a really good discussion about when she starts dating. What is the worst thing you could do that would really screw up your life? Her response surprised me really….get pregnant. She spoke of how it would be a hard choice to give a baby up for adoption or raise it by herself as a young, and possibly unmarried mother. One case would be sadness at giving up your child, the other would be the hardship of raising that child when you weren’t ready. Personal responsibility. I realized several minutes into the discussion that abortion hadn’t even been mentioned. It simply is not an option for our family as a form of “reproductive choice”. We have never really had a discussion with her about abortion, but our pagan beliefs are that life is sacred, life begins at conception, and the taking of a life, any life, is something of very great consequence. I am firmly pro-choice, I don’t believe that morality should be legislated. That being said, we choose to be pro-life, I hope everyone recognizes the distinction.

Here in Kansas, abortion is legal up through the 26th week at the mother’s wish. After that it must be medically necessary for the health of the mother. There was a doctor, George Tiller, who pushed the limit on that to the extreme. Two cases that came to light a few years back involved the mothers being depressed. One couldn’t fit into her jeans for a rodeo and the other wasn’t going to be able to attend a rock concert. He performed abortions in the 8th month for each woman. ”Vagueness” in the statute prevented prosecution and the legislature is still trying to re-word the law. Last year Scott Roeder shot Dr. Tiller to death and is now spending the rest of his life in prison (as he should, IMHO) for what some have called a “post-partum abortion”.

I know that the issue of abortion is about as divisive as any that can be brought up in a political discussion. I guess I question why it should be considered a political issue. To me it is a moral issue that each person, each family, must consider and fit into the framework of their beliefs. I know women who have had abortions and their views vary greatly. One is perfectly fine with having made that choice and one is still haunted by it more than 30 years later. Choices and personal responsibility.

It is my opinion the abortion should be safe, legal (as defined by each state), and rare. I would be interested in hearing your opinions.

 Posted by Duane Clemons at 6:18 am  Tagged with: , , , , ,

Heading off the trainwreck

 Pagan+Politics  49 Responses »
Mar 272010
 

I feel like lately, especially the last few days since “the bill” was signed into law, I am sitting on a hilltop overlooking a stretch of railroad track. From the far right a fully loaded train is coming full speed, from the far left another. This isn’t gonna be pretty! It’s 3:00 AM, nearing a full moon, so sleep is not to be my companion for a few nights. Your bad luck!

I got alot of “feedback” from my last post, and I truly appreciate the lively discussion that ensued. You all will notice, from time to time, that I like to kick the anthill, so to speak. Damn! I’m glad I wasn’t tied down and covered with honey! Some things that stirred up much dissent was the assumption by some that some observations I made were also my personal opinions. No apology, that was intentional….and stimulating to the conversation.  Similiarly we are sometimes tempted to assume a news source is giving tacit approval to a story simply by reporting it. I will offer some observations and also personal opinions in this post as well, I will try to differentiate this time. Please bear in mind that voicing my opinion is not why I write here. I feel that I am successful if, like my last post, I draw a bunch of you into the discussion. If pissing off a few (or most) of the crowd is necessary to accomplish this goal, then so be it.

First off, let’s look at what is going on around the country with the reported incidents of  threats and violence. We know initially that some of these are overblown (the coffin in the yard, they’ve backed off that one a bit). We must also assume that there are incidents that go un-reported or under reported. So much depends on who is doing the reporting. We’ve all seen in the past few months the same events looking entirely dissimilar from the points of view of Fox News to MSNBC. IMHO the difference is due to the target audience of each.

IMHO The far right appears to the far left to be under-educated, racist rednecks getting all their news from Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh. To the far right, the far left are overeducated, elitist snobs who get all their news from the Huffington post and Keith Olbermann. Each side has a pretty dim view of the other. The problem, IMHO, is that each side is doing all it can to prove the other side right!

Some in the far left are like the kid who taunts your dog through the fence, poking him with a stick, and then his mom and dad sue you when your dog jumps the fence and bites the kid. The most obvious example, IMHO, lately of this was Nancy Pelosi strutting around in front of the protesters with that enormous gavel after the bill passed. I’m sure that came across as elitist to many in the crowd. It was like she was trying to encite a reaction from the protest group.

Some in the far right show up to Tea Party events and other places, like the steps of congress, with signs touting revolution or racist slogans. Of course the news coverage homes in on them, and even though they may or may not be asked to leave, the image is there for all to see. Again, the most recent was the mob outside the house chambers last Sunday. Screaming “nigger!” and all the other  inflamatory actions did nothing to dispel the stereotype.  Like they were trying to draw “the system” into a confrontation.

We here in the Pagan community have very diverse opinions. Just maybe, if we all stepped back a bit and did three things:

Engage, debate and cooperate.

Robert’s comments have been on my mind since he made them in my last post. Maybe we are to be the leaders that the country needs. Waiting around for the ones we have now to accomplish anything constructive (I’m talking congress here) in a spirit of cooperation appears unlikely.

In the mean time, burn up the phones to your reps, I have been. Demand integrity and honesty. I left the Republican party when Bush the 1st broke his “read my lips” promise and eroded more of my 2nd amendment rights. I was still suffering from a Jimmy Carter hangover so I couldn’t stomach the Democrats either. Neither side has done anything since to win me back. The first liar doesn’t stand a chance. I won’t give examples, we all know them. My real question is why do we stand for the lies and dishonesty? I wouldn’t put up with it from my kids or spouse or co-workers. Why do we accept this as “business as usual” from our representatives?  

Let’s not get into an argument over which side of the spectrum are more or less corrupt, or more or less to blame, or who lies the most, it’s like assessing virtue among whores. We should acknowledge that each is a party to the problem. Some on the far right are threatening, and probably more prone to, violence, fact. Probably more so than those on the left, IMHO. Some on the far left are trying to bait those on the far right into such violence, fact. We need to take the initiative to stop the trains, now. If this escalates, it will benefit neither side. I think we can make a difference. Thanks, Robert, for the inspiration for this post.

 Posted by Duane Clemons at 2:33 am

Freedom lost

 Uncategorized  109 Responses »
Mar 232010
 
“Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin to slit throats.”  H.L. Mencken

Let us hope, for now, that this is a figurative statement of the bloodbath I believe will come this November. No matter the will of the people, the town hall meetings and countless protests, no matter the polls to the contrary, no matter the loss of Ted Kennedy’s seat in Massachusets, President Obama and his minions in the Democrat party have succeeded, for the time being, in passing the most intrusive government program in our lifetime. It was signed into law today.

All residents of this country will be REQUIRED to purchase a service from an institution that virtually  noone believes acts in the best interest of it’s clients….and they have the gall to call it “reform”. The senate must now attempt to remove the “pork” from the bill to make it somewhat palatable to the American people. They will fail. The Nebraska, Louisiana, and Montana bribes have to be removed, as well as the federal funding of elective abortions. So says our president. It sickens me to see how they shoved this through, the closed door sessions, bribery and arm twisting shows the worst of our system. My hope is that the state’s attorney’s general will prevail and this mess be found unconstitutional. Suits were filed within minutes of the signing.

The thing hidden in this disaster that should outrage the Pagan community is the takeover of student loans by the government. Does anyone here think the middle class white pagan kid has ANY shot at a loan for higher education? With a minority slanted Christian government in place we don’t have a chance. Byron, I’d love your take on this! You are much more informed on the Dominionist Christian sector than most of us.

Back on the campaign trail, then Senator Obama spoke to the reparations proposal and said that it didn’t go far enough. He mentioned health care and education as something that was needed. I guess he got his wish. This debacle and the attached loan program have the potential to impact the minority community far more than any other group. Where are the screams of “racism” that would surely echo if the tables were turned?

I find it a bit ironic that it was 235 years ago today that Patrick Henry gave his famous speech in Virginia supporting sending the state’s militiamen to fight in the Revolutionary war against an oppressive, overbearing government. “Give me liberty, or give me death!” There is a growing tide of discontent in this nation again today. Our legislators would do well to pay heed to our past, lest we repeat our mistakes. Jefferson believed a “revolution” would be necessary every 20 years or so, that lethargy was our enemy. We have bloodless revolution with each election cycle, although I doubt that was his meaning….and lethargic we have become!

I have heard said that there are “compromise” provisions in the law to appease some conservatives, “republican” ideas, that it is actually a very conservative approach. My response to that is this: A bit of rouge and lipstick and some dim lighting does not make a syphilitic whore any less of a syphilitic whore. Come daylight, it is what it is. This is an attempt by the federal government to seize more power. Power they are not provided in the Constitution.

I pray to the Gods it is not too late. Freedom lost is seldom regained without bloodshed. Our country is as deeply divided today as it has ever been in our past. Have we evolved to the point of repair without revolution? Time will tell.

 Posted by Duane Clemons at 3:56 pm  Tagged with: , , , ,

First amendment, again?

 Uncategorized  36 Responses »
Mar 102010
 

The supreme court announced this week that it would be considering the Westboro Baptist church case. A quick overview: The WBC is a family “church” out of Topeka, Kansas. The patriarch is Fred Phelps and most of the “church” members are either family or extended family. Phelps was a lawyer until his disbarrment and I, growing up in Topeka, had the “privledge” to go to school with several of his children. Back in grade school days he sent the kids out to sell candy and such to support the church. By the kids own account, he was harsh in his punishment of them if they didn’t meet expectations, to the extent of shaving the head of one of the girls, a fifth grader if memory serves, and reported beatings.

Somewhere in the late ’80′s, I think it was, (feel free to see Wickipedia for more in depth as well as examples of their signage, etc.) the members began picketing Gage Park in Topeka, a reputed gay encounter area, as well as street corners in the community. Signs were graphic to say the least, and there were numerous incidents with community members. I don’t know how many times they sued the city over their “oppression” by the local law enforcement community. Finally, by accord, the local media pretended they no longer existed and for 10 years or so they were just a sorry fact of life for Topekans. For the next decade they traveled around the country, anywhere they thought they could find the media spotlight. They protested at the funerals of Jerry Falwell, Matthew Shepard, Mr.Rogers and on and on. By their account they have picketed over 41,000 times in over 650 cities since 1991.

Then, in 2005, they hit on the one thing that brought national attention. They began protesting at soldiers funerals, putting forth their “belief” that God was punishing America for it’s acceptance of homosexuality by killing our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. No longer was the country willing to be silent and hope they would just go away. Sixteen men, veterans from Post 36 of the American Legion Riders out of Mulvane, Kansas formed the Patriot Guard to stand, at the invitation of family, as a shield between the funeral of a fallen soldier and the cult. The “mission” of the Patriot Guard spread quickly. I was the 486th member of what has become over 185,000 members worldwide and to date I have attended over 30 of these missions.

In 2007  Al Snyder, the father of a Maryland Marine, sued the church and the Phelps’ for invasion of privacy for their protest at his son’s funeral and won a judgement of 11.8 million dollars. This was reduced to 5 million by the judge and later overturned by the 4th circuit court of appeals. Snyder has asked the Supreme Court to hear the case.

Which finally brings us to the point of this post: When does (if ever) the 1st amendment not apply to free speech? Is the WBC protected in their “God hates fags” “Thank God for dead soldiers” rhetoric? If so are they free to protest wherever and whenever they choose? Does the right of a grieving family take precedent over the WBC’s right to free speech and free practice of it’s religious beliefs?

Some here have accused me, good naturedly, of being a “closet conservative” so my answer will likely surprise many of you:  I find the Phelps’ and their “church” as vile and disgusting as anything on this earth. Their message is filled with hate and contempt and in my opinion has no place whatsoever in a civilized society. That being said, I believe that the case will, and should, be thrown out. I believe they are indeed protected by the 1st amendment.

Wow! Duane, how can you say that?

Freedom of speech doesn’t mean just the polite sunshine, kittens, puppy dogs, and rainbows. Freedom of speech is not needed, or intended, for “Of Mice and Men”. It is for “The Turner Diaries”. Freedom of the press is not for “CBS News”. It is for “Glenn Beck” and  ”Keith Olbermann”. Freedom of religion is not for the quiet Protestant service, or the secluded catecism. It is for you and I, as we please, and in public if we so choose. For if we limit the freedom of one group to speak their mind, or practice their faith, no matter how twisted we may think it to be, we all lose freedom in the end. Sooner or later it will be our point of view that does not conform to the “acceptable”, and freedom lost is seldom regained. As vile as I find their message, I regrettably defend their right to speak it.

 Posted by Duane Clemons at 4:07 pm  Tagged with: ,

Two wolves and a lamb

 Uncategorized  54 Responses »
Feb 222010
 

 

“ Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!. ” Benjamin Franklin, or not

From the depths of the past come words that are as true and applicable today as they were then. This one really got me thinking. There are many ways to interpret these words. Today’s post will be but one way I  see the meaning . Please feel free to add to my definition, this should be fun! I can see many ways to look at Franklin’s words, and by our vast political differences, this could be a real chance to learn from each other.

So here we go: I can see the two wolves as the Republican and Democrat parties, powerful and intimidating. The lamb I see as The Constitution. It has been whittled away, disregarded and outright ignored by the wolves for nearly 100 years. What happened? Used to be when the lawmakers wanted to effect change in the country, they actually followed the constitution. Amendments are the proper way for change to occur in our founding document. Even when they turn out to be wrong, they can then be repealed. The Constitution was not supposed to be subject to “acts and regulations”.

When did we start ignoring the intent of our most sacred document? When did The Constitution stop being what it was intended to be and become the “living, breathing”, ever-changing-due-to the-current-political-whim, tool of our servants, rather than their guide? When did the instrument of our governance that they (and many of us as well) took an oath to protect and defend, against all enemies, foreign and domestic, become lunch for the wolves?

I put forth this theory: It happened when our people stopped paying attention to their roots.  When they moved to the cities and away from the farms, away from the earth and began to let material things rule their lives. In my grandfather’s time, most people were pagans in the original sense (country dwellers). They scratched, and sweat, and lived, and raised their children in respect of, and totally at the mercy of, nature’s laws. Work ethic was a way of life. You didn’t work, you didn’t eat. Plain and simple. Your life depended on that piece of dirt where you raised your garden, crops and livestock.

When people moved to the cities, and times got bad, they looked to the government for help. When they lost a job, and didn’t immediately find another, they cried for help. Instead of moving back to the earth and being self-sufficient, instead of looking at the end of their own arm for the “helping hand”, they looked to the government to help. Our entitlement society that we suffer from today, was born. After all, the government was just trying to help. We can’t let people fail, we can’t let them suffer, we can’t let them go hungry. Sound familiar?

So, how does the lamb arm itself against the wolves? It must be through us. We, the people. The wolves have had their way for far too long, and government has become far too large and intrusive. Our federal government is fast becoming a national government, and we have to stop the slide before it’s too late. Before we no longer even recognize where we came from. Arm yourself with The Constitution and be her defender. Ask why, where do you get the right, show me where The Constitution allows you to do what you are trying to do. Write editorials, call in to radio programs, write and call your representatives. Pay attention. Get involved. Be the gigantic pain in the ass our founders were! And don’t ever take no for an answer.

 Posted by Duane Clemons at 2:25 pm  Tagged with: , , , ,
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