Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Many Thanks
It’s time for this curmudgeon to get maudlin and weepy. The past year has been so event-filled and my life has been so blessed, that I thought this is the perfect time for me to slobber my thanks to all who’ve helped me along the way. Please understand that it is impossible for me to thank everyone who has supported me in any way during the course of my life. Some people were helpful when I was unaware of their efforts, and others have been there each and every day for years. So by necessity, this will be a rather generic, broad based expression of my gratitude.
First, thank you to my parents, Betty and Ervin Earl, who invited a little stranger, suffering from whooping cough, into their lives more than 6 decades ago. Thanks, too, to my siblings, Karen and David and their spouses, Dave and Deb. All my nieces, nephew, grand nephews and nieces.
Highest praise and greatest thanks to Pat, my bride of 41 years, and to her family…my collection of in-laws and outlaws. Kelly and P.J. have ALWAYS been supportive of Dad and his passions, and now Kevin and Heather are learning to tolerate them, too. Shaun, Erin and Sully are my motivators, and pretty cool young people as well.
I would like to thank Doctors Brunner, Conlan, Huntington and Puhl for patching me together for the long and exhausting campaign. Also, kudos to the LPO for its support, to the party leaders particularly Kevin Knedler, and to all the candidates who shared lit drops, fair booths, parade floats and speaking engagements. Thank you, too, to the Liberty groups, Patriot organizations, Tea Party affiliates, 912er’s, We By For’s and others who asked us to address them. Finally, to all the civic organizations who invited us to participate during their candidates’ nights….thank you.
To our many friends, both long-time and newly found, thank you for believing in me, for your tireless efforts and most of all, for your encouragement. To our Facebook friends and Littlestuff-minoosha readers, thanks for sharing laughs, rants and events with us. And most of all, thank you’s to the 178,000 plus people who were not afraid to “split” the vote…who believed in the principle of liberty, smaller government and less government intrusion.
Thank you to my Lord for giving me an appreciation of freedom that can only come from an awareness that I am and have been forgiven, that I live under grace and am a child of God.
Comment: earl4sos@gmail.com
First, thank you to my parents, Betty and Ervin Earl, who invited a little stranger, suffering from whooping cough, into their lives more than 6 decades ago. Thanks, too, to my siblings, Karen and David and their spouses, Dave and Deb. All my nieces, nephew, grand nephews and nieces.
Highest praise and greatest thanks to Pat, my bride of 41 years, and to her family…my collection of in-laws and outlaws. Kelly and P.J. have ALWAYS been supportive of Dad and his passions, and now Kevin and Heather are learning to tolerate them, too. Shaun, Erin and Sully are my motivators, and pretty cool young people as well.
I would like to thank Doctors Brunner, Conlan, Huntington and Puhl for patching me together for the long and exhausting campaign. Also, kudos to the LPO for its support, to the party leaders particularly Kevin Knedler, and to all the candidates who shared lit drops, fair booths, parade floats and speaking engagements. Thank you, too, to the Liberty groups, Patriot organizations, Tea Party affiliates, 912er’s, We By For’s and others who asked us to address them. Finally, to all the civic organizations who invited us to participate during their candidates’ nights….thank you.
To our many friends, both long-time and newly found, thank you for believing in me, for your tireless efforts and most of all, for your encouragement. To our Facebook friends and Littlestuff-minoosha readers, thanks for sharing laughs, rants and events with us. And most of all, thank you’s to the 178,000 plus people who were not afraid to “split” the vote…who believed in the principle of liberty, smaller government and less government intrusion.
Thank you to my Lord for giving me an appreciation of freedom that can only come from an awareness that I am and have been forgiven, that I live under grace and am a child of God.
Comment: earl4sos@gmail.com
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Maybe you...?
If seems as if we are treading on thin ice. No, this is not an examination of climate change, but rather a look at how close we are skating to the edge of tyranny. Attempting to confront the overreaching arms of big government is similar to trying to slay the Hydra with a butter knife. The monster is so large and has become so unwieldy that it’s difficult to identify where to begin when deciding to dismantle the beast. Of course disassembly of the huge government apparatus isn’t necessary…if you don’t care about losing your freedom to decide matters for your own self interest.
Maybe, just maybe you are content with Big Nanny’s telling you what to plant in your garden. Perhaps you are more than happy to forgo the incandescent bulb to favor one that takes a long time to achieve top luminance and is difficult to discard because of environmental concerns. It is easy to imagine that you prefer an automobile that lugs around an extraordinarily heavy battery, uses coal-fired electricity to get charged, cannot haul the entire family, and is a structural death-trap. No doubt, you would not object when the Healthcare panel determines that your chronic condition would be too costly to alleviate, and the fact that your utility for the society has been limited means that medical services for you would be a waste of the State’s resources.
It’s conceivable that you approve of the government’s interference in the marketplace. After all, bureaucrats are extremely knowledgeable and forward thinking. It is always a good thing, isn’t it, when the government chooses some businesses to succeed (with subsidies) and others to fail (regulations, penalties, etc.). What could go wrong? You may even applaud when government bails out businesses that are “too big to fail,” (by the way, how big is too big?), then assumes ownership of stock and takes an active role in management and policy.
You might even feel confident that Homeland Security and other agencies and departments are monitoring your phone calls, texting and emails. You may be downright ecstatic with their post-facto security procedures. Each time the terrorists attempt a new method for creating mayhem, the security geniuses implement highly restrictive countermeasures, thus forcing the bad guys to develop more innovative methods for harming us. It’s possible that the specter of an increasingly growing police state helps you to feel more secure. Bureaucrats never err, and you have nothing to fear if they should wrongly determine that you could be a threat. Right?
At the rate that we are moving right now, you may have your perfectly safe world in a short time. I hope that you will be satisfied to live in your tiny little box and never have the anxiety that comes from having to make your own decisions. Remember, though, if you dare to peek out of the box, you will pay the consequences. Big Brother expects you to stay in the box because you have everything you need.
Comments: earl4sos@gmail.com or cnpearl@woh.rr.com
Maybe, just maybe you are content with Big Nanny’s telling you what to plant in your garden. Perhaps you are more than happy to forgo the incandescent bulb to favor one that takes a long time to achieve top luminance and is difficult to discard because of environmental concerns. It is easy to imagine that you prefer an automobile that lugs around an extraordinarily heavy battery, uses coal-fired electricity to get charged, cannot haul the entire family, and is a structural death-trap. No doubt, you would not object when the Healthcare panel determines that your chronic condition would be too costly to alleviate, and the fact that your utility for the society has been limited means that medical services for you would be a waste of the State’s resources.
It’s conceivable that you approve of the government’s interference in the marketplace. After all, bureaucrats are extremely knowledgeable and forward thinking. It is always a good thing, isn’t it, when the government chooses some businesses to succeed (with subsidies) and others to fail (regulations, penalties, etc.). What could go wrong? You may even applaud when government bails out businesses that are “too big to fail,” (by the way, how big is too big?), then assumes ownership of stock and takes an active role in management and policy.
You might even feel confident that Homeland Security and other agencies and departments are monitoring your phone calls, texting and emails. You may be downright ecstatic with their post-facto security procedures. Each time the terrorists attempt a new method for creating mayhem, the security geniuses implement highly restrictive countermeasures, thus forcing the bad guys to develop more innovative methods for harming us. It’s possible that the specter of an increasingly growing police state helps you to feel more secure. Bureaucrats never err, and you have nothing to fear if they should wrongly determine that you could be a threat. Right?
At the rate that we are moving right now, you may have your perfectly safe world in a short time. I hope that you will be satisfied to live in your tiny little box and never have the anxiety that comes from having to make your own decisions. Remember, though, if you dare to peek out of the box, you will pay the consequences. Big Brother expects you to stay in the box because you have everything you need.
Comments: earl4sos@gmail.com or cnpearl@woh.rr.com
Monday, November 22, 2010
If Only
If only all career politicians were people of honor, integrity and intelligence, then our liberty and our nation would not be in such jeopardy.
If only the people we choose to lead us, whether politically, in business or in our volunteer groups, were not overcome by their own megalomania, then maybe we could accomplish something of lasting value.
If only the people who choose the leaders were more self-reliant and less concerned about what government can “give” them, then perhaps they would be more discerning when selecting those who lead them.
If only we were more diligent about handling our own affairs, then maybe we wouldn’t be so eager to restrict the actions of others.
If only our children who are born with their unalienable rights intact could retain some sense of urgency for freedom, then I would not be so fearful for their futures.
If only more parents would teach about liberty and responsibility, then our distortion of our rights would not be so great or so wrong.
If only preachers would recognize that salvation and unalienable rights are mutually inclusive, then the church would become the citadel for freedom that would honor God and advance the cause of liberty.
If only our career politicians would read and follow the Constitution, then freedom –economic, political and personal—would flourish.
If only taking an oath had the gravity that it once had, then perhaps our leaders and jurists would be more diligent in their following the Constitution.
If only we allowed God Almighty back into our daily discourse, then oath-keeping would be a more solemn activity.
If only personal shame were to return as an element of social interaction, we wouldn’t have so many restrictive laws, rules and regulations.
If only we hadn’t had such an expansion of “rights,” and inflation of self-esteem and a misguided definition of accountability, then perhaps I would have more confidence in our nation’s prospects for righting our ship of state.
If only there were not so many aspects of our nation’s faltering, those of us who care could join together to correct our course.
If only those of us who care were not faced with a multitude of issues requiring correction, then we could be more effective by uniting and focusing on a few critical items.
If only our Framers and Founders had not been so wise, then I would not have enjoyed the opportunity to freely express my alarms.
If only ………
Comment: earl4sos@gmail.com or cnpearl@woh.rr.com
If only the people we choose to lead us, whether politically, in business or in our volunteer groups, were not overcome by their own megalomania, then maybe we could accomplish something of lasting value.
If only the people who choose the leaders were more self-reliant and less concerned about what government can “give” them, then perhaps they would be more discerning when selecting those who lead them.
If only we were more diligent about handling our own affairs, then maybe we wouldn’t be so eager to restrict the actions of others.
If only our children who are born with their unalienable rights intact could retain some sense of urgency for freedom, then I would not be so fearful for their futures.
If only more parents would teach about liberty and responsibility, then our distortion of our rights would not be so great or so wrong.
If only preachers would recognize that salvation and unalienable rights are mutually inclusive, then the church would become the citadel for freedom that would honor God and advance the cause of liberty.
If only our career politicians would read and follow the Constitution, then freedom –economic, political and personal—would flourish.
If only taking an oath had the gravity that it once had, then perhaps our leaders and jurists would be more diligent in their following the Constitution.
If only we allowed God Almighty back into our daily discourse, then oath-keeping would be a more solemn activity.
If only personal shame were to return as an element of social interaction, we wouldn’t have so many restrictive laws, rules and regulations.
If only we hadn’t had such an expansion of “rights,” and inflation of self-esteem and a misguided definition of accountability, then perhaps I would have more confidence in our nation’s prospects for righting our ship of state.
If only there were not so many aspects of our nation’s faltering, those of us who care could join together to correct our course.
If only those of us who care were not faced with a multitude of issues requiring correction, then we could be more effective by uniting and focusing on a few critical items.
If only our Framers and Founders had not been so wise, then I would not have enjoyed the opportunity to freely express my alarms.
If only ………
Comment: earl4sos@gmail.com or cnpearl@woh.rr.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
