These kids do have a point...(the sequel) - Granite Grok

These kids do have a point…(the sequel)

A Blue Hampshire followup to this saga… 

While I agree that Bob should have stopped digging, and should have extended the lessons I explain below, the BlueHampshire comment-squad goes off the rails (again), taking this story away from it’s main point.

Some of the commentators try to paint the Tea Party as "holding itself together", as long as we can "identify enemies".  And, as "soon as one of them comes up with a proactive plan to close the deficit, they will incur the wrath of 75% of them who will disagree with the plan." – this is such an invalid, emotional statement, typical of liberals these days who will ridicule anything they can get their hands on, realizing they are in for a pending ballot-beatdown.

I was at the John Burt Gubernatorial debate last night, in Manchester, where 4 very different (Republican) candidates spoke, disagreed, and even acknowledged agreement, in front of an audience that was as disparate as they were.

In the end, the entire audience came together, on their feet, cheering, to send Gov. Lynch this message: "regardless of which candidate here wins the Republican primary, we are looking at the next governor of New Hampshire."  And this is so, so true.

I wish I could build a composite candidate, using their best qualities.  Each has a distinct set of skills that differentiate them from the others, and all are qualified to lead the Conservative revolution next year.  One is bombastic, another inspiring, another compassionate and another deliberate.  All have proven to be superb thinkers and doers.  Yet, despite the candidate-aligned factions within the audience, and in the Conservative community, we WILL be together on September 15th, coming with great fervor, to right this State and our Country.

Criticisms of Giuda, Bass, or any other candidate are our internal filtration process, ensuring that the best people come out of the Primary, to deliver said beat-down on November 2nd. 

The Tea Party/912/Conservative community is passionate, patriotic and as diverse as the 4 candidates last night.  We argue, debate and posit.

Consider how Steel is made: You start with Iron, an ore consisting mainly of carbon, found commonly on the planet (an American).  You add other, diverse elements, such as Magnesium, Chromium, and Tungsten (Morality, Constitutional awareness, Patriotism).  These diverse elements cause the core carbon to strengthen its form, a lattice, all stronger together than alone.  Varying the quantities of the elements control the qualities of the steel, such as hardness, and strength (experimenting, filtering). 

The component elements are combined, heated, then cooled.  Cooling creates a "re-crystalization" process, yielding Steel.  The Political Primary process (now), is the heating, filtering, and combining phase.  Once the primary ends, the cooling and re-crystalization will take place, yielding steel, which will not be easily broken.

A WMUR video update to this story, sent from a friend…

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From the following well-written Eliza Kern PrimaryWire article…

Bob Giuda met with, and spoke to a group of incoming high school seniors at the American Legion’s Boys State and American Legion Auxillary’s Girls State programs, held at Rivier College, Nashua, this week.

These programs provide a hands-on opportunity for aspiring, young adults to participate in the government process of a "mythical" 51st State.  Held in many locations across the country, this program looks quite interesting and I am considering sending my oldest son, next year.

Well, the issue of gay marriage came up and some of the students challenged Mr. Giuda.  They called him out, asking him "how he could simultaneously discourage government intervention and also support its maintenance of marriage as a ‘moral and social’ institution."

Having recently attending a US Constitutional seminar, and looking clearly at the spirit of the document, these kids have a point.  One of the schizophrenic cruxes of the Republican/Conservative psyche these days is the myriad social issues that, on one (moral) hand, beg for government societal and cultural standards, while on the other (Libertarian) hand, have no current Constitutional basis for any Government intervention, whatsoever.

Unlike the wide agreement on just about every fiscal issue, social issues, like this, can split the right-minded community apart if not carefully managed.  Like a soldier who must kill the enemy to accomplish his mission, and to stay alive, he can either choose to drive ahead and kill, or be conflicted and philosophical, endangering himself.  It’s hard to do both and get much done.

So, do we protect the core essence of the US Constitution, allowing folks to do as they please whether we agree with it or not (unless declared illegal, by law), or do we ask the Government to intervene to suit our specific moral menu?

There IS an answer to this dilemma, by the way.

Back to Bob…. 

What was particularly revealing was the "defensive and angry" response Bob had, when a bunch of intelligent and diligent teenagers had the audacity to challenge him.  As the adult parent of 3 teenage boys, I know that if I get overly emotional about an issue, when challenged intellectually, they feed like piranahs at any appearance of hypocrisy.  They are looking to see if I am still their invincible Father, or just a regular human being.  Apparently, these kids did the same.

For a group of kids who have a passion for politics, and are New Hampshire’s future adult thinkers, this show of weakness ended poorly for Bob. 

Sadly, Giuda concluded with, “’You know, there are a lot of students who want to ask questions, so I think we’re done here, he said to a young man asking why gay couples couldn’t adopt children‘".  Not a good response to aspiring politicians, hungry to learn.

How would this response be received on the floor of Congress, during a heated debate?

In my opinion, the only correct way to handle this conflict is to introduce the amendment process.  If Bob were truly the "Constructionist" he claims to be, he would have gone down this route, teaching the kids that the sanctity of the Constitution MUST be enforced (by that I mean the limits on Federal Government authority), but that there is an avenue, albeit difficult, to change it, for whatever moral purpose you have. 

Actually, there are two acceptable avenues.

While some may disagree with me on this, the Federal Government has no business legislating marriage, abortion, or any other issue that the Constitution does not authorize – unless amended.  So, if a State wants to legislate this, I’m all for it, so long as it doesn’t contradict the US Constitution.  That is the heart of Federalism – 50 individual corporations, making their own rules, per the will of the local constituency.  Such rules, when created under local control, have a much better chance at reflecting the will of the people.

Bob Giuda missed the opportunity to really show these kids that we MUST be consistent with this sacred document, and if you don’t like something in your society, work to change it, locally within your State, or begin the long, difficult process of amending it at the Federal level.

Instead, it appears that he got angry, took his issues, and went home.

 

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