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Co-founder of GraniteGrok, my concern is around Individual Liberty and Freedom and how the Government is taking that away. As an evangelical Christian and Conservative with small "L" libertarian leanings, my fight is with Progressives forcing a collectivized, secular humanistic future upon us. As a TEA Party activist, citizen journalist, and pundit!, my goal is to use the New Media to advance the radical notions of America's Founders back into our culture.

Well, what do you know – Andy Martin mentioned us. Is it time to swoon yet?

“You are probably wondering why I’m running for [NH GOP] state chairman. I think we could almost adopt the slogan, “Vote for Andy: No One Likes Him!” The party “Establishment” probably shudders at the mention of my name. And the right-wing, pseudo-Brit Groksters think of me as a form of fertilizer, or religious nightmare or … Read more

No. Collectivism of the Obama brand cannot preserve Individual Liberty

Over at Townhall was a piece on a phrase from Obama’s 2nd Inaugural Address (a paeon to Progressivism – once again “repurposing language” to sound as if he agree with the Founding Fathers but absolutely up ending the original intent):

“Preserving our individual liberties,” the President said, “ultimately requires collective action.”

A phrase worthy of the Hobbesian philosophy that Rights are determined solely by Government; that is to say, by the Collective and allocated solely by politics and power.  The piece goes through the speech and comments on how “collectivism on steroids” Obama spoke on a number of points in his speech.  I did not listen to the speech live nor have I yet read the speech in its entirety but from what I have gathered in reading other commentary, the Founders are not rolling over in their graves but were exhumed by Obama and handled as dissenters in the finest tyrannical fashion (“see that wall?”).

I had my own thoughts on this phrase and how it violated our native political philosophy and instead, is trying to “fundamentally transform” what has been our heritage into something more Marxist / Socialistic.  While it is true that the Founders agreed on the notion of “we must all hang together or we will all hang separately”, they were fighting to standalone and apart from a tyrannical Government that made decisions for all apart from their input.  After all, that is the history of Mankind – evil people wishing to either hang on to or gather power into themselves.  For politicians, in most cases (and certainly almost all on the Left) crave power and control far more than the “capitalists” they disdain and castigate for being greedy for mere money.

My thoughts (such as they are):

  • No, my Individual Freedom does not depend on collective action.  It does, however, require a belief in something bigger than self, and bigger than mere govt.  It requires that our Rights come from God, and proceeding with that premise in all that is done politically.  It requires that there is an accountability that goes beyond the Laws of the land, and the regulations they promulgate.  It requires an internally based governor that says “Thou shalt not cross this line”; something that Progressives fail to observe.

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NHFC’s response to the Democrat / Progressive gun grabbing actions

We here at GraniteGrok are fortunate to be in contact with a lot of the Liberty and Freedom groups here in NH  – the NH Firearms Coalition is one of them.  Today, we have added our names to this Letter:

The National Coalition to Stop the Gun Ban, of which NHFC is a founding member has issued a response to President Obama’s gun ban scheme.  I have attached it for your review.

 

In Liberty,

Jonathan R. Evans, Esq.

President, NHFC

To Congress and the American people:

The federal gun control measures President Barack Obama, Senator Dianne Feinstein and others now propose represents nothing less than an attack on American freedom. Included in that attack is a proposal to dramatically expand federal police powers by using the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) to register millions of law-abiding gun owners. As history has repeatedly demonstrated, registration is the necessary prelude to confiscation.

Using the Sandy Hook tragedy as a pretext to advance a gun control agenda set in the 1980s, gun ban advocates now seek universal registration and licensing, bans on firearms only cosmetically different from common hunting guns, and limits on magazine capacities which will restrict self-defense handguns used by millions of Americans to protect themselves and their families.

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Data Point: Democrats beware – 2 of 3 Americans believe Second Amendment is to protect Freedom

“A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”

…and not just the “hide the truth” by gun controllers that it is for “hunting, sport, and self-defense”.  Rasmussen has the data (emphasis mine):

  • 65% of American Adults think the purpose of the Second Amendment is to make sure that people are able to protect themselves from tyranny. Only 17% disagree, while another 18% are not sure.
  • 72% of those with a gun in their family agree with the premise.  Even without gun ownership, 57% still believe in that purpose.
  • Agree?  54% of Democrats, 75% of Republicans, 68% of Independents
  • 60% would rather live in a neighborhood where they can own a gun and most would feel safer if their children attended a school with an armed security guard
  • A plurality believes dealing with mental health issues will lead to more effective results.

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Blogline of the Day – Why did Obama Win?

We interrupt this orgy of Obama worship to recall that his campaign huddled early in 2012 and reflected that they could not run on his first-term record. Accordingly, the strategy was “Kill Romney.” Congratulations. That what we’re celebrating today. – Mona Charen, NRO Contributor and syndicated columnist

The problem that Progressivism was supposed to fix is now embedded in their Government

“The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified.”

“Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public’s dollars will be held to account, to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day, because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.”

– President Obama, Inauguration (2009)

Bob Schieffer of CBS on this Inauguration Day said this that caught my eye (emphasis mine):

The fight over the fiscal cliff was so distasteful and ridiculous, it left me wondering not so much about the possibilities of the next four years, but whether our political system is so broken and our politicians so inept, that they — WE, actually — are no longer capable of solving our problems.

“that they… are no longer capable of solving our problems“.  Schieffer comes right up the point of an epiphany – and then backs down.  As with all Big Government hangers-on and media, he believes that solutions can only come from Government – thus, the conflation of “they” (meaning the politicians) and “WE” (the people) – and continues the lie that we cannot take care of ourselves (like, what goes Government have that we don’t?  Oh yeah, our money).

Historically, WE confronted the problems and WE solved them. Not politicians – us, the individuals that make up this nation. It is only since the time of Wilson, accelerated by FDR, and now launched over the cliff by Obama, that people first look to Government.  Instead, we need to look to ourselves and those around us.    It is time to take back the responsibility from a Government that isn’t working – we have overloaded it (well, Progressives have overloaded it for us) in trying to get it to do stuff that is now too complex for it to do.  Yes, such irony, isn’t it?

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Information Wars – used to be the stuff of foreign battlefields. Thanks, Progressives, for bringing it to the ‘hood!

This shift stems, in large part, from the movement from a predominately resource and tangible goods-based economy to an information-based one. In the past, political struggles were largely fought over how to divide up the spoils generated by the basic productive economy; labor, investors and management all shared a belief in the ethos of economic growth, manufacturing and resource extraction.

In contrast, today’s new hegemons hail almost entirely from outside the material economy, and many come from outside the realm of the market system entirely. . . . To understand the possible implications of the new power arrangement, it is critical to understand the nature of the new clerisy. Unlike traditional capitalist power groups, including private-sector organized labor, the clerisy’s power derives not primarily through economic influence per se but through its growing power to inform opinion and regulate everything from how people live to what industries will be allowed to grow, or die.

First reaction – Ah!  instead of the information war that our external enemies, Viet Nam and Ho Chi Minh, and the Iraq War and Al Queda, we’ll have that information war waged against our citizens that “dissent” from Progressive orthodoxy.  Splendid – what POSSIBLY could go wrong??

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Is the NHACP going to repeat their Chicken Little routine again?

NHACP 2011-12-28 Against "Stand Your Ground"In the last session, the NH Associations of Chiefs of Police (NHACP) decided that legislation that more fully allowed NH Citizens to realize their Natural Right to self-defense and lobbied the legislators (I do wonder if that would be legal – I seem to remember that association dues like this are paid out of property taxes.  Thus, wouldn’t this be illegal??).  For all their kvetching about a “Wild West” (echoing what others always say when gun laws are relaxed), the same thing happened here in NH as elsewhere – nothing happened. At all.  Nada, when it came to actions by lawful citizens.  And like those “else where naysayers”, the NHACP ended up looking like Chicken Littles. ‘Cept no sky fell.

Well, HB135 is now up for a vote – once again, hypocritical Democrats are trying to change “settled law” and reverse what Republicans passed last session.  Will we see the NHACP throw in with the Democrats in limiting Citizens’ Rights – after all, the empirical evidence shows that the law has been successful has happened.  I outline a couple of what I thought to be key phrases .But ask yourself – given their failed prophecy, will they again try to act as the Oracle at Delphi?

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A thought on a Cocktail Tax – what do Individuals owe to the Collective?

margaritaSteve, as always, has a unique take on this Cocktail Tax being proposed by a study New Futures.  Bottom line – a new tax to be levied against individuals for the collective cost of $1.15 Billion (and $251 million in direct social costs to the State) for the effects of over drinking (a “per-drink alcohol costs recovery charge”).

Let me state that again: ding individuals for a perceived crime or hurt against the collective.  Once again: we see the subtle nuance of which is more important in the eyes of the Left: the individual or the group.  Somehow, the Left has twisted the responsibility of people to behave sociably and responsibly as at least an offense against us all (and perhaps, rising to the level of a crime).  Certainly, mere offense or serious crime, somebody has to pay but this is where the Left’s predilection of always disavowing personal responsibility for one’s own actions (unless it is a TEA Partier carrying a gun and a Gadsen Flag – then lock them up, throw away the key, and equate them at the level of being sex offenders) fires up once again.  If one sins (or just a few), then ALL are considered to have sinned against the Collective.

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Data Point – NRA Popularity

I point out that the approval rate of Congress is less than a colonoscopies at (31 – 58%).  The approval rate for Obama is 52% (H/T: Gallup)

A real life “Life of Julia” – save me, Government, from myself!

“A FEW years ago, I awoke at 2:30 a.m. to more than a “rapping, rapping at my chamber door.” It was a full-force pounding of a body trying to break into my little house in Washington, D.C. It was the sound and scenario that, as a single woman living alone, I feared more than spiders in the house.

Because I was writing political speeches at the time, my BlackBerry slept on the pillow beside me. I grabbed it and looked out my bedroom window at the stoop below. There he was: tall, dark clothes, big. He backed up and then raced to the door, pounding his body against it. Then he kicked at it the way actors take boots to the heads of bad guys in the movies.”

SigSauer P220 .45 ACPA rather disturbing op-ed in the NY Timesfrom someone that has been a speech writer for Democratic Senators John Edwards, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and John Kerry, and for Boston Mayor Thomas Menino where she says that as a result of a home break in Washington DC, she almost bought a gun for self-defense.  After all, being a single woman, alone, a lady no taller than TMEW, she faced the situation of having to face off (with a large dog by her side) against a male big and strong enough to be breaking down her door.  It was problably only because the local police station was right around the corner, according to her own words, that he never gained access.

And then, stopped the process of obtaining that self-defense weapon in fear for her life as she suffers from depression; she goes on to describe what it is like.  I can, to a degree, understand what she goes through, not from personal experience but from the experience of having to care for for family members that suffer from depression as well.  A lot of traveling back and forth to go to check in on them, making sure they have the right meds, ensuring that they are TAKING the right meds the right way, and making sure that the thought of “hey, I don’t have to take these anymore – I feel FINE now!” is dealt, for them, with as a temporary illusion (and for them, it was temporary as both they and I found out the hard way).  It is a disease and it is a really disabling disease in its worst forms not only to them but to those around them as well.  Having this as a single living-alone woman, well, not easy.  So while I applaud her decision of not purchasing a gun for her own safety, I disagree with but completely disagree with her plea to keep from hurting herself:

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Joe Biden: “If it only saves one life!” 12 year old shoots adult home invader in self-defense

BRYAN COUNTY, OK–A day off for fall break was anything but relaxing for a 12-year old Bryan County girl, when an intruder broke into her home on Michael Avenue.

Deputies say, the girl was home alone when a man she’d never seen before, rang the front doorbell. They say when no one answered the door, the man went around to the back of the house and kicked a door open. That’s when authorities say, the girl grabbed a gun and hid in a bathroom closet.

“He had worked his way all the way through the house and into the bathroom. And from what we understand, he was turning the doorknob when she fired through the door.” Says Bryan County Under sheriff, Ken Golden.

Just like the guy HUNTING for the Mom and the two 9 year old twins, this guy was HUNTING for the girl.  Nice that a case a lead poisoning ensued.

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Blogline of the Day – on education

Any parent who sends their kids to public schools should understand that they are sanctioning the long term abuse of their own child. Sit them down in front of a computer screen loaded up with Khan Academy courses. They’ll end up healthier, happier, better adjusted, better educated, and far, far more safe. Nobody ever got … Read more

Blogline of the Day – on political hypocrites

“Contrary to the rant in response you’re anticipating, I’m not upset. I’m actually honored to do my part in that whole ‘shared sacrifice’ thing we keep hearing about from our benevolent ruling class. After all, who’s more qualified to talk about shared sacrifice than those who can vote themselves pay raises whenever they want, pass … Read more

Like father, like son? Like Jim Foley, like Bruce Perlo?

NH GOP Chair race.  Heating up.  Exposing a longstanding flaw in an Establishment mindset.  A Big one -> “Activists out side the Party are worthless”.  Remember what Finance Chair and Derry Chair said:

In addition- we have a meeting of activists every month- it is know as the Executive Board

with the implication of “we are the activists that count”.  Well, that was pretty inclusive right there, eh?  In 2006 & 2008, you had the Party activists – period.  And in a lot of cases here in NH, given the “down the nose” treatment by “Party Activists” and Mucky-Mucks like Foley, a lot of the volunteer outside the Party folks either sat on their hands (and wallets) or moved a whole lot slower if they helped at all (trust me, I heard the stories).  Top-down, command-and-control; 2012 had results more similar to 2008 and 2006 than 2010.  Sure, there were other factors in play here this cycle (muchly due to the Obama Big Data for which the Establishment Republicans (and the money they represent) had no answer, but a good deal of the “down enthusiasm” of the grass roots had to do with the way they were treated – and with the way that Bill O’Brien was treated).  When hard work was put in on Constitutional and Party Platform issues and bills, only to see it defeated by “less grassroots oriented” / Establishment Republicans, why support the Party?  So instead of getting a heartfelt “thank you for your work in the election” (e.g., TEA Party / 9-12ers/ RLCNH / Constitutionalists / Libertarians, Papa Smurf (aka, the Gnome of the North) took much of the credit for the election results.  No matter.  But when the kicks were laid in afterwards during the legislative Sessions, well, one could say that the NH GOP did it to themselves.

And no one has EVAH  laid out how much better of a NH GOP Chair MacDonald turned out to be than Jack Kimball (and I can throw in Fergus “The Fringe” Cullen into that mix with MacDonald as well) when actual results are compared.

And now, former Grafton County Chair Bruce Perlow is doing it again.  Nice:

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Well, IS this how the Old Guard Establishment Republicans wish to operate? Well, so can we!

We can play the game of “Sampson brings down the house” (Judges 16) as well as they wish for us to play in their sandbox.  I am on Andrew Hemingway’s email list and while I was working on the post rebutting Bruce Perlo (“Like father, like son? Like Jim Foley, like Bruce Perlo?“), I received this from Andrew:

As the face of our party, I fully expect to be attacked with false claims and baseless attacks from the Democrats. It’s disappointing to see my opponent’s campaign sink to a new low by using a committee member to send out an email to the entire Republican Committee filled with baseless claims and character attacks.

Upon receiving his email, I called Mr. Perlo today and asked him to back up his claims and he was unable to do it. His attacks on my honesty, my character, and to infer that I am anti-Semitic were disgusting.

Exactly what I said in my post – he made a whole lot of accusations and conveniently went after Andrew.  But Bruce’s problem is the for every accusation, the same can be said for Jennifer Horn – or that there is NO history at all of her even trying in these areas.

I am glad of one thing – unlike many in the Party today, Andrew was willing to make waves and stand up for his background, his history, and (better yet), his beliefs.  No tap dancing, no hiding, and no “silence is golden” (actually what I have found, is that “golden silence” is mostly like gold – you are deeply buried to the point of irrelevance).

But this next point was rather interesting – show how inbred the Establishment can be:

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“I don’t know WHY anyone NEEDS an AR-15”. Wrong premise, Progressives!

True Freedom means not having to have a Need to order justify having something

assault weaponRemember that the next time somebody demands “Why do you need that?” (unless it is your spouse or your Mother – then forget what I’m saying here.  Steve is busy and I am having another one of those “paralysis blocks” that bloggers sometimes have.  Not exactly “writer’s block” (during which you can’t think of a thing to say, and worse, if you did, can’t type two words that lie together well) but a case of “there’s too much going on – what to take on first (or best) and not sound like a me-too schmuck”.  But sometimes, when in that mode, it’s like you are the shooting guard in basketball and you go into a 0 for 20 shooting run – the only way out is to keep shooting.  So, here’s a shot in the dark.

We are, as a nation, at a cusp.  The vast majority of Americans were outraged at the tragedy in Newtown.  True to form, Progressives jumped on this crisis with both feet – hey such a chance to advance a fundamental Progressive ideal – an unarmed citizenry.  After all, their belief system demands fealty to the notion that Government is there for YOU and that their Government (and make no mistake, no limited government is any Government of theirs) will take care of you.  Thus, no guns, and certainly no guns of any consequence.  You don’t need them to defend yourself (call 911) and you really don’t have to hunt (that’s cruel to animals, and besides, we grow them in that plastic wrap).  They really don’t believe in guns, even as many of these Progressive elected officials make utter fools of themselves concerning the vocabulary concerning the descriptions of firearms and accessories (we’ll let you off the hook – we’d laugh less at you if you just said “ewww, you can’t have them because they’re ICKY” than when you can’t get the basic nomenclature right).

So, from their Olympus like heights of Enlightened Morality, they proclaim “You don’t NEED that!” – and they do mean it; they have no idea of why something would be important to you – and they don’t care to know.  In their worldview, where the rest of us need guidance, this is one of those supreme moments of applying Progressive Guidance (yes, upper-case chosen deliberately to show the height of Progressive Reaction of those that they have allowed to go astray for too long – they are done with “our foolishness”.

Any time you hear Liberal or Progressive (yes, you can be the former without being the latter but with the way that the New Left is hollowing out the Democrat Party, that person is seldom is a moderate Democrat) say that, here is your reposte:

So, Jackass, what does Need have to do with Freedom?

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