A Government Out of Touch - A Call to Return to Our Roots

Well, it's now four days out from the nation wide tea parties. Hundreds of thousands of American citizens got together all across the country to let their voice be heard; no more big government; no more out of control spending; and no more disconnect between the people and those that represent them.
Of course, as expected, most media outlets gave very unfavorable coverage to the events. I am not surprised at all about that. I am, however, surprised at the White House response. ABC's Dan Harris on Good Morning America reported on April 15th the following - "The White House says the president is unaware of the tea parties and will hold his own event today." Isn't this a perfect example of what the protests were really about? When the government doesn't represent the people, the government no longer can be called effective.
A majority of Americans did not approve of their tax money being used for the TARP funds, as passed under George Bush, and yet our representatives passed it. A majority of Americans did not approve of their tax money being used in the Stimulus Bill, and yet our representatives passed it. A majority of Americans do not approve of abortion being funded by taxpayers (or abortion at all), yet our government is now doing just that. This is not how our government is supposed to work.
“Some writers have so confounded society with government, as to leave little or no distinction between them; whereas they are not only different, but have different origins. Society is produced by our wants and government by our wickedness; the former promotes our happiness positively by uniting our affections, the latter negatively by restraining our vices. The one encourages intercourse, the other creates distinctions. The first is a patron, the last a punisher.” --Thomas Paine, Common Sense, 1776
This quote shows exactly where we are today. Our government, a necessary function that needs to have limits pressed on it, is running out of control, breaking down constraints at every pass. This big government system cannot stand forever. It will grow to a size so big that it will cripple the economy and tear away our freedoms.
And yet, there is a simple answer. It's called the Constitution of the United States. It's the document that says how the government is supposed to work. It puts limits where they need to be, and spreads power with checks and balances as to create control. Articles 1-7 explain exactly what the government can and can't do, and how to do it. The Amendments afterwards dive further into details. That's where the answer is. If our representatives do not hold to the constitution, vote them out. They all take an oath to do just that. What if the government wants a program that isn't directly under their power as given in the Constitution? Amendment X has the answer: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."
So, as always, I ask not for some extreme revolution, but a returning to a time when the Constitution was upheld. We all need to be informed, as an informed citizenry is the only way to ensure the freedoms and liberty's we all take for granted continue. It is fine if we disagree, that's what this country is founded on, and debate is protected in the Constitution. However, if we all understand where the debate has to start, at the beginning, then we can have a firm foundation with which to grow on.

Tax Day TEA Party - My Impressions

I attended the TEA Party in St. Paul, MN yesterday, to show my support of fiscal responsibility, (the government not overspending), limited government, (the government not in the way of peoples freedom), and free markets, (the government letting businesses work).
The crowd estimates for this party were between eight to ten thousand people. Multiply that by the hundreds of tea parties going on across the country and you have a huge event. Now I hope the country was listening.
Of course, many media outlets were not willing to just report the story as it was happening. CNN even went so far as to demonize and harass those attending. ((Watch the video here)) This is showing what conservatives have been saying for a long time; the media is blatantly and unashamedly bias. Every report I could find either hugely downplayed what was happening or linked the people in attendance to "extremists".

Extreme? How extreme is a rally that starts with the Pledge of Allegiance? How extreme is a rally that numerous times broke into chants of "USA, USA"? How extreme is a rally of people who see a news helicopter and turn around to wave? (I thought that was a bit corny myself, but it did go to show how peaceful the demonstration was). Most rallies are liberal in nature. They involve screaming and chanting, they often times have some violence thrown in (RNC Welcoming Committee for example), and tend to be very resentful to any authorities. This is why the media loves to report on rallies. There tends to be something violent happening, and something 'exciting' to show on TV. These TEA Party rallies were not like that. They were sane, peaceful, and had a very easy to understand message - stop spending our money like there is an infinite supply of it.

So, as the country moves forward, where do we go? I sincerely hope that we can move forward in a direction where the conservatives of this country are not afraid to say what they believe; not afraid of being demonized by the media or even those around them. I hope for the country to hear the conservative voice and listen to what they say. But most of all, I hope for a country that is informed about what is happening and willing to get involved with what is happening. Let's all be open to debate, open to conversation, and open to involvement in the process of this country. I leave you now with my favorite picture from the rally.

An Update, A Revolution Beginning, and A Frightening Revelation

First off today, a quick update on HR1388 (see post below). It has officially passed through both the House and Senate, making it almost impossible to stop now, (Obama has already promised to sign it when it hits his desk). The official financial numbers on it? Increase spending from $418 million a year to around $5.7 billion a year. Once again, I have to ask, where is this money coming from?
I am encouraged, however, by a movement sweeping across the Internet that is starting to take roots in actual events. Ever since the beginning of the Obama administration, one has been able to find many people, like myself, rambling on about the wrongs of government, the overspending liberals, etc. There have been videos, such as this one here, (Thomas Paine video), that have been made to try to spur on some action. That action has finally arrived in the form of modern day 'tea parties'. I encourage each and every person who feels like they are not represented by their government, who is scared of what all this spending and massive deficit means, to go to the Tea Party Website and find a rally near them. April 15th can be a great day for this country if we all get behind it and make the government listen to the people.

One final note on the rather scary direction this country is going in. In Texas, there is a law being proposed that would allow for mothers to kill their babies. This is not abortion, though that is also murderous and terrible, (and supported by the administration, which even wants to lift partial birth abortion bans). The Texas law would punish a mother who killed their baby, (defined as any child up to one year old), with a maximum penalty of two years in prison. Class A felonies for premeditated murder carry a maximum penalty of 99 years, but because this is a baby, this law would cut the time to two years. It's reason? The bill lays out the terms as "postpartum issues". Understand that Texas, along with a few other states, has a lot of sway as to what laws get passed across the country. It is one of the lead states that others look to. These are scary times indeed. Please, I ask each and every person, to get involved, get aware of what's happening to this country, and get out there to make a difference.