Some quotes from the 5000 Year Leap…

After eight years in exile as a communist- living in the USSR, Eldridge Cleaver asked to be allowed to return to the United States and pay whatever penalty he was due. He and his wife were no longer communists (or atheists). Bitter years behind the iron and bamboo curtains had dispelled the propaganda concerning “equality” and “justice” under communism. Cleaver told the press: “ I would rather be in jail in America than be free anywhere else.”

The founders distinguished between equal rights and other areas where equality is impossible. They recognized that society should seek to provide equal opportunity but not expect equal results; provide equal freedom but not expect equal capacity; provide equal rights but not equal possessions; provide equal protection but not equal status; provide equal educational opportunities but not ensure equal grades…

Benjamin Franklin’s view on counter-productive compassion-
1- Compassion which gives a drunk the means to increase his drunkenness is counter-productive
2- Compassion which breeds debilitating dependency and weakness is counter-productive
3- Compassion which blunts the desire or necessity to work for a living in counter productive.
4- Compassion which smothers the instinct to strive and excel is counter-productive

Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly, all experience has shown, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But, when a long train of abuses and usurpation pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security.

The government is, or ought to be, instituted for the common benefit, protection, and security of the people and that, when any government shall be found inadequate or contrary to these purposes, a MAJORITY of the community have an inalienable right to alter, reform or abolish it, in a manner as shall be judged most conducive to the public weal.
The reason I feel this last paragraph is so significant is because we do not have the right of MINORITY revolt. Starting a militia and blowing up the Oklahoma City Federal Building is not an option. It has to come at a time when the majority of people are willing to stand up and say- NO MORE. Many of the same arguments that were used to justify our seceding from England exist today- some of the abuses today are much worse- but until we all get fed up enough to stand up and say “no more” as the majority of the people- we have no right to real change. I am not sure I see that happening any time soon although I am very frustrated with the politics of today…

For years Becky has been sending me to the store with "a list". For someone as prideful as me, a list is so limiting. I KNOW I can remember everything on the list, my mind is a steel trap. Becky is starting to agree, once somethings gets in my mind, it is never getting back out-like "what was on that list anyway?" At times I have difficulty "remembering" to get everything on the evil list. I am taking a big step today- I am coming out of the closet and admitting that from time to time I forget things. For this reason, I am changing the way I use this blog. Until now I have been using this blog only as a catalog of a few thoughts from some of the significant books I read. The blog has become much too serious and impersonal. My intention is that I will use this blog as a more encompassing journal of what is going on in my life and the lives of my hot wife and kids. I am doing this because it seems I may not remember everything that happens in my life. I would have much rather stayed in my little utopia- thinking that I remembered everything, it would have taken much less effort than writing everything down. I mean really, if I don't remember it than I obviously don't miss it right? I could have gone through life perfectly happy- if not for the list.

The picture I posted above is my son Brock in the Gooseberry mountains. We went deer hunting this year and he was the GPS man, in charge of not getting us lost. It was a perfect deer hunt. We went on some great hikes, saw a lot of beautiful animals, caught about 30 fish and did not have to take one shot at a deer. Times like like these need to be remembered, it is good I had the list to remind me of that...