The Constitution Party has nominated a candidate that I can support at their convention this weekend in Kansas City. The party selected pastor, radio host and columnist Chuck Baldwin over party newcomer Alan Keyes. Baldwin ran on the party ticket in 2004 as Michael Peroutka's vice presidential candidate. Keyes, on the other hand, left the GOP and joined the Constitution Party 10 days prior to the convention. Judging from comments by Keyes' national political director, Keyes affiliation with the Constitution Party ended with his defeat.
I have become familiar with Baldwin through his columns on VDare.com. Chuck Baldwin embodies the 7 principals of the Constitution Party, which are:
1. Life: For all human beings, from conception to natural death;
2. Liberty: Freedom of conscience and actions for the self-governed individual;
3. Family: One husband and one wife with their children as divinely instituted;
4. Property: Each individual's right to own and steward personal property without government burden;
5. Constitution: and Bill of Rights interpreted according to the actual intent of the Founding Fathers;
6. States' Rights: Everything not specifically delegated by the Constitution to the federal government is reserved for the state and local jurisdictions;
7. American Sovereignty: American government committed to the protection of the borders, trade, and common defense of Americans, and not entangled in foreign alliances.
Here is an archive of Chuck Baldwin columns dating back to 2001.
Unfortunately for voters in Texas who would support Baldwin, ballot access for third parties in Texas is difficult (if not impossible) to obtain. Texas requires petition signatures numbering 1% of the votes cast in the 2004 presidential election submitted by May 12. That is 74,000 signatures of persons who did not vote in either the Democrat or Republican party primaries. I voted for Ron Paul in the Republican primary so I am not even eligible to sign a petition. I am sure that when the Republican party was established in 1856, they were held to equally rigorous standard to achieve ballot access (jn).
So although Chuck Baldwin is a candidate whose beliefs mirror my own, Texas ballot access law (written by Democrats and Republicans for the benefit of Democrats and Republicans) will likely not allow me to cast my vote for him come November.
Update: As I suspected, Alan Keyes brief flirtation with the Constitution Party was all about Alan Keyes' vanity. He announced that would not support party nominee Chuck Baldwin, saying, "His policies of appeasement and non-involvement (in foreign affairs) are irresponsible and unsustainable." Keyes apparently couldn't be bothered to even read the party platform before running for the party nomination. The party's stance on foreign policy is pretty clear.
Keyes' high opinion of himself was evident when he suggested that the party merely used him to attract new supporters. I personally don't see the appeal of a candidate that has run three failed senate campaigns and failed to register 1% support in any 2008 Republican state primary. I liked Alan Keyes when he was a fresh face in the conservative movement, but the perennial candidate shtick has become somewhat embarrassing.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Friday, April 18, 2008
15 years ago...
Tomorrow is the 15th anniversary of the government massacre of the Branch Davidians. The government gassed and burned to death 76 people, including 21 innocent children under the age of 16, at the Branch Davidian compound outside of Waco, TX.
A government investigation exonerated the government of any wrongdoing.
As Anthony Gregory wrote on LewRockwell.com, "Waco is still important, because it illustrates the violent nature of the state, the fact that political power flows from the barrel of a gun, and the scary truth that the U.S. government is ultimately no different from all others in this respect."
A government investigation exonerated the government of any wrongdoing.
As Anthony Gregory wrote on LewRockwell.com, "Waco is still important, because it illustrates the violent nature of the state, the fact that political power flows from the barrel of a gun, and the scary truth that the U.S. government is ultimately no different from all others in this respect."
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Out of the frying pan, into the fire
The 416 children taken from their parents at the polygamist cult compound will likely be placed into the Texas foster care system. Judging from a 2006 statement from former Texas Comptroller Strayhorn on the foster care system, these kids are out of the frying pan and into the fire. The following quotes are from Strayhorn's statement:
"I found, from information provided by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, in Fiscal 2003, 30 foster children died in our state's care; in Fiscal 2004, 38 foster children died; and in Fiscal 2005, 48 foster children died...If you compare the number of deaths of children in our state's population to the number of deaths in our state's foster care system, a child is four times more likely to die in our state's foster care system."
"Based on Fiscal 2004 data provided by the Health and Human Services Commission, about 100 children received treatment for poisoning from medications; 63 foster children received medical treatment for rape that occurred while in the foster care system; and 142 children gave birth while in the state foster care system."
Strayhorn's office produced a 2004 report titled, "Forgotten Children," that detailed the abysmal performance of the Texas foster care system. Apparently, child abduction and abuse is OK as long as it is state sanctioned.
"I found, from information provided by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, in Fiscal 2003, 30 foster children died in our state's care; in Fiscal 2004, 38 foster children died; and in Fiscal 2005, 48 foster children died...If you compare the number of deaths of children in our state's population to the number of deaths in our state's foster care system, a child is four times more likely to die in our state's foster care system."
"Based on Fiscal 2004 data provided by the Health and Human Services Commission, about 100 children received treatment for poisoning from medications; 63 foster children received medical treatment for rape that occurred while in the foster care system; and 142 children gave birth while in the state foster care system."
Strayhorn's office produced a 2004 report titled, "Forgotten Children," that detailed the abysmal performance of the Texas foster care system. Apparently, child abduction and abuse is OK as long as it is state sanctioned.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
"First they came..."
What stops the government from taking my kids away like they took away the kids at the polygamist cult compound? Nothing. The whole episode reminds me of the poem "First they came...", written about events in Nazi Germany and attributed to Pastor Martin Niemoller.
"First they came for the Communists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist;
And then they came for the trade unionists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist;
And then they came for the Jews, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew;
And then . . . they came for me . . . And by that time there was no one left to speak up."
There is no doubt that this polygamist cult is weird, but that is not a crime. If the government wants to prosecute these people for breaking polygamy laws, then so be it. But it seems downright un-American that the government can take 416 kids away from their families without any evidence of wrongdoing by the parents of those kids. There is alleged abuse in the case of one child. If the supposed 16 year old informant was abused, then arrest her "husband" or her parents. I say 'supposed' because I don't believe that there ever was any 16 year old caller; they can't find her because she does not exist.
Child Protective Services workers are judge and jury in this case. And CPS spokesman Darrell Azar's statement to the Houston Chronicle reveals that the parents have already been found guilty, ' "Every step taken by CPS in the court has been done with one goal in mind: what is best for the children, to get at the truth and stop the abuse," Azar said. "Every time we remove children from an abusive situation, people will become upset. Unfortunately, the women who have returned to the compound have been unwilling or unable to protect these children from a pattern of sexual abuse." ' Be assured that you or I would receive the same treatment if allegations were made against us; the truth be damned.
The only good thing about this whole situation is that at least the government didn't go in and kill everyone like they did in Waco.
"First they came for the Communists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist;
And then they came for the trade unionists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist;
And then they came for the Jews, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew;
And then . . . they came for me . . . And by that time there was no one left to speak up."
There is no doubt that this polygamist cult is weird, but that is not a crime. If the government wants to prosecute these people for breaking polygamy laws, then so be it. But it seems downright un-American that the government can take 416 kids away from their families without any evidence of wrongdoing by the parents of those kids. There is alleged abuse in the case of one child. If the supposed 16 year old informant was abused, then arrest her "husband" or her parents. I say 'supposed' because I don't believe that there ever was any 16 year old caller; they can't find her because she does not exist.
Child Protective Services workers are judge and jury in this case. And CPS spokesman Darrell Azar's statement to the Houston Chronicle reveals that the parents have already been found guilty, ' "Every step taken by CPS in the court has been done with one goal in mind: what is best for the children, to get at the truth and stop the abuse," Azar said. "Every time we remove children from an abusive situation, people will become upset. Unfortunately, the women who have returned to the compound have been unwilling or unable to protect these children from a pattern of sexual abuse." ' Be assured that you or I would receive the same treatment if allegations were made against us; the truth be damned.
The only good thing about this whole situation is that at least the government didn't go in and kill everyone like they did in Waco.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
McCain finally speaks out on faith
Does anyone else find it pathetic that John McCain walks around with a pocket full of good luck charms? He carries a lucky feather, a lucky compass, a lucky penny, a lucky nickel and a lucky quarter. He found a dime, but it was heads down - no luck there - so he did not add it to his collection. And he observes other superstitions, like throwing spilled salt over one's shoulder, that went out of vogue with witch burnings. This story reads like something out the Onion.
I find it troublesome that the potential President of the United States, the most powerful man in the world, could hold sincere beliefs in something with no basis of reason or truth. I would discourage belief in such stuff by my 5 year old son, of course he is not foolish enough to believe such hokum.
I find it troublesome that the potential President of the United States, the most powerful man in the world, could hold sincere beliefs in something with no basis of reason or truth. I would discourage belief in such stuff by my 5 year old son, of course he is not foolish enough to believe such hokum.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Support the Troops, Vote Republican
I saw a 'Support the Troops, Vote Republican' bumper sticker today and thought it somewhat ironic.
The Bush administration deceived the American public (or if you give Bush/Cheney the benefit of the doubt; they are not liars, merely incompetent) and waged a pre-emptive war against a country that posed no threat to our security. The war has done nothing to increase our future security. If anything, our occupation of Iraq has inflamed anti-US sentiment in the Muslim world and created more potential jihadists.
This needless war has cost the lives of 4,032 soldiers and marines to date. At least 30,000 more servicemen have been wounded; many returning home without limbs lost in IED attacks. Tours of duty have been extended from 12 to 15 months. According to statistics provided by the Army in this New York Times article, "Among the 513,000 active-duty soldiers who have served in Iraq since the invasion of 2003, more than 197,000 have deployed more than once, and more than 53,000 have deployed three or more times." Multiple deployments, with only 12 months between deployments, are causing growing mental health problems (see here and here). That is an odd concept of supporting the troops.
In Bush's warped sense of reality he probably thinks that he is doing the troops a favor, sending them off on some grand adventure. As he recently related to military personnel in Afghanistan, " 'I must say, I'm a little envious,' Bush said. 'If I were slightly younger and not employed here, I think it would be a fantastic experience to be on the front lines of helping this young democracy succeed.' 'It must be exciting for you ... in some ways romantic, in some ways, you know, confronting danger. You're really making history, and thanks.' "
If you really want to support the troops, then bring them home.
The Bush administration deceived the American public (or if you give Bush/Cheney the benefit of the doubt; they are not liars, merely incompetent) and waged a pre-emptive war against a country that posed no threat to our security. The war has done nothing to increase our future security. If anything, our occupation of Iraq has inflamed anti-US sentiment in the Muslim world and created more potential jihadists.
This needless war has cost the lives of 4,032 soldiers and marines to date. At least 30,000 more servicemen have been wounded; many returning home without limbs lost in IED attacks. Tours of duty have been extended from 12 to 15 months. According to statistics provided by the Army in this New York Times article, "Among the 513,000 active-duty soldiers who have served in Iraq since the invasion of 2003, more than 197,000 have deployed more than once, and more than 53,000 have deployed three or more times." Multiple deployments, with only 12 months between deployments, are causing growing mental health problems (see here and here). That is an odd concept of supporting the troops.
In Bush's warped sense of reality he probably thinks that he is doing the troops a favor, sending them off on some grand adventure. As he recently related to military personnel in Afghanistan, " 'I must say, I'm a little envious,' Bush said. 'If I were slightly younger and not employed here, I think it would be a fantastic experience to be on the front lines of helping this young democracy succeed.' 'It must be exciting for you ... in some ways romantic, in some ways, you know, confronting danger. You're really making history, and thanks.' "
If you really want to support the troops, then bring them home.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Is McCain a warmonger?
The Obama camp apologized last week when radio host Ed Shultz called John McCain a warmonger at an Obama fundraising event. My copy of Webster's dictionary defines warmonger as, "One who stirs up or advocates war."
I wrote here about McCain's apparent confusion regarding Sunni versus Shiite Muslims. He has repeated the "gaffe" at least twice more in the following days; once in a written statement on his own website and again yesterday while questioning Gen. Petraeus in the senate hearing. I now believe that he is deliberately trying to confuse the issue and link Al Qaeda and Iran. Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels said, "If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it." This is right out of the Bush-Cheney playbook. After all, over 30% of Americans still believe that Saddam Hussein was involved with the 9/11 attacks.
And here is McCain jokingly singing 'Bomb Iran' to the tune of the Beach Boys song 'Barbara Ann' at a town hall meeting. (Full disclosure: I sang the same song during the Iran hostage crisis; of course I was in the sixth grade and was not running for president of the U.S.)
Is McCain a warmonger? Yep, I have to agree with Ed Shultz.
Update: Foreign policy advisers include neocons Max Boot, Randy Scheunemann and Robert Kagan. All of them support the use of the American military to spread American democratic ideals around the world. It calls McCain's judgment into question when he surrounds himself with advisers who were all exceedingly wrong on the biggest foreign policy issue of the age, the war in Iraq.
I wrote here about McCain's apparent confusion regarding Sunni versus Shiite Muslims. He has repeated the "gaffe" at least twice more in the following days; once in a written statement on his own website and again yesterday while questioning Gen. Petraeus in the senate hearing. I now believe that he is deliberately trying to confuse the issue and link Al Qaeda and Iran. Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels said, "If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it." This is right out of the Bush-Cheney playbook. After all, over 30% of Americans still believe that Saddam Hussein was involved with the 9/11 attacks.
And here is McCain jokingly singing 'Bomb Iran' to the tune of the Beach Boys song 'Barbara Ann' at a town hall meeting. (Full disclosure: I sang the same song during the Iran hostage crisis; of course I was in the sixth grade and was not running for president of the U.S.)
Is McCain a warmonger? Yep, I have to agree with Ed Shultz.
Update: Foreign policy advisers include neocons Max Boot, Randy Scheunemann and Robert Kagan. All of them support the use of the American military to spread American democratic ideals around the world. It calls McCain's judgment into question when he surrounds himself with advisers who were all exceedingly wrong on the biggest foreign policy issue of the age, the war in Iraq.
Monday, April 7, 2008
The socialization myth
Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words, especially when the picture is a clever cartoon from Inflatable Studios. When educrats talk about socialization, what they mean is conforming to the system. The recent California court opinion that could effectively outlaw homeschooling in CA stated, "A primary purpose of the educational system is to train school children in good citizenship, patriotism and loyalty to the state and the nation as a means of protecting the public welfare." The system is about raising good sheep and my wife and I have decided not to turn our kids over to the custody of the government shepherd.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
C.S. Lewis Quote of the Day
"You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising non-sense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."
C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
Charlton Heston, RIP
Although his role as Moses in 'The Ten Commandments' is probably his most famous, this is how I prefer to remember Heston:
As Taylor from "Planet of the Apes",
Or as president of the NRA and spokesman for the right to bear arms.
As Taylor from "Planet of the Apes",
Or as president of the NRA and spokesman for the right to bear arms.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Know your Muslims - Sunni or Shiite
I don't really care about the differences among the divisions of Islam, but I do believe that it is important to know who is who. Twenty percent of the world population is Muslim and there are now more Muslims than Catholics. So here is a scorecard.
Approximately 80-85% of Muslims are Sunni. Nations that are majority Sunni include Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Egypt, Somalia, Sudan, Libya and the other N. African states, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Bangladesh, Syria, Kuwait and Turkey. Kurds and most Palestinian Muslims are Sunni. Russia and India are both over 10% Muslim and Nigeria (the most populated country in Africa) is 50% Muslim - all predominately Sunni. Although not typically thought of for its Muslim population, India has the third largest population of Muslims after Indonesia and Pakistan.
The balance of the world's Muslims are mostly Shiite (or Shi'a). Nations that are predominately Shiite include Iran, Bahrain, Azerbaijan and Iraq (65%). Lebanon's Muslims are nearly split 50-50, but the terrorist group Hizbollah is Shiite. Turkey, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Pakistan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and India all have substantial minority Shiite populations.
Sources: CIA World Factbook and Wikipedia
Approximately 80-85% of Muslims are Sunni. Nations that are majority Sunni include Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Egypt, Somalia, Sudan, Libya and the other N. African states, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Bangladesh, Syria, Kuwait and Turkey. Kurds and most Palestinian Muslims are Sunni. Russia and India are both over 10% Muslim and Nigeria (the most populated country in Africa) is 50% Muslim - all predominately Sunni. Although not typically thought of for its Muslim population, India has the third largest population of Muslims after Indonesia and Pakistan.
The balance of the world's Muslims are mostly Shiite (or Shi'a). Nations that are predominately Shiite include Iran, Bahrain, Azerbaijan and Iraq (65%). Lebanon's Muslims are nearly split 50-50, but the terrorist group Hizbollah is Shiite. Turkey, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Pakistan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and India all have substantial minority Shiite populations.
Sources: CIA World Factbook and Wikipedia
Sunday, March 30, 2008
That's my King too
I had never heard this before it was played at the beginning of our church service a few weeks ago. I made me want to say amen. The preacher is the late S.M. Lockridge. Lockridge was the pastor of Calvary Baptist Church is San Diego, CA for forty years. It is apparently somewhat famous, considering that there are a dozen different videos for it on YouTube. This is a condensed version.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Peace Symbol is 50
The peace symbol turned 50 years old last week. I had no idea of the origin of the peace symbol until I read this article. The symbol is derived from the flag signaling (semaphore) alphabet and was created by a British anti-nuclear activist. With the 'N' for nuclear and the 'D' for disarmament placed on a circle symbolizing the Earth.Pray for 50 more years with no nuclear war.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Imagine whirled peas
I was reminded today that John McCain first laid out his plan to bring peace to Iraq nearly two years ago when he told a group of New York Republican bigwigs that, "One of the things I would do if I were President would be to sit the Shiites and the Sunnis down and say, ‘Stop the bullshit,’”. If only President Bush had adopted that strategy. If McCain is elected president, I am confident that a thousand years of animosity will be put aside and the Shiite/Sunni conflict will be quickly resolved. And if it works in Iraq, surely it will work with the Israeli/Palestinian, China/Taiwan, China/Tibet, etc., conflicts as well.
McCain revealed his much touted foreign policy expertise more than once while in the Middle East last week when he claimed that Iran is training Al Qaeda, see here and here. Although his campaign claims that he merely misspoke (multiple times), I believe that one of the following is more likely: (1) McCain is ignorant of simple facts about the Middle East such as the conflict between Shiite and Sunni Muslims, (2) he is senile, or (3) he is deliberately trying to deceive the American sheeple. If any of the above are true then he should not be the next president.
McCain revealed his much touted foreign policy expertise more than once while in the Middle East last week when he claimed that Iran is training Al Qaeda, see here and here. Although his campaign claims that he merely misspoke (multiple times), I believe that one of the following is more likely: (1) McCain is ignorant of simple facts about the Middle East such as the conflict between Shiite and Sunni Muslims, (2) he is senile, or (3) he is deliberately trying to deceive the American sheeple. If any of the above are true then he should not be the next president.
Longhorn Lament
What if...? While watching the Longhorns clobber Stanford 82-62 to reach the final eight of the NCAA hoops tournament, I couldn't help but wonder what if...? What if Kevin Durant, the college basketball player of the year last year, had returned to UT for his sophomore season? Longhorn fans have asked the question before - when Chris Mihm left after his junior year and especially when T.J. Ford left after leading the Horns to the Final Four in his sophomore season.
What if? A question asked by sports fans everywhere.
What if? A question asked by sports fans everywhere.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
He is risen
Happy Easter. He is risen.
It is still the greatest story ever told. The Son of God became a man ("And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us..." John 1:14) Born of a virgin, both fully God and fully man. He lived a perfect, sinless life. He then humbled Himself to the point of death, taking the world's sin upon himself and suffering death on the cross. Paying for us the debt that we ourselves are unable to pay. After three days in the grave He rose again, conquering sin and death.
"Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the son of the world." John 1:29
Those who belief and trust in Him, and repent of their sins are redeemed and saved from the rightful judgment and death that is the result of our sin.
"For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16
"That if you confess with you mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved." Romans 10:9
He is risen indeed.
It is still the greatest story ever told. The Son of God became a man ("And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us..." John 1:14) Born of a virgin, both fully God and fully man. He lived a perfect, sinless life. He then humbled Himself to the point of death, taking the world's sin upon himself and suffering death on the cross. Paying for us the debt that we ourselves are unable to pay. After three days in the grave He rose again, conquering sin and death.
"Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the son of the world." John 1:29
Those who belief and trust in Him, and repent of their sins are redeemed and saved from the rightful judgment and death that is the result of our sin.
"For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16
"That if you confess with you mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved." Romans 10:9
He is risen indeed.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
And now for something completely different...
It's the 5th anniversary of the start of the Iraq war, but instead of dwelling on that debacle I'm opting to celebrate the brighter, lighter side of life. This video makes me laugh. Of course, I'm pretty easily amused.
Friday, March 14, 2008
What happened to the Southern Baptists?
As a follow-up to yesterday's post regarding Just War, I'm linking to an article by Laurence Vance titled "What Happened to the Southern Baptists?"
As a Southern Baptist myself, I have a hard time reconciling evangelical support of the war-mongering Bush administration with the teachings of Jesus Christ. Now I'm no red-letter Christian, but I don't believe that we should ignore the Sermon on the Mount (i.e., blessed are the gentle, blessed are the peacemakers, etc.).
Anyway, that's my two cents.
As a Southern Baptist myself, I have a hard time reconciling evangelical support of the war-mongering Bush administration with the teachings of Jesus Christ. Now I'm no red-letter Christian, but I don't believe that we should ignore the Sermon on the Mount (i.e., blessed are the gentle, blessed are the peacemakers, etc.).
Anyway, that's my two cents.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Just War? Five years later
Five years ago, in the weeks/months leading up to our invasion of Iraq, I heard a sermon on 'Just War' from the preacher of the Southern Baptist megachurch that I attended at the time. I recall he used as an outline the criteria for 'Just War' conceived by Augustine and Thomas Aquinas. The preacher's intent was to get the sheep in the pews behind the President and his impending war. And it worked. I'm sad to say that I was right there with the rest of the flock.
Let's look again at the criteria for a 'Just War'. Five years later, we can say that the war was not/is not a 'Just War'.
Let's look again at the criteria for a 'Just War'. Five years later, we can say that the war was not/is not a 'Just War'.
- Proper or just cause - To redress a wrong suffered or as Aquinas wrote, "...those who are attacked, should be attacked because they deserve it on account of some fault." We were told that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction and that there were links between the Saddam regime and al Qaida. No weapons of mass destruction were found (and you can be sure we have turned over every stone). And last week the findings of a Pentagon-sponsored investigation that reviewed 600,000 Iraqi documents searching for a link between the Saddam Hussein regime and al Qaida were released. The exhaustive review found no evidence of a connection. The bottom line - we were lied into a war by the Bush administration and there was no just cause.
- Proper authority - Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution states that, "The Congress shall have the power... to declare war". There was never a declaration of war from the Congress. The President does not have the authority to wage war. Look for President McCain to take full advantage of the executive powers usurped by Bush.
- Reasonable chance of success - The cakewalk that we were promised did not materialize. Five years (and 4,000 dead troops later) later and there is no end in sight. We won WWII in less than four years. John McCain says that 100 years in Iraq "would be fine with me." That is not my definition (or any other sane person's) definition of success.
- Proportionality - The benefit gained must be worth the harm or evil inflicted by the war. As noted above, Iraq was no threat to the U.S. And there are tens of thousands of dead innocent Iraqis, 2 million Iraqi refugees in Syria and Jordan, another 4 million Iraqis displaced within Iraq, thousands of dead Americans and a trillion dollar price tag. Was it worth it?
- Last resort - all viable peaceful alternatives have been exhausted. Since there was no just cause, war was definitely not the last resort.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Homeschooling in Texas
The California homeschool case in the news this week got me thinking about how fortunate we are in Texas to have such liberal homeschool requirements.
In the 1987 case of Leeper v. Arlington Indep. School Dist the court ruled that home schools in Texas can legally operate as private schools. As a result of the Leeper decision, home schools do not have to initiate contact with a school district, submit to home visits, have curriculum approved or have any specific teacher certification. Home schools need only have a written curriculum, conduct it in a bona fide manner and teach math, reading, spelling, grammar, and good citizenship.
That's it.
Update: Those are merely the state requirements. You need a willing wife with the patience of Job to actually pull it off.
In the 1987 case of Leeper v. Arlington Indep. School Dist the court ruled that home schools in Texas can legally operate as private schools. As a result of the Leeper decision, home schools do not have to initiate contact with a school district, submit to home visits, have curriculum approved or have any specific teacher certification. Home schools need only have a written curriculum, conduct it in a bona fide manner and teach math, reading, spelling, grammar, and good citizenship.
That's it.
Update: Those are merely the state requirements. You need a willing wife with the patience of Job to actually pull it off.
California homeschoolers under assault
"Parents do not have a constitutional right to home school their children," Justice H. Walter Croskey wrote in a Feb. 28 opinion for the 2nd District Court of Appeals.
According to Justice Croskey, homeschooling parents in California must have teaching credentials or they could be subject to criminal action. An estimated 166,000 students in California are home schooled and the overwhelming majority may be affected by the court's ruling. CA has traditionally had a 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' attitude toward homeschooling. Homeschool advocates such as Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) are closely watching the case and Pacific Justice Institute will represent the homeschoolers before the CA Supreme Court.
The CA court opinion states that, "A primary purpose of the educational system is to train school children in good citizenship, patriotism and loyalty to the state and the nation as a means of protecting the public welfare." So according to the state of California, loyalty to the state is paramount - your children be damned. (Note: No other primary purposes of the ed. system were mentioned in the court opinion)
Now don't get me wrong, I hope to instill a love of country in my children, but this sounds like a bunch of Marxist crap to me. I plan on educating my children so that they can think for themselves and provide for themselves and their families.
And after all, the American government education system is not doing such a wonderful job. See here and here. Could my wife (with a degree in accounting) really do any worse. We don't think so.
Lessons to Learn: (1) Don't trust the government to do what is best for your children, and (2) Don't live in the People's Republic of California.
According to Justice Croskey, homeschooling parents in California must have teaching credentials or they could be subject to criminal action. An estimated 166,000 students in California are home schooled and the overwhelming majority may be affected by the court's ruling. CA has traditionally had a 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' attitude toward homeschooling. Homeschool advocates such as Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) are closely watching the case and Pacific Justice Institute will represent the homeschoolers before the CA Supreme Court.
The CA court opinion states that, "A primary purpose of the educational system is to train school children in good citizenship, patriotism and loyalty to the state and the nation as a means of protecting the public welfare." So according to the state of California, loyalty to the state is paramount - your children be damned. (Note: No other primary purposes of the ed. system were mentioned in the court opinion)
Now don't get me wrong, I hope to instill a love of country in my children, but this sounds like a bunch of Marxist crap to me. I plan on educating my children so that they can think for themselves and provide for themselves and their families.
And after all, the American government education system is not doing such a wonderful job. See here and here. Could my wife (with a degree in accounting) really do any worse. We don't think so.
Lessons to Learn: (1) Don't trust the government to do what is best for your children, and (2) Don't live in the People's Republic of California.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Texas Primary Election
Today was primary election day in Texas. I avoided the lines and cast my vote for Ron Paul on the first day of early voting. I can't figure out why everyone doesn't early vote. It is so convenient - you can vote at any polling place in the county. I voted at a polling place near my office during my lunch hour and was in and out in ten minutes. Although convenient, this election cycle reinforced my dislike of electronic voting; I have little confidence that my vote was actually counted.
I'm watching the returns on politico.com and the Office of the Texas Secretary of State and Obama and Hillary are even with 28% of precincts reporting. Hillary is winning big among heavily-Hispanic counties (Bexar-San Antonio, Nueces-Corpus Christi, Webb-Laredo, Cameron-Brownsville) while Obama is winning big in Harris, Travis and Dallas counties. Unfortunately for Obama, Hispanics outnumber blacks by 2-to-1 in Texas. I don't have a dog in this fight, but it is fun to watch if you're a political junkie like me.
Republican voters continue to disappoint as McCain has a 57-37 lead over Huck, with Paul only garnering ~5%. However, there was one pleasant outcome today. I am happy to say that voters in U.S Representative District 14 are selecting Dr. Paul by a 2-to-1 margin. Unless something drastic happens after I go to bed, Ron Paul will be returning to the Washington.
Although Dr. Paul has repeatedly said that he will not run as a third party candidate there are rumors on the web about a possible Ron Paul/Bob Barr third party ticket. The Constitution Party nominating convention is April 23-26. I will wait and see. But I'm not holding my breath - I went ahead and removed the Ron Paul for President stickers from the bumpers of our cars this evening.
Update: Ron Paul crushed his opponent, Chris Peden, 70-30%. Dr. Paul will run unopposed in the November election and will return to Washington for another term.
I'm watching the returns on politico.com and the Office of the Texas Secretary of State and Obama and Hillary are even with 28% of precincts reporting. Hillary is winning big among heavily-Hispanic counties (Bexar-San Antonio, Nueces-Corpus Christi, Webb-Laredo, Cameron-Brownsville) while Obama is winning big in Harris, Travis and Dallas counties. Unfortunately for Obama, Hispanics outnumber blacks by 2-to-1 in Texas. I don't have a dog in this fight, but it is fun to watch if you're a political junkie like me.
Republican voters continue to disappoint as McCain has a 57-37 lead over Huck, with Paul only garnering ~5%. However, there was one pleasant outcome today. I am happy to say that voters in U.S Representative District 14 are selecting Dr. Paul by a 2-to-1 margin. Unless something drastic happens after I go to bed, Ron Paul will be returning to the Washington.
Although Dr. Paul has repeatedly said that he will not run as a third party candidate there are rumors on the web about a possible Ron Paul/Bob Barr third party ticket. The Constitution Party nominating convention is April 23-26. I will wait and see. But I'm not holding my breath - I went ahead and removed the Ron Paul for President stickers from the bumpers of our cars this evening.
Update: Ron Paul crushed his opponent, Chris Peden, 70-30%. Dr. Paul will run unopposed in the November election and will return to Washington for another term.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Why kids in Finland are so smart
An alternate title to the article, 'What Makes Finnish Kids So Smart?' in the Wall Street Journal could be 'Why American Government Schools Suck'. Although previously unaware of the success of Finnish schools, I happily noted while reading the article that several of the reasons attributed to the success of schools in Finland are things that we set out to do when we decided to homeschool our kids. The similarities between the Finnish system and our homeschool include:
• A more relaxed, back-to-basics approach with no pressure to perform on standardized tests. This includes not assigning a lot of homework. Hopefully this will result in a less pressured childhood for our kids. Kids in Finland don't even start school until age 7 and even in high school rarely have more than a half-hour of home work a night.
• Create lessons tailored to the needs of the individual child. Children are not the same and it is ridiculous to expect all children to learn using the same techniques/methods.
• Instill a love for reading. By reading to the kids from an early age and providing plenty of books for them to read we hope that the kids will become independent learners and pursue their own interests.
I thought is was interesting that the Finns don't even spend as much money per student as the U.S does ($8700 vs. $7500). The article states that American educators have gone to Finland to try and figure out how to replicate the success. Somehow I doubt that they will be successful. On the other hand, I have the utmost confidence that our family will see similar results.
• A more relaxed, back-to-basics approach with no pressure to perform on standardized tests. This includes not assigning a lot of homework. Hopefully this will result in a less pressured childhood for our kids. Kids in Finland don't even start school until age 7 and even in high school rarely have more than a half-hour of home work a night.
• Create lessons tailored to the needs of the individual child. Children are not the same and it is ridiculous to expect all children to learn using the same techniques/methods.
• Instill a love for reading. By reading to the kids from an early age and providing plenty of books for them to read we hope that the kids will become independent learners and pursue their own interests.
I thought is was interesting that the Finns don't even spend as much money per student as the U.S does ($8700 vs. $7500). The article states that American educators have gone to Finland to try and figure out how to replicate the success. Somehow I doubt that they will be successful. On the other hand, I have the utmost confidence that our family will see similar results.
I'm ready for March Madness
It is a good time to be a basketball fan in Texas, especially if the teams that you root for are the Texas Longhorns and the Houston Rockets. The No. 5 ranked Longhorns are possibly the hottest team in college hoops. The Horns went undefeated in the month of February for the first time ever and may have earned a No. 1 seed in the tournament if they can finish the season by beating Tech in Lubbock and Nebraska and have a good conference tourney.
And you have to like this if you're a Horns fan. "I'm definitely coming back (to play at Texas as a senior). I'm not looking at stuff like that. I'm not looking at any awards or the NBA." - Texas guard D.J. Augustin. Of course we'll see if he's still singing the same tune in April.
And the Rockets are definitely the hottest team in the NBA, winning their 14th game in a row tonight. What they will do now that Yao is lost for the season is a huge questions mark. Can McGrady actually step up,be the superstar that he supposedly is and carry the team? I'm expected the worst and hoping for the best.
Update: So much for a No. 1 seed for the Horns. They were upset by Tech in Lubbock 83-80.
Update II: The Rockets win their team record 16th straight game (3/5/08)
And you have to like this if you're a Horns fan. "I'm definitely coming back (to play at Texas as a senior). I'm not looking at stuff like that. I'm not looking at any awards or the NBA." - Texas guard D.J. Augustin. Of course we'll see if he's still singing the same tune in April.
And the Rockets are definitely the hottest team in the NBA, winning their 14th game in a row tonight. What they will do now that Yao is lost for the season is a huge questions mark. Can McGrady actually step up,be the superstar that he supposedly is and carry the team? I'm expected the worst and hoping for the best.
Update: So much for a No. 1 seed for the Horns. They were upset by Tech in Lubbock 83-80.
Update II: The Rockets win their team record 16th straight game (3/5/08)
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