Confessions of a truth seeker

Have you ever noticed that while the truth is simple, it is not always an easy process to arrive at it? It seems that preconceived ideas, emotions and misinformation frequently gunk up our mental channels, thereby delaying the process. I am daily bombarded with my own thoughts. Ideas and questions constantly flood my mind, and sometimes I just want to get them out. I have noticed a metamorphosis happening within me in my perception of politics and government. I have come to believe that the media has us all so busy debating lies and half truths, that the truth about many things remains largely undiscovered (probably in ancient history books.) And it isn't just the state of our country that fills my mind with questions and a sincere desire for the truth; all things "mom" occupy my daily thoughts. Here are a few of the many, many questions I ask myself of late:

How does the international banking system really work? I have a feeling they control world governments far more than we know. How can we take almost all of the power currently vested in the federal government and return it to the states? How can we stop the tide of global redistribution of wealth? Is that even what is really happening? Are the mosques being built in the US teaching and encouraging Sharia law? Is stealth jihad a real threat?

Really, the list could go on and on and on and on.

What I understand and know to be true on a philosophical level - or in theory - so often conflicts with something else I believe when it comes to practical application. Therefore, arriving at the correct and wise solution to most problems is, well, problematic! For example, I believe in loving my fellow man and know that each person born on this earth is a child of God. I know that the way I treat His children is a direct reflection of my attitude and love for Him. I believe in helping people out, giving them a chance, and treating them with kindness. On an individual basis, this is not difficult... the problem arises when I begin to apply this truth to a large societal problem, such as illegal immigration. I served my mission among illegal immigrants living in New Jersey. I grew to appreciate and love Hispanic people for a million different reasons. I grew to love the individuals that I had the privilege of knowing and serving. Yet I know also that it is wrong to violate the laws of the land. I believe that things are to be done in wisdom and order - and clearly, immigration of the illegal variety is nothing but chaos. I remember women -some very young - telling me that they were raped along the long and dangerous route from their country to the U.S., but that it was to be expected. The drug cartels and violence associated with them often go hand-in-hand with illegal border-crossing. Many innocent Americans are being horribly impacted by the violence. The Christian in me cries out to care for these people that are willing to risk their life in hopes of a better life. But when I contemplate the endless myriad of societal problems created by this mass intrusion, I am left to believe that illegal immigration is also a colossal disaster that must be stopped.

What brought about all these thoughts most recently is a documentary on Thomas Jefferson. Like all of us, Jefferson grappled with the collision between true ideals and correct real-life application. I find the horrible dilemma that faced our nation at its inception with regard to slavery almost unfathomable. The Dutch had brought slaves into the country for many years. A good many American slave-owners (such as Jefferson) inherited their slaves. In Jefferson's case, he also inherited an enormous debt. He had a moral obligation to pay the debt, and was unusually upright in matters of finance. He could not pay the debt without his slaves, and he knew that he would treat his slaves with far more civility and kindness than anyone else would. He traded slaves in order to keep families together. He worked to pass legislation that would end the importation of slaves. Certainly it is abhorrent that slavery was ever tolerated. Yet, as I contemplate the writings of this remarkably brilliant man, it is clear that he felt bound by a system that he could not simply change. He felt that he would be doing his slaves (who he always referred to as family) a grave injustice by letting them go free, as they would have nowhere to go and no means of taking care of themselves. Interestingly, he advocated for the education of slaves so they could one day become free. It is a long and complicated issue, and I'm sure enough books have been written on the topic to fill an entire library!
My only point is this: life is filled with contradiction. What we often see as the obvious truth becomes far more complex in its application to real life. I wish it were not so. It makes wise decision making all the more difficult, particularly in matters of civil debate. I also find it ironic that there are some things we absolutely know are true, and yet find almost impossible to live. I have always been an idealist, but I think the somewhat unfortunate reality of our human condition is starting to settle in on me as I grapple in my own mind with the issues that face our country today.

We The People

So, I recently started a blog dedicated solely to issues of liberty... but I'm not really sure if anyone reads it, except Julie (thank you for commenting). And, I have been rather busy and focused on moving, a new baby, etc. which is the other reason I haven't posted very many things over there. However, there is a very cool one minute video that I posted today on For The Love of Liberty that I think is inspiring. Why? This graphic says it all:I have felt distraught and overwhelmed about the direction our country for quite some time, and simply cannot sit idly by any longer! I got this graphic off of a website that I just discovered today. If you agree that we should focus on growing business in the private sector (not government), and if you understand that endless bailouts spell trouble for our future, I HIGHLY recommend visiting TaxDayTeaParty.com

How many times in our lives have we heard the saying "all that is required for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing?" I don't think people are evil if they don't agree with me politically, but I do think that policies are evil when they destroy our liberty! This whole tea party concept is exciting to me because for too long, too many Americans have forgotten that the government answers to US. And when the government stops answering to us (hello insane congress!), well then we'd better let them know we are not happy about it!

Alright, enough of my rambling... just check out this website if you are interested!

People Are Strange

I'm sure this title is not surprising to any of you, since your life's experiences (like mine) have most likely illustrated this reality over and over again.

While people like this guy are a great reminder of our human capacity for weirdness, I've got something different (and a little less funny) on my mind...

What never fails to baffle me is the way people get all freaked out over one thing, when there is almost always something FAR WORSE going on at the same time that receives virtually no attention at all.

I have two specific examples, both rather contraversial...

The first is Octamom... that is what they call her, right? Now I'm not saying that she isn't strange herself, but the outrage over her giving birth to eight babies that she can't afford to care for seems a little shallow when you consider the millions of children born each year into poverty, where the mom is living on welfare and barely surviving. Seriously, this is a huge problem in our country. The answer isn't to ship all the kids away to the foster care system where they would get 3 different families by the age of two, which is what some people are vigorously insisting upon. Children are often born into less than ideal situations, but the alternatives are ugly too! So all the upset about octamom, in my opinion, should redirect us as a society to look at the bigger picture. What is the compassionate and correct way to deal with the rediculous number of children born into the welfare state?

Personally, I am far more upset about the fact that my tax money is being used against my will to fund abortions all around the world. If it were up to me, I'd rather my tax money be used to help children, just like those of Octamom, who clearly are going to need it. Why should children be punished because there mom is a nut? At least she's a nut that loves her kids. Enough said.

The second is this whole freak out over the AIG executive bonuses. Again, this is certainly something that tax payers should be upset about... but in my opinion, people are missing the point! I am FAR angrier about the fact that over $90 billion of the bailout money given to AIG has been funneled into European banks. So all that taxpayer bailout money is not even going to help the United States... why is no one investigating this? And why does no one seem to care that it was the GOVERNMENT that insured by law, that AIG would receive all those millions in "bonus money?" It was written into the stimulus bill , and yet now all these law makers are enraged by it. Doesn't that seem fishy to you? All I'm saying is that there is a bigger picture... there is always a bigger picture. Personally, I think we need to stop all this bailout madness anyway. Everyone is starting to think they deserve a bailout, and that is a dangerous attitude!

To sum up, people are indeed strange. If you're going to be outraged, just take a moment to look at the bigger picture... you know, so you can be outraged about something even BIGGER!!! :)

Just to end on a happy note, I'll share this quote from president Reagan: "All great change in America begins at the dinner table." I certainly believe this to be true. And it makes me feel good to hear it.

Do you believe?

Do you believe that America is great? Do you believe in capitalism? Do you believe in self-reliance? Do you believe that the entrepreneurial spirit is one of this country's most powerful assets? Do you believe in taking action, and not just waiting around for someone to make your life better? Do you believe in being generous, but not trust the government to most effectively use your money to help others? Do you believe that the government belongs to the people, and thus must answer to the people?

Do you love your freedoms? Do you love America? Do you admire the wisdom, courage, and independence of those who risked all to create and preserve her?

If you feel as I do, then please check out my new blog: For the Love of Liberty. I just posted something on there that I think is a neat idea, and I know not that many people have checked out the blog yet. Also, please feel free to tell other like-minded individuals about it - I don't care if I know them. If they are a friend of yours, they are a friend of mine!

The PERFECT Excuse and more GOOD NEWS!!

Yes, I have the PERFECT excuse for:

* Being a *slight* flake the last couple months - skipping a few church meetings and regularly forgetting stuff I am supposed to do.

* Letting Weston watch way too many cartoons (mostly while I lie listless on the couch)

* Tearing up while watching the swearing in of our new Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton - someone that I strongly dislike! (I was watching the loving, proud gaze of both her mother and daughter. It was momentarily touching. I am ridiculous, I know.)

* Swearing that my bottle of stevia (an herbal sweetener) smelled like cumin, and being disgusted by it even though I normally enjoy cooking with cumin.

* Feeling like all the energy just got shop-vac'd right out of me - moments after waking up from a nice long sleep.

* Not being very amused by Weston's shenanigans (like today when he stuffed toiled paper down the bathroom sink and then filled it up with scorching hot water)

* Living almost exclusively on string cheese, popcorn, fruit, cereal, and other random snacks.

* Not cooking a real dinner for my family in almost 7 weeks... this one has to be the worst to admit.

* Buying like 50 newborn onesies at the Children's Orchard closeout sale last weekend! Okay, so some of them were for 3-6 months, but you get the idea.

Yes, you guessed it, I'M PREGNANT! 13 weeks along, and longing for the morning/all day sickness phase to pass! So feel free to pile on the sympathy. :)

Sweet, wild little Weston will be a big brother in 6 months... the question is, will he have a little brother, or a little sister?

You may be wondering, if I don't yet know the gender of the baby, why did I buy so many clothes? Are they all unisex onesies? That was actually my plan at first. But do you know how few unisex baby clothes are actually in existence? Not many. Since Jason would bet his small intestine that it's a boy, I first went for the boy clothes. But then I thought, what the heck, I'm paying next to nothing for this stuff! So I picked up some girlie items too.

On to the second item of good news. I started a new blog entitled

FOR THE LOVE OF LIBERTY

This is something I have been wanting to do for awhile. I wanted a place to write all of my many political ideas, and to share thoughts on ways to defend our freedom. I also love to read the wise words of scholars both past and present (including our founding fathers) and share tidbits from them. It should be interesting, and I would love you to check it out!

Oh, and if you are Amy, Angie, Julie, Megan, Courtnie, Lynette, or Lisa - you may want to read my last blog entry if you haven't already. :)

CPSIA: pay attention!!

It is easy to become overwhelmed with all that is going on in our government - I make a concerted effort to stay informed, and yet still find myself dizzied in the swirl of information about new laws, bailouts, "stimulus" packages (which should be renamed "spending" packages in my opinion), and the like. While it is easy to be overwhelmed and thus actually do nothing, the CPSIA is something that simply CANNOT be ignored. The remainder of this post is actually copied from the blog of a dear friend of mine. I myself had planned on writing something, but she did such an excellent job that I decided to just copy and paste. Please read this through - you will be glad you did!

As parents and concerned citizens I’m sure most of us at one time or another have been confronted with the question of lead poisoning. But have you asked yourself what your government is doing to protect your children from lead contained in toys? The answer? They're banning toys, taking books from schools and libraries, hurting low income families, killing entrepreneurial spirit and risking putting the economy in an even greater depression than we've seen in decades. I'd like to introduce you to their solution: the CPSIA.

The CPSIA stands for Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, a new set of laws that will come into effect on February 10, 2009 and will impact many, many people in a negative way. Make no mistake, this is very real. View it for yourself. If Forbes, the American Library Association and numerous other media are paying attention, perhaps you should too.

How will these new laws affect you? Well, here are a few examples:

To the Parents of Young Students:

Due to the new law, expect to see the cost of school supplies sky rocket. While those paper clips weren't originally intended for your student to use, they will need to be tested now that your 11-year-old needs them for his school project. This law applies to any and all school supplies (textbooks, pencils, crayons, paper, etc.) being used by children under 12.

To the Avid Reader:

Due to the new law, all children's books will be pulled from library and school shelves, as there is no exemption for them. That’s okay though, there's always television. Our children don’t need to learn the love of reading after all.Article from the American Library Association CLICK HERE.

To the Lover of All Things Handmade:

Due to the new law, you will now be given a cotton ball and an instruction manual so you can make it yourself since that blanket you originally had your eye on for $50 will now cost you around $1,000 after it's passed testing. It won't even be the one-of-a-kind blanket you were hoping for. Items are destroyed in the testing process making one-of-a-kind items virtually impossible. So that gorgeous hand-knit hat you bought your child this past winter won’t be available next winter.

To the Second-Hand Shopper:

Due to the new law, you will now need to spend $20 for that brand new pair of jeans for your 2-year old, rather than shop at the Goodwill for second hand. Many resale shops are eliminating children's items all together to avoid future lawsuits.


To the Entrepreneur:

Due to this new law, you will be forced to adhere to strict testing of your unique products or discontinue to make and/or sell them. Small businesses will be likely to be unable to afford the cost of testing and be forced to close up shop. Due to the current economic state, you'll have to hope for the best when it comes to finding a new job in Corporate America.

To the Environmentalist:

Due to the new law, all items in non-compliance will now be dumped into our already overflowing landfills. Imagine not just products from the small business owners, but the Big Box Stores as well. You can't sell it so you must toss it. Or be potentially sued for selling it. You can't even give them away.

To the Antique Toy Collector:

Due to the new law, you'd better start buying now because it's all going to private collection and will no longer be available to purchase. “Because the new rules apply retroactively, toys and clothes already on the shelf will have to be thrown out if they aren't certified as safe.” CLICK HERE to read an article from the Wall Street Journal.

To the American Economy:

Already struggling under an economy that hasn’t been this weak in decades, the American economy will be hit harder with the inevitable loss of jobs and revenues from suppliers, small businesses and consumers. The required testing is far too costly and restrictive for small businesses or individuals to undertake.

To the Worldwide Economy:

Due to this new law, many foreign manufacturers have already pulled out of the US market. You can imagine the impact of this on their businesses. If you think this is exaggerating, here is the most recent article of a 3 part series from Forbes Magazine HERE.

And for those of you prepared to be stupefied and boggled, The New Law http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.html

If this upsets or alarms you, please react. One thing that I have personally done is contact my US Representative.

Make sure your voice is heard as well.

Johnny the blogger and other post election thoughts

Last night I had a Stake primary leadership meeting at 7:00. I wasn't thrilled about tearing myself away from the election coverage, but figured I would still have a couple of exciting hours left of crunching numbers and staring at the map of blue and red states upon returning home. I was really looking forward to the ritual, and always immerse myself in it. I think I secretly enjoy the suspense of a long election night, plus I was especially excited to spend the evening hashing everything over with Jason since this is the first presidential election since we've been married.
I couldn't even concentrate at the meeting. My mind was wondering and my heart racing. I was just so anxious and nervous about all that seemed to hang in the balance. I was sorely disappointed to come home to a concesion speech! I cuddled up next to my hubby and watched in almost disbelief. I couldn't believe it had all ended so quickly. I wanted to cry, but refrained. Instead, I vowed to get more involved in politics. I constantly think of that ever famous quote, "all that is required for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing," and determined that I cannot live with myself unless I do something. Obviously, my family and church callings come first, but something can and must be done in the political realm as well.
I saw this post today on a blog by someone named Johnny, and it completely summed up my thoughts on the outcome of the presidential election yesterday:

"I heard Colin Powell wept as Obama made his acceptance speech. I wept too, but for a different reason. I wept because I witnessed how desperate Americans really are. I wept because I now know how many people want the government to make decisions for them and support them throughout their lives. I wept because they cast a vote for a man they don’t know, who they did not research. I wept because we voted for a man with questionable friends instead of a true patriot who loves and has fought for America. I wept because the media won."

It is so weird to me to see all these people filled with hope for America's future all of a sudden... people that apparently didn't have any hope until Obama came along and swept them off their feet. Did they not believe in this great country until just now? Do they think Obama has a magic wand that he will wave and somehow save us from our woes? I am mystified!

On another note, I am curious why race has been such a big deal to so many people in this election. I keep asking myself, how would I feel if a woman were elected president? To be honest, I don't think I would feel proud or be excited about it unless she represented the values and political views that I believe in. So I have a difficult time relating to people who are just thrilled to have a president that is black, regardless of any other factor. Maybe it is something that I just can't understand because I'm white. Who knows.

ON TO THE BEST NEWS OF THE NIGHT!!!! (In my humble opinion)

Prop. 8 passed in California! And so did the similar proposition in Arizona and Florida.

I realize that the war will never be won (at least not until Jesus comes again), but we won an important battle. What a cause to celebrate. :)

If you are still reading this post, you must be a good friend. So, thank you!

Political Madness

As we close in on the end of this presidential race, you may notice the increasingly frequent political ads on T.V. Should we be surprised? It happens every 4 years. The attacks ads always become more vicious as election day draws near. And without fail, every four years, we hear a bazillion comments like, “Americans don’t want to hear these juvenile attacks. They reveal a candidate that has nothing of substance to say. Americans like a positive message… yada, yada, yada.”
Yeah, right.
If attack ads are so counter-productive, why do presidential hopefuls from both parties consistently use them?
Anyway, I have barely begun, and already I am side-tracking myself. I don’t care if political commentators choose to voice their disapproval of attack ads, even though it is painfully obvious that they only use that line when it benefits their candidate.
What is making blood shoot out of my eyes tonight (as Glenn Beck would say) is what Americans should be OUTRAGED by, and yet are not. Recently Sarah Palin has started talking about Obama’s connection with William Ayers – the known terrorist who would be rotting in prison right now were it not for an unfortunate technicality that let him go free all those years ago. While most of the political pundits are again touting their brainless mantra about Americans despising such attacks, I am wondering if anyone is awake. I am wondering if maybe all the bright lights have begun to affect the brain function of those that spew this crap.
Honestly, is anyone awake?
While there are many real issues that concern Americans, did it ever occur to anyone that a valid attack could actually highlight a REAL issue? Call me crazy, but I view the tight connections Obama has had throughout his life with people who overtly hate America a very real issue!
Even if I sincerely believed in his socialist economic policies as many Americans do, I would be extremely hesitant to vote for someone that does not love their country! I am not blind to this nation’s imperfections. I believe there is more corruption in high places than we know. But I do love America. I love capitalism. I don’t love the government, and I want its involvement in my life to be as minimal as possible.
I am truly astounded at the indifference people have shown towards Obama’s multiple long-term, close associations with radicals and criminals. How can these facts not deeply trouble every American? I am in awe, but I guess I shouldn’t be. Many people are indifferent to their eternal salvation too, which makes even less sense.

Madness, I tell you. Pure madness.
I don't know whether that bumber sticker makes me angry, or just want to cry. I had to include this picture. It somehow reminds me of a Norman Rockwell painting. Doesn't it just make you smile? I had to end on a happy note after all.