Saturday, November 20, 2010

Hiatus Excuses

I have a pet peeve about blog posts that begin with, "Sorry I haven't posted for a while, but..."

Unfortunately, I have four minutes at a library computer to make excuses before the library closes.

My poor, poor iMac has been suffering lately.  It slowed my post productions.  Then it died completely.  I took it to the Genius Bar at the Apple store.  I am pleased to say that my documents were recovered, but my Mac needs a new harddrive.  It may be a while.

I will try to get to the library again, earlier in the day.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

VOTE!

Do it now.

Cancel your plans, if you had them.

Wake up the baby, if she's asleep.

Spend the next six hours looking for that absentee ballot if that's what it takes.

Do you ever wish you could do more for your children?  Then vote.

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A few thoughts...

Imagine that you have moved your family out to a lone little cabin in the middle of nowhere.  Knowing that there are dangerous animals, thieves, and kidnappers in the world, you buy a rottweiler to protect your home and family.

You're not stupid.  You've seen these dogs before.  Necessary as they may be, they have an often violent history.  So you build a strong fence between your children and your dog, and you train him to follow commands and to respect your authority.  He knows that he only survives at your pleasure, and you teach him what is expected of him.

America is that lone family in the wilderness.  We have created a government (the dog) out of necessity.  Throughout world history, all but few governments have been corrupt, many to the point of violence against its people.  And so we have built a strong fence to protect what we hold most dear.  That fence is the constitution.  That document was written to protect our citizens from the tendencies of power.

In the hundreds of years since ratification, the dog has nipped at the fence.  We have left the dog unchecked.  The fence is now barely standing.  For neglecting the fence's upkeep so long, the family is now at the whim of the dog.  It is bigger and stronger than us.  The dog no longer depends on the family for its life, but now the members in the family must obey the dog to stay safe from its attacks.

The fence must be built back, restored.  Today the dog is sleeping for a few moments, and we have a chance to dig holes for fence posts.

Vote to restore the constitution.

Read the constitution.

Know when your elected servants act against the constitution, and then show them that they are only in office at your pleasure.  Vote them out.