God, Freedom & Each Other

I just ran through a war memorial next to the Utah State Capital. It memorializes those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our nation's interests in World War II, Vietnam and other wars & conflicts around the globe. I cannot help but wonder how they, those who fought and bled out their lives might feel about where the United States is right now. And just where are we? I am not sure, but here are some thoughts.

Do we honor the God those great Soldiers, Sailers, Airmen and Marines fought and died believing in?

Do we honor the God given freedoms they fought for?

Do we honor each other in the ways they fought for each other, side by side as brothers in arms?

Who are we if we do not honor God, freedom and each other? Just who are we? What are we?

I don't pretend to have the answers to all the questions I ask, but I have my musings.

We need God now more than ever. He manages galaxies and galactic clocks, why don't we invite Him back into our conversations and rhetoric? He knows what we need, why don't we ask for His advice? He will let us struggle in our extremity, and He should, or where would our growth be?

We need our God given freedoms. We are yielding far too much to an already over weight flailing federal government. Why? Because we are not exercising proper self-governance. In my house we lay down rules to enable our children, to help them be safe and to grow, to help them to learn to govern themselves. Laws are the result of a lack of self-governance. Come on, America, let's exercise increased self control!

I have some of the greatest neighbors on the planet right now. I put in some large, heavy stone steps this summer. Many of my neighbors came by and helped me move the stones. It was hard, painful work, but they came. They looked out for me and cared enough to help. We need more of that right now, today. We waste too much time thinking "I should help that guy" and never do. Why? What holds us back when we know what we should do for other people and still we do not do? We perhaps need to think the best of each other more than we currently do.

America, we need God, we need His divinely given freedoms, and we need each other! Let's get this figured out, together.

It's Crazy, But the Way It Is

Well world, it is crazy, but it is simply just the way it is: The government is shut down. Does this really surprise anybody? Anyone with a modicum of information on the status of the United State's current government and economic states should not be surprised at all. 

I am sorry to all of the government workers who are currently out of a job and a paycheck, especially for their families, who need to survive a government shutdown. But we need to change. We need to change the way we spend money in this country. 

When my house is out of order, that is, when we are in debt, we quit spending money. Well, at least I do, my dearest wife on the other hand....well, we will discuss that another day, or not at all. We do not buy pizza on Friday when we are in debt, we do not drop by McDonald's for a happy meal, the children are not put into that great extracurricular activity, because we just cannot afford it! We stop spending until we are in a position to do spend again! Plain and simple: no money, no fun; go to work. 

That said, then why don't we do that as a country? Why do we continue to send nearly blank checks to Egypt and the like? Why do we continue to fund domestic entitlement programs? Why don't we get our own house in order? 

I don't claim to know it all, and I probably speak in too many generalities, and you, the reader are probably a lot smarter than I am. But it seems pretty simple to me: Our federal government needs to begin spending much, much less than it is receiving. We need to get out of the debt we are in. How do we do that? Spend less. 

So, if you are a lot smarter than I am, what is the solution if your response is anything other than our federal government needs to spend less?

Here are a few ideas to draw back our federal spending: 

• Why do we have a full time Congress? I can understand a full time Executive branch, but what if the Congress was only employed like some state legislatures, that is, only in session for three to six months in a year?
• Why do we need to continue to spend so much in foreign aid? Even if we did not cut it all off, why not simply cut it back markedly? 
• Why do we need the size of the full time military we have? What if we cut the full time military compliment to a third of what it is and have an enormous reserve compliment, from every branch, ready at a moment's notice to respond to our countries foreign and domestic needs?
• What other jobs does the federal government have which could probably be better fulfilled at the state level? Could state forestry services care for forest lands more efficiently than a federal agency based out of Washington DC?
• What about Alaska? Why don't we use it for what, if I understand it correctly, we bought it for? That is, to harvest fuels from. If we were to use Alaska for our original intention, we could cut back significantly or entirely from dependence on foreign fuels. And think of the jobs that could be created by utilizing our own, homegrown resources?
• Why don't we begin to cut the red tape which inhibit small business? I have thought of at least two small businesses I have studied out and determined would likely succeed in the area I live in, but every time I explore it, frankly, all the red tape scares me to death so I have not pursued them at all! I blame no one but myself, but it does not help that we have created so much state and federal red tape in starting a business that a person like me is scared to try for fear I will end up in jail because I did not know I violated a law when I started a business. 
• Why not cut back entitlement programs? I don't know all of the entitlement programs by name, but what bothers me is the name by which they are called, "entitlement programs." No one, nowhere, at any time was or is entitled to anything besides air. Everything else must be worked for, earned. Yes, even food, shelter and water were meant to be earned. We cannot afford to continue to spend dollars and cents on entitlements.
• Obamacare. Need I say anything on this one? Have I not already said enough on entitlement programs? Okay, I will say it, but only because I do not want to be misunderstood: We cannot afford it. There are programs in place to aid and assist those without full health insurance. Health insurance is expensive, duh. But do you know what? I worked in cruddy, dirty, hard jobs until I finally got a job that offered my family great health insurance. You can too. So get out there and get a job, stop depending on the federal government to give you anything. 

Dearest America, it is time to wake up from a deep slumber, the slumber of apathy, an entitlement mentality, ease and comfort. Those days are over. It is time the grass roots of this country, normal people, just simple workers like me and most of the rest of the people in this country to take our country back! No more damming regulation! No more spending beyond our means! Time to roll up our sleeves and get back to work! Take that low end job and get back to work (oh, and by the way, there are low end jobs no one likes, but let’s get over ourselves and do them!). Stop collecting unemployment and get back to work; if you are more courageous than me, and you might be, start your own business! If you cannot find a job, do not stand on the corner and pan-handle, create your own job! Stop looking for hand outs and start offering hand ups. 

Wake up, America! Let’s get back to work like our parents, grandparents and great grandparents did! They toiled and labored in this great land, and showed us the way, mine did. They labored and toiled and labored and toiled some more. They never made a great name for themselves, and I probably will not either, but they showed me the way. Oh, and they never felt anyone, especially the government, state or federal, owed them anything. Lets labor and toil and labor and toil some more! Let’s forget ourselves and get back to work! 

While we are at it, why don't we start looking out for the other guy again? Be kind to people, expect the best out of them and they will rise to your expectations; and when they fail, remember they are humans, not objects. Everyone you and I meet, affluent or poor, is a human just trying to make it in this world, give them a break. But for you who think you need someone else to give you a break, work harder and your break will come. 

I could go on, but I will draw it to a close. Let’s forget ourselves and get back to work. So the government is shutdown, tough, but good; perhaps it will compel us forward in the right direction. Let’s get America turned around and moving forward; this takes hard work, initiative, faith in ourselves, faith in our neighbors, faith in God, and perseverance. Let’s not give up on the American dream yet! 

PS: My name is Sam Palmer, this is not an alias. I may no be right on everything, and you may disagree with what I have written, or at least portions of it, but I choose not to hide my thoughts and opinions behind an alias. I am not afraid, and I am not afraid of American greatness. The future is not bleak or hopeless, at least it does not have to be. I am very optimistic about the future, and frankly, no matter where you are at or whatever you are struggling with, unemployment, underemployment, you family, your faith, whatever, it will all be okay. The future is as bright as your faith!