Category Archives: Freedom

Bill Lockwood: Good-bye American Heritage? 0 (0)

by Bill Lockwood

The inspiring ideals enshrined in the founding documents of our nation include a limited government that allows maximum personal freedom, equality of opportunity, and equal justice under the law. These are founded upon the pillars of inalienable rights, including the fact that all men are created by God as equal. But we have gone about “as far left” as socialist policies can take us if the Democratic debates are an indication of where America will be tomorrow.

“Our job,” Bernie Sanders spouted in the Iowa debate, “is to build the United Nations.” Not surprising from a socialist who has been photographed enjoying toasts with the leader of the old Soviet Union’s gulag communistic state. But frightening that he maintains substantial support in the Democratic Party.

The United Nations has been from its inception a design for socialistic world government. In its most recent COP 25 climate summit in Madrid, Spain, Executive Director Stuart Scott called for the UN to implement drastic population-control policies and “family planning” such as control the Chinese. Other plans include a massive transfer of wealth from “western countries” (read, “United States”) to third world poorer nations in the form of “climate reparations.” The UN is a world dictators’ dream. This is what Bernie Sanders favors. National Socialism is not brave enough—we need International socialism.

It is inescapable, however, that we have already lost so many of our freedoms that have made America the envy of the world. Whether due to taxes, to regulations on our businesses, farms, homes, cars, to our activities, to our speech, and to our abilities to exercise without government interference our religious liberty—our American heritage has dwindled.

So the issue is whether we will preserve even the semblance of our once-cherished ideals of limited government, the sovereignty of the States, the protection of life and property that is so nobly enshrined in our founding documents? Will we maintain any semblance of our freedom over our own health care or will we capitulate to the totalitarian proposals of the Democrats by which the government becomes a monopoly funded 100% by the American taxpayer? Will we continue the path to a more limited government under president Donald Trump or listen to the siren song of socialists?

Samuel Padover edited Thomas Jefferson’s letters in Thomas Jefferson on Democracy. He refers to Jefferson as “the St. Paul of American democracy.” Padover completes his introduction;

“The modern trend is in the direction of greater concentration of power in the hands of government. The problem of individual freedom within the framework of a more or less regulated economy will have to be fought out in our age, just as the question of political liberty and the free market were the issues in Jefferson’s day. … Jefferson felt that without liberty, life was not worth living. …In the difficult years that undoubtedly lie ahead, Americans will have to gather all their moral forces for the preservation of their way of life, their liberties, and their opportunities.”

These words were written in 1939.

Collectivism, Individualism & Freedom 0 (0)

Collectivism, Individualism & Freedom “…persons are considered to be only cogs in a collectivist wheel.

by Bill Lockwood

ObamaCare specifically, but collectivist socialism generally, is not only unconstitutional in America, but immoral. This does not mean that we have not or do not practice socialism via the redistribution of wealth. America has become a leading fascist or socialist nation. The Affordable Care Act is a perfect illustration. But it is at root level, immoral, and goes a long way in explaining why our streets are exploding with violence.

Think about a few concepts, then an illustration.

Consider first, individualism. As a political philosophy, America is to be a nation in which individuals, not the collective, is emphasized. Translated, this means that it is “individual freedom” which is stressed in our Constitution and other founding documents. As a concept it is rooted squarely in biblical teaching whereby “individuals” are held accountable before God—not families or societies.

For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God, for it is written, ‘As I live, says the Lord, to me, every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then each one of us shall give account of himself to God” (Rom. 14:11,12).

Connected with this is the worth of each individual. We are crafted by God “in his image” (Gen. 1:27). “I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14).

The biblical doctrine of individualism is the dominant feature of western civilization precisely because our society is founded upon God-given rights, per the Declaration of Independence. This means that the interests of individuals and the rights of persons are held paramount. This is where morality lies.

Turn attention to its opposite: collectivism.

Collectivism is any species of political and economic system in which the government, or people, as a group, own land, factories, and other means of production. It flows from philosophy where de-emphasis is upon individuals and “classes” or “groups” of society are dominant. Various species of this include socialism, communism, and fascism.

The key element here, however, is that the moral worth of the individual is counted as very little and persons are considered to be only cogs in a collectivist wheel. The “greater good” of society rules. In practice this means that whatever group or powerful politician needs to sustain his office-holding is favored. Collectivism or statism is a moral stance that removes worth of the individual. This is how America has become not only immoral but that immorality is actually encoded into our system.

I illustrate it with the story of one of my friends, named Carl.

The Story of Carl

Carl is a great Christian friend. He is self-employed as a housing contractor, builder, welder, and pretty much a doer-of-everything kind of guy. Hard working by nature, his integrity is outstanding, laboring many over-hours to accomplish his tasks.

Carl comes from the old-time school, as thousands of other Texans, where one’s word is your bond. If he tells you he will do a certain project; it will be done—under budget. It is not that Carl is slower than corporate executives that he has a blue-collar job, but because he loves to work with his hands in the great outdoors. He needs no overseer because he is conscientious about his work.

Frugal by nature, my friend saves his money. When traveling, for example, he sleeps on the side of the road in a tent to avoid paying hotel costs. A self-made man that could survive if lost on the prairie. When his truck breaks down, he fixes it; when his roof needs replacing, he does the work; when the fields need mowing, he does them.

He now has a wife and daughter. Providing for his family in a God-ordered manner is his joy. Part of this provision involves health insurance—which cost him—prior to the arrival of Barack Obama on the scene, about $300 per month. This included the entire family. Enter ObamaCare. Carl’s insurance premiums sky-rocketed to over $1000 per month.

We must take from” the workers, said Obama, and distribute to those who are not as “fortunate” as Carl. Carl was forced to drop his own insurance in order to purchase it for his wife and child. So now, he himself is without.

He continues to work just as hard as ever, laboring as a private contractor for different people. But no health insurance for himself—it is too expensive. Where is Carl’s money going?

One can witness it in a thousand neighborhoods. Free health care clinics; what used to be called Section 8 housing; free education to many children who could not care less if they were there; free medical care including costs of having children for unwed mothers; babysitting, and medical care for the children. Then, to sweeten the pot, there is the Earned Income Credit for teenagers and others who bounce around through society on a continual marijuana high and who wait for that big EIC check at the first of the year so they might purchase another car, or spend it at the Casino.

The real workers of America, such as Carl, are not the Forgotten Men of America, they are The Exploited Men. This system cannot continue; nor should it.

Jesse Lee Peterson: 5 things conservatives must do to crush the left 0 (0)

5 things conservatives must do to crush the left – Jesse Lee Peterson on ‘perfect opportunity’ to help Trump advance agenda

by Jesse Lee Peterson

Democrats are losers. They spent an estimated $24 million and got trounced in another election. Republican Karen Handel whupped Liberal Democrat Jon Ossoff (a.k.a. “Pajama Boy”) in Georgia’s special House election. Democrats have now lost four special congressional elections. As a result, Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats are panicking. Younger Democrats blame Pelosi, and the long knives are out.

So what are Pelosi and left-wing Democrats doing to resurrect their party? They’re bringing back Barack Obama! According to reports, Obama will start campaigning for Democrats in the fall. The left are so blinded by their hatred for Trump and the good that he represents that all they can do is reach to the past. The fact that Trump is impervious to their lies and grows stronger under stress is infuriating them even more.

This is the perfect opportunity for conservatives to advance their agenda, and help this president “Make America Great Again.”

Here are the five things conservatives must do to crush the left:

1. Support the president. The Russia story is dead. James Comey has admitted under oath that President Trump is not under investigation. Former Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson testified that there was no evidence of collusion or obstruction. Even left-wing Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz has publicly said Trump did nothing illegal.

The Russia story has been an attempt by the left to create a cloud of suspicion around Trump to take him down. We know Special Counsel Robert Mueller is stacking his investigative team with Democrats. We also know that Mueller and FBI leaker Comey are friends. It’s time for Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell and Speaker Paul Ryan to put an end to this persecution.

Barack Obama knew the Russians were attempting to meddle with the election, and he did nothing to stop it. We need an investigation into what Obama knew and when he knew it. And investigators also need to look into Loretta Lynch’s involvement in the cover-up of Hillary Clinton’s email scandal.

2. Keep your promises (jobs, health care, tax cuts, border security). The national unemployment rate under President Trump is at 4.4 percent (a 10-year low). The number of refugees accepted in the U.S. has dropped by almost half during President Trump’s first three months, compared to Barack Obama’s last three. Obama had set a quota to admit 110,000 refugees in 2016! Republicans must pass a health-care bill that strips the individual mandate and offers cost-effective and flexible options. And tax cuts are necessary to help working Americans and to incentivize business owners to create more jobs. If Republicans fulfill their promises, they will win big in 2018.

Order Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson’s book, “The Antidote: Healing America from the Poison of Hate, Blame, and Victimhood

3. Talk directly to the people. The mainstream media have become an extension of the Democratic Party, putting out fake news and misinformation. They’ll always portray President Trump and conservatives as “racist” and evil. But Trump has mastered the art of bypassing them to get his message directly to the American public. Trump also likes being with the people. Since his rallies are huge, and he always makes news, the media have to cover him.

Republicans should learn from President Trump and take their message directly to the people. They need to leverage social media and give more access to honest voices on radio, TV and digital outlets like WND.com, Newsmax.com, Breitbart.com, CNSNews.com, Fox News, CanadaFreePress.com, TheDailyCaller.com, Infowars.com and others.

4. Speak out against hate. The level of hate directed at Trump and his supporters by the left is unparalleled. A Bernie Sanders supporter targeted Republicans for assassination in Virginia, and House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., almost lost his life. A Nebraska Democratic official said he was glad that Rep. Scalise was shot and that he wished he had died.

Hollywood has become totally unhinged. Actor Johnny Depp publicly said he’d like to kill the president. The New York Public Theater’s “Julius Caesar” play depicts a Trump look-alike being brutally stabbed repeatedly. Kathy Griffin posed with a bloody decapitated replica of Donald Trump’s head. Snoop Dogg put out a music video with a mock execution of Trump. Madonna said she has “thought an awful lot about blowing up the White House.”

If terrorist threats were directed at Obama, they wouldn’t be tolerated, so why is it OK to threaten Trump? All Republicans need to publicly condemn these evil leftist haters. Every single one of these people should be investigated.

5. Be accessible and unite the country. Barack Obama divided this nation like no other president in recent history. Now that Democrats are in trouble, they’re bringing Obama back to sow division once again. Conservatives can blunt this by working with blacks and other minorities. They need to hold town-hall meetings and forums in cities across the country.

Engage the people in honest dialogue about jobs, rebuilding families, school choice and making cities safe again. Seeing and meeting Republicans in person will have an impact. It helped Trump get more black votes than any other Republican in recent history.

The left is weak and exposed. It is confounded by Trump. Conservatives can crush the left if they enact these ideas swiftly with courage.

WND: http://www.wnd.com/2017/06/5-things-conservatives-must-do-to-crush-the-left/#gm63zivbQDxp6JsJ.99

Read Jesse Lee Peterson’s Biography

John Anthony: The Whitewashing of American Tyranny 0 (0)

The Whitewashing of American Tyranny –Suddenly the rights of people to live where they can afford is “exclusionary.”

by John Anthony

While Donald Trump maneuvers to cleanse government’s cesspool, communities face a bigger challenge at home.

Academics, classroom teachers, newspapers and television, movie stars and the Cultural Arts are seducing our children into believing it is their duty to relinquish their rights for a coveted scrunch into the bloated backseat of the global collective.

Like a crafty Tom Sawyer, who made the drudgery of whitewashing Aunt Polly’s fence so glamorous his friends eagerly surrendered their apples, tadpoles and marbles for the honor, our government persuades Americans that loyalty to fairness, the environment and climate change outweighs their rights over their own property.

Today, the government can uproot and relocate entire low-income families into strange neighborhoods merely by manipulating the value of their vouchers.

Our federally controlled education system collects sensitive, personally identifiable data on every public school student in America.  Even their most guarded medical history no longer bears privacy. We are raising generations of children to whom personal property rights have no value. When property rights lack value, human rights vanish.

Today’s young men and women accept as normal, events that two generations ago would have been the illustrator’s palette for a garish digest of Shocking Tales.

The Director of America’s National Security Agency recently admitted that his group regularly spies on Americans capturing metadata the department may easily translate into a log of your private life.
The government now legally sanctions a 35-year old mentally disturbed adult male, at the flick of his internal identity switch, to glide into the bathroom with 11 your year old daughter.

Practices once represented by colorful explosions of primary outrage are now bleached pastels of tacit acceptance. Community members working together can stop these violations. Trump may slow their progress, but we cannot afford to rely on one man. As the only group instructed to govern the governors, our window is closing. Not only is our government the driver behind these affronts, it is near the unstoppable stage where it governs its own will.

The House of Representatives, once the “peoples’ house” that reined in government, is now little more than a vestigial structure. Federal agencies issue 18 times as many laws as Congress and remain unanswerable beyond an abused regulatory “comment period” and a limp Congressional Review Act.

As government authority broadens, our children’s futures wither. Its outrageous claims against our property and our lives increasingly demand compliance. Larry Arnn, President of Hillsdale College said in a recent speech, that compliance; “means adapting constantly to changing and complex instructions from central authorities, and it means the employment of specialists to interpret the regulations and make sure others conform.”

That conformity is our children’s future. Unless we teach them the meaning of private property and its relationship to their human rights; unless they learn that government is not their ally, agencies like HUD will socially engineer their tomorrows and programs like Common Core will turn mediocrity and conformity, into social and emotional imperatives.

We have a choice.  We can sit by the lamplight and educate our children. In his 1796 Farewell Address, President Washington warned Americans what would happen if government followed man’s natural instinct to grow more powerful; “The spirit of encroachment tends to consolidate the powers of all the departments in one, and thus to create whatever the form of government, a real despotism.”

Thomas Jefferson warned of a consolidation of federal power in an 1821 letter; “when all government, domestic and foreign, in little as in great things, shall be drawn to Washington as the center of all power, it will render powerless the checks provided of one government on another, and will become as venal and oppressive as the government from which we separated.”

Obliging our Founders’ fears, HUD recently distorted the Fair Housing Act granting themselves authority to threaten communities with civil rights violations for failure to assure “income integration” by building affordable housing in affluent areas where low-income families cannot afford to live.

Suddenly the rights of people to live where they can afford is “exclusionary.” When discussed at all, many instructors teach our children that property rights are distinct from human rights. That people have the right to “free speech” and “religion” but the state must have the ability to control property for society’s good.
What is one without the other? 

If the government controls the newsprint enabling the editor to share opinions, then they successfully muffle the speech. A government that controls the distance you can drive your automobile controls how you travel, where you live, and how often you visit your distant family. One United Nation’s document, agreed to by our own government, goes so far as to suggest that because land is unique and crucial, “it cannot be treated as an ordinary asset and controlled by individuals…”  It continues, “public control of land use is therefore indispensable…”

There is no more elegant dissolution of this absurd despotic idea than James Madison’s essay On Property.
In the words of Arnn, noting the government has grown so large that it is a major factor in every aspect of our society; “This [government] is the political crisis of our time. No policy question, with the exception of imminent major war, which we do not have right now, can matter so much.”

Placing government in its proper perspective and teaching our children why property and freedom are inseparable, are the first steps in clearing their minds of the cultural swamp.



About the Author: John Anthony, Founder Sustainable Freedom Lab John Anthony is a nationally acclaimed speaker, researcher and writer. Mr. Anthony is the former Director of Sales and Marketing for Paul Mitchell Systems, Inc.  In 1989, he founded Corporate Measures, LLC, a management development firm. In 2012, Mr. Anthony turned his attention to community issues including the balance between federal agency regulations and local autonomy.

In January 2016, Mr. Anthony was a guest at the prestigious Rutgers University School of Management Fellowship Honoring Dr. Louis Kelso.  In March 2016, he was the keynote speaker on HUD and Property Rights at the Palmetto Panel at Clemson University.

Bill Lockwood: Is Freedom Disappearing in America? 0 (0)

Is Freedom Disappearing in America?- “The government will create ‘zones of exemption’ for a time which presumably will include churches.”

by Bill Lockwood

The issue is freedom. It always has been. The two-world views, a God-centered Christian worldview and the socialist/communist worldview, have always clashed in America, but now that the latter has the upper hand, freedom is on the chopping block. An absolutely perfect example of this is now occurring in the state of Iowa. The Iowa Civil Rights Act has banned places of “public accommodation” from expressing their views regarding “human sexuality” if those places either “directly or indirectly” make persons of any gender “feel unwelcome.”

Under the 1964 Civil Rights Act places of “public accommodation” are forbidden by the federal government to “discriminate” against persons of any class—be it race, color, national origin or religion. Along with this the federal government empowered itself to investigate alleged violations and prosecute.

The misstep here was to reverse what the founders had intended for a limited government. As right as it may be to eliminate discrimination based upon race, the very reason that the framers of America left the oversight for this in the hands of the states and local municipalities and forbade it to the federal government was a matter of principle. Freedom has historically been enjoyed only under limited federal government.

Our second misstep has been and continues to be the refusal of the American people—even Christians—to oppose homosexuality. This in spite of the fact that the Bible demonstrably shows that sodomy is a sin, and therefore a choice that people make. Our culture has by default placed homosexuality in the same category as race. Therefore, the same laws will apply. Now comes Obama to cram “transgenderism” into the same folder. Compliant weak-spined states meekly comply.

For example, the Iowa Civil Rights commission recently explained in a brochure that refusing to use the correct pronoun in addressing transgender individuals is a form of harassment. God’s grant of freedom of speech be hanged. Discrimination is defined by that Commission as “publicizing that the patronage of persons of any particular sexual orientation or gender identity is unwelcome, objectionable, not acceptable or not solicited.” The standard is: do not to make others feel unwelcome.

Now comes the third misstep, which naturally follows from the first two. The government decides what is a legitimate or illegitimate usage of speech; in what places or zones it may occur; who might be exempt and under what conditions. The Des Moines Register reports that Kristin Johnson, director of the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, assured churches that the “state code provides some exemptions for bona fide religious institutions engaged in activities with a bona fide religious purpose.”

The problem with this, as everyone who has not had their thinking by-passed by liberalism can see: this places the state in charge of deciding what is and what is not a legitimate religious institution. And remember, we are not talking about human or animal sacrifice or killing, which violates basic natural law codes.

The government will create “zones of exemption” for a time which presumably will include churches. I write, “for a time,” since it is already being discussed in some circles what constitutes a “legitimate” sermon or Bible lesson and what does not. Maura Strassberg, Drake University law professor said that “sermons that stick to human sexuality matters pertaining to theology would be constitutionally protected.” But according to the Des Moines Register she suggested that sometimes a situation may occur where a preacher’s sermonic material “crossed the line” into harassment. “There is a line: You go from ‘this is what God believes’ … to ‘You are bad, so we don’t want you here.’”

This would amount to the the state deciding what is and what is not proper sermon etiquette and content. Freedom is fast disappearing in America. Time to retrace our steps.

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