Get Vaccinated or Get Kicked out of School

The U.S. Government Is Lying About Iran

It's warmongering, pure and simple. We saw it before with Iraq, and we're seeing it now with Iran.

"Pro-Choice" Really Means "Pro-Abortion"

Many of you are aware of what happened to Carolyn Savage of Sylvania, Ohio. She and her husband, Sean, decided to have a baby via in vitro fertilization. The good news: it was a success. The bad news: it was someone else's embryo.

(Read the full article here.)

The Threat of Net Neutrality

From Forbes:

There was a time, not so long ago, when the term "Internet Freedom" actually meant what it implied: a cyberspace free from over-zealous legislators and bureaucrats. For a few brief, beautiful moments in the Internet's history (from the mid-90s to the early 2000s), a majority of Netizens and cyber-policy pundits alike all rallied around the flag of "Hands Off the Net!" From censorship efforts, encryption controls, online taxes, privacy mandates and infrastructure regulations, there was a general consensus as to how much authority government should have over cyber life and our cyber liberties. Simply put, there was a "presumption of liberty" in all cyber matters.

Those days are now gone; the presumption of online liberty is giving way to a presumption of regulation. A massive assault on real Internet freedom has been gathering steam for years and has finally come to a head. Ironically, victory for those who carry the banner of "Internet Freedom" would mean nothing less than the death of that freedom.

We refer to the gradual but certain movement to have the federal government impose "neutrality" regulation for all Internet actors and activities -- and in particular, to Monday's announcement by Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Julius Genachowski that new rules will be floated shortly. "But wait," you say, "You're mixing things up! All that's being talked about right now is the application of 'simple net neutrality,' regulations for the infrastructure layer of the net." You might even claim regulations are not really regulation but pro-freedom principles to keep the net "free and open."

Such thinking is terribly short-sighted. Here is the reality: Because of the steps being taken in Washington right now, real Internet Freedom -- for all Internet operators and consumers, and for economic and speech rights alike -- is about to start dying a death by a thousand regulatory cuts. Policymakers and activists groups are ramping up the FCC's regulatory machine for a massive assault on cyber liberty. This assault rests on the supposed superiority of common carriage regulation and "public interest" mandates over not just free markets and property rights, but over general individual liberties and freedom of speech in particular. Stated differently, cyber collectivism is back in vogue -- and it's coming very soon to a computer near you!

FDA Bans Flavored Cigarettes

Here's a little reminder from your friendly neighborhood thugs at the FDA:

As of today, it's illegal in the U.S. to buy or sell most flavored cigarettes.

However, the FDA ban does not include the most popular cigarette flavor: menthol. It does cover every other conceivable flavor, including candy, spice, herb, cola, fruit, and coffee flavors.

The flavored-cigarette ban is the FDA's first major anti-tobacco action since President Barack Obama signed the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act in June. The law gives the FDA the power to regulate tobacco products.

The law doesn't let FDA ban cigarettes entirely. But Congress has stated that flavors make cigarettes more appealing to youth and increase their exposure to toxic substances.

As a result, the FDA now rules that flavorings designed to appeal to youths "are considered adulterated."

"Flavored cigarettes attract and allure kids into addiction," Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary Howard Koh, MD, MPH, said at a news conference held to announce the ban.

Look for candy cigarettes to be banned within the next five years. Yes, the insanity is that widespread.

Free Plaxico Burress!

Super Bowl star Plaxico Burress has been sentenced to two years in prison for accidentally shooting himself. The official story is that he was illegally carrying a concealed, unregistered firearm, but what was his real crime? Well, there was no real crime.

It isn't difficult to understand that even a 6-foot-5, 230-pound wide receiver like Burress would want some form of personal protection when out on the town, especially after what had happened to fellow players Darrent Williams and Sean Taylor. But in these once-free United States you must first get permission from the government before you are allowed to take steps to protect yourself.

Burress threatened no one else and injured no one but himself. In my opinion, the physical pain and humiliation associated with a careless, self-inflicted gunshot wound is punishment enough.

Alas, only "qualified" law enforcement officers are allowed to get off that easily...

Humane Society Stages Armed Home Invasion over Sick Dog

What would you do if your dog was sick and you couldn't afford treatment at your local veterinary clinic? If you happen to live in Nebraska, you had better not refuse treatment, or you just might find yourself the victim of an armed police raid courtesy of the Humane Society.

Oh, yes, it really happened:

Days after police burst into a home and arrested a pet owner, tests have shown that the owner's dog died of natural causes.

Court records showed that the dog suffered from a uterine infection for two weeks before the owner took it to the veterinarian and then refused treatment. The dog owner will not face additional charges in the case, prosecutors said.

The Nebraska Humane Society has since defended its use of force in the case, saying it was trying to save what it believed was a dog in danger. (video)

Sending cops into a house with guns drawn because you don't approve of the way someone else handles their own property? To say this was overkill would be an understatement.

But perhaps when Obamacare is passed, and people have free health coverage for their pets, this kind of thing won't happen.

Peter Schiff Announces Senate Candidacy

It's official. Economist Peter Schiff has announced that he will be running against Connecticut incumbent Chris Dodd for a seat in the United States Senate. Schiff made the announcement this morning on MSNBC's Morning Joe show.

You can check out Schiff's campaign web site here.

A Christian Libertarian Perspective on Rights

This is the time of year when we patriotic Americans like to reflect on our "rights" and what has been done to secure that freedom. Some of us may even pause to read the Declaration of Independence and contemplate just what it means to have certain inalienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

I would submit that we have no rights, at least not in the eternal sense. To argue otherwise is to adopt an entitlement mentality. Sadly, we Americans can't seem to help looking at liberty from the perspective of what we believe we are entitled to. When we complain about government intrusion into our lives, we gripe about "our freedoms" being taken away.

We need to remember that everything we have was given to us. We are entitled to nothing. In fact, the only things we deserve are death and eternal punishment (Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, 2 Thessalonians 1:9). So, from a Christian standpoint, how do we reconcile our theology with the traditional American view of liberty?

The best way to interpret the concept of "inalienable rights" is to flip it around. When we speak of the right to life, liberty, property, the pursuit of happiness, etc., think of it not in terms of what a person deserves, but what a person isn't entitled to do to someone else. It doesn't mean that I am entitled to life, since that is an undeserved gift from my Creator; rather, it means that you have no right to take my life. The Bible calls that murder (Exodus 20:13). You have no right to take my property. That would be stealing (Exodus 20:15). And so on.

One important thing to note about the Ten Commandments is that in using words like "you shall not," they focus on God's rights, not ours. Since all men are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), all men should be treated with dignity, respect, and love -- not because they deserve it, but because God deserves it.

Mandated Health Insurance Is on Its Way

Dr. David McKalip is on to Obama's (and the Republicans') health (s)care plan:

Mr. Obama has been keeping this secret until his 9/9/09 speech when he finally admitted that it will be everyone’s "shared responsibility" to buy health insurance. It was here where he finally threw the public option under the bus as planned all along while deflecting blame from himself and assigning it to "blue dog" and Senate Democrats. His base should be furious. Of course, the tea party activists -- a million of whom converged on D.C. on 9/12/09 -- may also be betrayed by Republican leadership who appear more interested in appearing to "compromise" and avoid being "called out" by the President. But there is no surprise here. This is how "Romney Care" came to Massachusetts. Cloaked in the silky robe of "compromise" so that the politicians from both parties could join arm and arm but not admit that no matter what letter was behind their name, they were really all about more government power and less individual power. ...

... There is the standard sleight of hand: "if you like your doctor or your health care plan -- you can keep them". That trick is easy to dissect. The fact is that the President will make any plan or doctor that is not government-approved disliked by the vast majority of Americans. For doctors, he will support an inaccurate "report card" system that allows doctors to be labeled as "bad" (who would "like" that doctor?). Doctors will not be graded on true medical quality, but on how well they comply with rationing protocols and how well they provide government-approved, one-size-fits-all medical care. For your insurance, his plans will force any insurance plan that is not government approved out of business. His plans will tax every person who dares to buy an insurance plan that is not approved by the government up to 2.5% of income. In fact, his plans would make any change to your health insurance policy or choice illegal after 2013.

Read the full article here.

Get Vaccinated or Get Deported

As a libertarian and an adoptive parent, you can imagine how upset I was when I read this:

An adopted teen who has lived in Port St. Joe, Fla. since she was 3 faces possible deportation to England for refusing a vaccination, she and her mother say.

Simone Davis, 17, said she has no need for the vaccine Gardasil, which guards against the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus virus, because she is not sexually active, ABC News reported.

But the U.S. government requires female immigrants between the ages of 11 and 26 to receive Gardasil shots before they can become citizens.

Whether you have adopted or not, just imagine the government threatening to take away your child unless you agree to have her injected with a controversial, unproven vaccine for a disease that isn't transmitted through casual contact.

Another Example of D.C. Elitism

Congressman Baron Hill (D-IN) has to remind one of his constituents of her place:

They truly believe that we serve them, and not the other way around.

Health Care Rationing in the U.K.

Not surprisingly, health care rationing in the U.K. is killing patients:

In a letter to The Daily Telegraph, a group of experts who care for the terminally ill claim that some patients are being wrongly judged as close to death.

Under NHS guidance introduced across England to help doctors and medical staff deal with dying patients, they can then have fluid and drugs withdrawn and many are put on continuous sedation until they pass away.

But this approach can also mask the signs that their condition is improving, the experts warn.

As a result the scheme is causing a "national crisis" in patient care, the letter states. It has been signed palliative care experts including Professor Peter Millard, Emeritus Professor of Geriatrics, University of London, Dr Peter Hargreaves, a consultant in Palliative Medicine at St Luke’s cancer centre in Guildford, and four others.

"Forecasting death is an inexact science," they say. Patients are being diagnosed as being close to death "without regard to the fact that the diagnosis could be wrong.

"As a result a national wave of discontent is building up, as family and friends witness the denial of fluids and food to patients."

The warning comes just a week after a report by the Patients Association estimated that up to one million patients had received poor or cruel care on the NHS.

And to think that advocates of free-market health care are the ones considered to be cruel and heartless.

President Obama to Address Students on Opening Day

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan sent a letter to the principals of America's government-run indoctrination centers, encouraging them to tune in to Barack Hussein Obama's special webcast on September 8. Along with the letter were some suggested classroom activities.

For preschool to 6th grade teachers those included getting their students to:

• Write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president. These would be collected and redistributed at an appropriate later date by the teacher to make students accountable to their goals.
  
• Write goals on colored index cards or precut designs to post around the classroom.
  
• Interview and share about their goals with one another to create a supportive community.
  
• Participate in School wide incentive programs or contests for students who achieve their goals.

Teachers for grades 7 through 12 could get group discussions going with question like:

• What are the three most important words in the speech? Rank them. What title would you give this speech? What's the thesis?
  
• What is President Obama inspiring you to do? What is he challenging you to do?
  
• What do you believe are the challenges of your generation?
  
• How can you be a part of addressing these challenges?

While these things are seemingly harmless, it's just another example of how far the tentacles of Washington extend. Secretary Duncan even drew attention to the historic significance of this upcoming speech, noting that it will be "the first time an American president has spoken directly to the nation's school children about persisting and succeeding in school." Seriously. Is that the president's job?

Parents, I would encourage you to do your kids a favor and keep them home on September 8.

Governing Through Fear

When they aren't trying to frighten us into submission with possible nuclear annihilation or purported terrorist threats, the ruling elite like to try a good ol' fashioned health scare. From WorldNetDaily:

A "pandemic response bill" currently making its way through the Massachusetts state legislature would allow authorities to forcefully quarantine citizens in the event of a health emergency, compel health providers to vaccinate citizens, authorize forceful entry into private dwellings and destruction of citizen property and impose fines on citizens for noncompliance.

If citizens refuse to comply with isolation or quarantine orders in the event of a health emergency, they may be imprisoned for up to 30 days and fined $1,000 per day that the violation continues.

Um...does anyone remember what happened in 1976?

The Government Can