"The Greatest Danger of a Republic is Apathy" -Toqueville

At BYU, where I go to school, American Heritage is a required class. It gets a bad rap for being very difficult. Even though it was tough, I am so thankful I had to take the class. Without being aware of what I have, I cannot be grateful for it. I am now aware of what I have, and I am indeed grateful for it.
In other countries, so much is completely beyond the control of the average citizen. There is little the poor woman or minority man can do. Their government is corrupted, and the people have no voice. Do we realize that we live in a country and period unparalled in world history? We have rights and freedoms that give virtually every citizen a voice. Not only do we have political freedoms, but we have freedoms that allow us to cultivate a rich and fulfilling life. We have the freedom for human flourishing, the freedom and opportunity to be uplifted, inspired, to worship, and to pursue our dreams. We have an abundance of physical goods and also an abundance of goods for the soul such as religion, arts, culture, and entertainment. We don't have to live in fear of what the government will do next. We don't have the fear of being abducted while walking to work. We don't buy groceries in the fear that they are harmful. We don't have to walk in fear of what images we might see around the corner. The list could go on and on.

The greatest danger our republic faces is apathy. This liberty is given to us as a resource to help others! We must not be apathetic about what we have, but use it to help others. We could serve those in other countries who do not have these freedoms, or those in our own back yard who do.

These freedoms and a working Constitution are no accident. The rights and privileges we enjoy are the result of much sacrifice and Divine Intervention. May we not be apathetic about these precious freedoms, but use them, and use them to serve.

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

Faith

Don't Do Nothing

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Food For Thought

http://hotair.com/greenroom/archives/2009/10/07/obama-isnt-a-president-but-he-plays-one/
We Can Make a Difference
Hope

Obama: You do or do not, there is no try

Nelson Mandela was in prison for 27 years, while trying to establish justice in South Africa, and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.
Desmond Tutu fought homophobia, AIDS, tuberculosis, poverty, apartheid, and racism all his life and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984.
Mother Teresa ministered to the poor, sick, orphaned and dying for 45 years, and was awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.
Martin Luther King fought for civil rights and changed the lives of African-American's, was a martyr to his cause, and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.

Barack Obama replaced George W.

Really?
Really?
REALLY????

Even if Obama is making significant, good, incredible changes, I feel like it would be like awarding a national championship to a team who only won their first game. Shouldn't we wait a little? We have no idea how Obama is going to turn out.

On a somewhat happier note, here are the best new bumper stickers:
Rush is right
The audacity of hype
Because everyone deserves what you worked so hard for!
Honk if I'm paying your mortgage
Hope is not a plan
Rush is still right
Hey Barack! I'm bar-oke!

We can make a difference.

Hope

I just returned from spending six weeks in Guatemala doing humanitarian work with an organization called HELP International (Help ELiminate Poverty). While I could type for hours about my thoughts and the things I learned, I'm going to focus here on the blessing of living in the culture we do. While everyone who ever read this blog understands that I do my share of complaining about our culture, there are some blessings we enjoy as American citizens that we don't even realize.

While there, we met a man who studies global trends and phsychology and stuff. He talked about how the culture in Guatemala is to strive to pass, to get above 50% to just get by. In school, the students ask each other if they passed. In our country, the majority of us strive for the best we can do, we strive for A's. Living in a culture of higher expectations is a blessing I didn't even realize I enjoyed. We must keep these high expectations flowing, and not settle for the lower expectations that sometimes teenagers especially settle for.

I've also heard from some that the American dream is dying. While I don't know if the American dream used to be stronger, as far as I can tell, the American dream is alive and well. While our government isn't near perfect, at least it isn't corrupted, and it does listen to the people. If a poor high school graduate wants to attend college and get a good job, there are opportunities from the government and non-government to help get that person to school and on the road to a bright future, even if his parents never graduated high school or he doesn't have a dollar to his name. In third-world countries such opportunities do not exist, especially by the government. Much of the hope of people in third-world countries lies in the care that non-government organizations and chairty organizations provide. (Here's my plug to donate to charity when you have means to do so! Charity money goes far! I've witnessed it!) Relative to other countries, the USA is the land of opportunity.

So, even though I loved Guatemala and didn't want to come home, I do realize that we have so many blessings in the USA. Look for them. You'll soon be overwhelmed with gratitude.

We can make a difference.
Faith

It's Summer!!! Carry on!

So, last week I took my last final exam, ran in my last track meet, and attended my last day of seminary. My life emptied out really quickly and it was a very bittersweet few days. I suppose if I didn't like learning, or running or studying religion, I wouldn't ever do those things again since the grades are posted and track results set. To discontinue such activities would only be cheating myself, however. Life requires constant and steady effort. Even though this is the last thing I want to tell myself as summer has peered around the corner and exciting vacations await, it is true: we should never stop trying to improve ourselves. No matter your age, your situation in life, your previous accomplishments: keep pushing yourself to improve.

I just finished a super hard 5-credit college course of chemistry. It required a lot of time and analytical thinking. I sacrificed a lot for that wretched class. I barley pulled off an A though, which is something I didn't think I could do. After such a painful class, I kind of want to take the summer off of academics. And I will, for the most part. But I read this quote in the New Era magazine, and I knew it was speaking to me.

'Before we have families, there is leisure time even in what is our busiest day. Too often we use many hours for fun and pleasure, saying, “I’m recharging my batteries.” Those hours could be spent reading and studying to gain knowledge, skills, and culture."

Recharge your batteries and don't run faster than you have strength, but most of us spend more time than necessary "recharging" i.e. facebook, tv, or whatnot. Instead of wasting hours of my summer with the excuse that I'm recovering from a hard semester and gearing up towards another one, I'm setting a goal to improve my spanish before I head to Guatemala.

The end of a semester or sports season doesn't mean the end of trying hard. It's all about enduring.

We can make a difference.

Faith

$$$ does not equal :-)

In a time when money is tighter than it used to be, I think it is vital we remember that money does not buy happiness.
In 2003, New Scientist, one of the top science magazines, surveyed 65 countries to see which one was happiest. Can you imagine which country has the happiest people? It wasn’t America, the very Land of the Free, where we seem to have it all. It was a country where the average income per person at the time of the survey was $875 a year, and 60% of the people were below the poverty line. It is the 9th most populous country in the world. Yes, the happiest place on earth in 2003 was not Disneyland, but Nigeria. Following Nigeria was Mexico, Venezuela, El Salvador, and Puerto Rico. The least happy was Russia. And you know where we were on the list, America? 16th.

This survey and countless other studies confirm the old adage that money cannot buy happiness. While everyone has differing opinions on how to find true and lasting happiness, we now know what will not. The researchers for World Values Survey described the desire for material goods as “a happiness suppressant.” In fact, while American’s personal income has increased two and a half times in the past 50 years, our happiness level has stayed the same. An article on this subject in Forbes said, “Surveys have found virtually the same level of happiness between the very rich individuals on the Forbes 400 and the Maasai herdsman of East Africa. Lottery winners return to their previous level of happiness after five years.” The point? You don’t have to have money to say yes to happiness.

I see many people who are earnestly in the “pursuit of happiness” really pursuing only stuff. Most of us have fallen prey to the idea that a nicer car, a bigger house, or the latest techno gadget will bring us joy. If this were true, how come my friend who went to Africa last summer found a village full of people who had never seen a digital camera or experienced hot running water, yet couldn’t stop smiling? How come I went to Peru and played “Duck, Duck, Goose” with little Peruvian children who didn’t have video games, let alone a home with carpet, yet had bigger smiles and louder laughs than most children in this land of plenty?

Of course, forgoing our comfortable homes and modern conveniences is not necessary to become like the happy people in these foreign countries. As the researchers in the survey said, it is the desire for material goods that is a happiness suppressant. Henry Ward Beecher said, “In this world it is not what we take up, but what we give up that makes us rich.”

And that is the secret to buying happiness: The data has proven it time and time again. You can buy happiness by giving charitably. It may be donating financially or by giving time or other means. Survey data from 2000 show that people who give money to charity are 43% more likely than nongivers to say they are very happy. A study of British neighborhoods in 2004 found that communities with more volunteerism had lower crime rates, better schools, and... higher levels of happiness than communities with less volunteerism. You can say yes to happiness by saying yes to giving.


Happiness is central to the idea of America. Along with life and liberty, the Founding Fathers listed “the pursuit of happiness” as an unalienable right in the Declaration of Independence. In his book Gross National Happiness, Arthur Brooks says, “Our gross national happiness depends on the way we teach and live our values. These values are faith, family, freedom, nonmaterialism, opportunity, hard work, and charity. They were the vision of our nation’s founders, who took happiness very seriously.” Critics might say that values are not more important to our nation than the economy, education, or health care. But the critics are wrong. Without values, even successful jobs and a booming economy would bring us meaningless toil and joyless lucre. Our education would be for what purpose? There would be no reason to fight to protect our way of life. Our health care system would keep us healthier-- for what? Our founding fathers understood this point: The pursuit of happiness is central to everything we do, and our values are what make this pursuit possible.


In the words of Abraham Lincoln, “Most people are about as happy as they make up their mind to be.” A dying economy, or any other condition does not have more power over your happiness than you do. There have been numerous researches and surveys performed to find out how to find true happiness. The hard data says that marriage makes people happy, children don’t. Work makes us happy, not necessarily leisure. People on the political right are nearly twice as happy as those on the left. Religious people are nearly twice as happy as secularists. These findings can be taken for what they’re worth, but what happiness all comes down to is a personal decision. Happiness is not a product that appears when certain factors are calculated together. Throughout history we’ve heard of incredible individuals who have decided to say yes to happiness despite grueling circumstances. One of my favorite books is Man’s Search for Meaning, by Victor Frankl who was an inmate in a Nazi concentration camp. He said the last of human freedoms is the ability to choose one’s attitude. Anne Frank felt similarly. Amidst daily bickering, extremely tight quarters, a struggle to find enough food, and an uncertain future, she wrote, “I'm blessed with many things: happiness, a cheerful disposition and strength. Everyday I feel myself maturing, I feel liberation drawing near, I feel the beauty of nature and the goodness of the people around me.” The picture of our life is determined by the brush we choose to paint it with. Happiness is a choice.

No matter the condition, no matter the size of your bank account, I urge you to say YES to happiness.

My Stake Conference Talk

One of the most profound instances of a youth doing hard things is in the scriptures when David went before Goliath with the strength of God as his only weapon, his faith as his best armor. He said to Goliath, “Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts.” We have Goliaths in our lives. President Monson said, “Does your Goliath stand squarely between you and your desired happiness? Your Goliath may not carry a sword or hurl a verbal challenge of insult that all may hear. He may not be ten feet tall, but he likely will appear equally as formidable.”

Just like for David, our enemy is no less daunting, and the help of God is not farther away.
This story illustrates that God will not give us more than we are able to handle. God has told us that he “will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able, but will with the temptation provide a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (1 Cor. 10:13) We have not been sent to earth at this time to be victims of temptation, but rather to succeed. Our Goliaths must, and can, be conquered.

I think a Goliath silently facing all of today’s teenagers is the culture of low expectations. Without realizing it, I think the low expectations held for my generation sometimes hold us back, and stand squarely between us and our potential. There is a myth that adolescence is a vacation from responsibility, a time when it is normal or allowed to rebel, a time when having fun is more important than having the direction of the Holy Ghost. Phrases like, “they’re just that age,” or “they’re just kids,” or “he’s just being 17" illustrate the perception that it is perfectly normal for youth to be low-achieving. Our society doesn’t demand much of young people, but God has told us that we are capable of much. He said, “Let no man despise thy youth, but be thou and example of the believers.”

Perhaps this culture of low expectations evolved because higher expectations require doing hard things-- things against our nature.
It is not natural for us to do many things that are right. Babies are not born walking and talking, just like the natural man is not born with the habit of speaking kindly or is not naturally inclined to obey. Perhaps the natural man does not feel a need for God in his life. BUT, we can overcome the natural man. Some people fall into the trap that “I am just not that kind of person.” “I’m not a math person,” they say, so they just don’t do it. “I’m not a musician,” so they stop trying. But perhaps the most detrimental excuses are the ones such as, “I just don’t pray, I don’t understand scriptures, I’m just not a church-goer, or I’m just not religious.” When David was asked to face Goliath, he could have easily argued that he was just not a warrior. But he rose above his natural inclinations and fought the fight.

Sister Dalton, the general young women president, and one of my heroes, has a little plaque inscribed with the words, “I can do hard things.” I have adopted this as one of my personal mottos. We can do hard things. We must do hard things. Doing hard things is a mentality. It's a mentality that flies right in the face of our culture's low expectations. The world says, "You're young, have fun!" It tells us to "obey your thirst" and "just do it." Or it tells us, "You're great! You don't need to exert yourself." God tells us the opposite. Doing hard things is what it will take to become like Christ.

While Hope and I drive to seminary in the dark every morning, which I must say, is a hard thing, we play a lot of music to stay awake. Jericho Road, an LDS band, is one of my favorite groups to listen to. One of my favorite songs of theirs says, “If that’s what it takes, then it’s what I will do, for nothing means more than returning to You. I’ll give you my life, my time, my mistakes. Deny the world–if that’s what it takes. And no matter how hard it may seem, I will do what you ask, I will do anything. For this life is just a moment in time, so why put my faith on the line?” Giving up the comfort and company of living like the world lives IS what it will take. It is hard, yet I know we can do hard things, and all things, with the help of the Lord. Paul wrote, “I can do all things through Christ, which stengtheneth me.”

Even though opportunities to physically face enemies or dramatically stand up against persecutors may come, it is the small things that can be the hardest. I have been running cross country and track for 8 years, and the past two seasons of cross country I have had a lower leg injury from overuse that has been so painful I couldn’t finish the season. I have gone to physical therapy where they tell me to do daily exercises to strengthen my hip, which will cause less impact on my lower leg where it is so painful. The exercises are so simple and small that much of the time I blew them off and didn’t do them as often as I was supposed to. I now know firsthand that small things can lead to greater payoffs. It is by daily repetitions of small strengthening exercises that will make me strong enough for the daily impact of running, just like it is small things like attending church or reading the scriptures that make us strong enough to endure the daily impact of Satan. Lawrence Bell said, “Show me a man who can not bother to do little things, and I’ll show you a man who cannot be trusted to do big things.” Being honest, speaking kindly, not judging others, going to mutual: all these things are relatively small things that may get neglected because of their seeming insignificance. God does use small and simple things to bring to pass great things, and sometimes their smallness makes them hard.

Another hard thing to do is avoid the plague of complacency. The time for lukewarm commitment is behind us. This world cannot survive a generation of latter day saints who are complacent. When we stop testing our faith, when we become satisfied with who we are, when we tire of the constant struggle to improve, or when we just go through the motions of a good Latter day saint, we settle into complacency. This lukewarm attitude of complacency is the antonym of a hot-hearted desire to be useful. “Good enough” becomes today’s watchword and tomorrow’s standard. We can always be striving for the higher road, always pushing ourselves beyond what’s familiar and comfortable. Simply NOT doing wrong things is not enough. Sure, we may not be actively committing sins, but we may not be doing things that increase our faith, which could be a sin of omission. It has been said that the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.

President George Q Cannon said, “He held in reserve his most noble sons and daughters, those who would have the courage and determination to face the world and all the powers of the evil one and yet be fearless in building Zion.” I am not quoting this because we are special, but because we have responsibility. We have been given so so much, and where much is given, much is required. God expects that we will have the determination to face to world. He has confidence in us. He has high expectations. We cannot let Him down. We can conquer. Victory can be ours.

Thomas S. Monson spoke of the hard things that Christ went through to make it possible for us to return to God. He said, “Gethsemane, Golgotha, intense pain and suffering beyond the comprehension of mortal man stood between Jesus the Master and victory over the grave. Yet he lovingly assured us, “I go to prepare a place for you … that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:2–3). I am so thankful for Jesus Christ and the hard things He did for us. I know he is our Savior. I am continually amazed at his love for us. After all he sacrificed for our sake, He continually offers to help us accomplish the hard things we need to do. He notices the sparrow when it falls, he knows each of us and is aware of our current struggles or victories. He loves each of us, one by one.
I know this church is true. I believe we are all capable of doing the things God expects of us. I know he hears our prayers. I know He will help us if we have faith in him.


We can make a difference.

Faith

Government -Sponsored Enterprises....or Government Leader Sponsorers?

In 1938 (during the Great Depression) congress created the Federal National Mortgage Association to provide more money for loans to low-income people. Fannie Mae was created from the FNMA, which separated from the government, went public, and appeared on the New York Stock Exchange in 1970. However, there is still some affiliation with the government in the form of tax exemption, low capital requirements, and better interest rates. Out of the 18-member board of directors, five are appointed by the President of the United States.

Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae are always connected, and basically do the same thing. Freddie Mac was created by congress in 1970, and went public in 978. Freddie Mac still enjoys the same government-sponsored short-cuts Fannie Mae enjoys. Both of them are considered "government-sponsored enterprises," meaning they are privately owned, but receive support from the government. They are also a monopoly, as their government affiliation allows them to sell notes and securities at a lower price than any competitors.

The whole purpose of these two companies is to buy mortgages from other lenders and they compile all those mortgages into a portfolio or mortgage-backed securities that they can resell to the public. The idea is to draw people to invest in the mortgage market, which then brings more money to lend out for more mortgages.

As mentioned before, they are government sponsored enterprises (GSE's), so they shouldn't be allowed to sponsor a political candidate. But they did. They were smart. They chose the right candidate. Their candidate is now president.

I'm not suggesting some wild, Steven Spielberg-type-of-plot government conspiracy. Nor am I suggesting that we oust Obama from the White House because of some shady sponsor. BUT, I think it is somewhat suspicious that less than one month after his election, his shady sponsors are receiving 200 million more each.

But don't call me a senseless blonde yet.

I comprehend that Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae have an icy grip on the US economy. It would be silly to let them crash. I agree with Obama's choice on this, and would have done the same thing.

Then again, it was silly to let those GSE's continue when some wise people could tell that they could bring on an economic crisis.

Wise people like....hmmm....maybe like John McCain in 2005.

We can make a difference.

Hope

Irony

I would really love to shake Barrack Obama's hand right now. He gave a very, very, good speech this morning at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington DC. He spoke about religion, about how different they are etc. I know this is about religion, but somehow it struck me as incredibly ironic when he said
"There is no God who condones taking the life of an innocent human being. This much we know."
Here is a quote from his website, www.barackobama.com, which states his stand on abortion:

Barack Obama understands that abortion is a divisive issue, and respects those who disagree with him. However, he has been a consistent champion of reproductive choice and will make preserving women's rights under Roe v. Wade a priority as President. He opposes any constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court's decision in that case.

Just to prove that I didn't manipulate this statement in any way, you can read it yourself here. Scroll down.

So, to condense this down, he is a "consisitent champion of reproductive choice," but, as a Christian, he doesn't believe that God "condones taking the life of an innocent human being." Maybe, Mr. Obama, you should coordinate what your website designer and your speechwriter say.

Here is a video to prove it. He says that priceless line around 1:32.



Note: I will always support Obama as my president. I simply enjoy pairing two of his quotes for further analysis.
We can make a difference
Hope

Imagine, America, what would have happened if your hero was aborted. Now imagine the potential 3000 children a day have. Feel free to sing along with John Lennon: "Imagine all the people, living life in peace! you-oo-oo...."
We can make a difference
Hope

Breaking News

So, I've been thinking a lot lately. It wasn't on purpose.
My latest dilemma is this: should I write to Malia Obama and recommend the pink version of the Kodak EasyShare or not? As showed in the New York Times, she was using grape at the inauguration. Read the scoop here. I mean, would she think that's too presuming? I already wrote them and suggested that they get a poodle, and just forget the whole allergy thing. I ordered the Malia and Sasha dolls the other day. I can't wait until they arrive. I totally dig the J. Crew coats both girls wore to the inauguration. However, I totally cannot believe that Mrs. Obama would have the audacity to wear olive green gloves and shoes with a light yellow dress-- and the neckline to that dress! It was like a cocktail party dress, and her coat was way to heavy and bulky. You can see it here, but you might not want to. Moving on. In order to join this mad Obama dash, I also bought Obama earrings, posters, and necklaces so that I can contribute to this whole Obama-nation (pronounced abomination). I have one request for the media: can you please cover the Obamas more? I mean, I don't have their whole wardrobes memorized yet. I can't remember if Michelle's Steve Madden shoes are brown or white! Help!
We can make a difference
Hope

March for Life? What March?

The media bias is killing me. They report the inauguration for days, using the phrase, "making history" every other sentence, but ignore the huge March for Life that happened yesterday. I agree the inaugurtion deserved every bit of press it got--it was making history, and it was an impressive event--a very happy one for the majority of America. However, yesterday, when around 300,000 people crowded the National Mall protesting abortion, the media hardly sent their photographers. The few stories there are about it downplay the event, saying "scores" of anti-abortionists marched. I had to DIG through major newspapers to find a story about it, when this should have been on the front page.
Every year at this annual March for Life, the president is invited to address the crowd. Last year, President Bush said he was proud to be standing among them, and that, "even the most vulnerable member of the human family is a child of God. You’re here because you know that all life deserves to be protected.”
Quite opposite, Obama wouldn't even come. He thought it would be too insulting to reverse the Mexico City policy with all those pro-lifers outside his office, so he waited until the next day. he's repealing the policy as I type, and now, when our country is trillions of dollars in debt, and in a tragic economy, federal money will help support international family planning organizations that provide abortions. So, in response to the hundreds of thousands of voices outside his office, and knoweldge of 3000 silent voices being aborted each day, he basically promoted abortion by helping it to be done internationally.

I'm so glad we have a president who listens to us, and is already following through in his promise to uphold the Constitution, by entitling everybody life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. (Sorry for the sarcasm, I can't help it here!!!)

We can make a difference.

Faith

Agape

I have been reading a few of Martin Luther King's speeches (per Hope's recommendation). One of the topics he brings up regularly is the meaning of love. There are three words in the Greek language for love. There is eros, which is a sort of romantic love. There is philia, a sort of reciprocal love between personal friends, very valuable and vital. But when talking about loving those who oppose you and seek to defeat you, we are not talking about eros or philia. "It would be nonsense to urge men to love their oppressors in an affectionate sense."

The Greek language has a third word for love, and that is agape. It is understanding, creative, redemptive good will for all men. It is an overflowing love which seeks nothing in return. You love them not because they are likable, not because they do things that attract us, but because God loves them. Here we love the person who does the evil deed while hating the deed that the person does. We see many people doing evil things these days, or things we do not agree with. We do not have to love what they are doing, but we must love them.

Martin Luther King Jr. said agape stands at the center of the movement he was trying to carry. Loving others because God loves them is what we must do in the movement we are trying to accomplish. Whatever your goal or mission, love others. If for no other reason than that God loves them.

We can make a difference.

Faith

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

This is an excerpt from the official United Nations Website:
On 10 December 1948, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the full text of which appears in the following pages. Following this historic act, the Assembly called upon all Member countries to publicize the text of the Declaration and "to cause it to be disseminated, displayed, read and expounded principally in schools and other educational institutions, without distinction based on the political status of countries or territories."
You can read it here
The only reason this declaration hasn't solved the world's problems is because of enforcement. Since we live in the United States of America, which is one of the most educated countries, everyone should know and agree with the Declaration of Human Rights-- right? So, since everyone knows about this declaration, given that it was taught in schools like it was supposed to, everyone lives and abides by it--right? Wrong.
Diverting your attention for a moment, let me bring something else to the light. A quick Google search brings evidence that a pregnant women is considered as two people. I found insurance companies, applications, and even an Iranian article. Thus, many people believe that a pregnant woman counts as two persons. However, many people of the same people also believe life doesn't start until birth. So, a pregnant women is two people, but only one of them is alive, so when you kill the weaker one, that doesn't count, but if you kill the stronger one, it counts as two people.That makes total sense.
For the sake of this argument, let's assume life starts at conception, and unborn children are persons needing protection from the law just like us.
Article 5 of the Declaration says:
No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Article 6:
Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law
Article 25(2) says:
Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection
Finally, Article 30:
Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.
Obama's first act as president will be to sign the Freedom of Choice Act (read it here). I especially like this part, as it strikes as somewhat ironic.
The United States was founded on the principles of individual liberty, personal privacy, and equality.
It isn't the Declaration of rights for everyone except America, or except Obama, or except people wanting to escape the consequences of their choices. It's Universal.
We can make a difference
Hope

Obama Video

Yes, this is an issue that bothers me a lot. I mean, if Obama is OK, then let's just hire some genius from China with an IQ of 200 to come be president and build robots to do all the hard work. Sound reasonable--right?
On to taxes. Wall Street Journal said it better than I every could:
Tax Plan Is Really A Welfare Plan
This Video is from one of my favorite political sites: neverfindout.org

Need I say more?

We can make a difference.

Hope

A Brand New Year

Although I don't think it is happening, it is my little hope that some one who is not a member of the Church reads this blog and sees what we believe. Initially, we were not going to make it at all obvious of our religious convictions, but it got too hard! However, if someone out there on the world wide web is reading this, please click the link below, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saint's new website for youth. The gospel is true. What else DOES matter?!
Also, you can listen to the widget to the right------> How cool is that?!

We can make a difference.

Faith