Standing UpWrite
Mood:  caffeinated
Now Playing: Gimme a Friggin' Job!!
Topic: Politics
Standing UpWrite
by Darrin F. Coe, MA
08/05/04

Everybody wants a job, allegedly. Apparently, the perception is that it's the government's responsibility to provide everybody with a job. We've forgotten that we are the government. You want a job? Provide yourself with one. "We the people of the United States, in order to insure domestic tranquility, . . . promote the general welfare, and secure the blessing of liberty . . .do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

It is not the government's job or responsibility to provide every person in the United States with a job, wealth, prosperity, or no taxes. It is the duty of those in government, based on the will of the constituents to create conditions within which we the people can pursue prosperity, and happiness as embodied in such things as general welfare and domestic tranquility.

It is a mistake and a distortion to depend on government for prosperity. Consider how the originators of our country created wealth and prosperity. They used their elected officials to enact legislation that would allow them to have access to more finances, through tax cuts, and breaks, which allowed them to expand their particular enterprises. They did things like incorporate, pay fewer taxes, and payer lower wages. They did all of this because they understood the concept of government by the people. They took advantage of communicating with those in elected office and convinced them how to legislate. Good, bad, or ugly they used the republican system of government as it was designed; to be a system of self-government.

We must all take personal responsibility for our lot in life. It's not the President's fault some don't have jobs. It's not the President's fault some are less educated than others. It's not the President's fault some don't have healthcare. Promoting "the general welfare" does not mean providing welfare. There are ways to acquire amenities that are not government dependent, but they require personal responsibility, sacrifice, and patience.

Acquiring prosperity is an active process that requires developing information, acquiring knowledge, and pursuing goals. If you simply want to set on your couch, eat hungry man dinners and watch ESPN2, even if you vote, don't complain to me about how the government is operating, at any level. The conditions, regardless of who the President is, are in place for those that desire good living to acquire good living.

Standing UpWrite
Mood:  caffeinated
Now Playing: Do We Really Need It or LIfe is So Inconvenient
Topic: Politics
Standing UpWrite
by Darrin F. Coe, MA
08/05/04:

The people of the United States ordained the constitution of the United States as a way to "promote the general welfare". What is the general welfare? I believe the "general welfare" are those conditions that facilitate the opportunity for all people to acquire the basics of life and to pursue happiness.

I believe the basics of life are still food, shelter, and clothing. Do we NEED cars? No really. If I wanted to leave for work an hour and a half early I could walk but the car allows me to sleep in and is convenient. The television, stereo, DVD player, and VCR are certainly not NEEDED. They help us fill up all that time that's freed up from having a car.

I'll agree that employment is needed but only in it's capacity to provide for the other necessities; if you can acquire, legally, food, shelter and clothing without a "job" and without getting a government handout, then I say, "go for it"

Is electricity necessary? Not really. If you really wanted to you could purchase water, install a hand pump, buy only non-perishable canned food, purchase fresh fruits, vegetables, and meat daily, use a wood-burning stove to heat water for cooking and bathing, heat your house with one or more wood burning stoves, and/or fireplaces, and write letters or visit people instead of using a telephone or computer to communicate.

We, in the United States, have through the guiding force of those representing us as government, developed a standard of living that we believe equates to "necessity" when in actuality it's all convenience. We believe that people without jobs should be given welfare so that they to can eat at McDonalds and have televisions.

The truth is we don't need all this stuff, the government is doing a good job regardless of who's in office, and we all need to take a little more responsibility for our needs and stop whining about the conveniences we think we need. Above and beyond that, changes in government are really all about personal belief, preference, and desire. If you don't like your state's fiscal policy then get involved. If you don't like the federal government's civil rights policy then get involved.

Please, stop whining about the conveniences you believe you're entitled to and start working on the necessities that are already in place for you to acquire and stop believing the government owes you. You, as self-government, owe yourself!

Standing UpWrite
Mood:  bright
Now Playing: A Simulation
Topic: Politics
Standing UpWrite
by Darrin F. Coe
08/05/04

I recently purchased a computer simulation. It is a simulation of local government administration. You act as mayor and must control city growth; revenues; expenditures; income deals; water supply; zoning; and community petitions. Sadly, I have yet to govern a successful city. My most recent attempt failed because the population moved away due to lack of jobs and housing; in eight years the population dropped from 18,000 to 4,000. Most of my previous ventures failed because each of my cities went bankrupt.

In reality administrating and governing any complex entity is a very difficult process. It involves an understanding of basic economics; basic law; basic psychology; basic business; and diplomacy. There are also the factors of personal vision, mission, goals and beliefs that must be integrated into one's governing endeavors. Just the understanding of how taxes affect economic growth and debt is a lifetime of study.

Our country has been referred to as a government for the people by the people. The problem is "the people" don't seem to be governing. Either elected officials act based on the lobbying of special interest groups or their own agenda. They are supposed to act based on the will of the people they represent. Our elected representatives at all levels of government in all branches of government have a very complex job and without guidance from their constituents, they will act based on their own knowledge, wisdom, and agendas.

You must get involved. How many times in the last month have you contacted your state or national representative concerning issues that are significant to you? When's the last time you read and understood your state and federal constitutions? Have you read any proposed legislation lately? In the last month I've contacted my state and federal representatives over five times and read both the federal constitution, the Colorado State constitution, and even took some time to read through a good number of Colorado Revised Statutes. I've also read the summaries of two federally proposed bills and sent my opinion on both of them to my representative.

We should all be responsible for knowing what the local, state, and federal issues are and we should be responsible for governing ourselves through contact with our representatives. Voting only happens once every two years but communication and self government can happen daily. The true power of government runs through the people and into our legislators.

Standing UpWrite
Mood:  bright
Now Playing: Taxes, Taxes, Taxes
Topic: Politics
Standing UpWrite
by Darrin F. Coe, MA
08/05/04:

"Economic growth"; "tax cuts"; "capital gain tax"; "expanding economy"; "national debt", these are all government and political party buzzwords. Do we really know what they mean? In a country that is to be "governed by the people, for the people", do we know and understand the mechanisms of government? I believe that we the people as our own governing body are ethically obligated to develop some understanding of the mechanisms of government.

A government entity operates on revenues generated by a variety of taxes. These range from taxes on purchases of luxury items to corporate taxes to personal income taxes. It seems the news media is always reporting the newest call for either tax cuts or the repealing of tax cuts, but there is never any information given as to how taxes play in the governance of a given entity.

Taxes and lending interest rates are the mechanisms by which government generates income and controls economic growth. Economic growth is the increase in the creation or expansion of new business and wealth creation leading to new employment. Generally, economic growth is facilitated through cutting taxes and decreasing lending interest rates. While this leads to economic growth, what we're not told is it also leads to debt. This is because revenues decrease but spending increases or remains the same.

In order to reduce debt, a government entity must increase it's revenues. This is usually done through tax increases and an increase in the lending interest rate. While this leads to debt reduction it also stifles growth because corporate and business entities have less money to expand.

Thus, government is required to maintain a fine balance between growth, revenue, and debt. In government there will always be debt, there will always be taxes, and there will always be the perception of an easy answer. As people governing ourselves we must take responsibility for understanding that we are not separate from government and our elected officials cannot guarantee each of us a good paying job and no taxes, while still providing all the services and conveniences we've come to know and love. Government can only provide or create those conditions that will allow us to equitably pursue happiness and prosperity. So in the end we as self-governors must choose: Personal prosperity will generally equal government debt, while government prosperity generally leads to a recessionary economy.

Standing UpWrite
Mood:  on fire
Now Playing: We the People Have the Power
Topic: Politics
Standing UpWrite
by Darrin F. Coe, MA
08/20/04

Did you ever wonder what would happen if everyone in the United States of America purchased one less gallon of gas per week? I've been wondering what would happen to the price of junk food if everyone in America would commit to eating one less can of processed pasta per week?

The people of America appear to have lost their understanding of power. Power to change government; power to affect the business and economic market; power to maintain the integrity of self and community.

National Public Radio recently reported that the price of a barrel of oil continues on a meteoric accession being outdistanced only by American's demand for petroleum products. Even as the price of oil rises Americans have increased their use of oil. So what do the American people do? We whine about how the government needs to do something about the rising price of oil and gas; we want someone to fix the price of our consumption.

What we apparently don't accept is it is the people of America that have created the high price of gas and oil. We demand, we demand, and we demand but we don't want to pay for our demand. You want the price of gas to go down? Stop buying gas! The price of a commodity will decrease when demand does not exist to justify inflated price. As a massive group, Americans must unite in controlling the market; specifically gas and oil but the concept applies to any market.

If we want lower prices on healthy food then stop buying junk food. If we want lower healthcare costs then stop using healthcare spuriously and indiscriminately. Demand a price list from your doctor on all services and then shop around. Get out of your insurance plan if it's to expensive and start an interest bearing savings account dedicated to medical expenses or get involved in a government health savings account which provides a number of tax benefits.

We the people of the United States must regain our power en masse. If we come together and use the tools of community boycott, demand letters, and changed spending habits we can have lower prices on gas, oil, healthcare, insurance, and healthy food. Change is our responsibility not the government's. Let us not go softly into that good night of government dependence and market apathy. People are government.

Standing UpWrite
Mood:  bright
Now Playing: What I learned on Family Vacation
Topic: Parenting
Standing UpWrite
by Darrin F. Coe, MA
08/20/04

My wife, my two preschoolers, and I recently drove from Canon City, Colorado to Readstown, Wisconsin in a 4-door dodge neon. I'm happy to report my children are still alive. Believe it or not this was one of the most enjoyable times I've experienced in the past year. My family grew closer and I learned to experience joy in that most exasperating of questions, "Are we there yet?"

I learned that it is better to be creative than it is to be frustrated and angry. One of my boys would ask, "Are we there yet?"

I would answer, "Yes, but only in our existential and ethereal lives." Which bought about 10 minutes of silence as they tried to figure out what I'd just said. There was one point as we were approaching Onowa, Iowa on our return trip at which I found myself wanting to use every expletive I'd learned in my eight years as a correctional professional as well as wanting to try my hand at creating a few. The boys were tired, loud, talkative, and only barely listening as I and my wife attempted to speak rationally to them about shutting their mouths..

So instead of blowing a diode and risking the safety of everyone in the car, I began to engage the boys in a question and answer session about what they loved about our vacation to date. Questions like, "Duncan, what three things did you like most about spending time with greatgrandpa Gayle?" Within minutes, both boys were chomping at the bit to answer the next question; I was back in control, and in the process learned a great deal about the loves, goals, and thought processes of a three and a five year old. It turned into one of the highlights of the trip.

I learned that creativity and patience provide much more joy and control than loud volume, and intimidation. I learned that our family has a lot of great things to share with each other if we take the time to get over being tired and allow even the youngest to have their say. I learned that I too, am not immune to threatening to "pull this car over, right now!" Finally, I learned it is imperative to pay attention when your son tells you he's got a "yucky tummy" and feels like throwing up.

Standing UpWrite
Mood:  irritated
Now Playing: Fat Men Doing Bad Things
Topic: morality and ethics
Standing UpWrite
by Darrin F. Coe, MA

"I could not understand this, and I thought much about it. How could men get fat by being bad, and starve by being good?"
- Black Elk Speaks

I think the answer lies in the mirror. We, the populace, allow fatness. We allow such things as the Patriot Act. We allow such things as high gas prices. We allow such things as poor education. We allow bad governance and breach of our federal Constitution. Our country was founded on the principle that humans have the inherent liberty to govern themselves and when we fail to govern ourselves others will get fat from the apathy.

I think we've got to get past the "don't rock the boat" mentality of personal satiation. It seems that as long as we have our paycheck, our ESPN, and our TV dinners, we're content to allow the power brokers to broker, the warlords to war, and the industrialists to industry. But what happens when they begin to affect us? What happens when the brokering, warring, and industrying, begin to affect our lives?

Did you know that there is a proposal in the upper echelons of power to tie education to military or civil service? Did you know that there is a proposal to bring back a version of the draft? Did you know that a vast majority of the money that could be spent on education is now being spent on the military?

When do we stop being government dependents and start being government? The founders of the great experiment known as America believed that people were government. There was to be no such thing as government separate from the populace. When that happens we begin to spiral into despotism. The United States Constitution is fraught with mechanisms for the masses to change government if what's current is not to their liking. Sadly, few today have ever thoroughly read the Constitution, let alone study it and apply it.

We've lost the study and application of history. We wander around like automatons accepting all we're told at face value and never taking the time or initiative to investigate issues ourselves. We actually still believe in the original "thanksgiving" events as portrayed in our history books. We still believe that President Lincoln was a great man who cared greatly for the slaves. We believe our current President is simply a bumbling patriotic idiot mislead by his intelligence community, and that all we have to do is vote to change things.

There are layers upon layers of truth within the glut of information now available to we the American people and it behooves us to work at assimilating that information. In a world such as we now have it is imperative that we wake up from the walking dream that the inner circles of power have created for us.

Believe me there are inner circles of power and there are upper echelons of money and power that we the people can no longer comprehend because we've allowed our society and our country to be usurped by those who crave money and power.

The Constitution allows for the impeachment of judges, the president, and any number of other elected officials. The constitution's second amendment was included because the framers knew that the last stance against tyranny and despotism would be an armed populace and when all the smoke clears and the mirrors are shattered we the people must govern ourselves and take power away from the power lusting mongers. We can no longer allow men to get fat doing bad things.

Standing UpWrite
Mood:  bright
Now Playing: The 2nd Amendment and Black Helicopters
Topic: Politics
Standing UpWrite
by Darrin F. Coe, MA

Ronald Reagan was a member of a Luciferian secret society; the United States government constructed the 9/11 tragedy for the purpose of padding the pockets of elite, secret societies such as the Bilderbirgs; and John Kerry is the puppet of elite zionists Ah, the conspiracies run amuck. I get information from several sources that allow me an inside peek at current conspiracy theory and there are some really good ones currently exant.

A man in Washington state is claiming that Flight 77 never struck the Pentagon and in fact, the Pentagon was struck with a missile and a smaller f-16-like fighter jet. Based on evidence from engineering, forensics, and witness testimony this man believes, along with others, that Donald Rumsfeld was the mastermind behind 9/11 and the blood of all those killed in the Pentagon and the Twin Towers should be laid at the feet of our federal administration.

Another related theory links President Bush to Osama Bin Laden through the oil and banking industries. This theory states that there are no terrorists planning to continually bomb our nation; that once again the 9/11 tragedy was either created or allowed by our administration; the war on terrorism is maintained as a way to slowly erode the our individual rights while at the same time padding the pockets and power of a number of groups including the Bilderbirgs, Riggs Bank, and the Carlyle Group.

Another theory states that Osama Bin Laden worked for the CIA recruiting terrorists, which were then trained by the CIA, to fight in Afghanistan. We are now using these same terrorists as mercenaries to maintain the war on terrorism. .

There are so many allegations indicating government complicity in the 9/11 tragedy and the creating of terror that one can become lost in the twists and turns. Sadly, there seems to be just as many twists and turns in the information being disseminated by the government. So what does one believe? Is the U.S. government run by evil, elitists from the Vatican or are we actually under constant threat of destruction via Islamic extremists? It really doesn't look good for the government, given the deceptions that've legitimately been exposed.

I do know that our government appears duplicitous and deceitful. Now if you'll excuse me I need to go study the second amendment for the coming revolution and hide from the black helicopters.

Standing UpWrite
Mood:  on fire
Now Playing: The First Amendment and Gay Marriage
Topic: morality and ethics
Standing UpWrite
by Darrin F. Coe, MA

The First Amendment and Gay Marriage

The First Amendment to the United States Constitution reads, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech . . ."

The first amendment's prohibiting and freedom of speech clauses effectively prohibit the legalization of gay marriages. Currently in our country if gay marriage is legitimized through legislation this will both prohibit the free exercise of religion and abridge freedom of speech.

There are many churches who believe and actively teach that homosexuality is wrong. Many ministers will not marry homosexual couples and openly speak out against living a homosexual lifestyle.
If homosexual marriage is legalized will ministers be forced to perform marriage ceremonies? If they are this is a prohibition on their free exercise of religion. If homosexual marriage is legalized will preaching and teaching against the homosexual lifestyle become a hate-crime? If it does then this becomes a prohibition on the free exercise of religion and abridges freedom of speech.

The first amendment guarantees that no law shall abridge the freedom of the press. If homosexual marriage is legalized will literature teaching against it or letters to newspaper editors speaking against it or articles in religious publications against it be censored? If they are then freedom of the press is abridged.

Some may argue that not legalizing homosexual marriage would support one system of faith over another and violate the first amendment. This is not true due to the fact that there is not just one system of faith that teaches against homosexuality. There are just some that are more outspoken than others. Finally, by legalizing homosexual marriage you'd be violating the establishment clause by giving preference to those systems of faith that support homosexual marriage.
If states want to pass legislation creating civil unions between homosexual couples, which can be recognized by religions at their discretion, this would be much more constitutional than legalizing gay marriage. This also allows for the rights of the states to manage their own affairs.

The legalization of homosexual marriage comes much to close to leading to violation of three of the clauses in the first amendment. We don't need a constitutional amendment defining marriage we simply need to consider what the ramifications of legalizing gay marriage will have on our first amendment. It could be a constitutional disaster.

Standing UpWrite
Mood:  cheeky
Now Playing: Laura Ingraham is a Silly Woman
Topic: culture and religion
Standing UpWrite
by Darrin F. Coe, MA

I've been reading the book, Shut Up & Sing, by vaunted radio talk show host Laura Ingraham. I'm unimpressed with Miss Laura's logic, ability to connect cogent evidence and conclusions and inability to see beyond the conservative blinders that so limit her ideology. (Which she would expect me to say)

The book is a superficial lambast of the "elite" of the world. She attempts to show that the vast majority of people from large cities, who are democrats, who desire world peace, and who speak out against Republican presidents are stupid, evil, and anti-American.

In, Shut Up & Sing, Miss Laura posits the theory that liberal "elites" are angry over the 2000 Presidential election; that the belief President Bush was selected instead of elected is a falsehood which the liberal elite are trying to propagate to the masses. What she fails to mention is that the President was selected. He lost the popular vote and won the electoral vote. He did not get elected by the people.

She believes that the Democratic and liberal political parties are crumbling and conservative Republicanism is the most popular thing since sliced bread. The vast majority of political polls indicate the country is almost equally divided.

Miss Laura tries to convince people that our conservative administration is the epitome of what it means to be an American. Miss Laura is an ideologue who's bought the neoconservativism of Paul Wolfowitz hook-line-and-sinker. For Miss Laura there is only one form of conservativism and that is the one originating in the deep south.

Miss Laura fails to discuss the erosion of the bill of rights via the patriot act. She ignores the deception of Cheney and the totalitarianism of Rumsfeld. She presents all international bodies as communist plots to overthrow the United States.

Miss Laura needs to recognize that conservatives and liberals come in a variety of flavors. She needs to allow for the fact that it's ok to dislike President Bush or any other President and still be a patriot.

She believes anything not involving waving the flag; toting a gun; being a faithful church goer; deep faith in the righteousness of our President; or driving a pick-up truck are un-American.

President George Washington disliked military action; encouraged peace with all nations, working with all nations; allowing for the sovereignty of all nations; disliked political parties and the adversarial political system; and believed the constitution was the cement of our country. Miss Laura would probably think he's un-American.

Don't forget to check out the Secret Society For Peace and Liberty at http://dcoe1.tripod.com/peacelibery or Darrin Coe's writing site at http://dcoe1.tripod.com