Powers, Rights, Privileges

In a constitutionally limited representative democratic republic,

• A power belongs to a government, to compel a non-governmental entity to perform some action or to prevent a non-governmental entity from performing some action.  The sole powers that any such government has are always defined and limited by a constitution, either federal or state.
• A right belongs to an individual or a natural person, to do or not to do as he sees fit.  A right is absolute protection against governmental power. 

A Civics Class

If you did not suffer through a Civics class while you attended high school, you would be forgiven if you did not know:

• That the birthday of the United States of America is July 4^th, 1776
• That our national flag has 50 stars, that they are white on a blue background, and that there are 50 stars because there are currently 50 states in the union
• That our national flag has 13 stripes, that they alternate white and red, and that 13 is the number of the original colonies

Insurrection

click to view APNEWS Photo Essay

As only the Left calls January 6^th, 2021, in Washington, DC an Insurrection or Sedition, I will refrain from using either of those words, I will not begin my essay with a partisan conclusion.

I want to talk facts – incontrovertible facts, facts that we all agree on – not conclusions.  Only if the facts demand a specific conclusion will I travel that road.

So, here goes.

Patriotism, Again

“Words are not enough, Joe, remembering to say "I love you" every ten days doesn’t cut it. If you really loved me, you would take out the trash without my pestering you, you’d clean up after dinner, you’d help me make the beds, you’d mow the lawns and occasionally do the shopping for our dinner table. You would DO things that showed you love me, that made my life more pleasant, easier. And you would buy me flowers for no reason at all other than you were thinking about me and how much I mean to you.” You know the drill, men, words are not enough, real love is demonstrated with actions.

Messing with the Right to Vote

OK, I can hear some of you already: “That Ben Paine, he is totally off his rocker; his idea is bad enough, but publishing it is a sure sign of really losing it!”

OK, what’s it all about?

Democracy!  And who has the right to vote.

You have heard me say that a democracy is the ONLY way to go; any other form of government – oligarchy (rule by a few) or monarchy (rule by one) – is a form of tyranny, because no matter how benevolent they may be, they are NOT self-rule, they are NOT We the People ruling ourselves.  And you have heard me say that everyone should exercise his right to vote, it is his civic duty, it is the least he can do!  But I’d like to impose some conditions on a citizen’s right to vote.  Just to make things interesting.

The Four Freedoms

       

The following is stolen verbatim from the Norman Rockwell Museum's website.

A Citizenship Test

In my book, To My Countrymen, in the last few pages, I write these words: “If you, a native-born American, cannot pass the citizenship test that wanna-be citizens must pass, do you think that you should have the right to vote?”

American Exceptionalism

Watch this video because I will not be repeating what the news anchor says to his audience.  If you don’t watch it, you will miss most of the context for what I have written.  Go ahead; it is an entertaining and dramatic five minutes (they killed the extended eight minute version).

Patriotism

“Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.”

WTF???!!!

This is the most famous quotation ever about patriotism, and it is a slander!