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Today I was riding my mountain bike high up on a trail when I heard lightning behind me. I turned and noticed down in the city the sky was covered with some very dark clouds. I immediately started making my way back down the mountain. Well, I didn’t get very far when it started to sprinkle, then it started to rain, then I was in the middle of a downpour and I was being pelted with hail.
At that point in time, I thought to myself, this sucks! I took cover in the doorway of a local church, while observing a small river form on the road in front of me. I watched as beautifully manicured yards were washed away and a million dollar home was completely flooded.
The following pictures are what I saw after the storm. When I peddled my bike through two feet of water, as my teeth were chattering, and all I could think about was a warm shower at the end of my long ride!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Federal court ruling on Proposition 8 a case of judicial tyranny
Author: Tim Wildmon
The people of California spoke clearly at the polls in 2008 when they passed an amendment to the state Constitution that defined marriage as a union between one man and one woman. The public debate was held, the media wars were fought, both sides spent millions of dollars, and the people voted for Proposition 8 by a margin of 52 percent to 48 percent.
The people's will carried the day, as it is supposed to — until U.S. District Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker came along.
Last week, Walker nullified the votes of 7,001,084 people. In his decision to invalidate the constitutional amendment, he wrote: "That the majority of California voters supported Proposition 8 is irrelevant."
This judge believes that defining a person by sexual behavior is the same as defining a person by skin color. And given the fact that he is widely reported to be gay, it is obvious he believed this before the case was even brought to his courtroom. Walker should have recused himself, but he had a legal and political statement he wanted to make.
Colin L. Powell once said of this comparison: "Skin color is a benign, nonbehavioral characteristic. Sexual orientation is perhaps the most profound of human behavioral characteristics. Comparison of the two is a convenient but invalid argument." This case will end up in the U.S. Supreme Court sometime soon, and there will be a 4-4 split in opinion, leaving the decision once again to one man in a black robe — Justice Anthony M. Kennedy.
The Constitution envisioned a system in which the judiciary would serve to check the excesses of the legislative or executive branches. But today, federal judges have far exceeded their intended role, becoming little gods in our republic. They have lifetime appointments, and their only accountability is the potential for impeachment.
But in the history of our country, only 15 judges have been impeached by the House of Representatives. Of those, four were acquitted, seven were convicted, three resigned, and one is still pending. In other words, Congress almost never removes federal judges. For all practical purposes, the checks and balances of the federal government no longer exist. The judiciary trumps. Our country is basically now run by judges.
Thomas Jefferson warned about this possibility in a Sept. 28, 1820, letter to William Ja rvis: "You seem ... to consider the judges as the ultimate arbiters of all constitutional questions; a very dangerous doctrine indeed, and one which would place us under the despotism of an oligarchy. Our judges are as honest as other men, and not more so ... and their power (is) the more dangerous, as they are in office for life and not responsible, as the other functionaries are, to elective control. The Constitution has erected no such single tribunal, knowing that to whatever hands confided, with corruptions of time and party, its members would become despots."
The Founding Fathers understood the selfish and sinful nature of man and therefore divided the government up so that no one branch would be all powerful over the other branches or over the American people. What we have today is judicial tyranny and exactly what Jefferson feared. Unless Congress asserts its constitutional power of impeachment, judges will continue to impose their personal opinions on whatever controversy is before them, regardless of what the Constitution does or does not say.
In his ruling, Walker wrote: "The evidence shows conclusively that moral and religious views form the only basis for a belief that same-sex couples are different from opposite-sex couples."
This is clearly a judge imposing his personal opinions. What Walker is saying is that you cannot hold a valid view about marriage if you base it on religion or morality. Those are illegitimate considerations in his worldview.
Contrast Walker's dismissal of our country's rich Judeo-Christian heritage with George Washington's affirmation in his famous farewell address: "Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports."
If moral and religious values are no longer valid, what does the judge put in their place? I would suggest, as Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence, that we continue to rely on, and revere, "the laws of nature and nature's God."
The people of California spoke clearly at the polls in 2008 when they passed an amendment to the state Constitution that defined marriage as a union between one man and one woman. The public debate was held, the media wars were fought, both sides spent millions of dollars, and the people voted for Proposition 8 by a margin of 52 percent to 48 percent.
The people's will carried the day, as it is supposed to — until U.S. District Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker came along.
Last week, Walker nullified the votes of 7,001,084 people. In his decision to invalidate the constitutional amendment, he wrote: "That the majority of California voters supported Proposition 8 is irrelevant."
This judge believes that defining a person by sexual behavior is the same as defining a person by skin color. And given the fact that he is widely reported to be gay, it is obvious he believed this before the case was even brought to his courtroom. Walker should have recused himself, but he had a legal and political statement he wanted to make.
Colin L. Powell once said of this comparison: "Skin color is a benign, nonbehavioral characteristic. Sexual orientation is perhaps the most profound of human behavioral characteristics. Comparison of the two is a convenient but invalid argument." This case will end up in the U.S. Supreme Court sometime soon, and there will be a 4-4 split in opinion, leaving the decision once again to one man in a black robe — Justice Anthony M. Kennedy.
The Constitution envisioned a system in which the judiciary would serve to check the excesses of the legislative or executive branches. But today, federal judges have far exceeded their intended role, becoming little gods in our republic. They have lifetime appointments, and their only accountability is the potential for impeachment.
But in the history of our country, only 15 judges have been impeached by the House of Representatives. Of those, four were acquitted, seven were convicted, three resigned, and one is still pending. In other words, Congress almost never removes federal judges. For all practical purposes, the checks and balances of the federal government no longer exist. The judiciary trumps. Our country is basically now run by judges.
Thomas Jefferson warned about this possibility in a Sept. 28, 1820, letter to William Ja rvis: "You seem ... to consider the judges as the ultimate arbiters of all constitutional questions; a very dangerous doctrine indeed, and one which would place us under the despotism of an oligarchy. Our judges are as honest as other men, and not more so ... and their power (is) the more dangerous, as they are in office for life and not responsible, as the other functionaries are, to elective control. The Constitution has erected no such single tribunal, knowing that to whatever hands confided, with corruptions of time and party, its members would become despots."
The Founding Fathers understood the selfish and sinful nature of man and therefore divided the government up so that no one branch would be all powerful over the other branches or over the American people. What we have today is judicial tyranny and exactly what Jefferson feared. Unless Congress asserts its constitutional power of impeachment, judges will continue to impose their personal opinions on whatever controversy is before them, regardless of what the Constitution does or does not say.
In his ruling, Walker wrote: "The evidence shows conclusively that moral and religious views form the only basis for a belief that same-sex couples are different from opposite-sex couples."
This is clearly a judge imposing his personal opinions. What Walker is saying is that you cannot hold a valid view about marriage if you base it on religion or morality. Those are illegitimate considerations in his worldview.
Contrast Walker's dismissal of our country's rich Judeo-Christian heritage with George Washington's affirmation in his famous farewell address: "Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports."
If moral and religious values are no longer valid, what does the judge put in their place? I would suggest, as Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence, that we continue to rely on, and revere, "the laws of nature and nature's God."
Sunday, August 1, 2010
A Happy Day
Today is a happy day for me because I just finished a week of camping with the Boy Scouts. The event was one that I had been dreading for weeks. I liken it to seeing the dentist. It is something that you know has to be done, but you’re usually not excited to do. This year our scout troop went into a mountain area that was over 10,000 feet in elevation and spent the week fishing, hiking and kayaking. The trip would have been perfect, if I didn’t have to manage nine rambunctious boys.
President Monson has stated that the rising generation is “the very best ever” (see “Constant Truths for Changing Times,” Ensign, May 2005). Honestly, his statement has baffled me because I've studied previous generations and I question the quality of this one. Just look back at the generation of Americans who gained independence from England and constructed a Constitution. Their work has withstood the test of time. Does this not make them the best generation? Then think about the pioneer generation that crossed this massive country in search of religious freedom. Were they not a great generation? Then there is my father’s generation, they suffered through the Great Depression and defeated the Nazis in World War II. Many people, including myself, believe that they ware the greatest generation. Am I wrong in my thinking?
During my week with the boys I decided to see if President Monson’s statement on their greatness is correct. We were in an uncomfortable situation which created a perfect environment for true observations. I figured a primitive wilderness, harsh mountain weather, excessive mosquitoes, elevation sickness, along with a week away from Mommy, would contribute to the boys showing their true personalities.
My observations went as follows:
- On the first day, a boy stuck a knife into his head. Yes you read correctly, the boy was throwing his knife at a squirrel high up in a pine tree. Then Newton’s Universal Law of Gravitation occurred with the knife coming down and planting itself into his noggin.
- On the second day, I observed boys whittling spears out of wood and then they proceeded to hunt a family of chipmunks.
- On the third day, we left our campsite and hiked four miles to a remote lake. During the hike we passed many young women’s groups and I never observed any of these girls complaining. However, many of the boys in our group complained without ceasing.
- On the fourth day, we return to our campsite and the boys continued honing their hunting skills. That evening one of the boys made a lucky throw and killed a chipmunk with a rock.
- On the fifth day, the boys killed an entire family of chipmunks. They used peanuts as bait, along with rocks and spears for weapons. After the extermination of the chipmunks, I seriously wondered about President Monson’s statement because I had observed a scene similar to one from the novel Lord of the Flies.
Then everything change for me late that evening. It was just before we went to bed when the Scoutmaster told a riveting story of the mythical creature called Sasquatch (sometimes called Bigfoot). The boys sat mesmerized as the Scoutmaster spun a fictional story of his meeting the elusive beast. After the story ended, one of the boys spoke up without hesitation and said, “I just finished reading The Book of Genesis and I think Bigfoot is actually Cain.” The boy then proceeded to explain the similarities between the two characters and how Cain was given a curse that caused him to not die. Then another boy spoke up and said, “The way I figure, Cain is working for Satan. But John the Beloved and the Three Nephites are working for God. So it is four-against-one odds in our favor. Well, I’m not afraid of Bigfoot and am going to bed.”
Hey folks, maybe President Monson is correct on their potential. Because it only took these boys a matter of minutes to debunk the great Bigfoot legend (see The Miracle of Forgiveness, pages 127-128) that has existed for many years among the confused believers!
President Monson has stated that the rising generation is “the very best ever” (see “Constant Truths for Changing Times,” Ensign, May 2005). Honestly, his statement has baffled me because I've studied previous generations and I question the quality of this one. Just look back at the generation of Americans who gained independence from England and constructed a Constitution. Their work has withstood the test of time. Does this not make them the best generation? Then think about the pioneer generation that crossed this massive country in search of religious freedom. Were they not a great generation? Then there is my father’s generation, they suffered through the Great Depression and defeated the Nazis in World War II. Many people, including myself, believe that they ware the greatest generation. Am I wrong in my thinking?
During my week with the boys I decided to see if President Monson’s statement on their greatness is correct. We were in an uncomfortable situation which created a perfect environment for true observations. I figured a primitive wilderness, harsh mountain weather, excessive mosquitoes, elevation sickness, along with a week away from Mommy, would contribute to the boys showing their true personalities.
My observations went as follows:
- On the first day, a boy stuck a knife into his head. Yes you read correctly, the boy was throwing his knife at a squirrel high up in a pine tree. Then Newton’s Universal Law of Gravitation occurred with the knife coming down and planting itself into his noggin.
- On the second day, I observed boys whittling spears out of wood and then they proceeded to hunt a family of chipmunks.
- On the third day, we left our campsite and hiked four miles to a remote lake. During the hike we passed many young women’s groups and I never observed any of these girls complaining. However, many of the boys in our group complained without ceasing.
- On the fourth day, we return to our campsite and the boys continued honing their hunting skills. That evening one of the boys made a lucky throw and killed a chipmunk with a rock.
- On the fifth day, the boys killed an entire family of chipmunks. They used peanuts as bait, along with rocks and spears for weapons. After the extermination of the chipmunks, I seriously wondered about President Monson’s statement because I had observed a scene similar to one from the novel Lord of the Flies.
Then everything change for me late that evening. It was just before we went to bed when the Scoutmaster told a riveting story of the mythical creature called Sasquatch (sometimes called Bigfoot). The boys sat mesmerized as the Scoutmaster spun a fictional story of his meeting the elusive beast. After the story ended, one of the boys spoke up without hesitation and said, “I just finished reading The Book of Genesis and I think Bigfoot is actually Cain.” The boy then proceeded to explain the similarities between the two characters and how Cain was given a curse that caused him to not die. Then another boy spoke up and said, “The way I figure, Cain is working for Satan. But John the Beloved and the Three Nephites are working for God. So it is four-against-one odds in our favor. Well, I’m not afraid of Bigfoot and am going to bed.”
Hey folks, maybe President Monson is correct on their potential. Because it only took these boys a matter of minutes to debunk the great Bigfoot legend (see The Miracle of Forgiveness, pages 127-128) that has existed for many years among the confused believers!
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