Flyover Country

I spent some time in Washington, DC over the last few days.  I was there for two reasons.  The first was to have some solo time for photographing memorials and monuments for Honor Flight videos that I produce.  The second was to attend the Restoring Honor event on 8/28.

I was able to spend some time at the Washington Monument, the World War II Memorial, and the Lincoln Monument.  All of them are amazing and unique.  The World War II memorial at night is beautiful.  I got up early Friday morning to head over to the Lincoln Memorial to take some sunrise photos.  The World War II memorial, the Washington Monument, and the Capitol building are all directly east of the Lincoln Memorial, and the sun coming up behind those historic markers is really quite stunning.

One place that seems kind of out of the way, and somewhat forgotten is the Jefferson Memorial.  Maybe because of that, and because he was so intimately involved with writing the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson has always kind of drawn me.

Almighty God hath created the mind free. All attempts to influence it by temporal punishments or burthens . . . are a departure from the plan of the Holy Author of our religion . . . No man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship or ministry or shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief, but all men shall be free to profess and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion. I know but one code of morality for men whether acting singly or collectively.

As I stood under the rotunda reading Jefferson’s words, I was moved to tears at the eloquence and simplicity with which he expressed such fundamental principles — and how far from the founding principles of freedom and liberty we have come.

I Have Sworn Upon the Altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.

The founding fathers risked everything for the cause of freedom.  To each other for the cause of liberty, they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their honor.  With the most powerful nation on the planet, and many of their own colonists against them, Jefferson and his fellow patriots refused to accept the remote rule of a distant, deaf King George.  We know that America is an idea, an experiment in limited government.  Reagan famously talked about America as the “last stand on earth”.  He said, “If we lose freedom here, there is no place to escape to.”

I hope we, I hope I, for the sake of preserving freedom for future generations, have what it takes to be more than just a sunshine patriot.

With props to Cesar Milan for his excellent post on dealing with a hyperactive dog, I give you:

5 Tips for Calming a Hyperactive Liberal

Hyperactivity is a problem with many possible causes and solutions. Here are some simple techniques you can try at home to work to calm your boisterous liberal:

• Ignore the behavior! Liberals seek attention from you. By paying them that attention during hyperactive outbursts, you’re reinforcing the very behavior that you’re trying to eliminate. The next time your liberal is jumping or nipping at you in an overexcited way, give it a try — no touch, no talk, no eye contact — and see how you fare. You might be surprised how quickly the hippie settles down.
• Give your liberal a job! Having a task to focus on can help tremendously. Hyperactivity can come from psychological needs as easily as it can from physical needs. By giving your liberal a job to do, you are removing him from his state of hyperactivity and redirecting his energy elsewhere. The task should have a clear beginning and end, and should never be considered a replacement for physical exercise. Which brings us to…
• Go for a walk! If your liberal has a lot of built-up energy, a really vigorous walk is another excellent way to redirect it where YOU want it to go. Once you’ve burned that extra energy away, your liberal should be pleasantly exhausted and too tuckered out to jump and nip. Without that frustration, he’ll find it much easier to relax.
• Check your own energy! Your liberal is your mirror. Any energy you project, he will reflect back. Are you in a calm assertive state of mind? Are you projecting a confident energy? Are you stressing out over an argument, or burdened with the worries of the work week? Nervous or anxious moods can translate into nervous or anxious body language or tones of voice, and can affect the energy of your liberal.
• Try out aromatherapy! Don’t forget that liberals experience the world primarily by scent! Just as the smell of lavender is said to relax human beings, a soothing smell can also have a very calming effect on your tree hugger. A stranger’s money usually works well, but try not to overdo it, as he will quickly acquire a sense of entitlement and start taking it from others for himself.

Six Ohio legislators want to give criminals with multiple convictions the option to have their court records sealed.  As it is now, only first time offenders are eligible to petition the court for this action.  Where it gets really evil is that the record expunging isn’t limited to the courts.  These senators have decided they want all records of the convictions erased.

Columbus Dispatch The legislation, introduced by Sen. Shirley Smith, D-Cleveland, however, would not stop at ordering courts and police agencies to seal the official record.

It also would require individuals and private businesses to erase the historical record by destroying “records” they hold about the convictions of those whose cases are sealed.

Under threat of a $250,000 fine, the bill would require individuals, newspapers and other news media to delete stories from the Internet and their archives about the arrests and convictions of those who win expungement orders.

If a party knowingly released information about a sealed conviction, they would face a $500,000 fine. The damages would double to $1 million if the banned information was available on the Internet.

This is a blatant attempt to create a de-facto Ministry of Truth – where historical records are destroyed on penalty of massive fines.  Small-town newspapers would be immediately destroyed by even a single one of these fines.

To start with poor convicts who just can’t get a job because of their criminal record is the foot in the door to forcing the erasure of other history.  We have a right to a public trial primarily for the accused.  We have a free and open press so that we have someone keeping an accurate record of history.  As an employer, I have a right to know if someone I’m interviewing has a rap sheet for fraud or bank robbery.

However well intentioned, this is a supremely bad idea.  Every piece of history the government or a politician doesn’t want you to find out about will be erased.  One conviction for a minor offense is a youthful indiscretion.  Multiple DUIs is a pattern – and we the people have a right to know who we’re electing.

There is an unrelated story about how the Columbus City council is trying to grant themselves privileges to move meetings behind closed doors, out of view of the public.  This is the opposite of a government of the people.  This is a government of rulers, who alone will decide what history is kept, what must be changed to reflect their arbitrary declarations, and what must be erased.

Cesar Milan writes about the “7 Habits of Highly Successful Dog Owners” – but he opens with a really interesting paragraph.

Take a close look at the behavior of any successful pack leader, and you can’t help seeing it mirrored in the behavior of successful people from all walks of life. It’s probably not a coincidence then that as I’ve practiced what I’ve preached to dog owners over the years, I’ve seen improvements in other areas of my life, too. Here are the pack-leading tactics that have helped me most— not just with my dogs but as a husband, a father, and a man. (emphasis mine)

That last part – especially the last three words “…and a man” – struck me.  It shouldn’t have, but quality male role models who understand that they have a unique role to fill in the lives of their families and communities is rare.  At least, this kind of expression of recognizing that manhood has a value in society is rare.  It shouldn’t be.

The 7 Habits of Highly Successful Dog Owners