Speed Kills

     Since I started driving I've been teased for driving too slow. I never understood the need to drive faster than the posted speed, sadly my view is in the minority. At the start of the new year of 2014 the State of Illinois will raise the top speed limit to 70mph. The people wanted this and gave the bill large public support. This change however is not making it's way to the city of Chicago, not yet at least. It will be implemented first in areas where it is safer for high speeds. This apparently doesn't include the expressways and tollways in and around Chicago. Illinois Senator Jim Oberweis is not happy about this, he thinks Chicago should be included right away. He says the voters have spoken and this is what they want. He also says that it's more dangerous to not raise the speed limit because everyone is going 70 mph anyway. He says this will close the gap between drivers going 55mph and those going 70mph. OK now lets take a look at his logic. He wants to raise the speed limit to satisfy speeders? Ill agree with one thing he said, that everyone is already going 70mph, we can agree on that. However to say going faster will be safer is foolishness. In 2012 there were 956 fatalities on Illinois roads, will raising the speed limit decrease these numbers? The way I see it is if drivers are going 70mph when the speed limit is 55, why wouldn't they also drive 90mph when the speed limit is 70? That "gap" that he speaks of will always be there. This "gap" is due to the high amount of law breaking speeders weaving around anyone going slower than themselves. There will always be slow drivers and fast drivers, that's just the way it is. These days people are much more concerned with speed than safety. The human body is not designed to go 55 or 70mph. Most young drivers have never seen what happens to a human body in a high speed crash. When the media shows pictures of car accidents it is always after the scene has been cleaned up and hosed down. I say lower the speed limits, the people who want to speed are going to speed regardless of the posted speed limit.  Why are we in such a hurry anyway?- BDB

Sources -  (Google Images)
http://theexpiredmeter.com/2013/12/advocates-for-70-mph-speed-limits-hope-to-convince-tollway-to-increase-posted-speeds-at-december-board-meeting/

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-12-27/news/chi-state-releases-map-for-new-70-mph-speed-limit-20131227_1_speed-limit-70-mph-limit-70-mph

Lack of Knowledge

   Hosea  4:6 "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge".

    We live in a very complex world. America alone has over 300 million people, that's over 300 million opinions. If we want to change things we must start with the things that we can control. We can get involved right where we are by getting informed. Information is powerful, this is why the Nazis burned books, they wanted to prevent the population from getting informed from outside resources. Subjects such as jury rights, politics, history and human psychology are crucial to our development as informed people. We can't make our country a better place until we understand how things work. The best place to start is to learn and know your rights. America is a much different country in 2013 than it was in 1776. All of our God given rights are under attack by people who want to radically change this country. Our 1st Amendment specifically is under severe attack by misguided individuals. I say misguided because they are attacking the very liberties that make them free. It is quite an irony to watch it unfold. These poor misguided people don't even understand the U.S. Constitution that they are standing on and attacking at the same time. The 1st Amendment of the Bill of Rights secures 5 freedoms.

   "Freedom of speech" is often misunderstood. The Constitution protects us from government persecution but it does not protect us from private citizens or groups. You are free to say what you want but there still may be consequences.
   "Freedom of religion" is being twisted to read "freedom from religion", this is not what it means. Understand that it is completely legal for public school kids to hand out Christmas cards. It is also within the law for a courthouse to have a Christmas tree out front. "Freedom" means all religions are welcome on public property. A courthouse is paid for by taxpayers, therefore it is public property.
   "Freedom of the press" Anyone who is reporting news can be the press. You don't have to work for a big news channel to be a journalist. In this digital age everyone should become a citizen journalist and do there own stories. This is a way to ensure that our police and elected officials are accountable.
     "Freedom of peaceful assembly" This is a right that we take for granted as Americans. We have the right to strike, picket and/or protest as long as it's peaceful. Nowhere in the Constitution does it say that we need a permit anywhere at any time.
     "Right to petition" Again, we take this for granted because this is how its always been. We have complete freedom to write, email or fax any grievances or gripes you have with your city counsel, your state representatives or even your sheriff.
This is just a small part of our guaranteed rights in America. We should start with knowing these backward and forwards -BDB
(Google Images)

Plenty of Room

   I hear complaints all the time that there are too many people on the planet and the Earth can't possibly sustain us all, is this true?  Whether you believe the Earth is overpopulated or not is directly related to your world view. If you believe that God created man and the earth was designed for us, you also believe man is made in Gods image. If this is your view then you probably believe we should continue to fill the Earth as God instructed. If you have the opposite world view and you believe man evolved from fish, then you most likely believe the Earth has too many people. Another deciding factor is where you live. If you live in a large city in a small apartment chances are you feel crowded. If you live in the country and own 100 acres then chances are you don't feel crowded. The world's population is currently estimated at 7.2 billion people. What number would define "over populated"? I don't think there is an exact number. There are cities in the world that are "over populated", but this is because a large amount of people all want to be in the same area, it is not because there is a shortage of space. There is a large percentage of the world's population that enjoys living in highly populated areas. What about resources? Does the Earth contain enough natural resources to sustain such a large population? Absolutely, there is plenty of water, oxygen, oil and food for everyone. If we were to ever run out of one of these it would be because of human waste and irresponsibility. We waste as much food as we eat and we spill as much oil as we use. It would be completely our own fault to end up in that position. So is the Earth over populated? 7.2 billion is a big number, but the Earth's a big planet. If you take all 7.2 billion people and put everyone in one area, it would fit in the state of Texas. Yes the entire Earth's population can fit comfortably in the state of Texas, there is plenty of room after all. We just need to be better at managing our resources. With that said, lets make sure and take care of this planet. We should be reducing pollution, cleaning waste and recycling when ever possible because no matter what world view you subscribe to, we don't know how long we will be here.- BDB

Source - (Google Images)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_population

http://www.omg-facts.com/Interesting/The-Entire-World-Population-Could-Fit-In/55348

Federal Overstepping

      First I must state that I don't smoke pot and I don't think anyone else should either, it is very unhealthy. However I'm for freedom and I'm not sure it's up to the government to decide what is good for us or not. If "We the People" decide we want to legalize a plant, what's to stop us? Apparently the Federal Government because they  know what's best for us better than we do. There are several places in the United States now where the voters voted to de-criminalize marijuana, the problem is that the Federal Government says "not so fast". This is just another of many examples of the Federal Government trying to run our lives. The state of Colorado, Portland, Maine and three cities in Michigan (Ferndale, Jackson, and Lansing) all voted to legalize recreational marijuana. A few months back, the Department of Justice issued a memo that they would back off states where recreational use had been legalized and would only interfere if things crossed one of eight certain thresholds. It was celebrated as a victory by marijuana advocates.
Those eight enforcement priorities include:

• Preventing marijuana from possession by minors
• Preventing it’s spread to states where it is illegal
• Preventing drugged driving
• Preventing growing marijuana on public lands
• Preventing marijuana possession and use on federal grounds
• Preventing the funding of criminal enterprises
• Preventing violence and firearms in the trade
• Preventing legal pot from being a cover for illegal trafficking

It is certainly understandable that the government would want to make sure these businesses are legit and not involved with other criminal activities. The problem I have is that federal agencies are infamous for twisting any/every case to fit into one of their legal guidelines. It's interesting to me that the agencies with the most power are not elected, the D.E.A, F.B.I, and the A T.F. are all appointed and created with out voting at all, and ironically they are the ones enforcing the policies.- BDB

Source - (Google Images)
http://www.infowars.com/voters-support-marijuana-while-feds-continue-costly-raids/

A Losing Battle

     Did the war on drugs actually increase the amount of drugs on the street? It sure seems that way but how could this be? After researching this topic I am left with many questions. It has been ingrained in most of us from a young age that drugs are dangerous and harmful, so being harmful must be the reason they are illegal, right? If this is the case why are the two deadliest drugs completely legal? That's right, tobacco & alcohol kill more people than H.I.V, suicide, murder, and all other drugs combined. Tobacco alone kills 400,000 people annually. All drugs were legal at one time including opium and cocaine which were once sold at the local drug store, yet America did not have a national drug problem like we do now. Am I saying that we should legalize all drugs? Not exactly, but I am saying  maybe they shouldn't have been made illegal to begin with. Prohibition does not work, we should instead focus on addiction. I think by nature humans will always be attracted to the forbidden fruit. Maybe by criminalizing drugs we actually caused them to increase in popularity and demand. This might make sense on paper but I think the problem goes much deeper. What is going on in our society that is causing so many people to want to escape from reality? Personally I think it is a combination of many factors, including breakdown of the family and increased exposure to pressures via movies or Internet. Its not the governments job to monitor our lives. In fact when the government steps in and outlaws a drug it creates a black market, it does not get rid of the drug. Here are some interesting facts I came across in my research. The following studies make troubling correlations between certain classes of people and the criminalization of particular substances.

Human Rights Watch-

"Black youth are arrested for drug crimes at a rate that is ten times higher than white youth even though black teenagers are less likely to use drugs".

"African Americans are thirteen times more likely to go to jail for the same drug-offense as a white counterpart".

Historian Richard Miller

"Hemp was legal and consumed in a variety of forms until it became a way to reduce economic competition from Mexicans".

"When Chinese immigrants began to crowd out jobs for white people in California, opium consumption suddenly became a crime"

"Cocaine, notoriously, was consumed in polite society throughout the century, but was not the subject of police attention until blacks migrated North to escape the Jim Crowified South".

Sources - (Google Images)
 http://www.vanderbiltpoliticalreview.com/?p=1083

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prohibition_of_drugs

Tinfoil Hats

     The picture on the right is from the popular M. Night Shyamalan movie called Signs. This movie focuses on a family and their survival during an alien invasion of Earth. There is a scene when the family makes tinfoil hats because they believe this will protect them from mind control by the invading aliens. Wearing "tinfoil hats" has become almost an urban legend. It started out referring to people who were paranoid about aliens reading their minds. Over time it has morphed into a more general term used to describe anyone who  believes wild explanations to certain events, also known as "conspiracy theories". The term "tinfoil hats" goes hand in hand with the term "conspiracy theory". People will say "go put on your tinfoil hat" if you believe that crazy story. In my opinion people who regularly use these terms just don't take the time to investigate the facts for themselves or are truly ignorant of how evil this world really is. Using a derogatory term is just a way to stifle independent thought and alternative media sources. Any theory that doesn't agree with the "official story" is considered a "conspiracy theory". These phrases get thrown around way to much in my opinion. My experiences have shown me that many conspiracy theories are actually proven true, although this is never admitted by those on the other side, it is always dismissed or justified in some way. I believe these terms are also used to cover up fear. It's scary for some people to imagine large elaborate cover ups. For example, the assassination of President Kennedy is steeped in alternate theories to the single shooter explanation. It is scary to imagine powers within the government or close to the government actually killing the President of the United States. It is much easier and more peaceful to just believe that they captured the killer and the case is closed. Sometimes it's easier to go on believing a lie rather than face the truth. The reason the killing of J.F.K. has attracted so much attention is because of all inconsistencies in the surrounding events. I personally try to remain neutral on the J.F.K case until I study it more to make an opinion. We may never know the whole truth about that day, however you are free to believe any one of the dozens of theories. Next time you hear the term "conspiracy theory", this should be a signal to you that things don't add up and maybe the truth is still out there. - BDB

Sources - (Google Images)
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/jfk-assassination-top-ten-conspiracy-2811070

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signs_(film)

Created Equal

     People often get confused by the wording in the Declaration of Independence, it reads "all men are created equal". There is a difference between being equal and being created equal. America recognizes every man and woman being created equal, this means we are all created equally free and equally human. We all have same rights given to us from God. "Created equal" does not mean "created fair". We are all so different, things can't be fair. This is an unfair world and things will never be equal. For our time on this earth there will always be rich & poor, strong & weak, sweet & sour, this is our world and we must make the best of it. What an awful world this would be if we were all truly equal, there would be no variety. Personally I like that things are not always fair, people have different gifts making life more interesting. Some people are great public speakers and others are great artists. If everyone was a great artist there would be no such thing as a great artist. If everyone was a great public speaker there would be no such thing as a great public speaker. Everyone must find their own gifts and talents, we all have them. This is why America has flourished, every American citizen has the right to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness". This is another phrase from the Declaration of Independence. Unfortunately "happiness" is not a right, but the "pursuit of happiness" is. The founding fathers understood  that life was not fair and there would always be unhappiness. However as long as you are an American it is your God given right to find what makes you happy and pursue it. Visit the link below if you are interested in reading the Declaration of Independence in its entirety- BDB

Source -  (Google Images)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independence

Invisible War

   Even if you don't believe in God, it is hard to deny that there are good forces and evil forces in the world. We seem to be in the middle of a battle for the soul of America, the battle is between good and evil. Right and wrong have been perverted into a blurred line. You are no longer allowed to say something is wrong, because you are then being intolerant. We live in a society that now says every one's beliefs and opinions are equal, no body is ever right or wrong about anything. Everything is right if it feels right. Since the beginning of time the forces of evil have tried to influence mankind to turn away from Gods ways. If we don't recognize this battle and expose it things will only get worse and more confused. America kills millions of unborn babies every year and it is justified as "women's rights", no one talks about the rights of the baby. I have no doubt that this practice is evil, however many people are beyond convincing, in their mind that is just an opinion. Millions of Americans cheat on their taxes or lie to get welfare. In the minds of these individuals they are doing nothing wrong. They think the government has too much money and they want their part.  It is wrong to steal no matter how good you think your excuse is. We elect representatives who lie just to get into office because they believe it is for our own good. They think lying is OK if it serves a greater good. To lie is to deceive, this is always wrong. This is a few examples of the many problems plaguing this country and the entire world. This is the invisible war between good and evil and we must bring it into the light.- BDB
(Google Images)

Government Waste

   Even though stopping wasteful spending in the U.S. Government will never balance the budget, it would be a great start! Part of the frustration amongst taxpayers is not knowing where all the money is going. Year after year we hear about politicians misusing funds. Misusing taxpayer's hard earned money by either outright stealing or illegally funneling it to self serving interest groups. The endless cases of fraud by our elected officials turn into feelings of hopelessness about the government in general. Another huge part of the distrust also comes when spending breakdowns are released. This is never mainstream news because it shows total incompetence of the government and it's employees with your money. When a government gets as big and complex as the U.S. Government it stops being accountable to the people. There are so many agencies, foundations, bureaus and services funded by the U.S. Government that frugal spending is part of the distant past. In my opinion the wasted money isn't the worst part, the worst part is that no one is ever held accountable for the waste. The first step is awareness, American voters and taxpayers need to see the numbers. Below is a small list of great finance decisions made by the government with your tax dollars.

Taxpayers spend $146 million a year so federal employees can fly 1st class, simply because they refuse to fly coach.

The Securities and Exchange Commission spent $3.9 million rearranging desks and offices at its Washington D.C. headquarters.

Health care fraud is estimated to cast taxpayers $60 billion annually

The Federal Government owns 50,000 vacant homes

More than $13 billion in Iraq aid has been classified as wasted or stolen. Another $7.8 billion cannot be accounted for.

Washington has spent $3 billion re-sanding beaches, even as this new sand washes back into the ocean.

The Defense Department wasted $100 million on unused flight tickets and never bothered to collect refunds even though the tickets were refundable.

Washington spends $60,000 per hour shooting Air Force One photo-ops in front of national landmarks

This is just a fraction of the madness that goes on with our tax dollars, visit the link below for more.
- BDB

Source - (Google Images)
http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2009/10/50-examples-of-government-waste

Poison Water

     Fluoride has been has been linked to lowering of IQs, brain cancer, bone cancer, kidney disease and other problems. Water fluoridation became an official policy of the United States in 1951 and by 1960 it was reaching 50 million people. It was originally meant to protect our teeth, but now that's even called into question. Study after study is now showing that fluoride is damaging to teeth and especially in infants. Personally I find it troubling that anything is added to our water. Every natural source of water has trace amounts of minerals and contaminants but these are mostly taken out by the purification process. So why do we add fluoride?  There simply is no legitimate reason to fluoridate water. Doing so forcibly medicates an entire population with a carcinogenic, chemical drug. There really is no effective way to avoid it entirely, and nobody really knows how much is ingested or absorbed on a daily basis because exposure is too widespread to calculate. But political pressure and bad science have continued to justify water fluoridation in most major cities, despite growing mountains of evidence showing its dangers. Everyone must become educated on this topic and we must fight back against this force feeding of chemicals by the government. If there is even a small chance that fluoride is harmful, we should quickly cease adding it to our water supply.- BDB

Source - (Google Images)

 http://www.naturalnews.com/030123_fluoride_babies.html#ixzz2o2NwAic2

Off the Grid

     With the increasingly tightening grasp of government  on energy, water, gas and food resources, more and more people are choosing to live off the grid. This means living without those  resources, and being completely self sufficient. This also sometimes includes homeschooling of children, with parents choosing to educate their own kids free of government propaganda. The American Government has a history of harassment and bullying of individuals choosing to live this way. Are we truly free in America if the government has to approve of how we are living? In my opinion the government should be encouraging people to grow their own food and use solar power, unfortunately this doesn't seem to be the case. Apparently the government wants to keep track of everyone and keep us on a short leash. This is not the government's job, in fact we are seeing absurd laws popping up all over the country. Some states even have laws banning the gathering of rain water, apparently the government owns the rain now and we have to get their permission to use it. Most recently a woman in Cape Coral, Florida was hit with an eviction notice from the state after they found out she was self sufficient. She collected rain water and had solar panels to supply electricity. She is now in a battle with the state in which seems like an open and closed case to me. So what is the problem? It sounds to me that the state can't have residents serving as good examples for the public because the public may realize it is possible to live without government. A Florida couple has grown their own food for seventeen years. They have a garden in the front yard of their Miami Shores home, this has never been a problem up until neighbors started complaining and attracted the attention of the state. The couple is currently in the middle of defending themselves in court. If we lose our ability to grow our own food we are in real trouble. Can we please just leave these people alone? Nobody is being hurt or affected, their only crime is being independent. The outcome of these two cases are going to set a precedence one way or another for the future. We should be outraged at cases like this. We can't just wait for us to happen to us, Americans are all in this together. We must recognize this for what it is... the opposite of liberty!

Sources - (Google Images)
http://www.infowars.com/florida-couple-forced-to-dig-up-17-year-old-organic-garden/

http://www.infowars.com/city-cites-international-code-in-effort-to-evict-off-grid-woman/

No Excuse

  We will never be able to stop corruption completely, however that doesn't mean we should put up with it. That is exactly what America has been doing, putting up with it. We trust our public officials and politicians with our money and our votes but corruption is so rampant that it's destroying this country one city at a time. American voters are either completely ignorant and inexcusably uninformed or they don't care, its just that simple. This madness has been highlighted in recent years with the rise of the Internet and social media. A picture perfect example of this sad state of our nation is the reelection of Jesse Jackson Jr. The son of the infamous Chicago politician served as Illinois rep. on the U.S House of Representatives from 1995- 2012. Jackson resigned from office in 2012 citing mental and physical health problems. Later that year he was reelected even though he was absent and did not even campaign for office. Sixteen days after being reelected he was indicted on many criminal charges including fraud and misusing campaign funds. Jackson was eventually sentenced to 30 months in federal prison. I have no doubt that he could be reelected again if he decided to stay in politics. This is just one minor example of either blind loyalty or stupidity among voters. There is absolutely no excuse for this-BDB

Source- (Google Images)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_Jackson,_Jr.

Standing Tall

     It is my opinion that flying the American flag at half staff should be far and few between. This should be done only with the death of an American President and returning local military men/women, if it was my decision these would be the only reasons. Lowering the flag has become almost trivial. The American flag should always stand tall and proud. I'm sick of the flag being lowered every time a nutcase kills a bunch of people or when a pop star dies. The American flag represents overcoming the odds and adversity. I know the majority of Americans want the flag lowered on Sept 11th, however I think it shows vulnerability when we should show strength. Most recently President Obama ordered all flags be flown at half staff for the death of Nelson Mandela, a foreign, communist leader. I'm not taking away from Mandela's accomplishments and leadership but we can honor someone in death without lowering our flag. Americans have never bowed to foreign leaders and we shouldn't start now. In 2012 New Jersey lowered the flag for Whitney Houston's death, and the following year for the death of James Gandolfini. In 2008 Buffalo NY lowered the flag for the death of journalist Tim Russert. I believe these are examples of abuse of power. They are knee jerk, emotional reactions and that is all. We are not to lower the American flag on emotion. I understand that we get emotional when a lunatic murders innocent school children, however we can't lower the flag for every tragedy. The American flag is sacred and lowering it should be sacred also. During the war of 1812 fort Mchenry was bombarded by the British Royal Navy and from this the National Anthem originated. America's National Anthem is based on a poem that was written after a long night of bombing, our flag was seen still waving in the morning.
I believe this set a precedence for all time. Just like the song says "and the flag was still there"!
Visit the link below to see proper flag etiquette and the rules of lowering the American flag.


Sources - (Google Images)
http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/flagetiq.html

Just Following Orders

 

 

    To demonstrate how destructive following orders can be I am using the extreme example of Nazi Germany because after all, they were just following orders. In the United States of America when someone becomes a police officer he/she must swear an oath to protect peoples rights and/or defend the U.S Constitution. What happens when that officer then receives an order that violates that oath? The officer then has to choose between keeping the oath or following orders. Police officers that keep there oath are becoming harder to find in America. When an officer swears an oath it has to come first over everything else including orders from superiors. With out this our country will crumble from within. During the Nuremberg trials the excuse of "just following orders" did not work. In this case it was not a constitution they were defying, instead it was human morals and dignity. In life there is always a higher cause or power we are to obey. God's law comes before man's law. The Nazis were guilty of murdering millions of innocent men, women and children in cold blood. This is a perfect example because the Nazis were guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity. These are crimes against the moral code that God has ingrained inside of every person and that all nations must abide by to stay civilized. We need men and women with guts who will refuse to obey immoral and/or illegal orders and will stand up for "We the People".

This is an example of a police oath from the Illinois State Police website-

"I solemnly vow upon my honor as a cadet and citizen, to adhere to the rules and regulations of the Illinois State Police and to adopt the agency's mission and goals into my every day life. I pledge to be honest in thought, word, and deed; to strive toward my highest learning effort and avail myself of every opportunity to learn to my highest capacity. I will do this by maintaining unimpeachable integrity of behavior to bring honor upon the Illinois State Police. I shall endeavor to give thoughtful, intelligent obedience to the commands of my superiors, to obey the Constitution and laws of my country and the State of Illinois in a way that will set my behavior for the remainder of my career with the Illinois State Police."

I highlighted an important portion of the above paragraph. Notice that is doesn't say to blindly follow orders but to give thoughtful, intelligent obedience. That means to think about what you are doing officers - BDB

Sources - (Google Images)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuremberg_Trials

http://www.isp.state.il.us/

Constitution Free

     The Department of Homeland Security or D.H.S was created by George W. Bush in the post Sept 11th frenzy to make us safer. The D.H.S is essentially a federal police department who does whatever they want. One example of this blatant disregard for the rule of law is what are called "Constitution Free Zones". It is still hard to believe but according to the D.H.S anywhere within 100 miles of the coast around the entire country is a "Constitution Free Zone". This imaginary border encompasses 197 million Americans and apparently I am one of those Americans. I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Like I've said many times, Americans will give up their freedoms if they think it will make them safer. Well America, you better wake up soon. The United States and its Constitution is literally being disassembled piece by piece. According to the D.H.S a "Constitution Free Zone" is an area of the United States in which the Constitution has no power. Huh? Yes you read that correctly and No it is not legal, we can disregard nonsense like this. However there may be consequences because the criminal element of our current government has chosen to ignore the law. These D.H.S officers have the power to throw us in jail over an illegal law. This is the dire trouble this country is in. Let me put it a different way, the United States has been taken over by a criminal Federal Police force made up of officers who are following illegal orders. These officers have sworn an oath to protect the constitution but they are to weak to keep it or they simply don't care. If the U.S. Government does not follow the U.S. Constitution then the government becomes a criminal entity. American citizens are being searched, detained and arrested illegally this should be enough to wake everyone up. - BDB

Sources - (Google Images)
http://www.storyleak.com/dhs-constitution-free-zones-us/

NFL Boycott

     I was raised as a Chicago Bears fan and I grew up watching the NFL, in fact football is the most popular sport in America. So why are millions of Americans boycotting the NFL? Let me just say that I am sick of writing about anti-gun stories. I chose this one because it is farther reaching than most. The mainstream media has an agenda that is spreading like an infection across the land. An agenda that says guns are bad and we don't need them. The latest story brings us to the Super bowl, a sports tradition that is uniquely American. Guess what else is uniquely American? The second Amendment, our God given right to bear arms. One would think these two American traditions would go together but the NFL doesn't think so. Apparently a gun advertisement is distasteful and offensive. A commercial showing a man kissing his wife and young baby is offensive, never mind that no gun was ever shown in the add. This year a rifle manufacturing company named Daniel Defense was denied a time slot because they sell and produce rifles. Americans are being told that defending yourself is offensive. Shouldn't this offend us? No body is going to tell me I cant protect my family. The commercial that was denied was simply about a man and his right to protect his family, however since this pro-family add was produced by a gun company it is offensive. If you ask me I'd say that crime is offensive not a lawful weapon, but that's just me. It is because of this anti-gun stance from the NFL that millions of people across the country are now boycotting the NFL and its products. I'm not saying that the NFL doesn't have the right to pick and choose the adds that they endorse, of course they do. I'm saying that society is moving in a scary direction. I've said this many times before and Ill say it again, lets focus on responsible gun ownership and safety. Demonizing the guns wont change crime. like the old saying goes "if guns kill people then forks make me fat".- BDB


Sources - (Google Images)
http://www.infowars.com/national-movement-to-boycott-nfl-launched/

Too Far Removed

    The invention of the bow & arrow changed warfare forever, no longer was close quarter combat the only option. Soldiers now had the ability to kill from a distance and this was an incredible advantage for military forces. As the decades past by mankind continued to build upon past technologies until an amazing discovery was made, that discovery was gunpowder. With gunpowder the distance between two enemies would grow tremendously. Gunpowder gave birth to cannons, grenades, bombs and firearms. Armies could now take out multiple men at once from a distance. The next big leap in warfare was the invention of flight. We could now fly above our enemy and drop bombs from high in the sky. We no longer even needed to see the enemy to kill him. In fact not only do you not need to see them but you only need a rough idea of their location. After this the big thing was the A-bomb. This was a bomb that caused far more damage than anything in the past. An A-bomb or nuclear bomb will kill hundreds of thousands of people in an instant. As technology grows the bar keeps getting raised. We are being removed farther and farther from the killing. The latest military toys are drone fighter planes, drones are remote controlled airplanes equipped with a gun and guided miles. Where as once we battled with swords and looked our enemy in the eyes, we now only push a button and kill many. A drone operator does not need to step foot on a battle field anymore. How much farther does this road go? Soon we will be able kill armed only with our minds, it's an eerie thought. This is something most people don't think about because the evolution of battle has been slow over thousands of years. We don't question it because it has been normalized on T.V. and in movies. There is no doubt that technology will continue to grow. What could we possibly need more than we already have? How about a button that blows up the whole Earth? It would be very economical because we only need one!-BDB (Google Images)

Truth of Terrorism

      The U.S. Government does not want us to question their motives or the facts. They are in charge and they will tell us when to worry and when we're safe. It doesn't matter that the public perception may be completely artificial. Facts and statistics will not get in the way of the government's goals. We are told everyday that we need to be kept safe from Al Qaeda and the Taliban. Is terrorism something the average citizen should worry about or is it just another way for the government to keep us in fear? I'm not going to say "don't trust the government", instead I will say "question everything". There is always a criminal element inside the government who runs on greed, power and control. It is this ruthless group who want to control the individual by taking our rights and rewriting the laws and regulations. This is easy for them to do when we are divided in fear. A majority of the American public will gladly hand over their liberties and their guns just to be safe from terrorists that may or may not exist. The media tells us that are neighbor could be a terrorist so we will stay scared and secluded. Guess what? Its working! Oh yeah.... in case you were wondering about terrorism, it turns out its not that big of a problem after all. Here are some statistics that the government wont tell you.

          – You are 17,600 times more likely to die from heart disease than from a terrorist attack

– You are 12,571 times more likely to die from cancer than from a terrorist attack
— You are 11,000 times more likely to die in an airplane accident than from a terrorist plot involving an airplane
— You are 1048 times more likely to die from a car accident than from a terrorist attack
–You are 404 times more likely to die in a fall than from a terrorist attack
— You are 87 times more likely to drown than die in a terrorist attack
– You are 13 times more likely to die in a railway accident than from a terrorist attack
–You are 12 times more likely to die from accidental suffocation in bed than from a terrorist attack
–You are 9 times more likely to choke to death on your own vomit than die in a terrorist attack
–You are 8 times more likely to be killed by a police officer than by a terrorist
–You are 8 times more likely to die from accidental electrocution than from a terrorist attack
– You are 6 times more likely to die from hot weather than from a terrorist attack- BDB

Source - (Google Images)
 http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2013/08/president-obama-the-odds-of-dying-in-a-terrorist-attack-are-a-lot-lower-than-they-are-of-dying-in-a-car-accident.html

Misplaced Passion

   Another Black Friday has come and gone. The infamous day in which department stores and one stop shops are in the profit margin for the year and give deals for the holiday shoppers. Every year this day seems to get more out of control than the year before, its human behavior at its finest. This year saw shootings, stabbings and assaults by overzealous shoppers. We live in a society where people will trample others for a piece of plastic made in China without a second thought. Greediness, and selfish materialism fuel the flames, "civilized society" is all a perception. American businesses brings in millions of dollars on this day counting on large crowds that never fail. People will camp outside stores for weeks in order to get a deal on a television and fights break out over who got there first. People buy just to buy and forget that it's not really a deal if you don't have the money to begin with. The behavior of people on Black Friday tells me one thing, it tells me that passion is not dead but definitely misplaced. If only we would attend church with this much passion. If only we would put this much interest in our government and becoming informed voters. America has turned into an entitlement paradise. It seems we are only interested in ourselves. What can I have? What can you do for me and my family? If only we would create jobs with this much passion maybe the our unemployment rate wouldn't be at a 16%. What can we do to get the public interested in community and education instead of a sale at Walmart? It is truly amazing how many people will get up early on a cold winter morning and wait outside for hours to save $20.00. Then there are the ones who aren't shopping at all but shop-lifting. Stores lose a ton of money every year to retail theft and pickpocketing, two problems facing stores with crowds often standing shoulder to shoulder for hours. What are our priorities as a country? I understand people get excited about Christmas and enjoy trading gifts but we can not let this overshadow the meaning of Christmas. Its a problem when we spend more time shopping than we do with our families. Lets remember that Jesus is the reason for the season.
-BDB (Google Images)

One Way Trip

     Why anyone would want to live on Mars is beyond me, I love Earth. There is nothing on Mars that sounds even remotely appealing. There is no oxygen, no water, no grass, no animals and no blue sky. Anyone traveling to Mars can look forward to seeing rocks, sand, mountains and more rocks. There is a reason why humans don't live there. Until humans invent a way to oxygenate the Mars atmosphere you would have to stay indoors all the time or wear a space suit. Mars is not a pretty place and very cold. It is much colder than Earth because it is farther from the sun. Mars has a very thin atmosphere that can not retain heat, a summer day can range from 70 degrees to -100 degrees at night.
     Despite all of the negative features of the Martian planet this seems to be a worth while adventure to some. Technology is finally catching up with imaginations and now living on Mars will actually become reality. Mars One is a Dutch non-profit, privately funded organization that aims to establish a human settlement on Mars. The Co-founders Bas Lansdorp and Arno Wielders claim that Mars colonization will be made a reality in 2023, less than ten years away. Apparently they have been very successful at marketing this idea because more than 160,000 people have turned in applications for the journey. If you are in the United States the application fee is $38.00 per person. So far all of the information I've read has all of the funding coming from public donations and private investors. This is no short trip, in case you were wondering it will take you 7 months to get to Mars from Earth. I found this story interesting but like so many other things there is a catch. There is still an important piece to this story that I saved until the end. It is true that humans currently have the technology to colonize Mars , however we don't have the technology too get back. Thats right, this will be a one way trip! So let me get this straight. People are lining up for a 7 month trip through outer space only to get dropped off on Mars with no way to get back? Am I the crazy one here or does this sound like a raw deal? To each his own I guess. If going to another planet is for you and you are interested in finding out more about Mars One... click on the link below.-BDB


Source - (Google Images)
http://www.mars-one.com/en/about-mars-one/about-mars-one

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Mars#Temperature

Giving Thanks

    Who are we thanking on Thanksgiving if not God? Most Americans celebrate Thanksgiving but not all of them believe in God. I guess when you don't thank God you end up thanking everything else. If you don't believe in God I made up a list of 7 things you can choose to thank this Thanksgiving instead of God. Of course I don't want anyone to actually use my list, I am just bringing to light how empty Thanksgiving is without God.

1) "The Stars"
2) "Mother Nature"
3) "Evolution"
4) "Myself"
5) "Technology"
6)  "Dumb Luck"
7) "Blind Fate"

Unfortunately these are your choices, or you can choose not to give thanks at all. The things on this list probably sound silly to you but this is reality. It's a reality that these are your only options without God. By making this list I was attempting to make a point. Thanksgiving is a tradition in America that we often don't take the time to appreciate. This year make sure to know who you are thanking. -BDB (Google Images)

Christmas War

      Lets be clear from the beginning, the war on Christmas has nothing to do with Santa Claus and everything to do with Jesus. In fact this is a direct attack on Jesus and his followers. This happens every year and it starts right after Halloween. The individuals behind these attacks are made up mostly of atheists and atheist supported organizations. They are armed only with emotion, this is not about logic or common sense. Why would anyone attack the foundation of there own country and the very freedom that allows them to complain? Like I said, it's not about common sense to these individuals. They have no respect for America's founding principles and are laser focused on their agenda. Their favorite targets are public schools, public land and courthouses. According to these individuals anything owned by the government that has a hint of Christmas is in violation of the separation of church & state. This is an out of context, twisting of the constitution. I'm not going to read or quote the first amendment but this is clearly not what it means.  What these attackers don't understand is that Christmas is a tradition not a law. Even though we may get angry and offended we must remember that atheists are not the enemy, they are misguided, lost souls just like we once were. I knew the time to write this blog was coming soon and I hate that this has to be written, it really is ridiculous. Every year we see these groups threaten to sue public schools because of a Christmas party or celebration. The saddest part of all is that school officials get intimidated and back down instead of standing up for their rights. The schools back down and often cancel long standing traditions. What is never made clear is why these individuals care so much about something they don't believe in. Only one percent of Americans claim to be atheists and they are running the show. In case your bad at math, one percent is roughly 3 million people. It sounds like a lot but not compared to 300 million. It is true that the country has changed a lot since the U.S. Constitution was written but what hasn't changed is the inspiration for the Constitution, it was the Bible and don't let anyone tell you different. The only losers in this war are the children who have to be told that their School must cancel Christmas because someone complained.-BDB (Google Images)

Police Oath

  The oath of office sworn by all police officers differs slightly from state to state, county to county.
What doesn't differ though is the basic concept. All police officers swear to respect and uphold people's rights, this means uphold the U.S. Constitution. In America the Constitution trumps all laws and ordinances even though this is not what society tells us. This is not what the media tells us and it is not what the schools are teaching our kids. If a police officer gives you an unlawful order you are not required to obey it. We are not required to blindly follow orders just because they are given by a policeman. Police officers all across the country are making illegal arrests. The reason they are getting away with it is because no one dare question the police. Our society is conquered by fear, we need to ask questions and most importantly we must know our rights. Most police officers don't know the laws well enough to answer your questions, but they will arrest you if you don't listen. The police have the power to arrest anyone for anything, all they have to do is say you were "disturbing the peace" or "obstructing justice". These two charges broad and cover just about anything. The bottom line to all laws is the U.S. Constitution. It is simple, if a law contradicts the Constitution, it is an illegal law... period. Police officers might say something like "we are just following orders", this is a scary statement in America. This is the entire reason for the oath, It keeps officers of the law morally accountable to themselves. Its too bad there are men & women in high positions who ignore the oath and ignore the constitution they swear to uphold. Bad orders are often given and we need cops who are mentally strong enough to remember their oath and risk their careers for this great country.- BDB
(Google Images)

Learn from History

 

   There is an old saying that goes "Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it". When we look back on past civilizations we see that the number one perpetrator of all crime has been government. Every time a government gets too big it inevitably abuses its power. This is a fact of history that has happened over and over again. If this is true why don't we learn from history? I wish I had a good answer to that question. I think at the heart of it is human pride. We think we know better than people in the past, we think we are smarter. The truth is people have always been the same. We have always been stubborn, rebellious and prideful. We are no smarter than anyone in the past. In my opinion we have gotten dumber. I'm not being funny, it comes down to simple science and logic. We are copies of copies of copies and everything breaks down with time, time is always the enemy, this is called the law of entropy. We have incredible technology only because we have built upon successes and failures of the past. If we were as smart as we think we are we wouldn't be giving government so much power. This is what made America different, we had seen what a powerful government was capable of and rebelled against it. This led to starting our own colonies and eventually fighting the revolutionary war. This is what makes the U.S. Constitution so important. It is a document that was created with wisdom, wisdom of living under tyranny. The founders of this country learned from mistakes not just from individuals but mistakes of nations. This is why America is special, we are based on the individual instead of a central control. Governments never get less powerful unless they are overthrown, is this what it will take to turn things around?
-BDB (Google Images)

Jury Rights

     When researching this topic, I was stunned to uncover this secret weapon of the American citizen  called " jury nullification". This is by far the most underutilized right of the American Citizen. Serving on a jury is the only time that an average person has more power than the American President and Congress combined.
With the advancement and growth of our government it seems the average person is becoming less and less interested in their individual rights. It is almost like people have given up. Most people still think we are a democracy, the United States of America is a Constitutional Republic, not a democracy. This means the legal system is meant to abide by a set of rules and must recognize the individual rights outlined in the U.S. Constitution. In fact not only is the government supposed to recognize our rights but they are supposed to protect them. What we are seeing now is our rights being taken away. It will not happen overnight. It happens slowly and nobody notices until its too late. If people stop caring and don't fight back, our Constitution will fade away. As Americans we are called to be skeptical of government, its healthy to the republic. The U.S. Constitution is written to limit the government's power and put it into the hands of the individual.
With "jury nullification" the jurors can decide that a law is unconstitutional and therefore it does not apply to a particular case.
     This is incredible power is unknown to most of the public. Why don't we hear about this? My opinion is that the U.S. Government doesn't want us to. According to them they are the final authority.... not the people.
"Jury nullification" brings the final decision back to "we the people".
This is very scary to a government who is determined to rule us , not work for us.
A hypothetical example of "jury nullification"-  A case in which a man is on trial for illegal gun possession. The man has not harmed or threaten anyone and has the weapon secured. He is arrested because he does not have a firearm's identification card (F.O.I.D). Which is required under Illinois law. In a case like this the jury can decide that the man is guilty of breaking the law, but the verdict would be to nullify the law (only in this case) because it is unconstitutional. The U.S. Constitution states that our right to bear arms "shall not be infringed".
Therefore it is ultimately an "illegal" law. Wow... no wonder we don't hear about this. This is the original intent of our country, freedom, limited government and individual responsibility.- BDB
(Google Images)

Sources-
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution.html

http://fija.org/

Man vs Machine

 

     Growing up in the 1980s the "The Terminator" was a very popular movie set in the distant future. Now as technology accelerates at an incredible rate we are left wondering how far we are from this science fiction movie becoming a reality. Will we live to see a time in which machines take over the human race? In "The Terminator" computers become so smart that they became self aware and rebel against their creator..(sound familiar)? I can assure everyone that this will never happen. The reason I am so confident in this is simple logic. A computer can ONLY do what it is programmed to do. If machines turn on humans it will be because they are programmed to, but we would know all their moves.

    There is no doubt that the human race will continue to build some very realistic "human-like" machines. These are often referred to as Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) These A.I.s look human, sound human, and act human, but they will never be human. The most complex computer will never appreciate art or understand emotions. If a human creates a computer, the computer he creates will always be inferior to him. In other words.. I cant create something smarter than myself. Computers will always be programmed by humans, they will never learn on their own terms. Any learning that is done is only an illusion. It only learns what it's programmed to learn. Each year many new machines are made to make life easier and more efficient, they will never do more than this. Just like we can never be smarter than  God (our creator), a machine or computer will never become smarter than a human. A human can learn from mistakes and adapt to situations. A computer can only adapt to the choices it is programmed to make. We may not be made of metal and plastic but humans could be called the most complex machines in the world. Instead of steel we have skin, instead of gears we have cells, organs and muscles, instead of a program we have free will. We are complex, biological machines living independent of any pre-programmed decisions. This is called being alive. Computers will never have life. This will always be the difference between humans and machines.- BDB (Google Images)

Atheist Church

   I want to start by saying that I don't believe in atheists. I believe people who call themselves atheists just don't understand God or are angry with him, usually it is a mixture of both. This rebellious world is full of evil that masquerades as sincerity and rational thought, and misguides many souls. With that being said, an atheist should be welcome into the house of God the same as any
other person. So what's the problem? The problem is they are often not welcome. Christians are often intimidated by so called atheists and are not equipped to answer their questions. This is especially true with the new breed of atheists who are
intelligent, articulate and very aggressive. This is devastating to a believer who is not secure in their faith. Instead, believers just avoid atheists or judge them harshly which in turn gives the atheist more justification for denying your God. As a Christian,
I can say we have been terrible at reaching out to those who struggle with belief. After all .....how we treat someone ultimately reflects on Jesus.

     We now turn our sights to Hollywood California where a new "church" has sprung up. This is not like other churches though,  this is an Atheist Church. The first question that came to my mind was, if atheists don't believe in God why do they want a church? As I gave this issue more thought...I realized they are trying to make a point. Make no mistake about it, this is a message aimed directly at Christians! The message goes like this- We now have a place where we meet once a week also. We will welcome everyone while being more friendly and less judgmental than you and we don't need God here to do it. The next question is-What do they do there if not worship God? The answer is- Worship everything else. They have motivational speakers, stand up comedy, music and even fellowship. This is great and I have absolutely no problem with it, but don't call it a church. This is where my gripe comes in. The founders of this "church" wanted to call it a church because it causes controversy. They know exactly what they are doing, calling it a worship/fun center wouldn't give them the attention they crave. From the outside I see people trying to fill a void that can only be filled by God- BDB

Source- (Google Images)
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/11/10/atheist-mega-churches-launch-in-u-s-but-not-all-non-believers-are-excited-about-it/#

Car Wash Crime

    I find news stories like this very disappointing. They are disappointing because they show a breakdown of our freedoms and a trend in overreaching government on a seemingly comatose American public. As the Nanny State gathers momentum, stories like this will become more and more common.
The over regulation of America strikes again and the latest victims are from Lincoln High School in San Jose, California. A group of Cheerleaders were forced to cancel a fundraising car wash scheduled for Oct 20th. Their goal was to raise enough money to go to the national cheerleading competition. The city's Environmental Services Department made a visit to the students to make them aware they would be in violation of the city's water discharge laws. Apparently the soapy runoff is dangerous to the wildlife because anything that is not rainwater or storm water is a pollutant. This left the students options to buy a waterless solution for $159.00 a gallon or move to a grassy area where the soap would not go into the street. The school has cancelled the car wash and all similar future events. If you live in San Jose, this law also applies to individuals at home who want to spray down their car. Laws like this will only continue to get a tighter grip on society because this kind of control always moves forward, never backwards.- BDB

Sources - (Google Images)

http://www.infowars.com/student-fundraising-car-wash-banned-over-environmental-concerns/

http://dailycaller.com/2013/10/25/high-school-cheerleader-car-wash-violates-environmental-laws/

Honor the Office

     You will never hear me say that being President of the United Sates is an easy job. With that being said, I did not vote for President Obama and I am often critical of him and his administration. I may call for treason but its nothing personal Mr Obama. Your lack of a foreign policy, your view on immigration, your entitlement programs and your health care reform are a few examples of the dangers facing America. I think it is safe to say that President Obama believes in a fundamentally different America than myself.
I don't know if there is one single thing we agree on. If I am hard on President Obama it is only because I care about this country. However, what you wont find me doing is disrespecting his office. I would still salute the president as my Commander and Chief and I would still shake his hand honoring him as the leader of the free world. He holds the same office as George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.
You don't have to agree with the president to respect his position. I believe in freedom of speech but I also think it is counter-productive to make insults and slander our country's leader. I love funny skits of our president but not if they are degrading to him personally. I thinks it fine to poke fun, but not if it is malicious. This is just my opinion. Besides, Ive come to realize that even if you think Obama is ruining this country, don't worry, he is not really the one in control.- BDB (Google Images)

A Plan for America

     President Obama's plan for America is simple, CHANGE! His vision is an America that's 100% dependent on government. An America in which the government supplies your every need because they know best.
If we want to understand the way Obama thinks we just have to look at a man named Saul Alinsky. Saul Alinsky was a well known and highly controversial  writer and community organizer in Chicago from the 1930s -1960s (sound familiar?). Alinsky is known as the father of modern community organizing and dedicated his life to organizing a revolution in America. Alinsky was often associated with the communist party because of the similarities in desired goals. As with many communists, Alinsky would never identify as a communist, preferring instead the term "progressive". Call it what you will, Alinsky was set on taking from the "Haves" and giving to the "Have Nots". He despised the free market of America and the wealth building machine of capitalism. Alinsky believed the American system was oppressive and unjust. He believed in power, a power that can control the population with the redistribution of wealth, believing that when done correctly it would create a utopia or heaven on earth.
    These ideas derive from Saul Alinsky's landmark work called "Rules for Radicals". This book is a manual for the systematic destruction of America, it breaks down the plan for social change through lies and deception. Straight from his own pages, Alinsky taught his disciples to "say anything" and "be anything" to further his agenda. Anything and everything is fair game because it is all for the greater good. Alinsky proudly dedicates this book to Satan, because according to him "Satan was the first radical". Not only is President Obama familiar with Saul Alinsky and his work, but he teaches workshops on Alinsky principles and often quotes right from his books. In his autobiography Obama names the man Frank Marshal Jr as his mentor. Marshal was a proud communist from Chicago who helped shape Obama's young political and social career, with Alinsky principles no doubt.
 These principles have formed the man that would become President of the of the United States.

    President Obama has surrounded himself with like minded individuals. It turns out that Obama's top two advisers David Axelrod and Valarie Jarret can be traced back to Marshal and the Chicago Communist Party. Another big name inside the administration is former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who wrote her 92 page senior thesis on Saul Alinsky and his principles, liking him to Martin Luther King Jr and Walt Whitman. As you can see, this country is in trouble. This plan to transform America goes way back and is well on its way. So what are Alinsky's principles?  Here is a link to see for yourself.- BDB

http://www.bestofbeck.com/wp/activism/saul-alinskys-12-rules-for-radicals

Sources - (Google Images)
http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/articles/rules%20for%20revolution%20(2).pdf

http://www.wnd.com/2010/03/130401/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saul_Alinsky

Breaking the Law

     Would you be surprised if I said that you break the law everyday? There are so many laws in the United States that everyone breaks the law without knowing it. We have too many laws, the land of the free is choking on its own Judicial System. Could this be one of the reasons we have more people in prison than any other country? In the United States 1 in every 100 adults is incarcerated. Federal and state prisons are 50-60% over capacity.
     At the beginning of every year you can read the long list of new laws in the local newspaper. After that it is up to every citizen to know all the "rules" in your area. Doing this can be a full time job. It is virtually impossible for a regular citizen to keep up with all the statutes, ordinances and regulations of the city and state we live in. Most police officers don't even know all the laws they are paid to enforce. In 2012, over 29,000 laws were passed nationwide. When you break that number down, it comes out to 80 new laws each day. On the Federal level alone the laws on the books currently take up a whopping 160,000 pages. Once a law is put in place, it is very difficult to undo because of political games and bureaucracy.
Some of the laws are ridiculous and overbearing, I urge everyone to look for themselves at the link below.
http://www.worldoffemale.com/dumb-laws-state-by-state/

     It seems that we are trying to solve every problem with a new law. Maybe we are trying to create a perfect world, a utopia. If everything is illegal nothing bad can happen ..right?
This country has changed a lot in 230 years, the principles of freedom, limited government and individual responsibility are just a memory.
Lets face it, the U.S Federal Government has too much power and shows no sign of slowing down. They are trying to control every aspect of our lives and they think they know better than we do. I've said many times that control and freedom are opposite terms. Its one or the other, it can't be both.
In a free country bad things are going to happen and more laws aren't the answer.- BDB

Sources- (Google Images)
http://www.infowars.com/19-signs-that-america-has-become-a-crazy-control-freak-nation-where-almost-everything-is-illegal/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/10/AR2010121007132.html

http://www.overcriminalized.com/aboutus.aspx