Evil Becoming Good

    Thrin Short, 16, and her sister Joan Short, 21, were part of an anti-abortion protest at the University of California, Santa Barbara. They spend time in the "free speech zone" on campus displaying (graphic but true) anti-abortion signs and getting into discussions with students who walk by. The girls claim Associate Professor Mireille Miller-Young, who teachers feminist studies, grabbed the sign from them, and when they attempted to get it back, kicked and pushed them. Joan Short says she believes if people are offended by the images they should take a closer look at the issue of abortion,
     The truths hurts. This is a fact of life that seems to fly over the head of  those on the pro-abortion side. This is also another example of  how nasty and intolerant progressive Liberals can be if we don't agree with them. Professors are no longer there to be importers of wisdom on a younger generation and do not teach students to think for themselves. It is about pushing an emotional based agenda, and forcing conformity. 

   This story highlights the depravity and sickness that is plaguing our society. Good has now become evil and evil is masquerading as good. Why are Christians and the truth so severely attacked in our society today? The answer is simple and be found in the pages of the Bible. 2 Corinthians 4:3  "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers" This verse explains the problem very simply. While our enemy (Satan) works overtime persuading us that all beliefs are the equal – he understands full well that it’s a lie. It is no accident that our society grants “tolerance” to anyone and everyone except Christians. I'm a pro-liberty guy but I believe abortion is nothing but killing a helpless baby. I believe in freedom of choice, however I also believe in a moral law that overrides everything else. If the government can hold murderers responsible for killing another person, shouldn't abortion be under the same umbrella?

Sources- (Google Images)
 http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/03/14/california-sisters-fighting-back-after-professor-steals-graphic-pro-life-sign/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+foxnews%2Fnational+%28Internal+-+US+Latest+-+Text%29

Evolution of Liberalism

    Classical liberalism was the political philosophy of the Founding Fathers. It permeates the Constitution, the Federalist Papers and many other documents produced by the people who created the American system of government. Modern Liberalism has now become all about equality and welfare which no government can possibly promise to each and every person. It comes down to Individualism vs Collectivism. Do individuals have the right to pursue their own happiness, as Thomas Jefferson thought and as the Declaration of Independence stated? Or do we have an obligation to live our lives for the community or the state, as most societies have claimed throughout history? I will not try to answer this question as each subject should be debated and solved on it's own time and merit. This is also why I don't like political labels, individuals are much more complex than the label that is attached to him/her. If you don't follow party politics, remember the battle is not between Republican or Democrats. The battle will always be freedom and limited government vs big government. 

    The term Liberal has been hijacked by the new progressive movement. The original intent of Liberalism was the belief in limited government and individual freedom. The modern Liberal looks to grow government and the dependence of at every turn. Whether it's the never ending social programs, the welfare state or gun control the modern Liberal seems to believe in everything but individual responsibility. Classical liberals agreed that government had been created by individuals to protect themselves from one another. They thought that individuals should be free to pursue their self-interest without control or restraint by society. In a very broad sense, Classical Liberalism was defined by adherence to free markets, democracy, and civil liberties. Economically, it was very similar to today's Conservatism/ Libertarianism ...... how ironic!- BDB
    
Sources- (Google Images)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_liberalism

The Modern Abolitionist

      Abolitionism is a movement to end slavery, whether formal or informal. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historical movement to end the African slave trade and set slaves free. Unfortunately, as long as humans exist slavery will also exist though it changes form. The African slave trade is no longer a problem in the United States, there is now a new form of slavery that is flourishing, it's known as "Human Sex Trafficking" or "Sex Slavery".
The world today possesses many corrupt and cruel people who kidnap women and children and force them into a life of sex slavery.
     Historically, the most famous of all abolitionist activities was the Underground Railroad, a network of assistance and safe houses for runaway slaves. The Underground Railroad stretched from the Southern states to Canada, and until 1865 provided safety, and guidance for thousands of runaway slaves. When slavery is brought up, we tend to automatically think of 19th century slave traders and owners, however, the levels of slavery and people trafficking today are greater than at any point in history. There is a modern Underground Railroad that may not get the media attention or large funding but is made up of passionate individuals who often quit their careers to work full time on this problem. Here is a list of organizations opposing human trafficking. These organizations are made up of true heroes, modern day abolitionists that may never get recognized for their efforts.

      Not only is human sex trafficking slavery but it is big business. It is the fastest-growing business of organized crime and the third-largest criminal enterprise in the world. Traffickers often take their victims’ identity forms, including birth certificates, passports, and drivers’ licenses. In these cases, even if youths do leave they would have no ability to support themselves and often will return to the trafficker. This form of cruel modern-day slavery occurs more often than many people might think and it is not just an international or a national problem—it also is a local one. It is big business, and it involves a lot of people, criminals and victims. It will take many dedicated men and women willing to work around the clock to rescue these modern-day slaves-BDB

Sources- (Google Images)
http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/law-enforcement-bulletin/march_2011/human_sex_trafficking

http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2011/03/04/modern-day-slavery-a-problem-that-cant-be-ignored/

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

The Unknown Soldiers

    Many men died in their huts, and were so quickly buried that adequate records were generally not made of their deaths. A lot of men were buried at Valley Forge that no one really knew about or were accounted for. In our modern times, we couldn't imagine even one soldier not being accounted for after a battle, during the Revolutionary war there were hundreds. These men died for America and for us to be free.

     Health issues had a major impact during the Revolutionary War. A soldier had a two percent probability of dying in combat, but when admitted to a crowded army hospital, the likelihood of death increased to 25 percent. Another source reported that six out of every seven soldier's deaths were due to camp illnesses. Doctors' knowledge of medical issues was very basic (and often flawed) compared to the knowledge of today. The war was long before the discovery of the causes and treatments of common ailments and even simple bacteria. The only operation that could be done to fix a mutilated limb was amputation, and often without painkillers or antiseptic. Though the concept of germs did not exist in the 18th century mind, they did know that diseases could be transferred from one person to another. Towns of civilians would often be subjected to these horrors unsuspectingly.
    
     Who were they? Who were the men that fought and died creating a new nation called America? Forging a nation will most likely be something none of us will ever experience. We are living with the fruitfulness of other's suffering, our liberty was not free. We must never forget how many men suffered agonizing deaths for a new nation that they never got to see. My hope is that one day we will get a chance to thank these men for what they did.

Sources- (Google Images)
http://www.tehistory.org/hqda/pdf/v41/Volume41_N1_025.pdf

http://www.ushistory.org/washingtoncrossing/history/hospitals.htm

http://maass.nyu.edu/resources/r1/lesson_plans/health.html

No Tolerance Nonsense

      You will hear the term "zero tolerance" everywhere you go in America. This is a bad policy based on conforming the individual to the collective mindset. The goal is for the common good, not the individual. Most schools in America have embraced this policy in cases involving drugs, fighting, cheating and especially guns. In a country that is based on the individual, a policy like "zero tolerance" has no place. It has no place anywhere and especially not America. America was based on individual freedom, not the common good. According to zero tolerance policies, we are supposed to teach our kids not to defend themselves. No matter what someone does or says to you, you are not allowed to fight back physically or verbally. Is this not the wrong message to be sending our kids? You can not treat every situation the same. This has never been so prevalent than today with the anti gun influence of the misguided public. Most schools across the country have adopted a zero tolerance policy with guns. Kids are now being suspended and even expelled from schools for bringing army men to school because they have a half inch plastic gun attached to them.

 Last spring, an 8-year-old Maryland boy got suspended from school for gnawing a Pop-Tart into the shape of a gun.

Last fall an eight-year-old child has been suspended from a Florida elementary school for forming his hand into a gun shape. These are knee jerk overreactions by education officials.

You can no longer make your hand into the shape of a gun because the school will see it as a real threat.  Are we really going to start ruining our children's academic careers because they play cops and robbers? If so, we are truly a sick society. Perhaps it would better suit everyone if we actually kept the "bad" kids in school instead of kicking them out, where they will no doubt get embraced by the street life. Fortunately, some schools are now discovering that "zero tolerance" and other policies that push kids out of school and toward the justice system are ineffective and unfair. Broward County, Florida is among the districts to reject zero tolerance. choosing to keep law breaking students in school, away from trouble on the streets, and offering them counseling and other assistance aimed at changing behavior.-BDB (Google Images)

Sources-
http://www.jlc.org/blog/zero-tolerance-policies-good-bad-and-ugly

http://www.infowars.com/8-year-old-suspended-from-school-for-forming-gun-shape-with-his-hand/

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/boy-suspended-gun-shaped-pop-tart-lifetime-nra-membership-article-1.1359918

A Kind of Intelligence

    Humans like to believe that they are the most intelligent living beings on the planet. In certain areas we are, however what is our definition of intelligence, and who are we comparing ourselves to? Intelligence has been defined in many different ways including logic, abstract thought, understanding, self-awareness, communication and learning. At first glance it seams that humans are the smartest beings on earth, but what if we compare ourselves to the animal world? There are many things we can not do that other living creatures can. I'll use just one example, the bird. Birds are everywhere, the only place on Earth that birds haven't managed to colonize is the deepest ocean. We are definitely smarter than a bird right? If you said yes, the bird may not agree with you. If we were, we should be able to craft a perfectly sealed and water tight nest from a pile of grass, twigs and mud on the first try like a bird...right? Can we find our way home from a thousand miles away with no phone, no map, no GPS unit and without asking directions on the first try like a bird? Birds surely know how to survive in the wild a lot better than humans. They look after their eggs carefully, incubating them at the right temperature until they hatch, and never have to go through parenting classes or hospitals. If you ask me I'd say birds are pretty intelligent. Migratory bird species fly in formation to conserve energy -- much like driving in a larger vehicle's slipstream can reduce the amount of gas you require, some humans don't even know how to conserve energy. Humans have little understanding of this behavior, however migrating birds are thought to navigate using cues from the sun and stars, the earth's magnetic field, and probably also mental maps. Birds have tiny brains, but only in size. Their brains are actually proportionate to their bodies, very similar to humans. These small animals have not be able to get a degree at Harvard but, they definitely have intelligence, a different kind of intelligence. So you might want to think twice next time you call someone a bird brain.-BDB

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

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

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

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

Really A Republic

   People often refer to America as a Democracy, but really America is a Constitutional Republic, and this only works if the people are paying attention. When Americans stop voting or following the issues than we can say goodbye to the Republic. America's defining characteristic is that power ultimately rests with the people. America is a republic that uses a democratic process to maintain its political leadership. Obviously a republic couldn't exist without the democratic process, so America is also a democracy. The original intent of the U.S Constitution was to protect individual rights versus mob-rule. The founders of the country wanted a strong nation that was united under a powerful president but also answerable to the people to limit that power so its citizens would not become the subjects of its own government.
American democracy gives control to the people, and it has been proven to work. America has been prosperous, leading the world in technology and military strength, sending out the most missionaries and giving the most aid to other countries. A true Democracy means majority rules, plain and simple, no matter how bad the decisions might be. America's unique form of government keeps this from happening with the three branches with equal power, the Executive, the Judicial and the Legislative branches and the balance between them. Without this balance it is easy for one branch to take over thus allowing a dictatorship to take over. The founders knew history well and understood human nature, humans have a natural attraction and pull towards power. We can be thankful to be part of this experiment in self government. At the end of the day America is a Constitutional republic and abides by the rule of law and the U.S Constitution. Every decision and vote must fall within those guidelines.-BDB (Google Images)

http://www.redstate.com/2012/11/07/a-constitutional-republic-not-a-democracy/

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

Gun Free / Logic Free

   Since the Gun-Free Schools Act was signed by Clinton in 1995, the rate and intensity of mass killings has skyrocketed.
I can only directly speak for Illinois, but "gun free zones" are not only at schools now but seem to be everywhere. I also refer to them as logic free zones, because I've never heard anyone logically defend them. It's illogical to announce to the world that "everyone is helpless here". I see them almost every time I go out, schools, libraries and hospitals, they have the familiar picture of a gun with a red line through it. Lets be honest, these signs are designed to make people feel good and feel safe, but a sign would ever stop a determined individual. If you ask anyone the purpose of these signs you will most likely get an answer involving safety, they are to keep us safe. Is this logical? From my perspective it is not about logic. "gun free zones" are about feelings and emotions. They are aimed at the good guys, the people who obey the law. These signs will never stop a criminal who wants to do harm. So essentially these signs assure that only the bad guys will have guns. These signs are ridiculous, unconstitutional and have the potential to cause more harm than good. With the 2014 new year, qualified citizens are now allowed to conceal/ carry a firearm in Illinois. If someone is legally allowed to carry a gun, then the gun should be allowed anywhere. The bottom line is that anywhere a criminal can have a gun, I should have one too. I hear the argument sometimes that we are not in the "wild west" anymore. However, good guys with guns did not start the wild west, the wild west started when maniacs started shooting at our school kids, it's up to us to finish it. Because when seconds count, the police are minutes away. That's all I have to say about that.-BDB (Google Images)

http://thedailypamphlet.com/gun-free-zones-the-most-dangerous-places-in-america-7069.html

http://www.themainewire.com/2012/07/m-d-harmon-gun-free-zones-dangerous-places-america/

We Can Learn Alot

   First off I'd like to say that all religions are not the same. If you believe all of them, you don't believe any of them. However all religions have things we can learn from. Take Islam for example. I personally don't believe what Islam teaches, but there are definitely things I admire. (When I say Islam, I'm referring to the religion of peace not the doctrine of terrorists.) I think there is alot we can learn from Muslims. For example, they hold Allah and the prophet Muhammad to the highest reverence. Not unlike Christians do with Jesus, however the difference is the Christians allow the name of Jesus to be dragged through the mud, sometimes from their very own mouths. Muslims would never allow this of their God or prophet. In one word maybe its "anger" that we are missing. It should anger us when anyone curses the name of Christ. Not anger from a vengeful standpoint but anger from the standpoint of taking right and wrong very serious. Muslims will not stand for blasphemy of any sort and will go to any extent to protect the revered names of Islam. Another thing we can learn from Muslims is about prayer. No matter what, a practicing Muslim will pray five times a day whether they want to or not. Imagine if every professing Christians had such discipline and consistency in their prayer life. On the downside this can be seen as a bit ritualistic, in fact praying when your heart is not in it is the kind of vain repetition that Jesus warned us about. That is not the part I think we should be trying to mimic. The part we should mimic is Islam's absoluteness of God and the need for absolute submission, surrender and obedience at all times. If we recognized this in our own lives, we would choose to pray more. There is a "fear of the Lord" that I'm afraid many Christians have lost, and this can be very hard to get back.  I've known only a few Muslims in my life, but each time I couldn't help to also notice their focus on the sacredness of the family, children and hospitality. It is an honor to be invited and welcomed in a Muslim's home and they make you feel special. If invited in for a meal, take this as a compliment. We can learn from everyone in life and as usual there are pros and cons to all things. Being a Christian myself, I have many points of contention with Islam, however I chose not to focus on those points. I think the disagreements are highlighted enough in our world. Maybe instead we should be focusing on learning what we can from Islam, instead of holding ourselves as superior or somehow better than.-BDB (Google Images)

Valley of Shadows

    Even George Washington doubted his abilities as a leader at times, and the winter of 1777-78 was no exception. The term American patriot has new meaning once you learn what the soldiers of the Continental Army went through at Valley Forge. As Americans in the 21st century it is crucial to revisit our history, we like to refer to ourselves as patriotic, however the soldiers that survived Valley Forge were the original American patriots. Though no battle was fought here, the struggle against the elements and low morale was overcome on this sacred ground. On Sept 11th 1777 Washington and his troops were decisively defeated, leading them to flee the city of Philadelphia. Fifteen days later, after outmaneuvering Washington, the British entered Philadelphia unopposed. The Americans would be defeated one more time on Oct 4th in Germantown. With the cold weather rapidly approaching, Washington moved his army into winter quarters. Despite the defeats of the fall, the 12,000 men of the Continental Army were in good spirits when they marched into Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, (18 miles northwest of Philadelphia) on December 19, 1777. Under the direction of the army's engineers, the men began constructing over 2,000 log huts laid out along military streets. In addition, defensive trenches and five Redoubts were built to protect the encampment but bad Communications had left Washington's men without supplies. Only about one in three of them had shoes. Bloody footprints were left in the snow by bootless men. Near naked soldiers were wrapped in thin blankets huddled around smoky fires of green wood. Soldiers received inadequate supplies of meat and bread, some getting their only nourishment from "firecake," a tasteless mixture of flour and water. The plaintive chant from the starving: "We want meat! "We want meat! With the arrival of warmer weather in March, disease began strike at the army. Over the next three months, influenza, typhus, typhoid, and dysentery all erupted within the encampment. Of the 2,000 men who died at Valley Forge, over two-thirds were killed by disease. These unsung heroes of American history had no assurance of victory from the war or even food the next day. These are the images of suffering and endurance associated with Valley Forge in the winter of 1777-78. After the horrendous winter, the Continental Army found out that France was going to aid their cause by sending military and monetary donations to the army.
The winter at Valley Forge chiseled into the soldiers a strong will to persevere, endure, and later triumph over obstacles and bring independence to the United States. Washington always acknowledged that the perseverance gained by the soldiers at Valley Forge was what made the Continental Army bind together even stronger and eventually win the war. These were real American patriots. I'm fortunate enough to be able to look back and thank those men, because if it wasn't for their suffering, I wouldn't be writing this right now.- BDB

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

http://www.ushistory.org/ValleyForge/

Not Unreasonable

       Should one have to pass a drug test to receive welfare? There are two different arguments here., and they are both about money. Welfare benefits are meant to help us in a time of need, it was never meant to be more than that, unfortunately it has turned into much more than that. The people that oppose drug testing often site the 4th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution as the base of their argument. The 4th Amendment protects American citizens from "unreasonable search and seizure". I would normally agree with this, however, is it really an unreasonable search? Welfare is money from taxpayers, if you are going to receive money that other people worked for, don't you owe it to them to at least prove they are not using the money for drugs? My opinion is yes they should, not to send them to jail but maybe to qualify for benefits. I think if I have to pass a drug test to get a job and pay into welfare, then the person getting the welfare should also. The other side of the argument says that this would be too costly of an operation. This is the side that will most likely win out. There would be great costs associated with facilitating and analyzing the tests, and who would be the ones doing the tests? Would it be probation officers or social workers? These positions are already overworked and underpaid in my opinion. This is a prohibitive problem. My opinion is " yes" they should absolutely have to pass drug tests, but this will probably never happen. It would just cost taxpayers more money, the same taxpayers who want to cut costs to begin with. This is a case where I can clearly see both sides. - BDB

Source - (Google Images)
http://www.usnews.com/debate-club/should-welfare-recipients-be-tested-for-drugs

Tightning the Grip

  After the tragic Sandy Hook School shooting that took the life of 26 individuals, the Connecticut State Government is tightening the grip on gun owners. Nevermind that none of these gun owners had anything to do with the event, it just makes people feel better. Everything these days is about feelings, not logic. The picture above is circulating the Internet, it shows a long line of Connecticut residents waiting to register their "assault weapons" and "high capacity magazines". There is only one reason the government would require a gun registration is to keep track of all the guns. This is not the way a free society works. Don't be fooled, gun control has nothing to do with guns and everything to do with control. "Registration leads to confiscation", this is the law as far as gun supporters and owners are concerned. There is absolutely no reason the U.S. Government needs to know where all the guns are. If a registration database is ever constructed to keep track of the guns, it is just a matter of time before they try to take them. First it's the cities that will legislate gun registries then the entire state will take over then when all the states have completed them the Federal Government will step in and link all registries into one main database. This is only a theory, but this is how the government works. In this case it wasn't a city but the entire state first. It may happen slowly but the point is they are moving in that direction. It will be done with incremental-ism, it always is. This is one case where I feel civil disobedience might be necessary. I'm definitely not going to tell anyone to break the law, I don't ever encourage criminal activity, but there must be a line drawn somewhere. If everyone refuses to register there firearms, there is not much the government can do. At what point do we stop obeying unconstitutional laws? At what point do we stop and say ENOUGH? This will only work if we stick together.- BDB

Source- (Infowars Image)
http://www.infowars.com/proof-gun-registration-leads-to-confiscation/

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/12/31/looks-like-weimar-germany-the-viral-photo-out-of-connecticut-thats-giving-some-gun-owners-chills/

Skipping Christmas

  When is a Christmas card not a Christmas card?- When its from the White House! To the right is a picture of the holiday card that was given out by the President and his family. If the President wants to give out holiday cards I don't have a problem with that. What I have a problem with is the President skipping Christmas all together. This holiday card was not to celebrate Thanksgiving or New Years, this card was specifically designed to replace a Christmas card. Don't buy into the garbage about encompassing all the holidays into one card. The White House wanted a card that didn't mention Christmas. Let me be clear that President Obama is not the first president to do this, Bush did the same thing. This is aimed at all American Presidents. The President will publicly acknowledge Thanksgiving and also New Years, but at Christmas time we get a holiday card. This is to bow to political correctness and not offend anyone, except for Christians. Everyone in America  may not all believe in Jesus, but I also know for a fact that not everyone is a Muslim either. President Obama knows this but it did not stop him from holding a dinner at the White House to honor the Muslim holiday of Ramadan. Even though the President professes to be a Christian, I doubt anyone expected a "Merry Christmas" from him. However,  there is no sign of Christmas anywhere on this card, no tree, no lights, no bells, and no Santa. Would his supporters and ethnic minorities really have been so offended by a single reference to Christmas by its actual name? It is frustrating to see such silliness among our leaders in a time of supposed tolerance. It seems there is more than one standard - BDB

Source - (Google Images)
 http://www.infowars.com/obama-family-christmas-card-no-mention-of-christ-or-christmas/

Hateful Crimes

    The term "hate crime" gets thrown around a lot these days, too much in my opinion. The term usually refers to a racist or biased motivated crime. Anytime a crime is committed against someone of a different religion, culture, sex or ethnicity it could be perceived as a "hate crime". I think it would be a wonderful thing if we could stop hate, Ill be the first one to say this. The problem I have is it seems we are getting awfully close to prosecuting "thought crimes". When someone is convicted of a "hate crime" the sentence is often much more harsh than a "normal crime". Hate by itself is not illegal, so why is a "hate crime" worse than a "normal crime"? I'm not fully convinced that it should be. Are these rational, logical conclusions or just emotional reactions?  For example, if a crime is worth 1 point and hate is worth 0 points, why do they add up to equal 2? For the record I think hate is wrong and I don't hate anyone. With that being said, you can hate all you want, in fact you can hate everyone and everything your entire life and your free to do so. However, even though committing a crime is already illegal, it is now "extra" illegal because of your thoughts at the time of the crime. Most people never give this topic much thought but it is a reality in our society. Sadly, there is not much defense against a "thought crime" accusation, only you and God know your true motives and intentions Who knows, maybe one day it will be illegal to hate. There is a link provided below for examples of "hate crimes".-BDB

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

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sean_W._Kennedy

Criminal Patriotism

     Should it be illegal to expose illegal activity?  It sounds like a silly question, however this is the exact question we find ourselves asking. When President Obama was elected he promised his administration would be the most transparent in history, it turned out to be the opposite. Obama has prosecuted 6 whistleblowers in the past 5 years, this is more than all past presidents combined. The formal definition of whistleblower is someone who informs on a person or organization of illicit activity. Could it just be patriotism?  It is essential for us to know what our government is up to. The only reason the U.S Government would prosecute someone of whistleblowing on the government is because they are guilty and they want to scare others from coming forward as well. Our government is supposed to be "we the people", this means we are the government. At some point this changed and the government became a separate entity. They follow their own rules, laws and apparently no longer accountable to us. The President is not a king and he needs to stop acting like it. He is our employee and works for us. Here are a few examples of cases President Obama and "his" Justice Department has prosecuted or is pursuing prosecution on.

Edward Snowden- Is currently in sanctuary overseas and is wanted for revealing that the U.S. Government is engaged in illegal spying and mass surveillance of innocent American citizens with no probable cause and no warrants.

John Kiriakou- Is currently serving a 30 month prison sentence for revealing to the public that the C.I.A has a policy for torture and is often involved in "water boarding" suspected terrorists.

Bradley Manning-  Is awaiting trial for leaking thousands of documents to Wikileaks including a video showing a U.S. Military helicopter firing on Iraqi civilians.

Thomas Drake- Was sentenced to one year in prison and community service for leaking classified information that exposed waste and mismanagement in the N.S.A.

Are these men criminals or heroes? This is an important question we should all ponder. For more examples of whistleblowing visit the link below- BDB

Sources - (Google Images)
http://www.mediaite.com/online/traitors-or-heroes-all-of-the-whistleblowers-whove-been-prosecuted-by-obama-administration/#4-

http://www.thenation.com/blog/174916/war-whistleblowers-sin-being-correct

A Unique Planet

     According to astronomers the Milky Way galaxy has approximately 300 billion stars. Every star is a sun just like ours, this means there are 300 billion suns in our galaxy alone. If every sun has planets around them, could there be life on those planets? Are we alone in the universe? My opinion is yes, we are alone. In my opinion the answer to this question comes down to your world view, there are currently two competing world views on the origins of mankind. The first view says that time, space and all matter came from an unknown, unassisted explosion billions of years ago. Everything you see came from that explosion and all of life including humans grew and evolved slowly over time from smaller life forms. This is called the "Theory of Evolution". If you believe this theory it makes sense that you would also believe this process could happen somewhere else also. The second theory  says that humans were specially and purposely created by an intelligent mind, most refer to this mind as God. This is the theory that I believe and its called creation. Most people that believe in evolution often say that the universe is so big that it has to have other life. Is the universe as big as we think? I believe it is all about perception. The human body has trillions of cells, does that mean humans are big? It depends on perception. From a Christian perspective it is fairly easy to believe we are alone. God created us unique and became one of us to teach us how to live and to save us. Wouldn't he have to do this on every planet if there were more of us? I believe that God put the stars and galaxies in place for us and we should be in awe of him. Could God have created life on billions of planets? Of course he could have, I don't believe that he did. -BDB (Google Images)

Oil Independance Day

     America's foreign policies have always revolved around the thought that we were dependant on other countries for our oil, it turns out this is unnecessary. The United States of America has more oil and natural gas than all the middle east combined. The United States has double the amount of oil and three times the amount of natural gas than previously thought, stored deep under the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana and Texas.

     Foreign-oil imports are less than 40 percent of oil consumed in America, That’s the lowest level since 1988. Currently, the US is producing roughly half of all oil we use. If total energy is looked at, the U.S. is over 70% self-sufficient. This is good, but not good enough in my opinion. The U.S still spends huge sums on oil. Many Americans might be surprised to learn that the U.S. now imports roughly the same amount of oil from Africa as it does from the Persian Gulf and actually gets most of its imported oil from Canada and Latin America.

     The many benefits of a secure supply of energy sources benefit the country’s economics and security. Looking at the total U.S. energy picture, which includes natural gas, coal, nuclear, crude oil and renewable, the country is close to being self-sufficient. Crude oil, the raw material for gasoline and diesel fuel needed for transportation, is the only energy source where the U.S. requires large quantities of imports. This has a large impact on the country’s trade balances and economics. It won't happen overnight, but with time we can go from the importer to the exporter. The oil and natural gas industry can create more American jobs that can help grow the U.S. economy. If we have it why wouldn't we use it? Right now the this area accounts for more than 1.7 million jobs and will grow to nearly 3 million by the end of the decade.-BDB

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

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-11-12/u-s-nears-energy-independence-by-2035-on-shale-boom-iea-says.html

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-11-12/u-s-nears-energy-independence-by-2035-on-shale-boom-iea-says.html

Searching in Denial

    The SETI Institute is searching in denial and spending a lot of time and money doing it. SETI stands for the "search for extraterrestrial intelligence". The SETI Institute is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to “explore, understand and explain the origin, nature and prevalence of life in the universe”. There are many people who refuse to believe that humans were designed with a purpose, and choose to live in denial. Why do they choose denial? This is a question & answer for a different time. One way The SETI Institute searches the heavens is by the use of both radio and optical telescopes to search for signals from extraterrestrial intelligence. How would you know if a signal was sent by a living being? Its really very simple, anything that is organized, complex and holds a pattern would have to be made from an intelligent source. This is the part I get a kick out of. If this theory is true, it means human DNA must have been made by an intelligent source. It is quite obvious that we were created by a great mind, however this does not fit into the agenda of SETI. Ignoring the obvious is the antithesis of true science, yet they continue on blind to reality. It is hard to fathom, but the amount of information in human DNA is roughly equal to 12 sets of The Encyclopedia Britannica— 384 volumes worth of information that would fill 48 feet of library shelves. When scientists began to decode DNA they found an unexpected miniature language. A teaspoon of DNA, could contain all the information needed to build the proteins for all the species of organisms that have ever lived on the earth and also every book ever written. If it is so obvious to ordinary folks like me to understand that we came from intelligence, why can't the brightest minds in science also understand? The answer is simple, they don't want to understand, it is called being willfully ignorant. -BDB

Sources- (Google Images)

http://www.foxnews.com/science/2013/12/13/secret-second-code-found-hiding-within-human-dna/

http://www.ucg.org/science/dna-tiny-code-thats-toppling-evolution/

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

The All Seeing Eye

     The first city police services were established in Philadelphia in 1751, and ever since it has been the officer's word against the criminal's, but this era is now coming to an end. In response to decades of police corruption and endless He said / She said testimonies, police departments all over the country think they have found an answer. Technology is now cheaper than ever and the police department's are taking advantage of it. At the start of the year the City of Los Angeles started testing out body cameras on 30 officers and expect to have up to 600 cameras out on the streets by this summer. These cameras can be mounted on glasses, belts, hats and collars. I see this as a win/ win situation. The tax payers will be relieved of millions of dollars in yearly litigation fees and court costs, while also holding the officers accountable to the law and the public. Will this end police corruption? I doubt it, but it will definitely slow it down. The cameras will capture in real time everything the officer says and does, every interaction will be recorded. These cameras will create a record of the attitude and demeanor of officers. Complaints against police often involve the way they treat citizens. Recordings offer proof positive of whether officers were rude, abusive or disrespectful. When the officers and citizens know they are being recorded, it no doubt improves the behavior and causes encounters to be less heated from both sides.
Despite the obvious advantages of the cameras, many legitimate privacy questions come up and must be answered before we move any further. When cops are called to private homes, are the interiors of those homes on video? When are the cameras turned on and off? Will neighbors or other witnesses be less likely to share information with police if they are being recorded? How long will video be stored, and when will it be released to the public? All of those questions can be answered relatively quickly. If all parties are willing, it should not take years to incorporate this important technology into policing in American cities. I personally don't like the idea of being recorded all the time, but with the recent revelations of Edward Snowden it sounds like we are already being watched anyway. If these videos will keep the police more accountable to their constitutional oath, this program has my support.- BDB

Sources- (Google Images)
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/investigations/meet-mega-cops-high-tech-crime-gear-transforms-police-work-n23841

Submission to Pride

    In Chula Vista California this week, a firefighter was handcuffed and placed in the back of a police car because he refused to submit to a police officer's orders concerning  the placement of his fire truck. Nevermind that he was in the middle of helping victims of a serious car crash at the time. The California Highway Patrol officer could have easily called the fire chief and solved the problem that way, but his pride got in the way. The car crash victims were apparently not as important as the ego of the CHP officer. This story is all about the CHP officer making a point. We should all know that the police are infallible and we should obey them at all times ((sarcasm)). This is the power of pride, it will override rational thought and logic. The CHP officer was obviously more upset at the disregarded order than the placement of the fire truck. I realize police actions like this are the exception rather than the rule and there are plenty of good cops around the country. Unfortunately there are many men/women who want to be worshipped and forget their duty once they receive a badge. We can all be a victim of pride, nobody is immune. We can also be a victim of someone else's pride, like the fireman Jacob Gregoire who parked his truck in the middle of the street to protect the crash scene and the ambulance from traffic. What the fireman did was standard operating procedure, but for unknown reasons the CHP officer didn't agree. After a brief exchange with the officer and refusing to move his truck he was cuffed and detained for half an hour and then rightfully released. "It's unbelievable that you guys have to treat us like this, we are on the road trying to help people" said Gregoire as he was being cuffed and placed in the squad car. Maybe next time the firemen will not argue with the police, the police always know best and should never be questioned ((sarcasm)). As expected, this outraged the fire department who were only trying to do their job by helping people. The California Highway Patrol is investigating the incident and has not released the name of the CHP officer nor commented on whether or not the officer has been reprimanded. To watch the video visit the link provided below.- BDB

Source - (Google Images)
http://www.infowars.com/cop-handcuffs-firefighter-for-trying-to-protect-crash-victims/