Life, Liberty, and Property
What is property, and who can, and cannot, control it? Central Utah is grappling with the issues and the misconceptions. When Thomas Jefferson penned the Declaration of Independence he memorialized “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. The last was a commonly used alternate term for “property” among colonials. He understood property; that without the […]
Reverse Discrimination
Provo is reveling in political correctness with last week’s announcement that Hal Miller and Sterling Beck, Provo city councilmen, plan an “anti-discrimination” bill for Provo. They say it’s good for business. Is it, however, good for the rights of those who own property in Provo? Nationwide, the ball is rolling furiously in favor of required […]
From Grateful Hearts: Lincoln’s Thanksgiving Proclamation
America had much to be grateful for on October 3, 1863. Her Chief Executive, Abraham Lincoln, set his hand to formalize that gratitude in a national day of thanksgiving. States had celebrated individually, but the nation as a whole had never offered a unified voice of appreciation. Among early American colonists, unified prayer, fasting, and […]
150 Years Ago Today: The Gettysburg Address
Gettysburg is hallowed ground. It is bathed with the blood of 51,112 men whose lives were laid on the sacrificial altar during that 3 day carnage to preserve national unity. On November 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln stood in the newly created Soldier’s National Cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to dedicate the resting place for the […]
(Big) Business (as Usual) and the Radicals
What is going on with the Republicans? There’s grumbling on the national scene, and we see the same things happening in Utah that have created the ire. Val Hale’s comments in the October 24 Daily Herald column, 2Sense, are eye-opening. He quotes sages at the Dallas Morning News who describe two factions in the Republican […]
Today
Today is voting day. Today is the day you inherited when Adam and Eve fled the Garden of Eden. They provided a kaleidoscope world of conflicting and cooperating ideas. It’s supposed to be that way so you have a choice. In the next 12 hours, give or take a few, you get a tiny sample […]
Ode to Bulldogs
“The people who do not revere the deeds of their ancestors will never do anything to be remembered by their descendents.” So said British historian Lord Macauly. It is notable, then, that history so well favors Samuel Adams, Boston’s unyielding bulldog of American independence. Two and a half centuries ago Adams turned colonial anger at […]
About the Paper Bag…
There is political mischief afoot in Utah. Termites are attacking the pillars of citizen involvement in state and local politics. There are several ways to run a government. You can put one person in charge, a few in charge (always those with money and power), or everybody in charge. Our Founders sifted through the good […]
Whining to the Feds
America is racing toward bankruptcy, with debts beyond any ability to repay. The debt clock stands near 17 trillion, with future combined federal liabilities (social security, prescriptions drugs, Medicare, ect.) at 126 trillion, an incomprehensible sum. Yet we still beg federal funds. Why? The government has no money. To feed its gluttony, it borrows every […]
The Duel for Dollars
With five weeks until the November elections, renewing the CARE tax is heating things up in Orem. Like most entrenched programs, the wind blows toward the incumbents. Once government giveaways are begun, they are difficult to cancel. Recipients, once dependent on funds, are likely to cry “Foul!” when threatened with cancelled funding. This tax will […]
