Two wolves and a sheep

In response to Bob Brown’s letter that was published in the Middletown Times Star January 18, 2008.

In that letter he wrote: “What replaced government control was democracy which put government in the hands of the people.”

I can not let anyone think that statement is correct as written.

What replaced British tyranny was a Constitution that insured a government by the people could not abridge certain God given rights through consensus. That is why the United States of America is a Constitutional Republic NOT a Democracy.

The founding Fathers abhorred a democracy. You will not even find the word in our Constitution or the Declaration of Independence; it is only folks who seek collective rule that use the word in describing our country.

In the federalist’s papers #10 Madison makes the argument why America should be a republic rather than a democracy. One point he makes is: “Hence it is that such democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and have in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths.”

John Adams in 1814 said: “Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.”

But on the other hand, two individuals who thought a democracy essential were Vladimir Lenin who said: “Democracy is indispensable to Socialism”, and Karl Marx who said: “Democracy is the road to Socialism.”

A democracy does not present a pretty picture. A simple explanation of what a democracy represents is: two wolves and a sheep take a majority vote on what’s for supper. - In other words, in a democracy (which is majority rule); there is nothing to protect the sheep from the wolves, the wolves representing the majority, the sheep, the minority.

However, in a constitutional republic: the wolves are forbidden from voting on what’s for supper and the sheep is well armed. - Meaning, given the same situation in a constitutional republic, the rights of the sheep are protected from the wolves by the constitution and should the wolves rise up to challenge that right the sheep has a means to protect itself from the mob. (The sheep should always remain well armed)

Confusion is generated about what kind of government we have because we do use a limited form of democracy when we vote, however, we may only vote on issues that are constitutionally correct, therefore: the wolves will never be allowed to vote on what’s for supper as the constitution protects the rights of the sheep.

Democracy is only a safe process when individual rights are protected from majority rule. So the next time someone talks about democracy, you better listen real close because you may be the intended sheep.

Regarding his statements on health insurance, the truth is, no one may be refused actual health care, that is the law. And as for universal health care, my wife and I lived in Germany for over three years, where they had socialized medicine, and experienced this type of health care first hand and I don’t want it. My wife gave birth to our first child in a German hospital and our second child was born in an American hospital, do you need to ask her opinion on which she would prefer?

It is tiring to have folks slam this country when in most cases they have never experienced real socialism or given up any freedoms and then got them back. These folks need to go try living somewhere else as regular folks for a few years and then maybe they’ll understand why people risk their lives to come to America not to leave America.


© January 30, 2008

Freedom is a strange experience

This is a response to Eric Striedieck of Middletown who published a letter directed to me in the Middletown Times Star on January 18, 2008

Eric,

In your letter you say “Consensus is the epitome of Democracy. What in the world could be better than that. [?]”

I’ll tell you the answer, but first, if you don’t believe me I hope you will take the time to educate yourself about the issue of freedom vs. democracy.

Marx and Lenin

…both knew and advocated Democracy because it is the first step to complete Socialism which in their minds eventually leads to Communism.

As for our country, the United States of America, we are NOT a Democracy; we are a Constitutional Republic with a democratically elected representative form of government. And our Constitution guarantees individual rights, not collective rights which are what you seek.

No where in the Constitution does it say: “for the greater good” however the advocates of collective tyranny spout that phrase, or something similar, all the time and then they talk about democracy as if democracy is the reason we have been a free country for over 200 years.

We have been free because we have a Constitution that guarantees your individual freedom not because folks like you complain about wood smoke and want to debate it to reach some consensus which will override an individual right.

I don’t happen to think bicycle riders on our roads and highways is a safe practice. I think they present a hazard not only to themselves but also to the safety of the drivers of automobiles. And the roads and highways are paid for by taxes collected on the sale of gasoline and on licensing of motor vehicles, not bicycles.

So, based on that argument and using your approach to governing, I bet I could get a consensus that would restrict when and where bicyclers could ride on public property.

Yet I bet too, if you were a bicycler, even though cycling is a minority sport, you would argue you have a “right” to be on the road with your bicycle because you are free not because some group arrived at consensus.

Democracy and consensus works great for the one seeking to change things, but if you happen to be in a minority position you will just plain lose. That is why we have a Constitution and its amendments, to protect the rights of the minority or the silent majority.

Freedom is a strange experience as it can’t be recognized as something until it is gone, and then, it is too late. Freedom is only recognized for what it is when it has been replaced with an encumbrance you can feel.

A good way to experience this is to own a home and live outside the gates of a homeowner’s association and then buy a home and move behind the gates and experience the CC&Rs of the association. You will soon recognize your loss of freedoms.

Or better yet, join the military and really experience your loss of freedom and liberty.

The issue for me is not air-pollution; the issue is about losing freedoms and liberty based on hysteria being perpetuated by a religion called environmentalism that is filled with dogma, hypocrisy and little proof. (And by the way, I don’t use wood for a heat source, cooking source or general comfort since you referred to “your smoke” meaning my smoke. However, freedom of speech allows you to accuse me even if you are wrong.)

I am an advocate of individual freedom and liberty which will never try to intimidate you into silence through something called “political correctness” because I don’t have to resort to that level. I believe that when someone uses words like “inflammatory”, “arrogance” and “intolerance” in a single accusation they are normally being used to try to intimidate and embarrass, hoping to quiet a voice of opposition and truth. But I also believe you may say what you want, it just won’t work with me.

No matter what you accuse me of, what you think of me or what I have said, the fact will still remain; it is a free country and the choice to move away from the wood smoke will still exist. And I will never apologize for reminding anyone they are free.

But I feel that’s not your goal, (that being to invoke your freedom to move), I feel your goal is to remove another person’s freedom rather than inconvenience yourself.

And if you are too poor to move, fair was never promised, freedom is.

© January 24, 2008

You may keep your fireplace; you just can’t burn anything.

In response to the letter regarding wood smoke, printed in the Middletown Times Star in the January 11, 2008 edition, written by “Clare Brady, Middletown”.

Quote from that letter: “It sure sounds like overreaction, mud-slinging, and bullying when one gentleman (that would be me this person is referring to) writes in this newspaper about “change agents” and “subversives” when all we town folk want to breathe is fresh, not smoky air. “Clean air please” – is what this is all about – and only what it is about.

Friends, let’s face our air-pollution problem, not deny it, cover it up with misleading, non applicable statistics, innuendos, and name calling. Middletown is a great town, and we town residents just want to keep it that way.” end quote.

So let’s see if I have this right, Clare thinks we have an air-pollution problem and that those who oppose that opinion regarding wood smoke are trying to cover up the issue with; “misleading, non applicable statistics, innuendos, and name calling”. And that I personally have participated in “overreaction, mud-slinging, and bullying”. Clare also placed in quotes, implying use in the letter by me the word “subversives”.

So, a few facts about me
…that are true so you can factor them into my response:

I have asthma that I have to treat everyday, regardless of wood smoke or car exhaust.

Second, I don’t burn wood for a heat source either primary or as an alternative and haven’t done so for at least five years.

Third, I haven’t always lived on “larger acreage outside of town”. In fact I lived in Middletown on highway 175 and Berry Street for many years.

Fourth, I too am a veteran, my father was a veteran, in fact the Wink family came to North America in 1720 and some died fighting in the revolution so I guess that qualifies me on that point.

Fifth, I never used the word “subversives”, I wrote: “If you want to learn more about the subverting of America, log onto www.bill-wink.com” .

Sixth, I have studied the issue of Americans losing their individual freedoms and liberties through “consensus” for nearly four years, and those persons who initiate change, where Americans lose freedom and liberty, are commonly referred to as agents of change, or “change agents”.

Now to the real issue.

My concern is not about air-pollution but my concern is about freedom and liberty and how environmental issues, like air-pollution, are being used to limit or remove those very freedoms and liberties.

At this time in our history it is not illegal to have a wood fire for cooking, heat or general comfort but folks like Clare want to change that.

Clare states: Quote “Now, no one is trying to take away anyone’s fireplace.” end quote.

From what I can read, that appears to be a true statement; however, my experience tells me the unwritten part of that statement is: You may keep your fireplace; you just can’t burn anything.

I moved to Middletown in 1956. I grew up here, I graduated from high school here and I agree when Clare writes: “Middletown is a great town, and we town residents just want to keep it that way.” In fact, I’m sure my family and my wife’s family helped to make Middletown a “great town”. So my question to Clare is: If we agree Middletown is so great, why are you trying to change it?

“Catching Pigs”

Yesterday I received an email that struck me as describing what is happening in America to a “T”. It was titled:

“Catching Pigs”

There was a chemistry professor in a large college that had some exchange students in his class. One day while the class was in the lab, the professor noticed one young man, an exchange student, who kept rubbing his back and stretching as if his back hurt.

The professor asked the young man what was the matter? The student told him he had a bullet lodged in his back. He had been shot while fighting communists in his native country - who were trying to overthrow his country's government and install a new communist regime.

In the midst of his story, he looked at the professor and asked a strange question: "Do you know how to catch wild pigs?" The professor thought it was a joke, and asked for the punch line. The young man said that it was no joke.

"You catch wild pigs by finding a suitable place in the woods and putting corn on the ground. The pigs find it and begin to come everyday to eat the free corn. When they are used to coming every day, you put a fence down one side of the place where they are used to coming. When they get used to the fence, they begin to eat the corn again, and you put up another side of the fence. They get used to that and start to eat again. You continue until you have all four sides of the fence up with a gate in the last side. The pigs, which are used to the free corn, start to come through the gate to eat that free corn again. You then slam the gate on them and catch the whole herd. Suddenly the wild pigs have lost their freedom. They run around and around inside the fence, but they are caught. Soon they go back to eating the free corn. They are so used to it that they have forgotten how to forage in the woods for themselves, so they accept their captivity."

The young man then told the professor – “This is exactly what I see happening in America”.

A fence called “air pollution”

There are many types of “pig pens” being built across this country; air pollution is just one that is being used to remove freedoms from us Americans.

I want clean air just like everyone else, but realistically, we have reached a point where legislating our environment is more about controlling us and less about protecting us.

After all, it is impossible to completely legislate clean air unless you know some way of keeping the sun from converting some air molecules from good to bad. Or you figure a way to stop the wind from blowing across the Sahara and sending millions of metric tons of sand into the atmosphere. Or you can capture all the ash and gas from a volcano. Or you can instantly stop any and all wild land fires across the whole world. Or you can keep any structure from burning, ever. Or you can divert the thousands of meteorites that burn up in the atmosphere every year. Or you can cap every geo-thermal gas vent on the planet.

The reality of life is: Life on Earth is deadly and no matter how many laws you pass, in the end, somehow, someway, you will die anyway. So… why not die free?

The dogma of environmentalism
(Read the rest at Bill Wink .com click on Catching Pigs

Don’t be a “Snitch”

I just experienced 31 hours without the convenience of electricity, as did many others. Some experienced a longer time without and some spent less time, however, 31 hours is long enough to make one think.

And I thought how much different the experience could have been for some and how different it might be in the future.

What about my electric car?

Thank goodness I don’t own one. But possibly you do or are thinking about getting one?

Range on a battery charge will vary greatly depending on such factors as battery type, use of vehicle accessories etc. But the fact remains, they depend completely on the electric grid to be operable when they need a charge and when it is down because your neighbor’s tree knocked it out there is no way to recharge your batteries. Some folks have been without the electric grid for several days and are still without electricity as I write this. Therefore, it is safe to conclude that those with EVs (electric vehicles) were/are hostage to the electric grid in more ways than just no lights.

The Matrix

Now imagine this scenario if you will, that the environmental religious movement has succeeded in passing a local ordinance to make it a violation against the environment to burn a wood fire. Imagine that today, just as they have succeeded in turning neighbor against neighbor on the issue of tobacco smoke in private homes in the past, that they too have now empowered your neighbor to turn you in for having a wood fire.

Within that scenario it would mean those who had/have lost their electric power during the storm of the first week of January 2008 and whose only alternative heating and cooking source was/is a wood fire would now have no heating or cooking source at all.

Couldn’t happen in America you say.
(Read the rest at Bill Wink .com click on “Don’t Be A Snitch”