Stop Your Lying!

 

By William L. Garvin

 

“Vision without action is a daydream; action without vision is a nightmare.”  We are currently seeing the American dream become an American nightmare.

For a prime example, look at our leadership in Washington, D.C.  First of all, they lurch from fiscal crisis to fiscal crisis like an alcoholic on a cheap whiskey bender stumbling from lamppost to lamppost.  Grasping their temporary support, they pause long enough for inebriation to temporarily subside only to lurch forward in their stumble bum gait to the next temporary respite.  When confronted for their irresponsible behavior, they first deny having had more than one drink.  Then they concoct a fantasy that the world faces impending doom without them being allowed to proceed along their sotted way.  Finally, they blame the bartender for having built a bar where they were served alcohol.  Apparently one thing they will never admit is the truth—they are economic drunks about to reach a certain disastrous end.

Naturally, the current discussion about sequestration epitomizes the model for lying.  You see, one side (which includes ABC news) says that there are no actual cuts in sequestration.  In fact, the government will spend more this year than they did last year even AFTER sequestration occurs.  In fact, the government will spend more each and every year than they did the year before until 2020 UNDER sequestration.  All this artificial device does is slow the rate of increase.

Of course the other side says that times will immediately become apocalyptic.  Police, firefighters, and other emergency responders will lose their jobs.  Thousands of teachers will be turned out of the classroom.  Planes won’t be falling from the sky but it will take you hours longer to get on them.  Our military will be decimated and national security will be compromised.  Plagues and locusts are soon to follow!  Naturally, the President blames the Republicans.  However, even Bob Woodward and the New York Times point out that sequestration was a White House proposal (thank you, Jack Lew) and was signed into law by Barack Obama.

So who is the biggest liar?  One thing to immediately note is that the federal government has only a minor role in paying the salaries of teachers, police officers and firefighters.  Those costs are borne by local governments which by law have to balance their budgets.  Many state and local employees have not only foregone pay raises but have also taken pay cuts, much like their private sector counterparts.  Not so the federal government payroll.  Not so the congress or their staffs.  They continue merrily along their tipsy way.  With fiscal Armageddon less than a week away, the President jets off to Florida to play golf and the Congress goes on vacation!  To paraphrase Ricky Ricardo, “D.C., you got some ‘splaining to do!”

Then there’s the whole gun control debate.  When the administration and its media propaganda arm want to terrorize the low information voter, the nom de plume is “military style assault rifles.”  However, when the Department of Homeland Security wishes to purchase 7,000 rifles which use NATO ammunition and are suitable for “personal defense use in close quarters,” the assault rifle magically morphs into “personal defense weapons” or PDW’s.  This newly coined pseudonym also requires thirty-round magazines and is “select fire,” read FULLY AUTOMATIC.   In addition, DHS is also requesting another twenty million “hollow point” bullets to go along with the 1.6 BILLION bullets it has acquired over the last ten months!  Additionally, the President has signed legislation to allow the use of drones in the United States.  Some estimates predict as many as 30,000 drones will be in use domestically in the next ten years.

Ben Franklin once said, “Never trust a government that doesn’t trust its own citizens with guns.”  He probably was part of a conversation with Thomas Jefferson who said, “The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.”  Further founding father wisdom came from George Washington who noted, “A free people ought not only be armed and disciplined, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government.”

If your home is broken into and you are in danger of being robbed, raped, beaten or murdered, you can follow Joe Biden’s advice and “go out on the balcony” and fire both barrels of your only weapon, a shotgun, into the air.  This is wrong on so many levels.  You could also follow the advice of Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin.  It’s your choice, America…for now.