Ok, so another political posting. There is a speech by Barak Obama that was made either today or in the last few days that I am looking for. If I can find it in the next few minutes I will quote him word for word. Ok, here it is the quote:
We can't drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times ... and then just expect that other countries are going to say OK.
(http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5h-wpxs1Re-8vx2Zk5xnYygW1W67w)
To that I answer, "YES WE CAN!" That is the key tenant of our capitalist economy and our great democracy that maybe Mr. Obama does not get. We have the choice to drive our SUVs or other cars as much as we want. The choice to keep our house as cool or hot as we want. We can make that choice because we choose to pay the price for those choices. We get to choose the 42' plasma over the 19' tube TV. You cannot make that choice for my Mr. Obama, no government has that right or power. To quote Jefferson, "that we are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." Liberty is that choice. The pursuit of happiness and property (the original idea of Locke and Jefferson) is that choice.
Yes, I run my apartment warmer in the summer and cooler in the winter: Why? The cost of power is expensive and because own warm clothes and can endure the 120+ degrees of the Las Vegas summers (Sorry Katie, I will make sure I turn on the air for you this summer). But that is my choice. I choose to drive my car less because gas is expensive, not because the rest of the world says I have to. It is a matter of choice. That is the big idea that guides conservatives: choice and freedom.
I have the choice to discipline my kids the way I want to without the government getting involved (Unless, of course, there is genuine abuse, but spanking or slapping a child because they swear is not abuse). I have the choice to be successful and expand and get rich (High taxes will take away my choices to be more successful and keep me from striving higher). I have the choice to do bad and fail. It's my choice and I will not infringe on your choices or freedoms by asking you to bail me out when I fail because of MY CHOICES! When I fail and the government bails me out, I have taken your choices and freedoms because I have taken your tax dollars because of my choice. I have the choice to believe what I want about any topic and not get called a racist, homophobe or intolerant because I CHOOSE to believe something contrary to the minority. I give you the choice to believe what you want even if I disagree. I am an American and I don't like when my choices or freedom are taken away from me.
