I was just perusing my last three blogs, and it hit me. There is a constant theme. If not to the stories themselves, then to my responses. Personal responsibility! Something that scares me worse than any other privilege that an American is losing in the name of bigger government, is that of losing personal responsibility. What is worse is that the average American voter is tossing it at the feet of the elected official like it is some kind of offering or token that they can carry into battle on the floors of the Senate and House; or in the last election...the highest office in the land.

Personal responsibility is something that our fore fathers not only assumed existed, but counted on when penning and ratifying the Constitution. This is why this great and living document is offering such misunderstanding to those who are growing into its importance and translation. Let's take a look at the Bill of Rights:

1. Without personal responsibility it is impossible to freely exercise the participation in the religion of your choice without offending an others' right to theirs. Without personal responsibility it is impossible to have a true freedom of the press. A freedom that requires responsibly printing and reporting the truth, without infringing on an others' freedom to do the same. Without personal responsibility it is impossible to petition the government for a redress of grievances.


2. Without personal responsibility, the Constitution doesn't make any sense. After all, how can an American have the right to keep and bear arms without the personal responsibility to control that right, and to not infringe on the rights of others while exercising that right?


3. Without personal responsibility it is impossible to uphold even the most forgotten or non-applicable rights such as not unlawfully quartering a soldier


4. Without personal responsibility it is impossible to retain the right against unreasonable searches and seizures.


5. Without personal responsibility it is impossible to truly uphold the right of Due Process, or just compensation


6. Without personal responsibility it is impossible to have an impartial jury.


7. Without personal responsibility it is impossible to uphold and enforce common law


8. Without personal responsibility it is impossible to protect from cruel and unusual punishment.


9. Without personal responsibility it is impossible to not infringe on the rights of others.


10. Without personal responsibility it is impossible it is impossible to empower the people.

I realize that I went on and on, and you probably got the point after the first one or two, but I felt it was necessary to include at least the first ten amendments to show that the freedoms we hold dear are under fire because the people have lost the ability to govern themselves without personal responsibility.

The beautiful thing about America's form of government is that though the Presidency is the highest office in the land, the people are still the most powerful. The elected officials should fear, and respect their electors. They should rule the way that the people want them to, or they should fear being fired. There is no reason that the approval rating of the President should be so low, nor the approval rating of Congress be even lower. The reason is because people have forgotten or given away their responsibility. Have you written your elected official recently regarding anything that you have disagreed with? Did you view your vote this past November as a chance to make American a better nation or as a chance to decide the next President will be a black man? If you disapprove with Congress, did you vote to elect someone you approve of? If so, did you or do you constantly keep him/her in line and force them to hold to their election promises by writing to them and reminding them that they too have personal responsibility?

The MySpace.com case, the bailouts, the public schools, national health care, social security, immigration, etc. are all being handled by the government or the people want then government to handle them because we the people have no personal responsibility. In the movie "Spiderman", Uncle Ben tells Peter that "with great power comes great responsibility". I think he is wrong. I think that with great responsibility comes great power! We are losing the power, the freedoms, by casting our responsibility on the government. Personal responsibility is hard, but it yields great reward and greater freedom.

This year make your resolution to increase your responsibility, to teach it to your children, and practice it in your home. If enough of the people take back their personal responsibility the government will be free to ensure our freedoms, and be powerless to take them from us!

God calls it self control, and it comes naturally as a fruit of the Spirit. Get back to God, seek Him first, and you will take back what is yours and not the governments. I will do this. It is my resolution.

Today on Townhall.com Phyllis Schlafly wrote an article that blames the public school system for the 32% of "Evangelical" young adults age 18 - 29 who voted for Barak Obama. While it is obviously very clear that the public school system is corrupt, and driven by the liberal political machine, I don't think that it accounts for the full 32%. In fact I don't think it accounts for even 10%.

Phyllis did a great job at showing how are children are effected by the public school system propaganda. However, I don't know that this is the best explanation of why young adults are or did vote for Obama. They are spoiled by their parents who forgot to be parents and tried to be "the good guy".They want the government to provide everything for them just as mommy and daddy did. They want their brand new car and car insurance that they didn't have to earn. They want their fancy electronics and cool new clothes that they didn't have to earn. Today's young adults and children don't now how to earn. All they know how to do is throw fits until mommy gives in and gives them what they want. They are doing the same thing with the government. Bail out plans are rapidly fueling this "spoiled" state. The exclamation by the Obama supporter who touted never having to pay for her mortgage or gas again wasn't showing her ignorance, she was showing her heart. "For out of the mouth the heart speaks". Public schools do a fantastic job of reinforcing what they children are being taught at home. You wanna point fingers....point them at the responsible party. I'm am no fan at all of the public school system, and am in the process of home schooling my children starting next year. What are you doing in your home to teach your children responsibility, how to earn what they get, and work hard to exceed?

I don't claim to be the best parent ever. In fact, I'm pretty far from it, but to be a good parent takes hard work. Maybe that is the problem. We don't want to work hard at being a parent and the kids pick up on our weakness. It is just as simple as top down leadership. Will revamping the public school system change the value structures of our future children? Will reforming the home do that better?

There is one other factor that I believe is part of the blame. Everybody these days are "Evangelical". Like the "conservatives" of the Republican party, the benchmark was lowered, the catechism forgotten, the rules set aside. I have a feeling that those who attended Reverend Wright's church consider themselves "Evangelical". The numbers are a bit skewed...another problem that stems from the home, not the church.

To read Townhall's article click here.

I stole the title to today's blog from a story on RedState.com. I couldn't resist, due to the colossal error that President Bush has been making and is now making again with these bailouts.

America has survived for years...232 to be exact...without any "bailout" intervention from our government into private business. However, where should the fault be placed? Who is really to blame?

Let's look at the players:
1. The Government
2. The "Big Three" (a real misnomer)
3. The UAW
4. The Consumer..hmmmm

Let's discuss each. First the Government. there is great debate on whether this is an appropriate measure or not. My opinion is that it is not. Either way, there are some fishy things taking place that the media is choosing not to cover. For example, did Congress vote on this most recent bail out decision? No. They voted to give money to the financial institutions through the TARP fund, but to take money from that fund and give it to the auto industry was never voted on. Does the President has the power to solely decide where the tax payers money goes? NO! there fore this is an illegal move. The vote was to give that money to the financial institutions not to auto makers. Bad move President Bush. Will anything come of it? No! By the time a motion is filed, reviewed, and so on, it will be January 20th and we will have a new President and new Congress and the measure will probably fly through both houses. So where is the reason to fight this abuse of power? Principle! Something the Hill is rapidly losing and forgetting about amongst the power wielding. Fortunately a few member of Congress sent a letter to the President addressing just that. It is obvious that he has chosen to ignore them as is proven by the news this morning.

The "Big Three" auto makers. How did they get to the point of needing to be bailed out? I am a big proponent of free enterprise, and if a company wishes to award it CEO and other execs with multimillion dollar salaries, that so be it. i have no problem with that. However, if the companies were being forced to follow the already established bail out option called Bankruptcy they would probably cut those salaries a bit as well as other needless spending. GM says it needs 18 Billion dollars to make it. Imagine how much money they would have saved in the last 20 years had the been a bit more frugal with there money. Enter the UAW!

The United Auto Workers Union. Almost sounds like Union of Soviet Socialists Republic. The UAW is a major problem. Explore some of the "benefits" sometime that come with being a member of such a Union. Ridiculous salary demands, even more ridiculous demands for compensation for those who get laid off, and so on. However, I'm not going to spend a lot of time here.

The consumer.How do they play into the game? They drive it (no pun intended). That is right, the ultimate puppet master in this whole rigmarole is you. When did America forget that it is a "Government of the people, for the people, and by the people"? People who are spending way over their heads and budgets. People who are calling out for rescue from their responsibilities. People who love to complain about the state of things, but don't communicate those complaints to their elected officials. People who give the Government the power to decide what happens to your tax dollars without asking you. The Government can only control what the people allow them to.

Therein lies the problem. the average American has forgotten what a hard days work is. The average American has forgotten what it means to earn, and has been indoctrinated with the idea that they "deserve". A government only reflects the wishes of its people. We are getting what we are asking for. You want Government handouts, you want "free" health care, you want to "never have to pay for gas or for [your] mortgage again"? This is what comes with it. A week nation, a week people, a nation of spoiled children throwing fits about what the other child has and that it isn't fair that they don't have it. Wake up! What happened to the days of responsibility, earning what you have, buying something only if you can afford it, standing up for what you believe? It is the people's fault. It is your fault. It is my fault.

Allow me to put in a little plug to the Christians who are reading this. It is your fault! A verse that many of us have hanging in our homes comes from Joshua 24:15 "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord". This verse is not as great as we hold it up to be. You see Joshua was the leader of the Israelites, and was in charge of making changes, holding the people accountable, and enacting the Law of God. He began to become depressed, and discouraged, and finally got fed up with the people, and issued this statement in 20:2 "..choose you this day whom you will serve.." but as for me... He was giving up. Not on his personal belief in God, but in his belief that he has the responsibility too and can make a difference.

Shortly following that speech comes the book of the Judges. A time where the people of Israel had forgotten the times of Joshua and went desperately astray and wicked. Don't let your children forget who God really is, don't let them fall into the trap of "deserving" and remind them that the only thing we deserve is Hell, but that the Grace of God offers and promises us more. With that more...comes more responsibility. Let's have our voices be heard in one accord. In union. There are enough Christians left in American that we can fulfill the spot of "We the people", and change the direction of this government. We are still a democratic republic. Our voices, our votes still drive this nation. We have to decide that the way of responsibility, the way of hard work and earning, is the way we should go, not the easy path of "deserving". "For broad is the way and wide is the gate that leadeth to destruction."