Rant #2..I told you there would be another one

Alright everyone, time for another rant from Adam:

Aaaaarrrgggghhhh! I can't take it any more! The insanity of the current administration is mind-boggling!

I was reading an article my dad sent my way. It was about rep. Wilson's outburst during the joint session at which Obama stated the proposed health care plan would not provide insurance for illegal aliens. The article focused mainly on how rep. Wilson was quite right in calling it a lie ... technically, the bill does not allow coverage for illegal aliens, but Obama plans to provide a full pathway to citizenship for all illegal aliens, which would take effect before the healthcare care bill would, heaven forbid they both pass.

Symantics and trickery aside, the article quoted something Obama said in August at a press conference in Mexico. It's that which I really want to talk about, that is making me feel like I'm going to spontaneously combust. Let me just provide the quote first (with the article's comments interspersed):

Obama responded that he was “confident” he would get immigration reform that created a “pathway to citizenship” for illegal aliens.

“Now, am I going to be able to snap my fingers and get this done? No,” said Obama. “This is going to be difficult; it's going to require bipartisan cooperation. There are going to be demagogues out there who try to suggest that any form of pathway for legalization for those who are already in the United States is unacceptable. And those are fights that I'd have to have if my poll numbers are at 70 or if my poll numbers are at 40. That's just the nature of the U.S. immigration debate.

“But ultimately, I think the American people want fairness,” Obama continued. “And we can create a system in which you have strong border security, we have an orderly process for people to come in, but we're also giving an opportunity for those who are already in the United States to be able to achieve a pathway to citizenship so that they don't have to live in the shadows, and their children and their grandchildren can have a full participation in the United States. So I'm confident we can get it done.”

I hope that makes your insides writhe in pain and nausea like it does me. DEMAGOGUES??? How is it appealing to bias/prejudice to want people to obey the law? How is it in any way "fair" to provide illegal aliens a path to citizenship? It's calling evil good and good evil! You break the law, you get punished - that's how the law works, that's how justice works, that's how FAIRNESS works. Or at least, that's how it's supposed to work. The word ILLEGAL should be a bit of a hint on the way they should be treated. They are CRIMINALS ... why on *earth* would we want criminals as new citizens? I understand there is very good reason to come here, but that doesn't mean you do it illegally. They came here knowingly and willingly breaking the law, and for that we are going to punish them with ... citizenship. Unless of course they break some other law, then we will detain them, and maybe deport them. If we detain/deport them for breaking one law, why not for another (specifically, those of crossing the border illegally, not paying taxes, etc.)? If we hunt out criminals for their crimes, we do we not hunt these for theirs? The solution is to deport all of them! Then, if you want to reform immigration law to make it easier to come here legally, so be it. But you had better secure the border or they're just going to come back illegally rather that through the new/"improved" legal path, because then they don't have to pay taxes, among other things. I'm sorry. Was that racist of me? Obama would have you believe so, but it is not. All I'm asking is that the law be upheld, equally - or fairly you might say (and I'm opposed to immigration reform which makes it easier to come here because I believe it is a privilege to be here - one that must be earned, not given away freely ... I am not concerned in any way about the ratio of Hispanics in the country, though I do believe English should be our official language and fluency required for citizenship).

"We're also giving an opportunity for those who are already in the United States to be able to achieve a pathway to citizenship so that they don't have to live in the shadows..." THEY CHOOSE TO LIVE IN THE SHADOWS, they have created their own shadows. Rather than turn a blind eye to their crimes, we should go into those shadows and pull them out, teach them a lesson. Punish them for their crime. What a concept! "Life, Liberty, and Justice for all" ... that phrase used to mean something. People used to understand the perfect balance which must be maintained between those three values. Apparently the scales have been tipped though, and liberty is the one that matters most. That's not supposed to mean you get to do whatever the heck you want to! "All" - everyone - cannot have Life and Liberty if those who break the law do not face Justice. Without balance, the entire structure collapses.

I simply cannot believe (OK, maybe I can but that's even worse) that Obama would stretch and twist and distort the founding principles of this country so far, and then have the audacity to say, “this is going to be difficult; it's going to require bipartisan cooperation." Yes, Mr. Barrack Hussein, I will gladly put aside some of my most fundamental morals - the very ethos of the founding of this country - in the name of cooperation. It matters not what I think or feel, what values this country holds - or should hold - dear, cooperation is the most important thing. NO!!! It is true that "a house divided cannot stand". Bipartisanship is a good thing, it has its place. But there are limits. There comes a point when it is better to take sides and fight, and if the house falls, then to rebuild it - much better that then to have it corrupted beyond the point of recognition. There comes a point when cooperation becomes flocking, and if the shepherd is leading down a corrupted path, that is a very dangerous thing indeed. The office of the President deserves respect, but I will not blindly follow when the path leads to such deep dark places to which I do not want to go! I will not let this country, this beacon of hope for so many, degrade to such a degree.

Am I making a big deal over a small thing? Am I blowing this out of proportion? I don't think so. Because the real problem is the *attitude*. It may not be such a big deal when you look at the individual things. Will this country fall because we allowed illegal immigrants to become citizens? Will it fall because we nationalize healthcare (or the government competes in the market with subsidized healthcare, which is code for monopolization, which in the end will be exactly the same as nationalization)? No. It would be damaged, but it would not collapse for either of those things, or both. But it is an attitude. It will not stop there. Bailing out and partially nationalizing the financial sector was the first step. Bailing out the auto industry was the next. Heaven forbid it happens, but socializing/nationalizing health care is the next. And immigration reform is the next. Where does it end? How long before the snowball effect gets to the point where it can't be stopped? How close can we walk to the edge before, in a moment of distraction, we step over? So no, this is not a small thing. This is a colossal thing. Perhaps nothing will come of it. Perhaps some awful decisions will be made (read: not just liberal), and then in four years a new leader will be elected and those decisions entirely or partially overturned. But perhaps not. What if we reach the point of no return before we have the opportunity to turn around? Am I to the point of going out and exercising Civil Disobedience? No, not yet, though I'm certainly not going to keep my mouth shut either. Can I go out on a limb, though? What the heck, it can't hurt.

I suggest that we stand ready. I suggest we keep a very watchful eye. And I suggest that if things *do* get bad enough we don't stand idly by. As I say, we are not there yet - no matter how strongly I disagree with some of the decisions being made - and I don't want to overreact or jump the gun; but if the time comes, let's not be caught unprepared. If the time comes, let's be prepared to do whatever it takes to bring this country back to the right path. I'm not trying to be an alarmist. Let me say again that the time is not now, and may not come in our lifetimes. But if it does, a moment's hesitation may be the death blow. What are you willing to do to keep this country alive? Will you walk in protests and raise your voice? Will you refuse to obey truly corrupt laws?

The freedoms and rights we are privileged to have in this country are worth fighting for. Life is so peaceful and calm, in general, that right now it may seem crazy to suggest that fighting for those rights may ever be necessary, especially for the danger to come from within. Certainly, there are varying opinions on how best to uphold those freedoms and rights (that is, how to interpret the Constitution and what to do in cases it doesn't directly cover). This is a democratic republic, and we would not be such a great country without multiple parties. Sometimes laws get passed that we don't like, and that's fine. In general, the system self-corrects - perhaps never achieving perfection, but certainly staying above water. And maybe that's exactly what will happen here. But I don't like the path we're on, and this country, it's freedoms and rights, are not invincible. We know that "the Constitution WILL hang by a thread" and "IF the constitution be saved at all, it will be by the Elders of this Church" (emphasis mine, quote Joseph Smith's). I don't know if that's going to happen in the next 4 or 8 years, or if it will be a hundred or more from now; and I don't know if "Elders" refers to the leadership of the church or the priesthood/church in general (or something in between). I do know that if the time comes, now or later, that I will do everything in my power to ensure that the constitution is not lost. I believe it can be saved when that time comes, but I believe that it is not a guarantee. We cannot simply watch it fail, and when it is gone think that the prophecy was not fulfilled. IF it is saved. Not when. We must be prepared to stand up for what is right, even when the time comes that that means Civil Disobedience, protest, and (much?) more. We cannot know when that prophecy will be fulfilled, but we can watch and stand ready. And I believe the more we fight against that future now, with our words and votes, the less severe that future will be when it does come. For now, if you don't like the direction things are headed, share your concerns with your friends, family members, and representatives. If you happen to like what I've said, you're welcome to copy part or all of it. Either way, don't hide your candle under a bush.

-Adam