The Path to Equality

Our Declaration of Independence reads that all men are created equal. What does that mean?

Does it mean we are all created equal,  that we deserve equal income regardless of our abilities and desires?

We are also guaranteed , life ,liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Are we all going to get a life?Not according to the pro-abortion people. They are trying to limit that right.

How about liberty? In this day and age, our liberties are  disappearing daily as the government infringes on more and more on them.

How about happiness? According to the Declaration of Independence,we aren’t guaranteed happiness, just the pursuit of it. Whether or not we are happy depends totally on us. That is our choice.

We are not guaranteed equal income, our income is determined by not only our desire, but our abilities as well. There is not and should not be a guaranteed income, to do so would remove all initiative for people to do their best.

We all have instances and times  where life throws us some pretty mean curve balls, and at times it is hard to be happy. But, those times never last, and when they finally do come to an end and we have learned the lessons those events taught us, we should be happy for the learning opportunity those opportunities gave us.

The path to equality is a rocky road, and in America, we all start out equal, according to our abilities and desires. Some do have more challenges than others, but many times those with the most challenges achieve the most in life, not just from a financial stand point, but a spiritual one as well.

That’s what it is all about, each and everyone of us has that opportunity to excel, and so far America has given each and everyone of us a chance and a choice.

In the final analysis, equality for all should mean that each and every one of us is elevated to the highest level we can achieve. It doesn’t mean , as some in government think , that we should all be equal determined by the lowest common denominator. The role of government is to provide us with an opportunity to grow and excel, not punish the successful and reduce everyone to serfs and slaves.

Gary has been a writer/ photographer for over 20 years, specializing in nature,landscapes and studying native cultures.Besides visiting most of the United States, he has traveled to such places as Egypt,the Canary Islands,much of the Caribbean. He has studied  the Mayan Cultures in Central America, and the Australian Aboriginal way of life.Photography has given him the opportunity to observe life in many different parts of the world!

He has published several books about the various cultures he has observed.

For more information and a link to his hard cover and Ebooks,and contact information: please check his website.www.commonsensejourneys.com

You can also follow him on your Kindle.

Your comments appreciated

thinking

Solving America’s Problems

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Managing your own health

Many changes have taken place on the American health care scene.

No longer can we be assured that our health plan will be here tomorrow, or even our doctor, and if our doctor is still practicing, no longer can we be assured our health plan will cover the visits like they did just a few short weeks ago.

Like in many areas of our life, freedom of choice has disappeared for Americans. No longer can we drive down the street and pick out a doctor, our choice now has to be approved by some bureaucrat in Washington D.C.

Not only that, the level of care has diminished. Doctors are dropping out of the system, some hospitals will not participate in Obama Care, and many prescription drugs are no longer covered.

So, what are we to do? Everything has changed, so we must too. Luckily, my health is good and even though I’m approaching seventy years of age, I rarely see a doctor. I attribute that to not only good genes, but also trying to live a healthy lifestyle. My lifestyle probably isn’t perfect. I have never smoked, I have always gotten a fair amount of exercise, and drink very little. I am not and never will be a vegetarian, tried it, didn’t like it, besides that I need meat in my diet, just the way I am.

I became more health conscious when in my forties and there hasn’t been any sugar in my house since. I do eat ice cream, cake and other sweets occasionally, everything in moderation is my motto.

I have found that when I diet, I only crave what I’m not supposed to have all the more, and sooner or later I will fall off the wagon. By eating anything my body craves, but in smaller portions the need to indulge disappears.

With all the new health care rules, we can no longer choose which doctor to see and so on, and the times my wife or I have gone to the doctor, we often get a blank stare like they have no idea what the problem is or how to cure it. If the little piece of paper they get back from some sterile lab doesn’t tell them what to do, they are completely lost.

Doctors sometimes search for years to find the cure for some disease that they don’t even know exists. I have found that chiropractors and natural healers can perform more miracles than the most well educated professional doctor.

By performing some muscle testing and other exercises, many times the cause and cure can be determined. They still make your visit personal, something missing from conventional medicine.So many times in conventional medicine, you are herded into the office like cattle, quickly checked over and sent on your way with only a poisonous prescription.

My grandparents and parents all lived to be in their nineties, never went to a doctor and ate generous portions of eggs, fatty meats, especially bacon, and desserts, but they never had processed food in their diets.

When they did get sick, they fixed some herb from the woods and quickly began to feel better. I think they were on to something!

I believe we Americans have to once again declare our independence from government control.We have lost much in the last hundred years, we have put our whole life into the hands of government and large institutions that don’t care for us.

Many times their only objective is to make money and large amounts of it.There is nothing wrong with someone making money, or even a lot of money, but when that is the only objective then something is wrong.

The medical profession is out of control , and even though most doctors really do care about their patients, many times their hands are tied.

We need to once again put ourselves in charge of our medical needs, no one cares about you like you do, no one will take care of you like you will, no one else has as much too lose as you do.

I have declared my independence for the medical profession, I will still go for my annual checkup, only because I need to so my medicare will remain in force, but that’s as far as it goes., hopefully medicare will sooner or later wake up and cover alternative medicine. Maybe down the road I will need them for something, but unless I break a leg or something, I doubt it.

If you learn to listen to your body, it will tell you what it needs to stay healthy, and yes sometimes your body will tell you you  do need a hot fudge sundae.

I am now in control of my life, especially my health, not some bureaucrat in Washington D.C.

Will I die sooner, maybe, but I doubt it. Look how many people have been killed when they have undergone cancer treatment. Look how many people go into a hospital and die from an infection unrelated to what they where admitted for.

I am in control of my life, you know what? I feel better already.

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Can America Recover?

Gary has been a writer/ photographer for over 20 years, specializing in nature,landscapes and studying native cultures.Besides visiting most of the United States, he has traveled to such places as Egypt,the Canary Islands,much of the Caribbean. He has studied  the Mayan Cultures in Central America, and the Australian Aboriginal way of life.Photography has given him the opportunity to observe life in many different parts of the world!

He has published several books about the various cultures he has observed.

For more information and a link to his hard cover and Ebooks,and contact information: please check his website.www.commonsensejourneys.com

You can also follow him on your Kindle.

Your comments appreciated

Think About What You Want

What counts now is not just what we are against, but what we are for. Who leads us is less important than what leads us-what convictions, what courage, what faith-win or lose. A man doesn’t save a century, or a civilization, but a militant party wedded to a principal can. Adlai Stevenson.

Adlai Stevenson was a man who in his time, who in my opinion, would have made a horrible president. Obviously , many thought as I did, the man lost in a  landslide when he ran against Dwight Eisenhower in 1952.

In spite of this, the man  has made some brilliant,  memorable and lasting quotes, many of which have stood the test of time.

This quote of his exemplifies what we as Americans need to understand in today’s volatile political world climate. Too many people on the conservative side  are concentrating on what they don’t want instead of what they want, they are being driven by fear. Therefore they are bringing what they don’t want into fruition. As we think we reap.

Combine this with the left concentrating on what they want and you have a recipe for disaster. Both groups are materializing the same thing.

While who leads us as a nation is important , by thinking about what we want , that thinking will give us a good leader in contrast of always thinking negative.

In  order to get the country out of this mess we are in and return to sensibility, the solution is simple.

thinking

What can we do?

There are still many more conservatives than liberals in the country, if the conservatives would simply realize this simple fact and start focusing on what they want, soon their thoughts would out weigh the influences from the other side and we could return to something to would resemble common sense.

Maybe some people would better serve their country if they stayed out of politics and stuck to what they do best. It takes a certain breed of person to  understand what best works in the world arena. Some are destined to make the observations, others are destined to carry them out. Very seldom is it the same person.

As we begin this new year, let us begin to focus on what we want and how we can accomplish that. Let’s leave the negativity behind just as we left 2013 behind.

Remember, we always receive what we focus on.

Gary has been a writer/ photographer for over 20 years, specializing in nature,landscapes and studying native cultures.Besides visiting most of the United States, he has traveled to such places as Egypt,the Canary Islands,much of the Caribbean. He has studied  the Mayan Cultures in Central America, and the Australian Aboriginal way of life.Photography has given him the opportunity to observe life in many different parts of the world!

He has published several books about the various cultures he has observed.

For more information and a link to his hard cover and Ebooks,and contact information: please check his website.www.commonsensejourneys.com

You can also follow him on your Kindle.

Your comments appreciated

Is Critical Thinking a Thing of the Past?

Has critical thinking gone by the wayside?

What can we do to once again teach critical thinking and common sense to our fellow countrymen?

Find my answers in my new EBook!

thinking

What are we going to do?

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Immigration: The Right Way

Immigration,
or illegal immigration has become a real hot button over the last
several years. As a result , most politicians haven’t the backbone to
confront it and do  what would be necessary to reach an agreement
regarding to the best way to handle it.

The
liberals only want to increase their voting base and as a result they
would let anyone into the country who can crawl across the border. The
conservatives, ,as many on the left, are only looking for a source of
cheap labor and welcome illegals as well. Almost no one in the political
arena is looking at the long term problems of letting anyone who wants
enter this country illegally.

There
are many reasons to control immigration and who is allowed to enter our
country. Almost every civilized country in the world have some sort of
immigration policy, many of which are stricter than our own. The very
governments that criticize our policies the most  often have laws that
make ours seem very liberal or nonexistent, Mexico being  a prime
example.


Obviously
in this day and age, security is a major issue, we need to be extremely
vigilant about only allowing individuals into our domain who only have
our best interests at heart. There are many people in the world who
would want to do us harm and bring our democracy to it’s knees. We must
do everything in our power to not let that come about. This should
supercede all other agendas, regardless of political or self interest
motivations.


Many
would come here legally if the process was simplified. This sounds like
a reasonable solution on the surface, however , if the process is made
simpler and quicker many undesirable issues can occur.


Individuals
applying for citizenship need to be aware of our history and culture.
We have a very unique society, unlike any other in the world. Our
history is important to understand as well as our traditions and
beliefs. Having a deep knowledge of what we as a nation are about and
stand for cannot be learned in a short period of time. Most immigrants
today come from countries which are very socialist or even dictatorial
in nature, thus the immigrant has no idea what responsibilities come
with freedom.


All
applicants need to learn and comprehend how our government is supposed
to function, and the citizens part in the operation of such. They need
to understand the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, Gettysburg
address, National Anthem and other vital documents that are necessary to
our survival as a nation.


They
should be required to learn English and the laws of the land, it should
not be an easy process. Maybe a temporary visa should be granted, but
if the requirements aren’t met in a specified period of time, sorry,
it’s back to the homeland. No excuses.


There
should be no easy pathway to citizenship,to do so only cheapens it and
our nation. Just as our own young people need to learn the basic
principles of good citizenship, the new applicants should also learn the
precepts and be required to practice them often. Amnesty should not
even be considered. We see what amnesty did for us in the 1980s,many of
California’s present ills are a direct result of those actions. It
should not be repeated.



How fair is it to the good people who have fulfilled all the
requirements to become a citizen to then have people granted citizenship
only because they were standing in the right place at the right time?
All amnesty does is devalue citizenship and cause resentment among those
who did it the correct way, and rightfully so .Why should anyone try to
fulfill all the necessary requirements when so many openly disobey the
law and not only get away with it, but are rewarded in the process?


Citizenship
is a privilege, not a right, it should not be devalued or taken
lightly. It should be earned the old fashioned way, by hard work and
dedication.

If you would like to stay in tune with my latest common sense posts, please follow me on Kindle.

Obama is The Symptom, Not the Problem

America’s Problem

There is no question, America today faces many problems and has
multiple challenges ahead of it.If the country is to maintain it’s
status as a free and independent nation, that honors free enterprise,
liberty and capitalism as it’s foundation it’s citizens must make some
changes in their thinking.


Many
today blame President Obama for our present situation. While there
isn’t any question his political and social views and actions have been a
contributing factor in our current dilemma, he is only the symptom, not
the problem. Just like a boil or sore throat is a symptom of a deeper
hidden disease, so is Obama a symptom of the much larger problems
America has.


Just
as Obama could never have gotten elected, or even been considered as a
viable candidate for President ten years ago, some of our most popular
presidents such as Reagan and Kennedy would never get elected in today’s
climate.


The
country has been on a decline for at least forty years, and the
beginning could even be traced further back to the days of Franklin
Roosevelt and his “New Deal”, which  ushered in socialism at it’s
finest.


The
decline began in earnest in the sixties during the Vietnam War, just
when America should have been enjoying the fruits of their labors, much
dissent began to arise. Many began protesting against the good life we
all were beginning to enjoy. The standard of living had been raised to
levels that couldn’t even have been imagined a few years earlier.


At
the time , I never understood what was happening , or why. In many ways
I still don’t completely understand it all. It’s almost as if humans
have a death or self destruct button.They seem to have a guilt complex
about having it too easy or life is too good. When life gets easy, many
seem to create conflict in their lives in order to have problems to
solve and keep their minds active.


At
the same time , there was a large decline in church membership and
attendance, people began to fall away from their core values. With
prosperity comes a belief in the superiority of the person and less of a
dependence and belief of a supreme being. In a sense the decline in
church membership and the protests were trying to tell us the same thing
we were losing our spiritual base. having prosperity wasn’t the issue,
losing our connection with our Supreme Being was.


In
a way the anti-establishment protesters were trying to tell us
something. Even though God and spirituality was the farthest things from
their minds, this was the underlying issue.


For
a short time after 9/11, we saw people return to God because many
thought their well being was threatened , but the fears soon subsided
and many returned to their old ways of self destruction.


Prosperity
in of itself is not evil, we are all entitled to all the good fortune
and prosperity we can muster up. That in itself is not wrong. But ,many
times, with it comes a feeling we no longer need God, or that God is a
hinderance to what we want,need or desire. Nothing could be farther from
the truth, all things come from a supreme being, or our connection to a
supreme power.


It
is clear that people who no longer belief in a supreme deity, put all
their faith in government. They start believing the politicians who
promise everything and deliver nothing but broken promises and
heartache. When government gives you something, it is taken away from
someone else. When we receive something from Divine source, it isn’t
taken from anyone, it comes from the unlimited supply of nature.



This is not how the universe works. We live in an unlimited universe,
we never run  out of things, there is plenty to furnish everyone their
wants , needs ,and desires.


Today’s
biggest fears are that we will run  out of oil. This will not happen,
there are new discoveries and processes for recovering new resources
 being made daily. The politicians who say otherwise are being narrow
minded, unthinking and only wanting to control us by creating need ,a
need that simply  doesn’t exist.


That
doesn’t mean we should not practice good stewardship and conserve our
natural resources, that not only makes good sense,  it is economically
practical as well, I don’t know of any sensible person  who would not
 agree to that.


Those
resources were put there by our creator to use, to not use them is
against all sense of good reasoning. If and when the resources would
begin to disappear, new discoveries would be made and alternate energy
sources would be found. We aren’t there yet, we don’t need to be there
yet.


Just
as most have a misconceived notion about our energy needs, so they have
a misconceived idea concerning the principles of our country.


Our
country was founded on Judeo-Christian values, our laws are based on
the ten commandments. Our founding fathers did have a belief in a
Supreme Being, Most were Christian and prayed long and often. That fact
doesn’t mean we should exclude anyone who is not christian, it just
means our country was founded on christian values.


You cannot justifiably say this isn’t true, it is true. These ideas and precepts have not become out of date and old fashioned.

People
have fallen away from the values that have served us well for over two
hundred years. We no longer elect people with strong convictions , the
people we do elect only are concerned about winning the next election,
not what is best for the country. Their votes on issues are constantly
being bought and sold to the highest bidder.


We
have become an entitlement society where many belief they are entitled
to everything everyone else has without having to work for it. People
who have worked hard all their lives to provide for their families are
being ridiculed by not only the ones who are too lazy to acquire
security and possessions on their own, but by politicians and the press
as well.


So
how do we as a country return to where we were? How can we reclaim our
heritage? How can we return to the road to prosperity, freedom and good
fortune? We cannot do it by blaming our politicians, we are the ones who
put them there. When politicians keep getting elected year after year,
regardless of what they have done or said, we have no one to blame but
ourselves. We have term limits, every four years. If elected politicians
don’t do their job, elect someone else.

This
isn’t supposed to be a popularity contest. Pay attention, most people
know more about the most recent American Idol winner than they do the
President of the United States, how do you expect to have a responsive
government when this is a fact?


We
have to return to the ways that got us here, establish a belief in your
God, one can only believe in three things, Your God ,yourself, and your
government, of the three , the only one who will let you down is your
government.


To believe anything else is foolhardy and destructive.

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Feminism is Destroying America

Every
once in awhile one has an epiphany, it suddenly hit me last week while
serving jury duty.  It was going to be a trial concerning domestic
violence, a situation that occurs far to often in today’s society.


The
defense attorney , a woman , was defending an African -American male
accused of pushing his girl friend, a misdemeanor charge. Dancing around
the race and gender ,issue the attorney asked in a roundabout way if
gender or race would be an issue.


Suddenly
, out of nowhere, a couple of women from the pool of possible jurors
engaged in the typical diatribe about how society had gotten past the
stereotype of women remaining barefoot and pregnant and their place was
in the home.


It
became apparent that in their minds at least, anyone who thought that
was someone whose thought process was still in the 1950’s, and was very
judgmental, narrow minded and sexist.


Being
someone who has lived through all of this, that statement is
preposterous.  I realize that years ago, many opportunities that are
available for women today didn’t exist. During the last several years
women have been able to have careers and enjoy other lifestyles than
were previously unavailable to them.


Many
of these opportunities came about because often times men were forced
to step aside and denied jobs based on gender.This is a fact. During
these times, if a man , or woman voiced an opinion other than the
 popular thought of the day, they were shouted down and embarrassed, not
only by friends and acquaintances, but by the media as well.


In
reality, there is nothing wrong if a woman wants or needs to have a
career.In today’s world many women need to have a career in order to
support their children because of divorce and other factors. There is
nothing wrong with this, if that is what they want to do then do it.


However
, not all women want to work, the feminists need to realize that not
everyone thinks like them or have the same desires in life. If a woman
doesn’t want to work outside the home, or if a husband doesn’t want his
wife to work, that doesn’t delegate them to Neanderthal status.


It
is a matter of personal choice, and in many ways it is the natural
order of things. In nature , men are the providers and women are the
caretakers, that is the way we were designed. I know I am going to be
criticized heavily for this and probably be called every name in the
book by open minded liberals, but it is true.


In
the process of trying to make everyone equal and the same , society has
created a monster.  In today’s world , many men are afraid to be men,
and women are afraid to be women. Often times people of both genders are
lead to believe they have to accept a lifestyle they don’t want, just
because it is the popular thing to do.


Being
a parent, especially a mother, is the most important occupation in the
world. A parent’s main responsibility is to  mold their children into
responsible citizens of the future. Their job is to instill a value
system that will lead them to a happy and successful life,this is a
responsibility that shouldn’t be left to a baby sitter or daycare.
Neither one, regardless of  how good and well intentioned they are, will
teach your child the values and morals you have. Many of today’s world
and national problems lead back to the fact that children are raising
themselves.Maybe people need to decide if they want a career or
children, if you want, desire, or need both, you must remember that
raising your children comes first.


In
today’s world, many opportunities are open to people of all social
categories, it is your choice as to which one you choose, but I believe
it is important to decide what one gives up to accomplish your goals,
there are choices, but with choices come responsibility and sacrifice.
Often times the high paying and prestigious careers are only attained by
sacrificing something from your personal life, only you can decide if
it is worth it.


Only
you can decide , not some bureaucrat or news commentator. You have to
decide if the sacrifices you are making is worth it, and if it comes as a
detriment to your family and children.In the end family is still the
most important part of our lives and children need both their parents.


But you are the only one who can decide if the sacrifice is worth it.

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Farm Life in the 1950s

There was a time when life was a lot different and a lot simpler. Growing up
on a farm in the 50’s and early 60’s,we didn’t have all the modern
conveniences of today.
We may not have had all the comforts of life, but we did have something
that is missing today. We had neighbors that actually talked to each
other and helped when times were tough. We shared tools with our
neighbors and when our  farm was sold in 1963,we had shared the tools
for so long, we didn’t know who some of the tools actually belonged to. Three
days after Christmas in 1950, our house caught fire and suffered so
much damage it couldn’t be lived in. Insurance was unheard of in those
days ,so all the neighbors joined in , tore down what remained of the
old house, and built us a new one, all of this during one of the coldest

Indiana winters ever.

We were taught to be self reliant, at the beginning of my junior year in
high school, my dad suffered a back injury and was bed fast for  over a
year. We never asked for help, instead my seven year old brother and I
pitched in and did all the farm work , milking 30 head of cows twice a
day and doing all the other necessary work to sustain the family.
The following spring,dad was still disabled, so I put out all the crops
including hauling manure, plowing , tilling the soil and planting the
corn and soybeans. The farm was too small to sustain our cattle, our
pastures resembled a pool table, hence we were buying feed for them,
because of all the economic problems , it was becoming harder and harder
to purchase dinner for the cattle.


We had decided to get out of the farming business and the day we ran out
of feed for the cattle, the cattle  were sold in the afternoon. Divine
Providence.


Everything always works out for the best.Soon dad’s injuries healed, and he got a job in town , the farm was sold the next year.


I really didn’t mind, in fact it was a challenge, I was only glad to be
able to help my parents who never had an easy life, it was my way of
paying them back for all they had done for my brother and myself.

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I will always appreciate my childhood days, living on the farm was the best.

If you enjoy travel and articles about life as it should be, please follow me on Kindle.

 Gary has been a writer/ photographer for over 20 years, specializing in nature,landscapes and studying native cultures.Besides visiting most of the United States, he has traveled to such places as Egypt,the Canary Islands,much of the Caribbean. He has studied  the Mayan Cultures in Central America, and the Australian Aboriginal way of life.Photography has given him the opportunity to observe life in many different parts of the world!

He has published several books about the various cultures he has observed.

For more information and a link to his hard cover and Ebooks,and contact information: please check his website.www.commonsensejourneys.com

 

You can also follow him on your Kindle.

Your comments appreciated

doors unlocked
Remembering a simpler time, a time when neighbor knew neighbor and people helped each other.

 

The Muslim Dilemma





Many
people think there is no war against Islam and we should all hold hands
and sing Kumbaya. Nothing could be farther from the truth.


This
conflict has been going on for centuries and will probably continue
until one side wins over completely. Even in the middle ages there was
conflict, the Knights Templars came into existence in order to provide
protection to the christian pilgrims who wanted to visit the holy land.
Before the Knights Templars came into being, the christian pilgrims were
continuously beaten , raped,robbed and killed by the Turks and other
groups.


During
the 15th century, the Ottomans were close to controlling most of
Europe. The European nations were in desperate need of money to finance
the continuous holy wars. The prime reason for the voyage of Columbus
was to find new found gold and wealth to boost the coffers of Spain. Did
Columbus not have crosses on his sails?


After
becoming a nation, the first war the United States engaged in was a war
with Muslim pirates off the coast of Africa. The pirates were
continuously raiding our ships and robbing them of all their cargo, we
as a country was paying them for so called protection money, to no
avail, the raids continued.


It
was written in their Koran, that all nations which had not acknowledged
the Prophet were sinners, whom it was the right and duty of the
faithful to plunder and enslave; and that every mussulman who was slain
in this warfare was sure to go to paradise. He said, also, that the man
who was the first to board a vessel had one slave over and above his
share, and that when they sprang to the deck of an enemy’s ship, every
sailor held a dagger in each hand and a third in his mouth; which
usually struck such terror into the foe that they cried out for quarter
at once.


At
one period 25% of our national budget was going to the pirates to
supposedly protect our ships, but they never stopped attacking us.
Finally, then President Thomas Jefferson had seen enough and launched an
attack against the Barbary Pirates, defeating them and returning peace
to the Mediterranean Sea.


As
a result of this ,trade resumed and the Marine Hymn , the oldest
military hymn in the country came into existence with the lyrics , “From
the shores of Tripoli”, written into it.


It would be great if the conflict would end peacefully someday, but don’t hold your breath.