He said, "We don't pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. (Freedom) must be fought for, protected and handed off for them to do the same. Or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children ... what it was once like in the United States."
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| Reagan -- Freedom Lover |
And the list of things that are bad for me, my family and our planet just keeps getting longer. Whether it's drinking water out of plastic bottles, buying buttered popcorn in a movie theatre or washing my dirty clothes, liberals have a knack for messing with my life.
And it's not enough for them to wallow in their own Mother Earth, hippy commune world. No, they have to make sure I'm banished to the same miserable fantasy land they live in.
They are not happy unless I am forced to give up many of the things I love. (I take that back -- they're never happy.) They are not as miserable (it's a temporary feeling, believe me) until the rest of us are just as miserable as they are.
I think with Obama in the White House, the leftists -- with their economic, religious and health fatwas -- have unloaded a world of hurt under the guise of "change we can believe in."
Top three things they won't leave alone:
Religion. It's not enough for them to not believe -- no, they want to destroy the feeling of reverence, inspiration, and security we feel from attending church, observing Christian holidays and remembering that this country was founded on religious beliefs, as evidenced by "one nation under God." They won't rest until they've relegated Christ to some dark corner in a church that has shrinking attendance. Which is why I've never understood why so my churches lean to the left.
Some critics would say the religious right is no better. Admittedly, there are a few people who feverishly crusade against sinners, but they are more more often some character in a Hollywood movie than reality. I can only speak for myself, but I'm not going to push my religious beliefs on someone, unless they are looking for something I can give them. And then it's usually just an invitation to attend church. I don't demand that they change their lives, quit their jobs and forsake all worldly things.
For me religion allows me to recognize my position in the universe and lead a life I hope is a little better than one without God. Unfortunately, the left thinks they know better. Supporters of religion must be shown to be not merely mistaken, but morally lacking. Politicians and televangelists are prime candidates.
"Hypocrites!" they cry. "You claim you're better than gays, single mothers and wife cheaters -- but you're just as bad." I've said it before, but I think the left just can't stomach someone telling them that they shouldn't do something. They lead a very selfish and self-centered life. The concept of a supreme being -- God -- is unacceptable. By tearing down religion they are able to maintain their "rightful place" in their lonely hierarchy.
And of course, the right is more than willing to fall on the sword. For the left, it's far easier to live the perfect life when you have no morals, standards or limitations.
Health. New York Mayor Bloomberg recently made news when he decided it was government's role to keep citizens healthy by prohibiting large sizes of soda and other sugary drinks at restaurants, delis, sports arenas and movie theaters. Drinks would be limited to 16 ounces, which is considered a small serving at many fast-food joints.
NBC recently ran a story critical of movie theatre snacks, like popcorn, candy and soda. In typical leftist "crisis mode" fashion they proudly claimed the following:
AMC theaters are serving smaller sizes, but they still pack a wallop. A large popcorn has 1,030 calories and 57 grams of saturated fat -- the equivalent of a pound of baby back ribs topped with a scoop of Haagen-Daz ice cream, but with more fat.
At Cinemark, which pops its popcorn in heart-healthy canola oil, a large popcorn has 910 calories with 4 grams of saturated fat. "Though popping in canola gives this chain's popcorn far less saturated fat than its competitors, it's almost as high in calories and has the most sodium -- about twice as much as Regal or AMC," the Center for Science in the Public Interest said in a statement (don't you love that name?).
The giant sodas served at movies also take a toll, the study said. To name just one example, a 54 ounce large soda at Regal has 33 teaspoons of sugar. And an 8-ounce bag of Reese's Pieces contains 1,160 calories and 500 empty calories.
And don't forget about the candy. A 5-ounce bag of Twizzlers contains 15 teaspoons of sugar. A 7-ounce box of Nerds contains 46 teaspoons of sugar. And an 8-ounce bag of Reese's Pieces contains 1,160 calories and 35 grams of saturated fat.
"Sitting through a two-hour movie isn't exactly like climbing Mount Everest," said Jayne Hurley, senior nutritionist for the Center of Science in the Public Interest. "Why do theaters think they need to feed us like it is?"
Jeez, it must be fun going to the movies with a lib, huh?
Getting back to New York Mayor Bloomberg, Charlie Rose once asked him: "What is it that drives you to impose this stuff on people?"
Bloomberg said "If government's purpose isn't to improve the health and longevity of its citizens, I don't know what its purpose is. We certainly have an obligation to tell them what the best science and best medicine says is in their interests."
Ok... here I thought the job of government was to protect public safety, collect garbage, clear roads and fight wars. So much for civil liberties.
Ecology. Low flow toilets, laundry detergent, and light bulbs have been changed in the interest of the public good. Unfortunately, like most things the left thinks are better for good ol' mother earth, none of them are any good at improving our lives.
I was meeting a client the other day and we were talking about his septic tank at home which was getting clogged and backing up. The resulting mess needed to be cleaned up and there was no guarantee that the problem wouldn't come back with a few more flushes. My client works for Coulee Region Mechanical which specializes in plumbing, so he knew a thing about the problem.
He said it was the low flow toilet (HET, which means high efficiency toilet) causing the problem. Not enough water was getting into the pipes to properly flush the plumbing. He's decided to just flush the toilet two or three times, hoping that it will do the job our "old" toilets used to do. So much for efficiency and saving water.
When asked if he could buy a regular toilet, he said no. Toilets from commercial manufacturers like American Standard and Kohler are all the same. All capable of saving water, but not flushing properly.
Want to hear the sound of a thunderous whoosh! the next time you flush? Can't do it. The Energy Policy and Conservation Act mandates that toilets sold in the U.S. use no more than 1.6 gallons of water per flush, instead of the old standard of 3.2 gallons.
A few years ago, Time Magazine actually ran a story about illegal toilets that could be purchased in Canada that used twice the water. Can you imagine? Sneaking across the Canadian border with a toilet in your trunk? Whatever happened to the good old days when you sneaked drugs and contraband across borders?
Laws were recently passed in seventeen states requiring dish and clothes detergent makers to reformulate their products to reduce what had been a crucial ingredient, phosphates, to just a trace. While phosphates help clean clothing and dishes, they have long ended up in lakes and reservoirs, stimulating algae growth that deprives other plants and fish of oxygen.
So the resulting damage to our lakes and rivers means that we now have to put up with shirts, underwear and towels that look dull, lackluster and dungy. They don't even smell the same. And dishes that used to come out clean and spot-free now look like my front door -- which is streaked with dirty water marks from the lawn's water sprinkler.
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| Who's idea was this? |
While I agree with the problem phosphates create in our nearby Mississippi River, I can't believe the stupidity of passing a law that outlaws a critical cleaning ingredient without considering a viable replacement. One that still cleans, would be nice.
And finally, energy-saving light bulbs. The environmental crazies would have you believe that you are saving the planet by replacing burned-out incandescent light bulbs with new, compact florescent lighting. Die-hard environmentalists actually believe that the earth will benefit from less urban smog, oil spills, acid rain and global warming.
Plus, they argue, you will cut your business and home energy bills if you use the new bulbs. So what's not to like?
Well, like everything else on this list, we are not given a chance to choose which light bulb we want to use. It's become law that we must use the new, energy-efficient light bulbs, despite recent studies that show the bulbs emit UV radiation and contain trace amounts of mercury, a toxic element.
Most of us are also aware of how difficult it is to dispose of these bulbs. If they break (which is common in our household), instructions are to evacuate the home for 15 minutes until the harmful material dissipates. I don't know about you, but how do we really know if it dissipates? It could be in the carpet for all I know, waiting for me or our dog to roll around on it and pick up the harmful mercury particles.
Environmental lawyers freak out just thinking about lead paint and asbestos material, so do we really want to encourage more potential problems?
I also know that these bulbs are not good if you're turning the lights on or off on a regular basis. It may be acceptable in the office, where the lights are on for 8 hours or longer. But in my home, where my wife reminds me to turn off the lights, they are much less efficient than advertised. And finally, at a cost of $3 to $5 per bulb, how long will it take for me to make up the extra cost, when lighting typically consumes only 5-8% of my total energy bill?
Despite the mercury controversy, my biggest gripe about the new light bulbs remain that we don't have a choice. Someone in Washington D.C. -- at the urging of environmental wackos -- has decided what's best for me and my family, and removed another freedom from our lives.
Unlike Senator Ted Kennedy, who made a stink on the building of windmills near his compound on Martha's Vineyard, I don't have a voice in my choice of energy, religion or what to eat. It's time for us to remember Reagan's warning, and fight back.
It's now or never.
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