Gun control nuts at it again!

Looks like a gun control bill proposed by Deval Patrick in 2009 may get a chance for a vote very soon. This awful bill will prevent lawful Massachusetts gun owners from buying more than one firearm per month. This bill is senseless and will do nothing good for anybody. All this will do is once again incrementally strip our God given/natural born rights. I could ramble on about this, but I think you should just read the article yourself:

Legislature mulls monthly limit on gun purchases

June 8, 2010 12:55 PM

By Maria Cramer, Globe Staff

A proposal to limit the number of guns a person can buy in Massachusetts is being mulled by the Legislature's Judiciary Committee today, sparking hope among supporters that the bill may finally come to a vote.

The bill, introduced by Governor Deval Patrick in May 2009, would prevent people from buying more than one gun a month. It is winding its way through committee as the state and the city of Boston grapple with the shooting deaths of two 14-year-old boys in the same month. A 10-year-old girl was shot in the leg over the weekend as she played outside her Roxbury home. The girl is expected to survive.

The shootings "make it more urgent to do something," said Public Safety Secretary Mary Beth Heffernan. "It's gotten to the point where it's just epidemic really."

Read more...

Platform of the Maine Republican Party Adopted May 8, 2010 by the Maine Republican State Convention

Preamble:

In the course of a nation’s history, it is natural that political philosophies will evolve which run contrary to the original principles evident at the time of that nation’s founding. A nation founded in tyranny will by its nature spawn sentiment in direct opposition to that tyranny. Conversely, a nation which is dedicated to protecting the rights of its people, and seeks to bind the excesses of power which naturally accrue to governments, is subject to the evolution of factions which strive to throw off those shackles of restraint and gather power and influence over the people. Freedom is not a pre-existing condition into which everyone is delivered. Freedom and personal liberty are conditions of existence which are hard fought for and once won, must be maintained. Each generation must be taught anew the importance of eternal vigilance against those who would disregard the limits imposed on government, and usurp powers not granted to them by the people.

Today this state and the nation are in crisis precisely because we as a people have failed to maintain that vigilance. We have failed to pass down from one generation to another the critical knowledge and lessons that history provides. We have let rot from within, the foundation upon which freedom and prosperity must be built for it to survive.

This election cycle is unique in the history of both this state and our nation. We are presented with a situation in which WE THE PEOPLE, must re-educate ourselves and our neighbors, and put the knowledge of liberty to work in the elections this November. Years of neglect have allowed factions detrimental to the core principles of this nation, to entrench themselves in both political parties, and undermine the education of Constitutional principles vital to the survival of the republic.

The Tea Party movement is reminiscent of the principled revolt that led to the birth of the Republican Party in 1854. In June of that year, Horace Greeley referred to the newly formed Republicans as “…united to restore the Union to its true mission of champion and promulgator of Liberty…". This year it is incumbent upon those Republicans who strive to protect and defend our Constitution, to reclaim that heritage.

It is within this context that We, the citizens of Maine united by free association as Republicans, dedicated to seeing the principles which brought forth the birth and ascendance of this State and these United States once again made dominant and pledge our unwavering allegiance, not to a political party, but to the Constitution of the State of Maine and the Constitution of the United States of America. The Republican Party is the vehicle through which we seek to better unify and promote those in pursuit of these goals.

The principles upon which the Republican Party was founded, to which we as Citizens seek return, and to which we demand our elected representatives abide, are summarized as follows:

1. The Constitutions, both State and Federal, are the framework to which any and all legislation must adhere.
2. State sovereignty must be regained and retained on all issues specifically relegated to the States by the constitution.
3. National sovereignty shall be preserved and retained as dominant over any attempted unconstitutional usurpations of such by international treaty.
4. It is the responsibility and duty, of “We the People”, to educate both ourselves and others; to demand honest elections free of corruption, and to hold our elected officials to the highest standards of honesty, integrity and loyalty to the constitution.

____________________________________________________
In pursuit of these principles we endorse and shall promote the following initiatives.

I. To Form a More perfect Union

a. All legislation must adhere to the restrictions outlined in the Constitution to protect the individual from intrusive government.

b. Direct the State of Maine to join with other states in asserting our 10th amendment sovereignty rights which protect us from unconstitutional federal government intrusions.

c. Insist on strict adherence to our 2nd amendment right to keep and bear arms.

d. Pass a “Read the Bill” act, to insure clarity, and eliminate the corruption associated with side issues, earmarks, pork or riders.

e. Oppose “Localism and Diversity”, the Fairness Doctrine or whatever else such attempted restrictions are labeled. Any restriction on speech is by definition NOT free speech.

f. Reject the Employee free -choice Elimination- act, as an unconscionable affront to the right to a secret vote.

g. Restore integrity to the electoral process:

i. Prohibit any public funding of advocacy groups such as ACORN, no matter what it or its affiliate organizations rename themselves; New York Communities for Change, New England United for Justice etc.; Conduct thorough investigation of their activities and voter fraud and prosecute violations.

ii. Eliminate motor voter and other voter fraud mechanisms; institute secure voter registration and identification systems.

iii. Reject any effort to give foreign citizens the right to vote in the US in any situation or capacity.

h. Oppose any and all treaties with the UN or any other organization or country which surrenders US sovereignty. Specifically:

i. Reject the UN Treaty on Rights of the Child.

ii. Reject “LOST” the Law Of The Sea Treaty.

iii. Reject any agreement which seeks to confiscate our firearms.

i. Restore the process of assimilation of immigrants to preserve the benefits of an advanced educated and prosperous society. Rescind Maine’s sanctuary State status. No amnesty, no benefits, no citizenship -ever- for anyone in the country illegally. Arrest and detain, for a specified period of time, anyone here illegally, and then deport, period.

j. Pass a Congressional reform act which includes the following provisions:

i. Term Limits: 12 years only, in any capacity.

1. Two Six year Senate terms

2. Six Two year House terms

3. One Six year Senate term and three Two Year House terms

ii. No Pension

iii. Congress participates in Social Security under the same rules as the general public.

iv. Congress can no longer vote themselves a pay raise.

v. Congress participates in the same health care plan as the general public. No preferential plans or treatment.

vi. Congress is subject to and must abide by all the laws they impose on the general public.



II. To Establish Justice:

a. Restore “Constitutional law” as the basis for the Judiciary.

b. Reassert the principle that “Freedom of Religion” does not mean “freedom from religion”.

III. To Insure Domestic tranquility:

a. Promote family values.

i. Marriage is an institution between a man and a woman.

ii. Parents, not government, are responsible for making decisions in the best interest of their children, whether disciplinary, educational, or medical.

iii. We recognize the sanctity of life, which includes the unborn.

IV. To Provide for the Common Defense:

a. Discard political correctness, make public the declaration of war (Jihad), made against the US on 23 Feb 1998, and fight the war against the United States by radical Islam to win.

b. Seal the border and protect US citizens along the border and everywhere, as is the prime directive of the Federal Government.

V. To Promote the General Welfare:

a. Return to the principles of Austrian Economics, and redirect the economy back to one of incentives to save and invest.

b. Cut spending, balance the budget, and institute a plan for paying down debt. Proclaim that generational debt shifting is immoral and unconscionable and will not be tolerated!

c. Pass and implement Fed bill #1207 (Introduced by Ron Paul), to Audit the Federal Reserve, as the first step in Ending the Fed.

d. Return to transparent and honest reporting of economic statistics free of gimmicks and distortions.

e. Require the government and all its agencies adhere to the same GAAP accounting rules that businesses must follow.

f. Restore the provisions of welfare reform removed with the stimulus bill.

g. Defeat Cap and Trade, investigate collusion between government and industry in the global warming myth, and prosecute any illegal collusion.

h. Freeze current stimulus funds, prohibit any further stimulus bills, and apply all unspent funds towards the debt they created.

i. Promote energy independence aggressively by removing the obstacles created by government to allow private development of our resources; natural gas, oil, coal, and nuclear power.

j. Institute Zero based budgeting on all programs.

k. Espouse and follow the principle: It is immoral to steal the property rightfully earned by one person, and give it to another who has no claim or right to its benefits.

l. Clarify that healthcare is not a right. It is a service. As a compassionate society we will aid those in need. However, the government takeover of healthcare is not only unconstitutional, but detrimental to the entire healthcare system. Only market based solutions will solve the problems.

i. In the state of Maine:

1. Remove the restrictions on health providers, (as was done in New Hampshire), to increase competition, drive down the costs, and increase the options available.

a. Bring Maine standards in line with national average.

b. Allow purchase of insurance across state lines. LD 290

c. Enact tort reform as exemplified by Texas.

d. Eliminate Dirigo


VI. To Secure the Blessings of Liberty:

a. Restore a vigorous grounding in the history and precepts of liberty, freedom, and the constitution to the educational process. As Thomas Jefferson said, “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.”

i. Eliminate the Department of Education and restore schools to local control as specified in the constitution.

b. Repeal and prohibit any participation in efforts to create a one world government.


Now, if Maine can do this, why can't Massachusetts?

A Conservative Word on Gardening and Self-sufficiency

Amongst the many issues that trouble me about our state and nation - the massive debt, major lack of transparency in government, constant erosion of free market principles and the deterioration of the People's individual liberties - I have found some refuge from the non-stop circus act, and that would be in gardening. Not to sound earthy-crunchy over here, but starting a plant from seed and watching it grow to eventually produce food has been a great learning experience for myself. I find it fun, exciting, and great for the family. The fact that one can easily grow their own food right in their back yard (with the right conditions, of course) is truly remarkable, and it's CONSERVATIVE! No, it's not just for liberals and hippies, but perhaps they've got one thing going for them. Gardening is for anyone who wants to cut grocery costs, grow better and tastier food, and become self-sufficient when it comes to growing vegetables.


There are plenty of great reasons to start a home garden, but one reason stands out for me - self-sufficiency. As a conservative Republican, achieving self-sufficiency is a huge goal of mine and I'm sure it is to many Americans. It's what this country is all about. Our Forefathers didn't fight and die so Americans can stick their hands out to receive freebies and services from the government. They wanted to protect liberty for the People so they can make their own decisions and take their own path in life to achieve their dreams and goals, and for someone like myself, one of my goals is to stop depending on the grocery store for my produce.

During the beginning of last year, my brother and I decided to start a garden and learn to grow food, mainly for self-sufficiency, but to also know that we have the basic knowledge to do so. We observed that the economy wasn't looking favorable with massive debt, the devaluation of our currency, and looming inflation, so growing our own vegetables was a great idea to battle grocery store costs. Goods and service prices have gone up and are continuing in that direction. And have you seen the prices of tomatoes, recently? This raises a serious issue as to whether one should be totally dependent on the grocery store for their food. I ask, why spend your hard earned money on stuff you can grow in your own back yard that is MUCH cheaper and usually more delicious and flavorful than those that are mass produced and shipped off to a grocery store? Have you ever compared the taste of a store bought, mass produced tomato to a tomato grown in a home garden? Huge difference! Growing your own food is probably one of the most self-sufficient things one can do, especially in these times. Sure, it takes some work, time, and dedication, but it's well worth the savings and the enjoyment of eating something you worked to grow.

Also, from observance of the past, we all know that there are always those every once in a while instances of a food disease breakout caused by a factory farm whose food is eventually canned or packaged for mass distribution. One can take personal responsibility and avoid such an unwanted instance when they produce their own food knowing that they grew it themselves and that it is safe to eat(hopefully). And hey, if they get sick by their own food, then they have no one blame but themselves.

I feel that home gardening is a lost art and an almost forgotten classic American hobby and skill. It seems that younger generations aren't showing a great interest in gardening, seeing as most of them are raised to just go to the grocery store for their fruits and vegetables. I'm almost convinced that some probably don't have a clue where it comes from, other than in a can or a package. If the average peer from my generation were to listen to an elder speaking about having a home garden, stocking their fruit cellars and pantries, they would probably roll their eyes and laugh, thinking they(the elders) are wasting their time. Of course, they didn't grow up during hard economic times, so they have less of a chance understanding what it's like to live a lifestyle of growing and storing food for "just in case", but I urge those skills be taught and learned once again because we now are in hard economic times, and judging by the actions of our representatives, it's not going to look promising anytime soon.

I suggest to anyone reading this to seriously consider learning to garden. I don't care if you do it organically or not(personally, I take the former) just at least learn how to grow food. Even if you just start with one plant to get the ball rolling, then do so, because you will be better off than those who may not possess such skills. Let's hope that learning it won't be necessary, but I have a feeling that gardening will make its overdue resurgence into American society and American families because of today's dire economic atmosphere.