And ye Shall Know the Truth, and the Truth Shall Set ye Free

To celebrate the birth of our country in 1776, I felt this quote from the Gospel of John 8:32 to be appropriate. We may take our country for granted.....hell, we do take it for granted. Many times when I disagree(d) with people who are/were in charge....or who were in charge (a.k.a. President Clinton), I never stopped and bothered to think that in other countries I might be killed, imprisoned, etc. just for mumbling some random comment about a decision.

Today, remember, without those who fought and died for our independence and our continued freedom, we would have no representation in England (or limited representation). We would be treated like stepchildren who do the work for the parent but don't get anything in return except the roof over our headds and leftover mutton :-). When you say your opinion, even against the current war or past wars, realize what it means to really "support our troops" and what you are saying to the enemy when you slander the troops. I can say that I support the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and against terrorism as just. Many would disagree with my blanket statement as wholehearted support of a party (Republican), but such is not the case. I disagree heavily with any plan that allows for uncontrolled borders (north, south, east, and west) thus allowing possible terrorists in, and as has been shown in the past, criminals. I have the freedom to state that this stance is not racism but common sense masquerading as intelligent thought with a thinly disguised veil of caution. I have nothing against individual Mexicans (or those dang Canuks :-D), but if I can't go into your country legally and expect you to speak my language and allow me to buy property with no strings attached....then I'll be damned if I'll let you come into mine ILLEGALLY and expect what your country won't even do for me when I'm LEGAL! That is pure malecowexcrement!

I have the freedom to hold the opinion that abortion is wrong and horrible and should be outlawed. I think this not because I hate women and expect them to be totally docile to me, but because the right to life of the unborn is a God-given gift, and according to our Declaration of Independence, is an inalienable right. I recently watched a video from Pat Sajak's 1990 talk show where Rush Limbaugh was guest-hosting. I was appalled that when he lamented the vetoing of a bill in a state that would place large limits on abortion, he was screamed at by several people who had no other reason to be there than to interrupt Sajak's show and call Rush a murderer because his actions cause the streets to run with the blood of innocent women (she was obviously referring to the women having the abortion). I thought it would have been awesome had Rush said, "are you referring to the women who have been aborted and can no longer offer their opinion?" Here is an idea, abortion should not be performed unless due to complications during pregnancy/delivery, it without a doubt endangers the life of the mother (and hence the life of the child). Of course I've been asked, "what about the right to privacy?" Well I have news for you, the right to privacy, while existing as an interpretation by the Supreme Court of several ammendments within the Bill of Rights cannot supercede another individual's right to live (as declared in the Declaration of Independence) if they have committed no crime. OWNED! "What about rape and incest cases?" ANSWER: Punish the vermin who raped the girl....don't punish the infant by killing it! As for the girl, she should be cared for through financial help, psychological, and social orginizations. I would like to see the church actively helping in this regard.

I have the freedom to believe that all of our Bill of Rights are equally important. I can't understand how so many media groups (like Channel One) push the 1st amendment as the end-all, be-all of rights. I asked Mr. Coleman when they would be pushing the 2nd one so much :-).

I have the freedom to believe what I want about how the world works. I have the freedom to deny naturalistic, neo-Darwinistic evolution. I have the freedom to think that humanity in general and the United States in particular are not wholly (or at all) responsible for global climate change. Is the earth heating up or cooling? If you were to ask before the 1970s what was going on, the big thing would be global cooling. Now we are told that increasing CO2 levels specifically (and occassionally H2O) will lead to more energy being trapped within the atmosphere and the increasing temperature levels will lead to melting icecaps, deadly heatwaves, disappearing wildlife, and stop Christmas from coming! In fact in several articles you can read how the high temperatures will melt ice caps and will cause global cooling indirectly. First of all, if Venus is the best example of a greenhouse planet, I'd grab the parka because that +400C is pretty damn nippy. Secondly, I'd like to know exactly how the earth will cause record heatwaves and get colder at the same time......um, WHAT?! If you are talking about more extreme temperature changes, you still haven't explained the cooling yet!

Data from several locations shows that Greenland's atmospheric temperature is decreasing at 2.2C since 1987. For those who are unfamiliar with the idea of a greenhouse, it should be getting warmer at the surface of the earth....especially if the ice sheet is melting! Weather is complicated as those who have been told it will not rain on your picnic, and lo and behold it does, know. What seems to be occurring is ocean warming. But indeed, this is a complicated issue, as it is also getting warmer above North America, but colder over the Antarctic (see the 2.2C reference). If you think I'm getting my data from random sources and nutjob righties (:-D), this might convince you that there is legitimate debate out there apart from partisan causes and Al Gore trying to appeal to the sixties generation.

I have the freedom to believe in the one triune God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. I have the right and freedom to express my religion as long as I don't physically hurt, harrass or psychologically damage other people (Scientology, I'm looking your direction....and radical Islam). Richard Dawkins (though he does not reside in this country) is free to spout his atheistic nonsense and try and dress it up as legitimate science and philosophy. I have the right to believe that real science can incorporate the supernatural in a way that doesn't sacrifice its integrity and leave the only answer "God did it." Indeed, science which rejects the divine is not complete nor do I think it is good for the individual, society, and in the end, science itself. Science is a tool in a toolbox whose name should read God.

I have the right to academic freedom. If Professor Buckler of U of I can rant about the stupidity of Christians, the idiocy of the Republicans, and the dire state of the St. Louis Cardinals, then I can rant about the ignorance and closemindedness of atheists and/or Democrats! I have the right to believe what I wish without being rejected from academia (this hasn't happened to me nor do I expect it to) . For Christ's sake they allow communists to teach, why not red-blooded American males? Does it make them feel uncomfortable to be challenged?

I have the right to freedom of speach, assembly, religion, arms, trial by a jury of my peers, protection from illegal search and seizure, protection from wrongful prosecution, etc. Please, don't take these rights for granted. Sometime ago in Iraq, some Kurds (only about 100,000-yeah, our war with him wasn't just my ass!) were killed because they were Kurds and believed differently than Saddam.

Let Freedom Ring baby!