The little party that cried wolf...
I remember the story when I was growing up about the little shepherd boy who would constantly cry "wolf", even when there was no wolf trying to get into the sheep. After a few times, the rest of the people in the village quit paying any attention to the little shepherd, and didn't come to help even when the wolf was really in the sheep.
A couple of years ago, some of the supporters of Barack Obama's policies decided it might be a useful tactic to label those who were opposed to Barack Obama's policies as racists. Most Libertarians I know are opposed to most of Barack Obama's policies. I don't know of any Libertarians that are racists.
Most Libertarians who are opposed to his policies believe that government is too big. Most people who support his policies believe that government isn't big enough. I do understand that some people want more government. I don't agree with them, but I do understand what they want.
Early on I wished that they would just present their arguments without feeling the need to call those that disagree with them racists. After a while it reached the point where it really didn't matter anymore.
A couple of days ago, Rand Paul, a Republican candidate for congress, was accused by some of being a racist for defending private property rights. Now, I try not to make it a habit of defending Republican candidates, but I do appreciate when people defend property rights.
Private property ownership and private property rights are the cornerstone of a free society, and those rights allow a person to exclude another person from their home for any reason they choose. Those rights still exist if they use their home as a private business, and those rights still exist if they live in a location away from that business.
In as much as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 guaranteed equal access to public facilities for all people, it seems apparent that that provision should have been included in our Constitution from day one. But what we are talking about here is private property.
I've been around long enough to realize that some people don't believe in private property rights, or at least don't believe in them as strongly as I do. And some people believe property rights apply to some private property but not to other private property. And I'm sure we will be discussing the differences of opinion for a long time. Hopefully we can have that discussion without resorting to race baiting when someone disagrees with us.
As disappointing as it is to some on both the left and the right, racism is on the decline. I see less of it in my generation than in my parents generation, and even less in my children's generation. I don't suppose it will ever end completely, but I do believe it becomes less common and less acceptable with each generation.
I've also seen a lot more people condemning the "racist" accusations, and occasionally those condemnations are even coming from people on the left.
Maybe someday people won't pay any attention at all to racists or race baiting.
As far as I'm concerned, that day can't get here any too soon.
A couple of years ago, some of the supporters of Barack Obama's policies decided it might be a useful tactic to label those who were opposed to Barack Obama's policies as racists. Most Libertarians I know are opposed to most of Barack Obama's policies. I don't know of any Libertarians that are racists.
Most Libertarians who are opposed to his policies believe that government is too big. Most people who support his policies believe that government isn't big enough. I do understand that some people want more government. I don't agree with them, but I do understand what they want.
Early on I wished that they would just present their arguments without feeling the need to call those that disagree with them racists. After a while it reached the point where it really didn't matter anymore.
A couple of days ago, Rand Paul, a Republican candidate for congress, was accused by some of being a racist for defending private property rights. Now, I try not to make it a habit of defending Republican candidates, but I do appreciate when people defend property rights.
Private property ownership and private property rights are the cornerstone of a free society, and those rights allow a person to exclude another person from their home for any reason they choose. Those rights still exist if they use their home as a private business, and those rights still exist if they live in a location away from that business.
In as much as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 guaranteed equal access to public facilities for all people, it seems apparent that that provision should have been included in our Constitution from day one. But what we are talking about here is private property.
I've been around long enough to realize that some people don't believe in private property rights, or at least don't believe in them as strongly as I do. And some people believe property rights apply to some private property but not to other private property. And I'm sure we will be discussing the differences of opinion for a long time. Hopefully we can have that discussion without resorting to race baiting when someone disagrees with us.
As disappointing as it is to some on both the left and the right, racism is on the decline. I see less of it in my generation than in my parents generation, and even less in my children's generation. I don't suppose it will ever end completely, but I do believe it becomes less common and less acceptable with each generation.
I've also seen a lot more people condemning the "racist" accusations, and occasionally those condemnations are even coming from people on the left.
Maybe someday people won't pay any attention at all to racists or race baiting.
As far as I'm concerned, that day can't get here any too soon.
posted by Rex Bell at 8:02 AM
1 Comments:
fyi . . .
Federal Spending by the Numbers 2010:
• Washington will spend $30,543 per household in 2010
• That's $5,000 per household more than just two years ago
• In the 1980s and 90s, Washington spent $21,000 per household (adjusted for inflation)
• Simply returning to that level would balance the budget by 2012 without any tax hikes
• Entitlement spending has reached a record 14 percent of GDP
• Discretionary spending has expanded 79 percent faster than inflation
• Lawmakers approved over 9,000 earmarks last year at a cost of $16.5 billion
• Washington’s 2009 budget deficit is estimated at $1.5 trillion ($12,664 per household)
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2010/06/Federal-Spending-by-the-Numbers-2010
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