I am a Patriot without Guns

   Guns = Patriotism, Patriotism = Guns.

   That is not my belief, but I wonder whether some people's version of patriotism is just this. They don't discuss or consider patriotism without guns being part of the equation.

   Now, it took guns and cannons and fighter jets to win our wars -- no doubt. I do not question whether guns have a role in patriotism. Rather, it is the ownership of guns by common citizens that I say does not in and off itself qualify you as a patriot.

   I find myself trying to write a song.

   

    "I am a patriot,

   "I am a patriot,

    "I am a patriot without guns."

 

    "None in my den,

  "None in my mancave,

    "None in my office,

  "And, none in the wall stache-stave."

    "No, no, no . . . 

  "I am a patriot without guns."

    "No, no, no . . .

  "I am a patriot without guns."

    "No, no no . . .

  "I am a patriot without guns."

Simple Measures could Sidestep Maybe 90 Percent of the Threats

  I hail the interestingly-sounding Promoting Good Cyber Hygiene Act of 2017, which was introduced in the Senate by Utah's Orrin Hatch and Massachusetts's Ed Markey. The bill would direct the establishment of best practices and good "hygiene" measures for computers.
   Simple things, like installing reputable antivirus software, updating the software, not opening unknown emails, backing up your computer, etc. It is suggested that 90 percent of the computer viruses could be avoided if we followed such simple measures.
   I continue to think we need to step up our efforts against cybercrime. I have learned that there is a department within the FBI tasked with fighting cybercrime, the Cyber Division, created in 2002. Is it doing enough? My feeling is that it is not. We still lack a police or investigative agency we can go to when hit by cybercrime, one where we cannot only file a report, but expect an investigation and have hope the criminals will be prosecuted.

Knee-High Concrete Barriers Would Reduce the Risk of Such Attacks

   When you can take away a criminal's weapon, you take it away. As I hear how a car sped down a sidewalk in Salt Lake City tonight, killing one and injuring at least six others, I wonder anew why we don't build knee-high concrete barriers along our busier sidewalks.
   We live in a copy-cat society. As word spreads of killings such as this, we are seeing more of them. If, however, we constructed barriers, it would take this weapon away from assailants.

Those from Mexico helped Me Celebrate the Fourth of July

   Last night as I drove past the labor camp in Paul, Idaho, a feeling surged over me of how these people were what America is about, and what patriotism is about.
   So, I returned. Even as I had passed the camp last night as I arrived in my hometown for the 4th of July, even so I passed back by it on my way back out of town tonight. I stopped, this time, looking for someone to talk to.
   And, I spotted a young couple, teenagers, sitting on the lawn. I got out of my car and approached them, and the brief conversation went something like this:
  "Are you from Mexico?" I asked.
  "I am," replied the male.
   "I just want to thank you, as my way of celebrating the Fourth of July, for coming to America and contributing to our economy," I said.
    America is a melting pot of immigrants. Somewhere back there, each of us has an ancestor who came to this country. Many, such as those in the Paul labor camp, are not well to do. They are workers, hard workers. Is there a more meaningful way of building a nation than through sweat and hard work? The workers of America are what makes it great, the simple, common folk.
   The Mini-Cassia area, where I grew up, has a large share of people from Mexico. We watched the parade while there, and a large number of those in it were Hispanic, some riding dancing horses, some marching for various causes.
    I sat next to others of them.
   All were welcome to me. I was grateful to be celebrating my Fourth with them, for they represent a lot of what is good about America.

   

Now We have Legislation We Don't need, and it's in all 50 States

 The finger of the the lobbyist is no where more evident than it is in the world of barbering. I think of this: that with way clippers are designed, with attachments that make it somewhat impossible to give an uneven cut, yet we somehow think it necessary to require everyone to have a license.
   How did that come about?
  You have to get 1500 hours (depending on the state) in a barbering school before you can take the state exams to get a license. All 50 states require licenses (though, I don't know if they all require barbering school).
   That's all 50 states. Nary a one thinks it too much regulation.
   The spread of communicable diseases is one of the reasons behind the call for licensing, yet I wonder if all the states makes it a law that the cutters must be disinfected after each use. The laws seem more aimed at training in how to cut than in training in how to avoid communicable diseases.
   Now, here's what I see: There are two beneficiaries of these laws, two parties that benefit from our requiring licensing: One, the barbering schools. Would they even exist if people were not required to attend them in order to become barbers? Two, the other beneficiary is the existing barbers. If it is difficult to get into barbering, there will be less competition, The existing barbers do not need to fear so much competition.
   I think it very clear, that when the licensing laws were created in each of the states, lobbyists for the barbers plead their cause before the various state legislatures. I think it very clear that when they got the legislation passed in one state, they went to the next, until they had achieved their goal in all 50 states.
 

Do We Fly to Pieces Like Glass When Things don't Fit Our Politics?

I finish a discussion and come over to my computer and open to the Facebook page of a group called LDS Prophecy and Gospel Discussions. The page's background has a quote from Joseph Smith that, "some . . . will fly to pieces like glass as soon as anything is contrary to their traditions." I think of the discussion I just had. We discussed whether health care should be open to all. We considered whether having food to eat was a right. We considered which answers were socialism. If we give everyone health care, is that socialism? If we make sure everyone has food, is that socialism?
I concluded that giving everyone health care might well need socialism, if the free enterprise system is not providing it. If that is what it takes, I suggest we do it. If the alternative is letting people go to their death beds, we should provide them assistance, anyway, regardless if it is socialism. He who stops from helping someone because he fears it will be socialism is not thinking correctly. Do what is right, regardless the politics.
After my discussion ends, I open this page to read Joseph's thought, that people cannot handle things that are contrary to their traditions. Some of us are conservatives and some of us are liberals. I just wonder if we let our traditions (our politics) sometimes get in the way of our doing the right thing.
The fuller quote from Joseph Smith is, "I've tried . . . to get the minds of the saints to receive the things of God; but we frequently see some of them . . . will fly to pieces like glass as soon as anything is contrary to their traditions."
I do not say this quote means we should have socialized medicine. I would like to think we do not need that. But, I do not think we should avoid socialized medicine just because it is socialized medicine. We should consider the issue on its own merits, without regard to which box it will fall in, and whether that box is socialism. To do otherwise is to let our traditions govern our decisions. It is flying to pieces as soon as anything is contrary to our traditions (our politics).

A man on the run will fall 

quicker than a man 

who faces the fight.

Indexes: quotes