The two terrors that discourage originality and creative living are
fear of public opinion
and undue reverence for one's own consistency.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Tweet of the Day
Over a quarter million journalism jobs have gone away over the past 70 years. Expect Trump to take credit for any more on his watch.— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) February 7, 2017
Trump once again demonstrates his corrupt leadership style and unconscionable bullying, manifestly unfit to be President; asset forfeiture?— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) February 8, 2017
Civil asset forfeiture basically involves the police/State being able to seize your property without due process; without even a conviction.— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) February 8, 2017
In many places, the federal government will ensure state/local government gets a healthy cut of your seized assets. Police & others benefit.— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) February 8, 2017
Trump, who openly panders for police support, doesn't want anyone messing with lucrative self-serving confiscation of your assets.— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) February 8, 2017
So Trump vowed to end the political career of a Texan legislator who wants to ensure conviction before any asset seizure. We vow to end his.— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) February 8, 2017
Surprised Trump supports civil asset forfeiture? This is the same jerk who tried to seize Vera Coking's home for chauffeur parking— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) February 8, 2017
So while almost every state is looking to reform civil forfeiture laws to curb abuse, Trump, as in the case of tariffs, plunders avg Joe.— Ronald Guillemette (@raguillem) February 8, 2017
The Great Economic Historian McCloskey Explains Marxism
Immigrants Make America a Safer, More Prosperous Nation
Government "Expert" Dietary Advice
Facebook Corner
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| via niece on FB |
This isn't all that bad, until he gets to the home stretch. Christ was not a humanist; He believed in personal salvation and accountability, not some collective nonsense. The citation to "render unto Caesar" is grossly out of context; it is not a reference to the legitimacy or inevitability of the State. He was being set up by the sophists: would He choose the hated Roman occupiers over His followers? If He chose His followers, it would be evidence of His being an insurrectionist, grounds for His execution. Jesus says elsewhere (the fish and the coins: payment of the Temple tax) that He doesn't recognize earthly authority, but He doesn't want for His message of Salvation being overshadowed by political nonsense. So most people totally miss the infamous quote: He DOESN'T command submission to the State (render unto Caesar). In fact, He explicit contrasts it with "render unto God what is God's"; this is a subtle way of saying that God is the superior authority, and what He poses in the quote is nothing more than if you have Caesar's property, say his cloak, give it back to him.
When Jesus talks in terms of turning the other cheek, etc., He is simply using a common rabbinical rhetorical device of hyperbole (e.g., http://www.voiceofjesus.org/extremelanguage.html). But always remember, His ultimate Commandment is to honor God, not people. What He does say is that you honor God by seeing His image in other people, and gifts of voluntary charity are a form of praying to God. But Jesus is always about personal choice (free will), not about compelling virtue in the form of State taxes and regulation.
Political Cartoon
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| Courtesy of Gary Varvel via Townhall |
Musical Interlude: My Favorite Vocalists
Tom Petty, "An American Girl"
