Adulthood and the Law

I have a serious problem with the so-called US Justice System’s handling of adults and juveniles.

According to libraryindex.com, “By the year 2000 all 50 states and the District of Columbia had one or more laws permitting the transfer of youths to criminal courts to be tried as adults. Many states have also expanded these laws in order to make it easier to prosecute juveniles as adults. For example, a 1995 Missouri law removed the minimum age limit, which had been 14, for trying children as adults in cases involving drug dealing, murder, rape, robbery, and first-degree assault. The law also permits children 12 years old to be prosecuted as adults for other crimes. A Texas law allows children as young as 10 to be sentenced to up to 40 years’ incarceration.”

A 12-year-old child can be tried as an adult, and sentenced to years of imprisonment for committing certain crimes, but NOT ONE SINGLE PERSON in the “Land of the Free” United States under 21 years of age is enough of an adult to consume an alcoholic beverage, according to government. (The age limit of 21 is the highest of any country in the world, by the way, and the US has the highest prison population of any country on earth.)

A person can join the Army, and put his life on the line in war, at 17–and operate heavy artillery, assault weapons and vehicles–but is prohibited from going into a bar and having a cold beer at the end of the day.

The double standard is completely illogical and unacceptable. It is used by prosecutors to increase their number of “successfully prosecuted cases,” so they are perceived to be “tough on crime,” and used to increase the overall power of the State.

I don’t care for alcoholic beverages, or court systems, but to make a small improvement in all of this I propose a new, logical standard for determining whether or not someone is an “adult”: If the person in question is not adult enough to enjoy a few shots from a bottle of whiskey, they cannot be tried as an adult in court.

This ridiculous court practice has got to end.

Internet Speedway Warning

I have been hearing a lot of radio commercials for Internet Speedway, and their “free” CD that will cost you nearly $10 to have shipped to your address, so I decided to do some background checking on the company.

The following alert was posted to the “Consumer Alerts for March 2009” section of the Better Business Bureau’s Eastern NC site:

“The Internet Speedway offers a business opportunity via television commercials.  They promote selling products on the Internet.  Products include health and beauty items, ladies and men’s apparel, jewelry, designer sunglasses, cookware, customer luggage equipment and sports apparel.  One consumer paid the initial $9.95 fee for the software and was then charged additional “hidden fees.”  Other complainants have alleged unauthorized withdrawals up to $347.75.  Over 340 complaints have been filed against this Arizona business, and they have the BBB’s lowest rating.”

I have also seen numerous posts on work-at-home forum pages telling others to avoid this business, calling it a “scam,” so I thought I’d share this information with all of you.

In tough economic times, it can be tempting to try something like Internet Speedway to make some extra money, but with “over 340 complaints” and “the BBB’s lowest rating,” I think I’ll stay far away from this one.

Celebrate Your So-Called Independence

This July 4th, “Independence Day,” celebrate your freedom and independence!

When you wake, make sure the property tax (annual lease payment to government) on your home has been paid, so you can continue to live in it and claim it.

When you call your friends and neighbors, to tell them about your BBQ cookout, be happy about the government taxing you and jacking up your phone bill in order to provide phone service to those who won’t get out and work to get it (Universal Service fee).

Also, be glad that government has banned certain foods – foods that you used to enjoy – that are considered to be “unhealthy.”

Make sure you get the required permit (government permission and a pay-off) to hold a large gathering at your home or place of business.

If friends fly in from out of town for your party, don’t get angry if some of them are delayed or detained, due to Homeland Security. After all, it’s for your safety – and you wouldn’t want them to get lax and make a mistake that would allow some terrorist to come in and blow everyone up, right?

Be sure the property tax on your car(s) has been paid (see above), so you can get a driver’s license (more permission and pay-offs), tags and vehicle registration (ditto) and drive to the store to get supplies – and remember that the price you paid for that car would have been about half, without all the embedded and hidden taxes on nearly every stage of an automobile’s production.

As you get into your car, be sure you have filled out all the required paperwork and received government’s permission to own and carry your gun – even though government’s own official, founding documents say that government shall not infringe on the keeping and bearing of arms.

While at the store, note the sale tax that has been applied to your final bill, because government feels it should get a cut of nearly every monetary transaction you make.

When you drive your car to the fireworks stand – if fireworks are even permitted in your area – be sure to follow all of the driving rules and regulations, including limits on how fast you may travel, and be sure to stop firing off the fireworks you are allowed to purchase (some rockets and firecrackers are outlawed, in some places) at a certain time or risk a fine or imprisonment (kidnapping).

If you still have a job and can actually afford to buy fireworks, be thankful that government’s destructive regulation of the marketplace, nationalizing industries (communism) and manipulating the fiat currency hasn’t affected you enough to keep you from enjoying some firecrackers.

If you are stopped on the way by a police compliance checkpoint, be sure to keep your hands on the wheel (so they won’t feel compelled to draw their guns on you) and make sure to quickly produce the documents they require (*in Nazi soldier fashion* “Your papers, please!”) in order for you to be permitted to travel.

If you are ticketed, pay the fine and rejoice in the fact that it’s all done for your own good and safety.

If you decide to attend the local fireworks event, follow instructions from police officers on where you will be permitted to park. We certainly don’t want you to get another ticket!

On the way home, again follow the rules of the road and be ready to have everything ready, this time, in case you meet with another Naz…I mean police checkpoint.

After all the festivities have died down, settle into your favorite easy chair and turn on the TV (propaganda box) – and take comfort in the knowledge that your government has censored certain television programming which may go against official FCC, decency or “community” standards.

As you watch the news about government and IBM working together to control traffic through congestion pricing (a daily fee, just to travel into town) and developing ways of tracking your vehicle and controlling your thermostat so you don’t use too much energy, don’t get angry. This is all done for the good of the country – and you don’t want to be viewed as behind the times or hindering progress, do you?

As you listen to Obama’s health care plan – a plan to basically ration health services to those who government officials feel really need them – don’t let thoughts of population control creep into your head. That kind of thing could never happen, here, in the good ol’ US of A.

If you had to make a trip to the hospital, instead – due to a fireworks accident, for example – don’t complain about the long wait and ridiculously high cost of treatment that are mainly due to government rules, regulations and compliance costs.

When you are able to return to work, smile knowing that nearly half of your annual income is taken by government in some form or fashion (taxes, fees, fines, permits, licenses, etc.), so that it can be given to other countries (foreign aid bribes), large corporations who are supposedly “too big to fail” (bailouts), or fellow citizens who would rather sit on their butts than provide for themselves (welfare).

If this angers you, call your Congressman – and get his Administrative Assistant or an intern, who may or may not take a message. Wait for a form letter thanking you for contacting his office. He’ll be sure to keep your views in mind (not), in the future.

If your Congressman disappoints you, you can always run for office – if you can afford the prohibitive filing fees.

If you register to run as any other Party than Republican or Democrat, you may be required to get tens of thousands of signatures from residents before you will be allowed to have your name on the ballot – if your state even allows candidates who aren’t R or D (ballot access laws).

And don’t forget that the political system is rigged, anyway, and voting is a waste of time–over 230 years of voting, with things only getting worse, proves it–so there aren’t many viable options left for making positive change, are there? Well, there are, but you’re probably too comfy in front of the TV, or playing games on your smartphone, to concern yourself with something that would require a bit of effort and bravery.

If you protest or spout off about freedom, the IRS or the Federal Reserve system, don’t get angry if you are placed on a domestic terrorist watch list. According to some law enforcement trainers, even the Founding Fathers were “terrorists,” because they rebelled against their government.

Yes, sheeple of the United States, celebrate your freedom and independence from a tyrannical government – and try not to think about how your forefathers broke free from one slavery system, only to leave us with another.

Government-granted liberties are NOT the same as freedom!

Fair is the new F-word

For the last few months, the Fair Housing Alliance and the Ad Council have been running a commercial on talk radio networks praising diversity and celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act–and I’m angered and disgusted, every time I hear it.

The Fair Housing Act is anything but “fair”; it forces those who own rental property to rent to people with whom they may have no desire to do business. Force is never fair.

Basically, the Fair Housing Act is an entitlement program that is helping to force “diversity” on the citizens of this country, whether they like it or not. Personally, I think it’s great to have friends and business associates from different walks of life, but I don’t want them forced down my throat.

Also, there is widespread speculation that the “diversity” movement is working to blend different types of people, in order to eventually end borders and destroy national identities. See “Security and Prosperity Partnership” (spp.gov) for a government-backed plan to turn North America into another European Union.

“Fair” is the new f-word, and it has become a favorite of socialists who craftily take advantage of an ignorant, emotional citizenry to secure more entitlements and distribute more wealth.

There’s nothing “fair” about the Fair Housing Act, and certainly nothing to celebrate.