Minnesota State Senator John Marty wants your 12 year old girl to have sex!

S.F. 184. Does it mean anything to you? Probably not, but it deserves your attention. It’s the new law that went to effect in Minnesota on August 1st that allows for family planning organizations (Planned Parenthood) to dispense oral contraceptives (birth control pills and the morning after pill) to 12 year old girls, and without parental consent!

How the heck does something so nutty pass into law? It’s thrown in with a bunch of other laws into one big bill known as an omnibus bill. This just happened to be a part of the Health & Human Services Omnibus Bill of 2007. There’s plenty of blame to be thrown around at various Senators and Representatives for voting for this junk, and even the Governor for signing this into law. The excuses they say is that “Well if I don’t vote for this or sign this a lot of good legislation won’t pass.” Translation: If I don’t vote for health funding, I’ll get blamed for it next time campaign season rolls around. What’s sick about it is we have politicians forgoing their principles in order to not face the heat from lobbyists or political adversaries come election time. If you want a full list of who voted for this and who voted against it I’ll be happy to provide it.

Here’s how the St. Cloud delegation voted.

In Favor: Senator Tarryl Clark, Senator Michelle Fischbach, Representative Larry Haws, Representative Larry Hosch.
Against: Representative Steve Gottwalt, Representative Dan Severson.
Signed into law by Governor Tim Pawlenty.

If you haven’t told your legislators and governor how you feel about this sickening law, you should. Here’s how you can do it. Click here to find out all the contact information you need.

If you want to know the real culprit behind all this though, it’s the author of the bill. (Drum Roll Please) The author would be Senator John Marty.

I highly suggest you bombard this guy with phone calls, snail mail, e-mail, etc… This guy is a real winner let me tell you, he should be booted from office for this perverted law. If you’d like to learn more about this law and other important citizen calls to action, I highly suggest you check out the Hot Talk page on the KNSI website.

That’s all for now. Over and out!

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Iowa Straw Poll 2007 leaves us with more questions than answers.

Well, due to a bout of illness that hit me Friday night and Saturday, I missed my trip to the Iowa Straw Poll in Ames. I was disappointed but I didn’t want to disappoint you, so I spent most of the day Saturday parked in front of the television watching C-SPAN coverage of the event. Here are some of my observations.

-The whole straw poll had a much different feel compared with the one in 1999. First you had two of the higher profile candidates (Rudy Giuliani and John McCain) not even bothering to show up. Much different from the all-star cast in 1999 that included both McCain and George W. Bush. While the only “superstar” candidate was Mitt Romney, I’m not sure that this straw poll will be very helpful in predicting the Republican nominee in 2008. With some of the big names in the race not showing, and names like Fred Thompson and Newt Gingrich not even in the race yet, it’s very hard to tell what the heck is going on with the Republicans. The media attention didn’t seem to be as great this time around, and the crowds looked smaller during the speeches. Maybe I’m reading into things a little too much but it didn’t seem like it was near the event it has been in the past.

-Newt Gingrich probably had the best speech. I bet you didn’t know he was there did you? He was, and he addressed the crowd before the candidates took to the stage. I still see him as a wild card if he jumps in the race. The guy is clearly one of the most intelligent names being thrown around for president. He’s also passionate, and surprisingly more charismatic than I thought Newt could ever be. Sure he’s polarizing and he has some baggage from his past, but he has the endorsement of Focus on the Family founder James Dobson and seems to have had a real conversion in the recent past. It will be real interesting to see if he jumps in the race here later this fall.

-Mitt Romney has his act together. The guy is smooth as silk, but I’m not convinced he can win the party nomination. He did a great job in Iowa and obviously has a ton of money and a large staff. I gotta tell you though, the guy almost comes across as a little arrogant to me. Plus, I still think the Christian base in the Republican party will have a problem with the fact that he’s Mormon. We shall wait and see. Clearly he knew what he was doing in Iowa as demonstrated by his victory in the straw poll.

-Governor Huckabee is probably my favorite candidate currently in the race. He seems thoughtful, down to earth, but smart as a whip. I think social conservatives can relate with him as they can with Senator Sam Brownback. The difference may be that Huckabee has distinguished himself in the debates and has perhaps become a dark horse candidate for the nomination. His second place victory was impressive considering the lack of money in his campaign.

-Ron Paul has a small, but strong and vocal following. Sometimes I love what the guy has to say, other times, I cringe. It’s the same with most true libertarians. I like their strict interpretation of the constitution, but sometimes their moral priorities don’t jive with my social conservative side.

-Duncan Hunter impressed me, and distinguished himself with his military background but his name is still rather unknown to a lot of people in the Midwest and outside of California.

-Tom Tancredo had some interesting things to say and came across as very down to earth but is another long shot.

-Sam Brownback had a good showing (probably because Kansas is so close to Iowa) and did a good job coming in third. He is definitely a voice that resonates with social conservatives but lack of name recognition will hurt his chances.

-Tommy Thompson, I thought had a very good speech, but had a poor showing in the polls. You have to wonder if his star has faded too much, and whether his time has passed. I still think he makes an interesting VP possibility because of the fact that Wisconsin is such a blue state and it would be very tempting for Republicans to try and win there.

Overall, the Iowa Straw Poll just left you kind of scratching your head, and I’m not sure it provided real answers. Let me take a moment to say that I think McCain and Giuliani made big mistakes by not participating. It is folks in the Midwest, and small town America, who are the base of the Republican party. These candidates sent the message that they don’t care about us. I think McCain’s campaign is falling apart, and Giuliani is just not a conservative. I’m very surprised that Giuliani’s numbers continue to be as strong as they have been and I’d look for that to change in the near future. Usually the Iowa Straw Poll is the start of the presidential season. That’s not the case this year. I think it has been put on hold until we hear from Fred Thompson and Newt Gingrich. I just hope they don’t wait too long.

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Will the real moderate Muslims, please stand up?

I have previously written on legal immigration versus illegal immigration. I asked which is a greater threat to our nation. This was very controversial as you can imagine. I presented you with some of the numbers of legal immigrants coming to the United States. I broke these numbers down by country of origin. Then I singled out the immigrants coming from mostly Muslim nations, many of which sponsor terrorism or at the very least look the other way. I did this as a thought exercise.

The reaction was predictable. I received some messages from people calling me a racist and a bigot. I also received some messages from people praising me for bringing up the point. I even heard from some moderate Muslims who thought I was misguided and being irrational. I brought up the topic because we need to debate immigration. I brought up the topic because we need to debate Islam and the difference between moderates and radicals. Look, one of my goals was to draw these moderate folks out of the woodwork. I wanted to hear from them. I still want to hear from them. I want them to make their voice heard, and I want it to be heard loud and clear!

I want to know that moderate Muslims exist and that they do not condone the violence and terror being promoted by some in their religion. The radical Jihadists, seek to spread Islam to every corner of the world. Wait just a minute! Don’t Christians want the same thing? Yes, but they don’t kill those who don’t convert. Christians don’t strap bombs to their own children to blow people up. Christianity doesn’t stand for taking away freedoms, but rather for promoting freedom and choice. Does this mean that all Muslims are anti-freedom? Does this mean that all followers of Islam are against choice? I hope not. The problem is, their moderate voice is not loud enough.

During the reign of Hitler, during the atrocities of the Nazi regime, there were Christians in Germany who did not speak up. They did not speak up and make their voice heard because they were afraid for their lives. The horrors of the concentration camps, the killing of millions of Jews, these things happened. One of the question afterwards was, “Why didn’t someone do something?” Those that were silent, those that did nothing, are not looked kindly upon by history.

The thing about history is that it has this unique way of repeating itself. I believe a similar situation to what happened in Nazi Germany is happening now within the ranks of Islam. Moderate followers of Islam must stand up, they must make their voices heard. They have to tell the world that they won’t stand for terrorism from Hamas, Al Quaeda, Hezbollah, and other terror groups. They must do something about the atrocities being committed by those who would pervert their religion. Otherwise, why would they expect non-followers of Islam to understand? Why would they expect us to believe that Islam is about peace? We have not heard that message, and if indeed it is true, we must hear it. It must be shouted from the rooftops of every moderate Muslim that lives in the United States. (After-all, they have the freedom to do so without the direct fear of losing their lives.)

However, it’s not just American Muslims that need to stand up. It must also be shouted from the rooftops of those in these oppressive nations. Yes, they may face punishment for such actions and words. They may in fact face death, but so did the founders of the United States. Many lost their lives, many sacrificed their families, and their property. But, that is why America is free today. It is free because of the sacrificial blood that was spilled by our founders. It is free because folks did what was right. Now is the time for moderate followers of Islam to rally the cry to stand for what is right. If they don’t, history will judge them. Furthermore, non-Muslims will fail to see a difference between the Jihadists, and the moderate Muslims.

Some people might criticize me for even bringing this business up. It’s a sad day when we can’t even talk about things like this. A lot of people are unwilling to even engage in this conversation because it’s not “politically correct.” I think that is hogwash. We can debate immigration without sinking to the level of hating an entire people group. We can debate the need for moderate Islam to step up to the plate. Not only can we talk about these things, we SHOULD talk about these things. Please join me in an effort to bring attention to these important and defining matters of freedom for our generation. I’m burdened with the task of rallying the cry for many issues. This is one of utmost importance. Don’t do it a disservice by painting it into a race issue, or a religious discrimination issue, or a bigotry or hatred issue. Look folks, it’s a freedom issue.

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Liberal Democrats: The Party of Intolerance

One of the Democratic presidential candidates came out Friday saying that homosexuality is a choice! At least, that was what he said at first…

In an otherwise low-key presidential candidates forum dedicated to gay issues, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson drew gasps from the audience when he appeared to suggest that homosexuality is a choice.

Lesbian singer Melissa Etheridge, one of three panelists for the event, asked Richardson whether he considers homosexuality innate or a choice.

“It’s a choice,” he said.

Etheridge, suggesting Richardson might have misunderstood, then rephrased her question to ask him whether he thinks “a homosexual is born that way, or do you think that around seventh grade, we go, ‘Ooo, I want to be gay.’”

In an expanded response, Richardson noted that he’s not a scientist.

“It’s, it’s, it, you know, I don’t see this as an issue of science or definition,” he said. “I see gays and lesbians as people, as a matter of human decency. I see it as a matter of love and companionship and people loving each other. You know, I don’t like to categorize people. I don’t like to answer definitions like that, that, you know, perhaps are grounded in science or something else that I don’t understand.”

***

After the forum, Richardson’s campaign issued a statement “clarifying” his answer and emphasizing his past support of gay civil rights issues.

“Let me be clear — I do not believe that sexual orientation or gender identity happen by choice,” Richardson said in the statement. “But I’m not a scientist and the point I was trying to make is that no matter how it happens, we are all equal and should be treated that way under the law.”

Attributed to the Washington Blade.

When I first heard about this, being someone who clearly sees sexual behavior as a choice, I respected Mr. Richardson for his opinion on the matter. I thought to myself, “I’m glad he didn’t buckle under the pressure of the liberal progressive thought process.” (The “tolerance” crowd that is completely intolerant.)

Then I lost all respect for Mr. Richardson when I read his “clarification statement.” It’s just another example of the problems within the liberal movement. They (the liberals) conveniently profess to be everything they’re not. They profess to be looking out for you, then they tax you like crazy. They profess to be for racial equality, then they promote wedge issues and actually propagate racism. And, in this case they profess to be tolerant of all views, but are clearly intolerant of the view that homosexuality is a behavior, and thus a choice.

I’m not going to go into great lengths to break down why I think it’s obvious that sexual behavior is a choice. There are many pieces of evidence that track homosexuality to father figure issues, and possible sexual abuse issues. That’s not the intent of my article though. I could also tell you that homosexual choice becomes obvious when you look at nature and science. (A plus goes with a minus, and vice versa, but two pluses or two minuses do not go together.) I could talk about the fact that nature didn’t intend it because there is no natural way to conceive children in a homosexual relationship. I could also talk about how we don’t call adulterous behavior, or polygamous behavior, or nymphomaniac behavior a genetic condition. In fact if homosexuality was a genetic condition, wouldn’t there then be those who would suggest a cure? Again, it’s not my intent to get into that argument in great detail.

What I really started out writing this article about was the fact that I’m amazed that the party of the people, the party that preaches diversity, the party that wants people from all backgrounds and lifestyles can’t tolerate a very commonly held viewpoint, and one that has not been proven wrong. The Democrats have no room for this belief (I’m talking of course about the belief that homosexuality is a choice.) This eliminates a huge segment of the population from being included in the Democratic party. It eliminates Christians, Jews, and Muslims. Which party has a big tent now? This whole ordeal with Mr. Richardson and the progressive liberals is both funny, and sad because it demonstrates the thought process by a segment of our population, and they truly represent intolerance at its finest.

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A lesson from 1858 on how big government fails us all…

I’m reading an interesting book right now titled “The Law” which was written in 1858 by Frederic Bastiat, a French economist, statesman, and author. He did most of his writing during the years just before and immediately following the Revolution of February 1848. What strikes me about this book, as I’m just a few pages in, is that it has some eerie similarities and lessons that can be applied to what is going on right now in Minnesota with the state government. It certainly seems relevant to all of the talk surrounding the bridge collapse in Minneapolis and the subsequent call for a state-wide gas tax increase.

“Each of us has a natural right from God to defend his person, his liberty, and his property… If a nation was founded on this basis, it seems to me that order would prevail among the people, in thought as well as in deed… Under such an administration, everyone would understand that he possessed all the privileges as well as all the responsibilities of his existence. No one would have an argument with government, provided that his person was respected, his labor was free (choices), and the fruits of his labor were protected against all unjust attack. When successful, we would not have to thank the state for our success. And conversely, when unsuccessful, we would no more think of blaming the state for our misfortune than would the farmers blame the state because of hail or frost. The state would be felt only by the invaluable blessings of safety provided by this concept of government.”

First, I think this speaks volumes to what is wrong with the way government functions, and furthermore why it appears that our roads and bridges are suffering. It’s not a matter of government being underfunded or too small, quite the contrary, it’s a matter of government growing out of control and not focusing on the essentials.

Second, it’s interesting that Bastiat writes about the unthinkable notion that someone would somehow blame the government when bad weather occurs. How ironic that some people do indeed blame our government for natural disasters! (Hurricane Katrina anyone?) Although I do think government is responsible for an essential function like building quality bridges and roads, we’ve been conditioned to play the blame game whenever something goes wrong in life. A bridge falls down and there are accusations that government did this to us and that blood is on their hands. I think we need to all take a step back and think about how foolish that sounds.

Bastiat goes on to give examples of government tinkering too much in our private lives and then says this…

“The sources of our existence are made uncertain and precarious by these state created displacements. And, furthermore, these acts burden the government with increased responsibilities.”

I think that hits the nail right on the head. When government is not operating under the essential functions of defending individuals, their liberty, and their property it takes on added responsibility and burdens which keep it from doing what it needs to do. This includes making sure our bridges are as safe as they can possibly be!

All this talk of an increased gas tax would do nothing but make government even bigger. Why would you continue to fund something that has failed us? Frankly I think we should all be upset and we should demand that the government prioritize it’s spending and look to take care of the essentials first. This idea of a gas tax increase is a diversion, a tool of political manipulation, and a dishonor to those who lost their lives on the bridge. Call Governor Tim Pawlenty and tell him to say no to a gas tax increase. Call your state legislators. This is a time to take action, if nothing else to keep those who lost their lives on the bridge from being used as political pawns.

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Hot Talk Website Update

If you’re a regular reader of this blog you may be interested in checking out the Hot Talk webpage on the KNSI website. It’s available by clicking here.

We’ve recently added some content including links to show archives, pork spending in Minnesota, links on contacting your legislators, pictures, and more…

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Government has failed us: Why give them more of our money?

“We’re in a deep hole, and we’ve neglected transportation for far too long, and now we’re seeing the results of the lack of emphasis on our roads, highways, and bridges.”

That pretty much sums up the talk I’ve heard from a lot of people on both sides of the aisle politically over the last few days. I don’t know that I’m ready to disagree 100%. It does appear that our roads, highways, and bridges could use a little work. The bridge tragedy shouldn’t happen, and it’s upsetting that it did. However, no matter how much money we put toward transportation there will always be the chance of another accident. Despite the assertions by a few wackos, this was not some intentional scheme by one political party or another. A bridge fell down and people died. It was a tragic event and we now have to work on ways to prevent it from happening in the future.

Unfortunately the door has been opened on taxing the people of Minnesota more to pay for these roads. The chatter started with left wing pundits, then DFL politicians, and now the Governor is apparently on board.

Gov. Pawlenty says he will approve a tax increase in special session: “The governor will work with legislators on a comprehensive and long-term approach,” Pawlenty spokesman Brian McClung told the Star Tribune. “We would expect that to include some of the governor’s ideas and some of the legislature’s ideas and under those circumstances, a gas tax could be included… Yes, it’s accurate to describe this as a breaking of the [no-tax] pledge,” McClung said. “But these are extraordinary circumstances. The governor feels we need to come together and work as aggressively as we can to address these issues. He thinks that’s the right thing for our state.”

Attributed to the Minnesota Monitor.

Now there are predictions that some sort of state gas tax will pass with bi-partisan support in a special session. Well la de-frickin’ da! Let’s all hold hands and sing Kumbaya while the government comes together to rob us of more of our hard earned money.

I know, I can already hear some gasping in shock at how insensitive I must seem by opposing handing my money over to the government to fix our roads and highways. I’m telling you, that government has failed us, why should we give them more money!? They already have enough of our money and look at what they spend it on! Check out this report on government spending and try to tell me they haven’t failed us!.

If the government really wants to do the right thing they will immediately take the following actions:

-Close down the bear exhibits at Zoo’s throughout the state and sell the bears to someone else and see if we can get a return on the $30 million plus that was used to fund it.
-Scrap the light rail, and commuter train projects, and immediately sell as many parts as we can to someone else. Hopefully we can get some of the $100 million plus spent in 2006 back and divert that to fixing our bridges, roads, and highways.
-Tell the Twins to build their own ballpark, or leave town. That’s an immediate $770 million that could go toward bridges.
-Take back the $34 million in payments made to ethanol producers and tell them to figure out ways to make money selling ethanol or to go get another job.
-Tell the arts, to get private funding or close up shop. (Shubert Theater - $12 million, Perpich Center for Arts Education - $15 million, Ordway Center for the Performing Arts - $7.5 million, Winona Shakespeare Festival - $300 thousand.)

Okay, I could go on with more statistics and more examples of government funding that is lower on the priority list than fixing our transportation problems but you get the idea right?

“Extraordinary circumstances” as the Governor put it, call for extraordinary actions. I call on the Governor to back up his words and to encourage the legislature to immediately cut funding to government programs that are lower on the priority list (some don’t even belong on the list at all!) Do this and take care of our highways, roads, and bridges.

A state gas tax increase is a pathetic attempt at writing a wrong. Government has failed us, why should we give government more of our money? It’s as simple as that.

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