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The principles that rule this blog

Principles that will govern my thoughts as I express them here (from my opening statement):


  • Freedom of the individual should be as total as possible, limited only by the fact that nobody should be free to cause physical injury to another, or to deprive another person of his freedoms.
  • Government is necessary primarily to provide those services that private enterprise won't, or won't at a price that people can afford.
  • No person has a right to have his own beliefs on religious, moral, political, or other controversial issues imposed on others who do not share those beliefs.

I believe that Abraham Lincoln expressed it very well:

“The legitimate object of government is to do for a community of people whatever they need to have done, but cannot do, at all, or cannot
so well do, for themselves — in their separate, individual capacities.”


Comments will be invited, and I will attempt to reply to any comments that are offered in a serious and non-abusive manner. However, I will not tolerate abusive or profane language (my reasoning is that this is my blog, and so I can control it; I wouldn't interfere with your using such language on your own!)

If anyone finds an opinion that I express to be contrary to my principles, they are welcome to point this out. I hope that I can make a rational case for my comments. Because, in fact, one label I'll happily accept is rationalist.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Changing the issue

Because of President Obama's decreeing a substantial part of the DREAM act unilaterally, without authorization by Congressional action, he has changed the issue. It is no longer a question of whether the DREAM act is desirable. It now has become a question of separation of powers under the Constitution.

Even someone who wants to see the DREAM act become law can oppose this act by the President, because the Constitution (Art. II, Sect. 3) states that the President “shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed.”

When Pres. Obama decided that he would not support the so-called “Defense of Marriage Act” in the courts, he had a constitutional basis for doing so — he believed (and I believe rightly) that the DOMA was unconstitutional, and that he was supporting the higher law (the Constitution) against the lower law (DOMA). In this action, I supported him. But the President has not claimed that our immigration laws were unconstitutional. Therefore he has an obligation under Art. II, Sect. 3 to “take Care that [this law] be faithfully executed.”

As I earlier said, this should be cause for impeachment, but will not, because the political facts of life will prevent it — none of the Democrats in the Senate will vote to convict, and they constitute a majority, not just the 1/3 that can kill an impeachment.

At least one Congressman says he will sue. This is a worthwhile effort, but the way our court procedures work, it will take years for this suit to get through the court system. The much faster procedure is to retire Barack Obama this November.

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