Christmas, and other politically incorrect stuff...

America was founded on the idea of protecting the individual FROM THE GOVERNMENT, hence the Constitution's Bill of Rights, but not from each other. The individual is protected from the mob rule of a "pure democracy", yet between one another, we must agree to certain laws, none of which can violate the Bill of Rights.

We have, however, allowed such nonsense as "Political Correctness" to not only stymie our freedom of speech (1st Amendment), but it has paved they way for us to be judged by our thoughts, a la "Hate Crime" legislation. Now we are not only judged criminal by our actions, but our opinions of the victim. The Bill of Rights protects my freedom to be a jerk, a bigot, or whatever. It also protects the rights of those around me to have nothing to do with me for having such attitudes. Just as PC is an attack on free speech (just because you do not like it does not mean the other person is denied their right to say whatever they wish), so "Hate Crime" legislation is an attack on equality under the law. It is saying some people are inherently worth more because of both innate and chosen attributes, and it moves us further toward a "1984" Thought Crime justice system, or even a "Minority Report" world of "crime" prevention. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. How quickly it is to slip from the seemingly kindergarten world of PC speech to a complete dishevelness of the Bill of Rights.

Christmas -- CHRISTmas -- even has the Name of the One to be celebrated in its name, yet, we are called upon to ignore this fact, and many do, for the government or mobs to demand it is a violation of freedom of religion. In this case, it is the government and mobs crossing the line and attacking those of us who celebrate the Christ of Christmas. Should the "government" allow religious displays on "their" grounds? Hmmm, whatever happened to the Lincolnesque "...government OF the People, BY the People, FOR the People..."? And sorry, there is no "separation of church and state" in the Constitution, only that the government cannot ESTABLISH a religion or church (like the state churches of Europe, but please, go look up the word "establish" in your Funk & Wagnell's). As a matter of fact, any religion should be able to display on government grounds, IMHO.

Underlying the issues of PC is the desire for "the government" to be wrangled from The People and established (aren't you glad you looked that word up?) as a ruling entity apart from the people, where a few will rule the many. PC is an instrument of oppression of liberty. None of us SHOULD behave badly toward one another, but we all have the right to do so. Case in point, the far left response to Christians and conservatives -- their ideological and personal attacks at both go unabated under the 1st Amendment, but to attack them in the same fashion can invoke criminal sanction due to the PC ideology (see where "Hate Crime" comes back into play?).

Why desire smaller government, significantly smaller (cut by more than half) than we have now? Because larger government, regardless of the party flag, is always oppressive, and the Founding Fathers knew this fact...

Formalized Marxism is at the brink

Once the government has control of our health program, they also have control over our personal activities. Guns are unhealthy; tax gun ownership until few can own one. Cars are unhealthy; cram everybody into buses for long germy commutes. Suburbs are unhealthy; consolidate everyone into collective city apartments. Only government-issued foods are healthy; wait in long lines to received staple foods. Being Christian is not healthy (they are the reason we are an unhealthy nation); additional taxes must be paid if you chose to be Christian.

You see, these things sound absurd and have no basis in fact, but an over-arching government can say and impose what it wishes, even marginalizing the Bill of Rights under the pretense of guarding our health -- because we cannot care for ourselves! Give people in power an inch, and they will take the Interstate System. Abortion was passed to make it legal for the 2% of pregnancies where rape, incest, or the life of the mother was at risk. One in four pregnancies have been terminated because it has been deemed that pregnancy itself represents a substantial risk to the life of the mother. Why would ANY person capable of critical thought not realize the same will happen with government controlled health care?

Pillars of Marxism: media control (volunteered), health control (Medicare and this current push), gun control (coming oppressive taxation), thought control (hate crime legislation), property control (taxation of people and eminent domain) -- the State must become life and death to every member of the State.

Personally, I do not wish to live in such a nation. I prefer the tempests of Liberty to the comfort of being a ward of the State.