This is from an email that I received.

Yet it is Edward Snowden who probably deserves the most appreciation right now. With each new revelation, it becomes clearer that he has done a public service of the highest order. We can hope that people in power will eventually recognize that and make a deal that will give him asylum in a Western democracy or, better yet, a way back home as a genuine patriot who committed an act of justified civil disobedience.

Who has demonstrated more honor? Is it Snowden or the people, also deeply patriotic, who run our national security apparatus? I don't doubt that the spies truly believe they've also done what is necessary. But they've lied to Congress and the American people; trampled on our civil liberties; and, in general, violated their sworn oaths to defend the Constitution. Who's the greater patriot?

I agree.

The FDA's War on You

I received this in an email.

Our freedoms are being taken away from us.
November 26, 2013

The FDA's War on You

Dear Laissez Faire Today Reader,

Yesterday, you read about the government's latest crusade against trans fat. Instead of reminding you that bad foods like cookies, cakes and candies contain the unhealthy substance, they're working hard to remove it from the American diet. And if delicious treats, snacks and desserts are the unintended casualties, they're willing to make that sacrifice on your behalf.

But now they're waging a different kind of war. A war against your genetics. They want to make sure you don't know anything about them.

Confused? We were too when we first came across the story. Let's go over some details.

23andMe is an innovative company that offers a unique service if you're the adventurous type. They are a popular genomics service that offers genetic testing at an affordable price. So if you want to check to see what diseases you might be predisposed to as you get older, they can help you out.

You would think that a government that's bending over backwards to make sure people get medical coverage for benefits they don't even need would find this service invaluable. But government logic doesn't work that way.

Instead, the Food and Drug Administration just banned the service because they're worried about what you might do with this information. That's right. The government doesn't want you to be too informed.

You see, they think if you take one of their genetic tests and it says you have a high risk of breast cancer, you might do something rash and have a mastectomy. Of course, most people presented with this kind of information would probably take a less drastic route. That might include more testing to make sure you actually are at risk, or changing your diet and stop eating foods that contain trans fat (solving another problem without government meddling).

But to think that people would start lining up for invasive surgeries based on a $99 test is crazy.

There could be another reason why health officials are cracking down on this test. They want their cut of the action. In the letter they sent to the company, they made it clear that this genetic test falls under the category of a medical device. As such, they need to do the proper testing and get government permission to offer their product to consumers.

Whether or not this qualifies as a medical device isn't the big issue. It's whether the government plays a role in determining whether you should have access to information regarding your own body. They've taken it upon themselves to be the guardian that withholds bad news from you because they think you might do something reckless with it. It's another case of the government taking an active role in your personal life.

But like we said yesterday when it came to trans fats, now that they're involved in the health care of millions of Americans, they have vested interest in your health and well-being. If someone decides to have an unnecessary surgery (and we think that person would be in a tiny minority), the system they're created might have to pay for that.

The Blame Game

In this letter to the Editor of the Review Journal, I am discussing how we must take responsibility for our lives. We cannot demand that the government provide for our wants.

Here is the link to the article. Scroll down to the Blame Game letter

Blame game

To the editor:

In response to Nadia Romeo’s Thursday letter, responding to “The 10 Cannots,” it’s this type of thinking that’s causing many of the problems in our country. Instead of taking responsibility for our lives, many blame others or other things for their living conditions. Sure, some things are out of our control, but we must do the best we can under the circumstances.

In her letter, Ms. Romeo blames banks and big business for our lack of thrift. She blames the rich because they aren’t paying enough in taxes. She blames health care and college costs for our spending more than we make, and she blames Mitt Romney for inciting class hatred.

It reminds me of a story Jim Rohn told. When he was 25 and broke, his mentor asked him why he was broke, since he had been working since he was 21. Jim said that he had a list. He blamed the government, his job, his boss, his wife, his relatives and even the weather. His mentor said that there was only one thing wrong with his list: He wasn’t on it.

We all have catastrophes in our lives. However, if we give up and blame others, we will never succeed.

It’s the American Dream that a person can start with nothing and be a success. That dream is still obtainable. It may be more difficult now, but it is still there. We live in the greatest country in the world. It’s up to us to take advantage of the opportunities available. We must also protect our freedoms so that we continue to have those opportunities.

TOM JONES

LAS VEGAS

Las Vegas Sun Letter about Our Republic being Threatened.

This is an article that I wrote about how our Republic is being threatened. It was published in the Las Vegas Sun newspaper.

Here is the link.

In his column entitled “How to improve elections,” Trey Grayson says, “Clean, fair and credible elections underpin a functioning democracy, so improving the way ballots are cast and counted ought to be a broadly embraced, wholly nonpartisan goal.”
I agree that we need to improve elections, especially by eliminating fraud in registering, casting and tallying the votes. According to legislative testimony by Ross Miller, Nevada’s secretary of state, the state has eliminated lines on voting day by using early and absentee voting. Voter turnout has also increased drastically. In fact, Nevada’s voting procedures are being studied by other states.
However, the United States is not a democracy — as Grayson states in his first sentence and then several times throughout the article. The United States is a republic, ruled by law — and the law is our Constitution.
The Constitution is being ignored by our representatives and we are losing our freedoms and liberty. Soon we will be a democracy where rule by the majority will enslave the minority.
Our only protection is to vote and elect representatives who will uphold the Constitution.


Read more: http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2013/mar/20/our-republic-being-threatened/#ixzz2OlWdBEZo

Las Vegas Sun Letter about Legislative Salaries

This is a link to my letter to the editor published in the Las Vegas Sun today about a bill to increase the salaries of the Nevada legislators.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2013/mar/06/state-doesnt-need-full-time-legislators/

 

We cannot continue to spend money and increase taxes. We must demand that our Nevada Legislators stop raising taxes and balance the budget.

We are losing our freedom and liberty.

This is an except from the Constitution Party Newsletter.

No more assaults on our gun rights. No more assaults on our civil liberties.

No more standing by silently while the statists build up their prison walls all around us with outrageous schemes, including:

***Unmanned, armed drones flying overhead to spy on us;

***Department of Homeland Security-approved "Fusion Centers" issuing warnings about people who might have the "wrong" presidential candidate's bumper sticker on their car;

***Mandatory groping and naked body scans just to board an airplane;

***Warrantless wiretapping and snooping, enabling nameless, faceless bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. to listen to our phone calls and read our emails;

***Looking the other way while the President claims authority to assassinate American citizens on a whim;

***The NDAA's "indefinite detention" provision allowing our federal government to lock us up FOREVER without so much as a trial.

Of course, they tell you and me they're demolishing our constitutional liberties "for our own good."

 

I agree 100%