Column for Nov. 27, 2008

I am actually pretty liberal about the whole drug thing.

As I sit in front of the computer, staring at a blank screen, wondering what to type and enjoying a few Vicodin pills, I continue my reflection on life. Yeah, I am on Vicodin for about a week. I pulled a tendon in my knee and it has been very painful for the past three days. The more I reflect, the more I am thankful that I live in a day in which God has allowed man to create things like hydrocodone. Hopefully in a few days, with the treatment the doctor prescribed, I should be back to normal and not limping and wincing in pain.

The effects of the hydrocodone provoked a discussion with my mother-in-law. I was joking about taking up a drug addiction sometime soon as a hobby. She laughed, scoffing at the prospect of me doing so. She knows me too well. This has not been a good year for me health-wise, actually. I have had bronchitis twice, with the last time lingering over two months. I have had two colds, a pulled back, pancreatitis, and now a pulled tendon in my knee. This has just been one of those years that remind me of "A Tale of Two Cities". It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. The good thing is that I have been able to try some great drugs this year, including a lot of Vicodin, Percocet, and Demerol.

I am not one that supports illicit or illegal drug use. Then again, it is also one of the areas in which I have always been a bit more liberal than most of my fellow conservatives. I have long thought that the D.A.R.E. program has been a tremendous waste of time and money. The alleged war on drugs is one of the biggest wastes of taxpayer funding we have going. I am more a fan of personal freedom when carried out responsibly.

Out of the five brothers in my family, I do believe that I am the only one who has not been a pot head or experimented with drugs. When I went to my brother's wedding several years ago, it was in the middle of a heat wave in Upstate New York. Some of us went into the basement to cool off and my brothers broke out a bag of pot, much to my surprise. Though not for me, I was not tremendously offended, and thought that they are welcome to do what they want as long as it does not compromise me, my health, or my freedom. I have never tried illegal drugs and do not plan on starting now.

The interesting dichotomy for people who are very conservative is that there are few choices left for voters of my ilk. This past election cycle, I could not in all good conscience vote for John McCain. Though I love Sarah Palin's politics, she was not going to get me to vote for McCain. I certainly would not vote for Barack Hussein Obama. That left me with the Libertarian Candidate, Bob Barr, or a write in. I voted for Bob Barr. I know his politics and figure that anyone who ate Borat's cheese just may be worthy of my consideration.

I am on board with much of the Libertarian platform with the exception of two major points. Unfortunately, the Libertarian Party has become a haven for those pushing a total legalization of recreational pharmaceutical use and supports total access to and rights for abortion services. Though I am fairly liberal on the drug policy, I am 100% against abortion. One would think that a party whose intent it is to secure "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" would take the true path of securing life first and foremost. That is where the responsibility part comes into play with the exercise of individual rights. If you can not take the responsibility, you should not take off the clothing.

I was annoyed when my five year old came home from kindergarten one day and proclaimed that we had to dispose of any pills in our medicine cabinet and condemned the adults of the household for enjoying an adult beverage, as infrequent as that is done in my home. We were informed that we were doing evil drugs, even the prescription ones, and that any consumption of alcohol was taking drugs.

Such over simplification and misleading teaching grates on my patience, especially when I am paying for said education. I am attempting to proffer the teaching of balance and temperance in my home, which is not only the responsible perspective, but also the Biblical one. Just this past week, the men's Bible study group in which I am active studied the subject of temperance in life.

For every freedom we enjoy, there can be over indulgence and abuse. Whether the subject is the consumption of legal or illegal pharmaceuticals, alcohol, sex, or even holiday delicacies and feasting. With freedom comes responsibility. With that in mind, I am going to go pop another few Vicodin pills.

Column for Oct. 30, 2008

This is the last column before the upcoming Presidential Election. By the next time my column appears in this paper, we should have another President Elect, unless we end up attempting to count hanging chads somewhere in the nation.

Once again, we already see problems with military ballots not being counted. There were absentee ballots filled out by thousands of military men and women that may not be counted in Virginia because of a state law requiring the name and address for a witness to the vote, yet the ballots only had a space printed on them for a witness name. A petty thing like that is either an oversight that need to be immediately rectified or a deliberate tactic by some sharp political gamesman.

I am looking over the choices I have on the ballot this year, not only in my own district, but in others. Overall, I am not impressed. Perhaps the more I read, the older I get, and the more I experience, the less tolerant I get of the status quo and of political games.

I have become a hard core conservative, by today's description. More accurately, I am a classic liberal, id est, I am a supporter of liberty and personal responsibility. I got that way after reading, living, and learning. The more I read, the more I am strengthened in my convictions. I used to be a somewhat liberal democrat with some conservative leanings, but I used to align myself with the Democratic Party years ago. Then I grew up.

For years, I aligned myself with the Republican Party, often holding my nose, so to speak, when I went to the ballot box. Seldom did I run across a candidate that I truly liked and for whom I wanted to cast my ballot. Over the past twenty or so years, the GOP has slid further and further towards the left whereas the Democratic Party has sprinted towards becoming a totally socialist party. Hence, my total withdrawal from the GOP. Oddly enough, the Democratic Party was once known (in the late 1700's) as The Republican Party.

I would rather be stabbed to death with a plastic fork than vote for Barack Hussein Obama and I detest John McCain. Where does that leave me? With the rest of the people who liked Ron Paul or are third party leaning voters. Though I have some serious issues with a few topics relating to abortion and absolute and total legalization of drugs (their keystone subject matters, oft times) I may end up voting for Bob Barr and the Libertarian Party. Any man who ate cheese in the Borat movie may just be worthy of my vote.

No, I do not believe for one minute I am wasting my vote in going for a third party candidate. I believe I have to sleep at night and have bad enough insomnia as it is. If I want slumber, I can not help put John McCain in office. I don't believe that it was Ross Perot and his supporters that got us Bill Clinton any more than I believe it would be a Libertarian that would get us Obama as President. It would be poor leadership and fielding of candidates on behalf of Republicans that would get us Obama as President.

For Governor, I was leaning towards Bill Graham for the office, but he never made it past the primaries. Even after reading about him and watching his campaign, I still don't know much about Pat McCrory. I liked a lot of what I saw in Libertarian Michael Munger until I read his positions on issues like capital punishment. However, I did like a lot of his fiscal policies.

For Lt. Governor, I liked Robert Pittinger from the start. For Congress, I already said I really like the underdog, Dan Mansell. Then there are a lot of state races that should probably not be up for election but should rather have an appointment with senatorial advice and consent as we do not he federal level, such as Commissioner of This and Auditor of That. Am I the only one who finds it ironic that the man who wants to be held in the public trust as State Auditor is named Les Merritt? I realize the spelling differences, but I still laugh whenever I see the name. And he seems to be the better choice for that position.

We have a bunch of judges nobody ever heard of running for office on courts of appeals and for district judgeships. We have some of the same men running for State House seats who will be in the minority if elected. I see some of the same names for County Commissioner that did not see fit to show up to public hearings on the ETJ law and can not say no to increased spending. Then again, increased spending seems to be at every level of government.

With the current crops of candidates, I see us going backwards rather than forwards in regards to liberty, financial gains, and education. I certainly do not see a Presidential candidate that will properly "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States". In taking that oath, many presidents have broken that promise shortly after inauguration. In this election, it seems that neither candidate has any intention of doing so, everyone knows it, and nobody seems to care.