We The People, Liberty, and President Obama

Open Letter to Obama from We The People

Dinner Topics for Tuesday

Declaration of Independence and Leadership Styles

Read the Declaration of Independence 

Dinner Topics for Tuesday

Yes, I will be joining the “Read the Declaration” campaign for the largest-ever nationwide reading of the Declaration on July 4, 2012.
We must remember the legacy of liberty that our Founders entrusted to as we read the Declaration and help ignite a national conversation about our country’s founding principles as set forth in the Declaration and our Constitution.

Support Hillsdale College’s “Read the Declaration on July 4” campaign!

Get a Free copy of the Declaration of Independence

Leadership Styles

In my hometown is displayed a saying on billboards and bus stop shelters: Live your life. . . change the world. The local college is doing a 25-year national scientific study of the growth and development of children, from birth to adulthood.

This project would necessarily include an analysis of the environment, health and lifestyles of the parents and how it affects the children in the study.  As I continued to consider the saying, it evoked some interesting questions. Is my life changing the world? If I were one of those parents, would my life stand for something that others should follow?

A noted Christian leader, Gordon B. Hinckley, made this observation: “It is so obvious that the great good and the terrible evil in the world today are the sweet and the bitter fruits of the rearing of yesterday’s children. If you are worried about the future, then look to the upbringing of your children.”

Over the years, some parents have made choices which reflected no thought for the well-being of their innocent children. Whether those choices were dark and dramatic, or silly and trivial, they led to the breakup of their families. Even if the children were able to rise above the unrighteousness of one or both parents, they often blamed themselves and lived with heartache all their lives. This wreckage wrought by selfishness has indeed changed the face of society, but is it an example others should follow? What kind of adults have previous generations produced—noble leaders who have wrought great good in the world, or sociopaths who have left terrible evil in their wake?

Another question came to mind. Is it always good to “change the world?” In 1917 the Bolsheviks changed the world, forcing all to submit to their communist utopia. Those who disagreed were shot or sent to die in prison camps. The Bolsheviks’ utopian dream, their “worker’s paradise”, justified any means to achieve it.

The pages of history are bloodied with the atrocities of dictators and misguided religious fanatics who sought to change the world to conform to their warped vision of the “perfect world.”

The dictionary tells us that there was a legendary robber in ancient Greece named Procrustes. He was noted for stretching or cutting off the legs of his victims to make them fit the length of his bed.

The Bolsheviks, tyrants, and even current regimes—all have this Procrustean leadership style in common. If you don’t share their “vision” of a “perfect world,” then they will force you to stretch, shrink, pay, say, march, retreat, live, die, until you fit the mould they have set for you. If you don’t fit, then you are eliminated, sooner, or later, or as soon as possible.

Then there was Jesus Christ. He taught that whoever wanted to partake of the waters of life could do so freely, but would not be compelled to do so. All were allowed the freedom to choose, but at the end of the day they had to live with the consequences of those choices. (Alma 42:27)

Jesus never compelled anyone. He taught with parables. He showed in his stories the consequences of certain choices. To Jesus, the end or goal of eternal life was all about the means used to get there. The true winner was he who would lead by example. Anyone who used unrighteous dominion was deemed a cheater, and was disqualified from leadership.

Jesus pointed the way to eternal happiness, but would force no man to heaven. His followers always had the freedom to choose. He never forced anyone to change. Yet he changed the world. Millions through the ages have changed their lives, not because they were forced, but because they chose to change their own hearts.

If any of us would change the world, we can start with ourselves. Change our own hearts—to love, not to hate. To live, and to let live. Inspire, not incite. An outstanding leadership example is the one who allowed liberty, taught responsibility, and never forced the human mind.

Copyright © 2011 by Christine A. Davidson

Abortion, Supreme Court, and Roe v. Wade

Supreme Court Ruling Admits Roe v. Wade Abortions Can Be Bypassed

End Abortion on Demand; Help Congress Overturn Roe v. Wade Video

56 MILLION BABIES CONDEMNED TO PAINFUL DEATHS

A BOLD, AGGRESSIVE CAMPAIGN

A simple piece of legislation to bring the “legal” definition of life in line with the biological, in effect, bypassing Roe v. Wade

Sign petition to help end abortion-on-demand once and for all.

Dear Concerned American,

I've prepared a brief but urgent video regarding breaking news in the fight to overturn Roe v. Wade in our nation.

Please take a moment to listen to my urgent message by clicking here.

After you listen, please sign the petition to finally end abortion on demand.

Sincerely,

Rand Paul,
U.S. Senator (R-KY)

Thank you for briefing me on the National Pro-Life Alliance's campaign to pass a Life at Conception Act which will reverse Roe v. Wade and end abortion on demand.

The Supreme Court itself said in Roe that once Congress establishes the personhood of unborn children, they must be protected by the 14th Amendment.

Since the Supreme Court is waiting for someone to tell them who the law counts as persons, let’s not wait another minute!

To help in the battle for a Life at Conception Act, please sign the petition and donate if you can.

Parenting Value: Justice and Mercy

Dinner Topics for Tuesday

Justice & Mercy

Richard and Linda Eyre

Obedience to law, fairness in work and play. An understanding of natural consequences and the law of the harvest. A grasp of mercy and forgiveness and an understanding of the futility (and bitter poison) of carrying a grudge.

Introduction

Justice and mercy -- these words seem too abstract, multifaceted, maybe even too religious for children to understand. Yet when they are broken down into their simplest form, they are the basic values for every household -- the values around which everything else revolves.

There is both security and unity in the justice and fairness that exists in the home. The beginning lies in the developing of clear family laws and providing for repentance and apology as well as for consistent justice. 

Perhaps the two most important things we've ever learned in our family about justice and mercy were taught to us by our oldest daughter as she was growing up. The first lesson came when she was about seven. We had tried to set up some "family laws" for her and her five-year-old sister. We had done so democratically by asking them to suggest laws. We wrote their suggestions on a list, along with our own and ended up with twenty-four family laws, ranging from "don't hit anyone" to "don't plug in plugs."

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One Sunday seven-year-old Saren came home from Sunday School with a suggestion. "Dad and Mom," she said, "I think we've got way too many laws. I can't even remember half of them. I learned today that Heavenly Father only gave us ten laws! We need to simplify!" 

And simplify we did. We worked our list down to five one-word laws that each child knew and understood; we connected them with natural-consequence punishments, and we felt that we at least were beginning to teach the value of justice in our family. 

About three years later this same oldest daughter, now ten, reminded us, of the other principle that needs to go hand in hand with justice. Again it was Sunday, and again we had just returned from Sunday School. One of her little brothers had become angry with his sister and pushed her down. We were in the process of administering the punishment of sending the boy to his room, but Saren noticed the look on his face, which said he was sorry for what he'd done and concerned that he had hurt his sister. "You know, Dad," Saren said, "if someone is sorry and wants to apologize and promise not to do it again, he shouldn't have to have the punishment. In the Bible they call it repenting." -- Richard

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Saren was right of course. One reason for repentance is to avoid punishment. And more is often learned from repenting than from being punished. Our five family laws now carry provisions for repentance and thus give us frequent opportunities to learn the two most difficult (and perhaps most important) skills of life -- namely to repent or improve and to forgive.

This value carries such importance -- and such relevance to our happiness. Children who learn to obey laws, to treat others fairly, and to be both repentant and forgiving can largely avoid the bitterness, the grudges, and the guilt along with the mental or physical imprisonment that are the consequences of not understanding or living the value of justice and mercy.

General Guidelines

 

Set up simple family laws. This will help children know their limits and understand what is expected of them. It is best to do this in two "sessions." The first session is briefly to discuss with children the importance of laws. For example, there are government laws about stealing or cheating or hurting others. There are traffic laws that make it safer to be on the roads, and so on. We also need laws in our family so that we can be happier and so that everyone can know what is expected. Then ask the children for their input. What laws do they suggest? Make notes. Then tell them that you (as the parent or parents) will work on the laws and hold another family session when you are ready to discuss them. 

After you (as parents) have decided on your family laws, write them on a chart and hold a second family session to explain them. 

We suggest five simple, one-word laws that children can fully understand and easily remember:

• PEACE (no hitting, fighting, yelling, whining, etc.).
• PEGS (make a pegboard for each child, each with four pegs -- one representing family job, one for homework and practicing (if the child is learning a musical instrument), and one for evening things (room clean, teeth brushed, in bed on time). The law is to get each peg in each day.
• ASKING (don't go anywhere, invite anyone over, etc., without permission).
• ORDER (room straight, pick up after self).
• OBEDIENCE (do what parents say).

Discuss how each law makes family members happier.

Establish rewards to go with the keeping of each law and punishments to go with the breaking of each law. This helps children learn cause and effect and understand elementary justice.

Enhance the "payday" system for pegs by having a bonus for each of the other laws they have done well on keeping during the week (peace, asking, order, obedience). Adjust the payday reward system to match the ages and needs of your children.

The main punishment for disobedience to the five family laws should be the absence of reward. On payday praise a child who did well and basically ignore (rather than chastise) a child who did poorly.

Certain laws also need specific punishments. These should be as close to "natural consequences" as possible. Some examples and suggestions:

• PEACE: As discussed earlier, have a "repenting bench" where children who argue or fight have to sit until they can tell you what they (not the other child) did wrong.
• ASKING: If a child does something or goes somewhere without permission, then the answer should be "no" next time to remind him.
• ORDER: Other family members pick up a child's things and throw them on his bed. He has to put them away that evening.
• OBEDIENCE: Establish the password of please. When you ask a child to do something, say please. His trigger response word is "Yes, Mother" or "Yes, Father." When a child doesn't obey, or forgets the response word, say, "Let's start over." Ask him again, emphasizing please. If he still does not obey and say, "Yes, Mother," send him to his room.

Add provisions for "repentance." This is a good opportunity to teach children the powerful values (and skills) of asking for and giving forgiveness. Once family laws are established, along with rewards and punishments, add the principle of repentance. Teach small children that repentance consists of saying you're sorry for a specific thing, asking for forgiveness, and promising that you'll try never to do it again. 

Try to use repentance rather than punishment wherever possible. Let children avoid sitting on the fighting bench if they repent to each other, or avoid going to their room if they say they are sorry for not obeying and quickly rectify the situation. 

Set the example. Show that justice and mercy are your values and that you, too, are trying to repent and forgive. When you make a mistake, lose your temper, fail to meet one of your responsibilities that involve a child, and so forth, make an obvious point of apologizing to the child and asking his forgiveness. 

Strive to be viewed by your child not as one who is perfect but as one who is really trying to do better. 

Be fair and consistent, but also tender and merciful. Again, teach this value by example. It is important to try to let neither rewardable behavior nor punishable behavior go unnoticed. Try to be consistent. On the other hand, don't make "quick justice" your whole goal. Always opt for repentance and forgiveness first, and only resort to punishment (showing your regret that it is necessary).

"Parenting-by-Objective"

Review the activities and stories that go along with this months value. Make sure everyone in your family understands the value so they can see how they can apply it in their own lives and situations.

Talk about the Monthly Value every morning and remind your family to look for opportunities to use the value throughout the day. They may also observe how others don't understand the value. Get your children to share their experience with the value each day at the dinner table or before you go to bed. Be sure to share your experience each day as well. It will help your children know that you are thinking about the value too.