| Letters
to the editor from this week's Chronicle
To the Editor “$20 if you drop out!”
Last week a senior on a high school
swim team ‘bribed’ a 9 year young lady to drop out of an exercise
challenge. This young lady, smiling, turned and asked,
“What? Are you afraid of being beat by a 9 year old little
girl!” As a bystander, I thought, “Wow, game on! I will
enjoy this”. A few minutes earlier Taisley (9) and her sister
Elsa (7), daughters of the swimming coach, challenged the high school
swim team to a ‘plank war’. After 1 minute, the competition
became personal pride. It was beautiful for me to see what
happened next. No one wanted to be beaten by Taisley or Elsa.
Others simply wanted to do their best. The “5 to 10” minute
projected challenge extended to 15, 20, 25, and finally 30
minutes. Individuals applauded teammates. In the end, only
2 remained: Taisely (9) and a freshman named Stetson.
I have wondered since, what it is that unlocks the potential of
individuals to new standards of performance. I often think of
Roger Bannister who broke the 4 minute mile so many years ago.
Some doctors said a 4 minute mile was physiologically impossible, the
lungs and heart couldn’t do it. Yet Roger did it, and many other
have since. I am thankful for those who set new standards for
themselves in physical, mental, and emotional venues.
Scott Perrin Cottonwood, Idaho Redneck Review! No. 352 - 1/23/22 A third attempt begins here! The attempt is to argue convincingly that FREE ENTERPRISE, also known historically and in economics as CAPITALISM, was and is the system which has caused the United States to become quickly in its history to be the most free, the one most envied, the most prosperous of all nations recorded in history! Two quick comments! Research suggests that Christianity practiced seriously by the founders of this country had much to do with this success story, as evidence abounds in early histories of the colonies that our fore fathers believed for the most part in a creator God, and in HIS son Jesus Christ, the Ten Commandments, and the greatest one of all: "Love God with your whole heart and soul, and your neighbor as yourself." The way of life taught required the belief that all people are considered brothers, and that everyone is expected to treat each other that way. In addition, each person is expected to use talents given to care for themselves, their families, and to assist those less fortunate who require help in their daily lives. Thus the government we find set up by these early Americans provided for the people themselves to hold the ultimate power to govern themselves. History shows that the source of power to govern followed a process clearly represented by the following diagram: People-->Local Gov-->State Gov-->The Constitution-->National government. This relationship is seen in these sentences from the Declaration of Independence: "That to secure these rights (Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness), "Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, that whenever any government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it..." Additional proof of the original restrictions on the power of the central government is found in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution itself, where you will find only 18 specific powers the national government is given BY THE STATES, and in Amendment 10, you find this wording: "All powers not delegated to the Unites States (government) by the Constitution (Article sec 8),are reserved to the States or to the people..." Why is this significant to our overall discussion of the battle that is going on in our country and even in the world today? Simply, that the system which gave us the best, the most successful, the most envied of all nations in history, places the ultimate power to govern IN THE HANDS OF THE PEOPLE. Simply put, THE PEOPLE ARE THE BOSS! But what do we find troubling our country today? Simply, that governments SHOULD BE PLANNED by men at the top who are given the power to make all critical decisions, and then to enforce them on the people, who are willing or not! Under our old system, PEOPLE decided to vaccinate or not, or to rely on natural immunity, or to trust the immunity which follows surviving a particular virus, like Covid! Under the current rage of trusting the PLANS of those in charge, a key feature of the system of SOCIALISM, the people are expected to do as they are told, by EXPERTS? who demand that everyone vaccinate, and do as told, else give up the right to fly, to shop at certain stores, even to go to the church of their choice! In other words, DO AS YOU ARE TOLD, or lose all of the rights of citizenship! HOGWASH! Whatever has happened to that Declaration sentence above which says in summary, "Governments derive their power from the consent of people, and if it becomes destructive of these ends, the people have the right to alter or abolish it!" Folks, there is an important national election coming up this fall! I ask, is it not "abolish time" for the current dictators at the top who have forgotten what made this country great!! Jake Wren |
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