Mount Virtus

I (Ryan, not Ben) haven’t had too much time to write up political thoughts recently, but here are a couple musings:

Nutshell argument against the “public option” being touted by President Obama in the area of health care reform:

As Hugh Hewitt and Congressman John Campbell were explaining as I drove home from work on Friday, if the “public option” is cheaper to corporate and government employers (though not to taxpayers), then employers will largely switch over to it.  At this point, the government will be paying for health care, money will run out, and care will be denied.  (But smile – you will still be insured, along with all the others who can’t get care!)

Our Congressmen and Senators must not enact this “public option.”  With political risks increasing on every side, will Colorado Dems listen to common sense, or walk off the cliff (financially and politically) with fellow party members?

Government Of, For and By the People:

I have been reading Scotland: The Story of a Nation, by Magnus Magnuson.  It is amazing how violent times have been under monarchical government.  Of the first three King James (they reigned in the 1400s), the first and last were killed maliciously and the second accidentally.  There were bloody, treacherous power struggles among the nobles for dominance, influence, and the physical captivity of the young kings as they grew up.

We are blessed to be living in a land of the people, by the people, and for the people — where the peaceful transfer of power is expected as a matter of course.

Cronyism (think pork barrel spending and government larger than its proper scope), unfair elections, loss of an objective moral compass (biblical), and the slow growth of government power over the people (as in health care) are some of the greatest current long-term risks to continued enjoyment of the blessings we now have.

Update, 6/4: Thanks to a comment left by Politically Correct Death author Francis Beckwith, I refer you to his newer and more relevant book Defending Life. I’ll have to check it out myself very soon.

Update, 9:30 PM: My final thought (for now) on the matter, from Doug Wilson: “The question is whether you would be willing to reduce a society to anarchy for the sake of saving that kid, when you (should) know that the anarchy you introduce is going to be responsible for the deaths of far more children than you managed to save.” And for further edification, I will commend the thoughts of Dr. Albert Mohler as being squarely right on the matter.

Thanks to one of the more thoughtful liberals I know, David Thielen, a link to this morning’s post about Dr. George Tiller and Private William Long was added in a ColoradoPols diary. Here are some of the more colorful comments it generated, along with my replies. (more…)

No two events are perfectly parallel, but seldom are two such similar and terrible stories juxtaposed for our edification. Within 24 hours and within 500 miles from each other, two notable murders occurred — both evil acts perpetrated in public by two different men, but both for apparent ideological reasons, both sudden and horribly unexpected events for the families and loved ones of the victims, both suspects quickly brought into custody.

That’s where the parallels end. What’s most informative is some of the prominent responses to the two incidents: (more…)

Yesterday’s news of the murder of Kansas abortionist Dr. George Tiller hit me hard. John Andrews at Backbone America captured my sentiments remarkably well:

Dr. George Tiller’s murder in cold blood at a Wichita church today should shock the conscience and grieve the heart of every thinking person — especially persons of faith, and above all, those of us who defend the right to life. Wichita Eagle story here.

This evil and lawless act deserves absolute condemnation. It is in no way excusable, regardless of the slain man’s inexcusable career as an abortionist.

I hope you will join me in praying for Dr. Tiller, for his family and loved ones, for his killer, and for the quelling of passions on all sides that would threaten peace and order in our land.

I would also add this biblical admonition from the Apostle Paul:

Romans 12:17-21

Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord. “BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FREED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS UPON HIS HEAD.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

The other day I highlighted Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor’s indefensible statement and the need for repudiation. But more serious than a statement at Berkeley is Sotomayor’s actual judicial record.

It certainly is interesting to see serious criticism directed at Barack Obama’s nominee from outside the center-right political spectrum — and not because she is insufficiently liberal. Take the Denver Post’s Chuck Plunkett, for example:

You’re supposed to say out-there stuff at Berkeley. Otherwise everyone thinks you’re dull and boorish.

But while wearing the robes of justice you’re supposed to be fair. And the Ricci v. New Haven decision Sotomayor was involved in looks just terrible – even to some prominent Democrats. [link added]

(more…)

From Fox News, a reminder that the federal government has nowhere near cornered the market on petty tyranny:

Pastor David Jones and his wife Mary have been told that they cannot invite friends to their San Diego, Calif. home for a Bible study — unless they are willing to pay tens of thousands of dollars to San Diego County.

“On Good Friday we had an employee from San Diego County come to our house, and inform us that the Bible study that we were having was a religious assembly, and in violation of the code in the county.” David Jones told FOX News.

Wow … simply wow. Just a friendly reminder that we need fellow liberty-loving citizens representing us at all levels of government.

A hate crimes bill has passed through the US House (H.R. 1913) and is now before the Senate (S. 909).  Basically, a hate crimes bill makes not only actions done against others criminal, but also the motives behind the actions.

The bill in question would make it an extra crime to commit crimes against people due to a hatred of their sexual orientation (includes homosexuality, pedophilia, being normally married, etc.), or a number of other things (such as race and religion).  I would like to suggest two basic problems with hate crimes legislation:

1. The hate crimes bill/concept breaks one of the fundamental principles of our country, equal intrinsic human value:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. (more…)

A quick-hit double-link in the form of two recent essays I recommend as timely and relevant reading for thoughtful lovers of liberty:

• “The Welfare State and the Meaning of Life” by Greg Forster, whose work I have come to know through his excellent research and analysis of school choice issues, but in this case makes a strong moral case against socialism
• “Ron Paul’s Secession Lies on Video” by libertarian lawyer and thinker Tim Sandefur, a college classmate of mine who delivers a remedial lesson in United States history and the Constitution to the Congressman and former presidential candidate … It’s one thing to speak up loudly against federal overreaches and for a renewed respect of the 10th Amendment, it’s quite another to call for unilateral secession from the Union (There is one sentence in Sandefur’s essay that I must disparage: Find it, and earn yourself a few bonus points)

Lovers of liberty need to be articulate and discerning, especially in these critical times.

So yesterday I receive this verbatim email message from a mysterious “Victorila Rasheem” (all errors of spelling and syntax preserved):

I think taht your website should do a think on Cleve Tidwell. Most say that he has the support of most if not all of the major donors in the state. Also much of the grassroots is excited for him and is backing him to be the senator for colorado. I do not know if Dick Wadhams found him or not but if he did it was a good find because he is a good candidaet and wiill win. He is a very good speaker and will be at most events when he is senator because he will represent people in Colorado. Also, he has not spoken with the press so whatever you might hear if anything is probably just their way of trying to create a story or gossip. He has wonderful friends in the news media and when the time is right he will discuss with them. He is a very busy man but he will get the job done because that is his way.

The source of the email message was “coloradovoterinthesenaterace@gmail.com” — a real random coincidence if ever there was one. Read the message carefully, and you’ll understand how bizarre and far-fetched and meaningless are the claims contained therein.

Guess I just should be thankful that it wasn’t an email from Mr. Tidwell’s Nigerian benefactor asking for a $1,000 campaign contribution to be delivered to a foreign post office box. But following on the heels of another Colorado blogger’s experience with spam from Cleve Tidwell supporters, I shouldn’t be too surprised by the development.

If the true origin of this message was from a Tidwell supporter, all I can say is thank you for attempting to insult my intelligence. I briefly met Mr. Tidwell in person once and heard him testify twice at the state legislature, and such tactics doubtless are not helping his cause. Perhaps he might even publicly disavow them.

To me, except for the mystery of who could possibly have such a motive, it makes more sense that this email is part of a scheme by someone trying to undermine Mr. Tidwell’s nascent quasi-candidacy. Because it’s closer to the actual effect.

The main reason I’m posting this for public eyes to see is in hopes of tracking down other messages from “coloradovoterinthesenaterace@gmail.com”, and hopefully put the silly mystery to rest before I pursue writing anything more about Cleve Tidwell here. If you too have been contacted by this shadowy Gmail account, please feel free to post a comment or drop a line.

It’s been awhile since I’ve done any sort of book review. But having just completed Adam Schrager’s The Principled Politician: The Ralph Carr Story, it seemed an apt time to change that. Those who won’t want to miss this book include students of Colorado history, fans of the World War II era (especially the home front), and anyone interested in a sadly forgotten inspirational story that seems foreign in today’s all-too-jaded and polarized world of politics.

As introduced to readers in The Principled Politician, Ralph Carr (1887-1950) — Republican governor of Colorado from 1939 to 1943 — was a rare model of statesmanship. Fittingly, he held deep admiration and adulation for our nation’s 16th president Abraham Lincoln. He recognized the value of Lincoln’s political maxim — “A universal feeling, whether well or ill founded, cannot be safely disregarded” — and sought to balance it with a commitment to upholding and advancing the ideal of equality under the law. (more…)

Update, 9:40 AM: Rossputin has a more thorough and comprehensive debunking of the ProgressNow nonsense. It’s simply a must-read. Also, Joshua explains the “astroturfing” myth and why the Left is pushing it.

Here’s a shock: the local Soros-funded Lefty media hack is completely misrepresenting the Tax Day Tea Party here in Denver and as a nationwide movement. What else would you expect? Mike Huttner has to earn his keep from the sugar daddy somehow. The vapid silliness coming from ProgressNow includes:

• Selectively finding the few offensive signs of the common sense-challenged out of thousands to paint the crowd with a broad brush of ignorance and hatred (here’s a video that helps give lie to this tactic)
• Parroting discredited CNN talking points about a genuinely grassroots movement to make the hundreds of thousands who showed up on their own look like corporate puppets
• Imagining that a certain public figure spoke at the event, in a pathetically transparent attempts to launch a naked partisan attack

Details at the People’s Press Collective, complete with a suggestion for a response, especially if you were there:

Oh, and if you attended the Tea Party rally Wednesday and you’d like to explain to Mike Huttner at ProgressNow what it was really about, he helpfully provided his own telephone number on the press-release linked above: 303-931-4547.

But a word of caution: George Soros, Michael Huttner, and ProgressNow already have shown they want to characterize you as “belligerent right-wing protesters”. Kill them with a courteous clarification of the record; don’t feed their prefab stereotype.

Update VI, 4/16: Here are some pictures taken by Jimmie H. Butler at yesterday’s rally in Colorado Springs. Re-posted with permission:

Update V, 4/16: My brother-in-law has a great set of photos from yesterday’s Denver event. Slapstick Politics has begun to post video from the well-attended festivities at the West Steps of the Capitol. Rossputin has some “Post-Tea Party Thoughts” that includes photos, video, and an interactive poll question.

Here is a great site that is tallying attendance reports from Tea Party events all across the country. I’ve already notified the site operator with a few reports from Colorado locations he hadn’t yet received.

Update IV, 10:00 PM: Over at Free Colorado, Ari has a good initial analysis and a slew of pictures from Denver’s event. Face The State’s coverage and slide show can be found here. Zombyboy has a nice spread of photos and some interesting thoughts as well.

Lovers of liberty need only scoff at these half-hearted Saul Alinsky disciples.

Update III, 3:45 PM: My source from Colorado Springs says about 4,000 people showed up at the Tax Day Tea Party rally there earlier today.

Update II, 3:10 PM: Other Colorado Tax Day Tea Party estimates … Fort Collins = 1,000, though one attendee reports on Facebook that it was closer to 2,500 … Grand Junction = 2,000, where speaker Ryan Frazier announced he is moving forward as a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate … Debbie Buckley reports 60 to 70 attendees, mostly first-timers, up in the mountains at Frisco … Awaiting word from other locations – please drop me a line if you have an update …

Update, 2:30 PM: Returned a little while ago from the Denver Tax Day Tea Party. It was HUGE. The Denver Post says “more than 5,000 people” were there, and I’d be hard-pressed to disagree with that estimate. People were flocking in and out. An upbeat crowd – enthusiastic, energetic, waving signs, cheering. No problems with Lefty disturbances that I could see.

Stay tuned to this site and to the People’s Press Collective and Rocky Mountain Right for more coverage and photos of the event.

It’s Tax Day, and that means it’s time for Colorado taxpayers to (Tea) party:

• El Presidente has all the details you’ll ever need to find a rally near you, as well as other key links
• Randomridge has printable advice on how to deal with potential Lefty disturbances at the rallies
• Rossputin gives us some compelling (and visually-enhanced) reasons why Tax Day is “a time to mourn and protest”
• Just getting involved as a pro-liberty activist, and wondering where to go from here? Check out this great resource “Getting Connected in Colorado”, compiled by fellow Rocky Mountain Alliance blogger Night Twister
• After The Tea Party is another great resource to find out how to stay active

Sadly, if the legislative calendar is to be trusted, it looks like the majority Democrats in the state house have opted to avoid debate on the budget (SB259) and Pinnacol theft (SB281 and SB273) today. Maybe that will give more lawmakers time to come out and visit with the concerned constituents coming to their doorstep today.

We’ll see … Expect a follow-up report later.

From the New American Standard version:

Luke 24:1-9
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, bringing the spices which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And it happened that while they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling apparel; and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.” And they remembered his words, and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.

I Corinthians 15:12-20
Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we witnessed against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.

But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.

From the great Charles Wesley hymn:

Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!
Earth and heaven in chorus say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia!

He is risen! Rejoice!

Time to put politics aside for the next few days. First, serious reflections on Good Friday (all passages from the New American Standard Bible):

Matthew 27:45-46
Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?” that is, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAST THOU FORSAKEN ME?”

2 Corinthians 5:21
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

John 19:28-30
After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I am thirsty.” A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop, and brought it up to his mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head, and gave up His spirit.

Romans 5:6-9
For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.

Also, deep and poignant reflections from Monte Canfield on Christians approaching the foot of the cross and acknowledging: “I Crucified You”.

Anticipating the third day and the all-important Resurrection of our Savior.

My name is Ryan Morgan and, at the kind request of Ben, I will be guest posting from time to time on this blog. 

A 21-year-old resident of Arvada, I was home educated and have a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (focus in general management) from Thomas Edison State College.  I am a developer at a small software firm.

I am a Bible-believing Christian, not associated with any particular denomination, but with an experiential belief in forgiveness of sin solely through faith in Jesus Christ’s blood atonement at Calvary and His resurrection from the dead.

I am a conservative first and a Republican second.  I believe in limited, effective government; adequate (strong) national defense; and laws based on Biblically moral principles.

Through my participation in this blog and the discussion that grows from it, I hope both your and my understanding of the truth will be increased.  As Winston Churchill said:

“Truth is incontrovertible; malice may attack it and ignorance may deride it; but, in the end; there it is.”

The true goal of our discussion must be to learn and teach it.

This morning you can read the Denver Post’s glowing “DeGette relishes stem-cell research triumph” by Michael Riley – in which the only dilemma is not the ethics of harvesting cells from dead unborn babies (or now, thanks to President Obama, spending taxpayer money to do so) but to what extent Denver’s liberal Congresswoman will have a successful political career now that her pet issue has been passed into law.

Or, if you actually want a thoughtful and critical approach to the issue, you can go back and refresh yourself with Yuval Levin’s masterful deconstruction of Diana DeGette’s book Sex, Science, and Stem Cells (H/T David Harsanyi).

I hope that the Post isn’t trying to imply from Riley’s article today that the ethical debate concerning embryonic stem-cell research is over (especially given the breakthroughs with adult stem cells), any more than many among the media, political and cultural elite are trying to tell us that the debate over anthropogenic global warming is over.

You hear a lot of talk about waste in government, especially in the bureaucracies at the federal level. But then you see an investigation by my Independence Institute colleague Todd Shepherd (also the founder of Complete Colorado), and that waste sort of comes to life. It becomes a little less abstract.

If the headline doesn’t draw you to take a peek, I’m not sure what will: “Excuse me, Homeland Security Department, how do you lose two forklifts?” (H/T Amy Oliver)

During one calendar year, the Customs and Border Patrol Agency by itself lost $7.1 million of material, including 171 desktop computers, 28 motion picture cameras, and – yes – 2 forklifts. Check it out for yourself, then do what the Independence Institute did: write members of Congress and ask them for an official investigation.

Update (3:15 PM): Here is a hot-off-the-presses iVoices podcast, with Jon Caldara and Dave Kopel discussing the end of the Rocky Mountain News era:

Only one more edition of a 150-year-old Denver journalistic institution before the axe falls. We knew the day was coming, but the sudden realization is still striking. More often than not, the Rocky’s editors have provided a sensible, Rightward-leaning balance to the liberal Denver Post. That will be missed.

It’s a sad day for many good people – some of whom I have agreed with much more than others – who only have left the guarantee of one day of work and two months of pay. Here’s wishing them all the best in landing on their feet somewhere soon.

Even as we reflect back, the local media landscape is shifting rapidly. (How much longer will we even have the Post?) El Presidente reminds us of the opportunities before us in the wake of the Rocky’s untimely demise.

Joshua Sharf also adds to the lament.