Society - Is Based on Lies

I recently heard someone say, "Society would unravel if everyone told the truth." That made me start to think. Is our society really based on lies? I would have to say YES. I am not talking about conspiracies, but about the little white lies. The lies everyone tells on a daily basis that if people quit telling, would unravel our society as a whole. How often do each of us lie on a daily basis. If you say you never lie, then answer this question. Have you ever told a Parent a lie? And if you answer it as no, then you just lied. Everyone at some time in their life has told a Parent a lie.

How many times have you lied to protect someone? I am not taking about lying to keep your friend out of jail, but the little white lies that we say to keep people as friends, family, and co-workers. The most common lie you will tell is when someone asks you, "How was your weekend?" Even if your weekend SUCKED, you will respond with a, "It was good", or "I enjoyed my weekend", or the even more popular, "It was not long enough". How many times have you lied to answer questions about what people are wearing, if you like something someone cooked for you, or if you like the project they just finished? Everyone jokes about the questions, "Does this dress make me look fat?" That may be an extreme example, but think about it. How often have you lied to protect someone?

The funny thing is that the people that are the most honest, and will honestly tell you the truth to questions like this, end up being the society outcasts. Because they speak their mind, and tell the truth. How does society reward someone who always tells the truth? There are times to keep comments to yourself. I am not talking about off hand comments, but answers to questions that people ask you. How does society reward those that give an honest answer to the questions that are asked to them regularly?

I now ask another question. What happens when someone always has their social filter on, and is always telling people what they want to hear, or lying constantly to protect people? How does society reward them? We wonder why everyone thinks that politicians lie. Think about it. The only way someone is elected into office is by protecting the feelings of everyone in their communities. My personal belief is that they start lying to protect people, and then they don't know when to stop lying. Society has made politicians the way they are. Because society expects clean, unhurtful answers to the questions they ask people. Society has created a social filter to eliminate bad feelings between people.

I would like an answer to this question. When is a lie to protect someone a good thing, and when is it a bad thing? Telling lies at times will re-enforce behavior that does not help society, or that will even hurt the individual more than telling the truth. But then at times telling lies will help society and the individual. Can you have it both ways? Is lying ever good? I remember reading somewhere (not is school, because it is now against the law) a saying, "Thou salt not lie." Do you think that means, tell the truth, unless it will hurt someones feelings, and then it is OK to lie to protect them? I am sorry, some people do look fat some outfits. Some people can't sing, draw, or paint. Some behavior is bad, and should not be lied about when someone is participating in it. If you don't want someone to tell you the truth, then don't ask the question. If you really don't want to know how someones weekend was, and you don't want them to explain the fight they had with a spouse, then don't ask the question.

Just my two cents... (And I know some of you don't care about my two cents, but I feel that my two cents is worth adding.)

And I am asking the question: What do you think of this post? And I don't want the social filter answer, I want the real answer. That is one of the problems I see in America right now. Everyone is willing to ask the questions, but they only want to hear the answer that PROTECTS them, or is the one they want to hear. I am sorry, but sometimes the behaviors and wants of the minority go unchecked, and unstopped because the majority does not want to hurt someones feelings, and wants to PROTECT them by telling lies.

So again, I asks, When is it OK to Lie?

Priciples of Liberty in our Founding Documents

This is from a newsletter that I receive. I am posting it here with permission from the author of the newsletter. You can find more stuff like this at the National Center for Constitutional Studies website.

Principles of Liberty in our Founding Documents

Those who are familiar with the 28 Principles of Liberty outlined in The 5000 Year Leap, are acquainted with the claim that these are the principles upon which the Founders based our new government, thereby assuring us of lasting peace , prosperity, and freedom. Occasionally the question is asked, “Where can we find these principles in our founding documents?” This letter will help the reader make that connection.

First, however, one point needs to be made clear. There is a notion today that the Declaration of Independence is not really a part of American jurisprudence and that the principles contained therein cannot be referred to as a basis of American law. This line of thought is usually concluded by saying that if a principle cannot be found in the Constitution, such as a belief in a Creator, it is not part of American culture or law. This idea is blatantly false. The Declaration of Independence has been repeatedly cited by the Supreme Court as part of the fundamental law of the United States of America . (See John Eidsmoe, Christianity and the Constitution , pages 360-362)

The following, then, are some of the ways in which the 28 Principles of Liberty were emphasized as the Founders structured our government.

Principle 1. The only reliable basis for sound government and just human relations is Natural Law. Natural law was defined as the order in which the Creator made everything work properly. There are certain laws which govern the entire universe, and just as Thomas Jefferson said in the Declaration of Independence, there are laws which govern in the affairs of men which are "the laws of nature and of nature's God." If governments and human relationships are formed according to these laws, they will succeed, if not, they will surely fail, as history has proven. (First paragraph of the Declaration of Independence.)

Principle 2. A free people cannot survive under a republican constitution unless they remain virtuous and morally strong. The Founders knew they could not succeed in this political building without the support of the “Supreme Judge of the world” and without a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence .” They knew this would not happen unless they kept His commandments which amounted to being virtuous and morally strong. (Last paragraph of the Declaration of Independence.)

Principle 3. The most promising method of securing a virtuous and morally stable people is to elect virtuous leaders. No greater case can be made of the damage done to a free people by power-hungry and tyrannical leaders than the long list of abuses Thomas Jefferson listed in the Declaration. While directed at King George, these abuses are typical of leaders who are without virtue and morality. (List of grievances in the Declaration of Independence)

Principle 4. Without religion the government of a free people cannot be maintained. As in Principle 2, the Founders knew they could not succeed in this political building without the support of the “Supreme Judge of the world” and without a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence .” They believed they would have His support and protection if they relied on Him, constantly kept His laws, and taught their children to do likewise. (Last paragraph of the Declaration of Independence.)

Principle 5. All things were created by God, therefore upon Him all mankind are equally dependent, and to Him they are equally responsible. The Founders considered the existence of the Creator as the most fundamental premise underlying all self-evident truth. The words Nature's God, Creator, created, Supreme Judge of the Universe, and Divine Providence are used throughout the Declaration of Independence.

Principle 6. All men are created equal. (An exact quote from the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence)

Principle 7. The proper role of government is to protect equal rights, not provide
equal things. “—That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men…” (Second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence)

Principle 8. Men are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. (Second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence)

Principle 9. To protect man's rights, God has revealed certain principles of divine law. The Founders knew that God had revealed certain laws for human happiness, such as laws against killing, stealing, adultery, lying, coveting, etc. These are reflected in the right of man to form a government to protect his unalienable rights of life, liberty, and property outlined in the Declaration and the Bill of Rights.

Principle 10. The God-given right to govern is vested in the sovereign authority of the whole people. The last paragraph of the Declaration makes it clear that the people as a whole, by their representatives in Congress, have complete authority from the Supreme Judge of the Universe to govern themselves in every way and to take their rightful place among the sovereign peoples of the earth.

Principle 11. The majority of the people may alter or abolish a government which has become tyrannical. The second paragraph of the Declaration makes it clear that the people have a God-given right to throw off dictators and establish a government that will better protect them in their rights.

Principle 12. The United States of America shall be a republic. Article 1.2.1 of the Constitution sets forth the provision that gives the American people the right to vote for their own representatives, thereby making the United States a constitutional republic of the people.

Principle 13. A constitution should be structured to permanently protect the people from the human frailties of their rulers. In forming our government on the basis of Natural Law, the Founders dealt directly with the human nature characteristic that power almost always corrupts. The separation of powers, checks and balances, and limited governmental powers in the Constitution were all methods employed to check the human frailties which result in run-away power. That is why the Constitution will never be obsolete or outdated.

Principle 14. Life and liberty are secure only so long as the right of property is secure. The fifth amendment of the Bill of Rights specifically prohibits the federal government from taking private property of the people for public use without just compensation. It is a recognition of the sacred right to property and that property is really an extension of one's life and liberty.

Principle 15. The highest level of prosperity occurs when there is a free-market economy and a minimum of government regulations. Other than setting up a proper monetary system and ensuring the free flow of commerce between the states, no power is given to congress to regulate economic affairs of the people. It is a manifest intent to keep the federal government completely out of the free-market economy and to leave any needed regulation to the states.

Principle 16. The government should be separated into three branches - legislative, executive, and judicial. Articles I, II, and III of the Constitution create this beautiful separation of powers to prevent the tyranny of consolidated government.

Principle 17. A system of checks and balances should be adopted to prevent the abuse of power. This constitutional system of pitting human nature against human nature by checking each other's power is pure genius.

Principle 18. The unalienable rights of the people are most likely to be preserved if the principles of government are set forth in a written constitution. Of the 200 or so nations on the earth today, about 125 of them have written constitutions. However, ours is the oldest one—one of the youngest nations has the oldest written Constitution. The Founders were the first in modern times to realize that the best way to preserve good government and the rights of the people, is to write them down.

Principle 19. Only limited and carefully defined powers should be delegated to government, all others being retained in the people. Article 1.8 contains the twenty powers delegated to congress; Article II contains the six areas of responsibility of the president; and, Article III contains the eleven kinds of cases assigned to the federal courts. The Tenth Amendment reminds us that all other powers are reserved to the states and the people.

Principle 20. Efficiency and dispatch require government to operate according to the will of the majority, but constitutional provisions must be made to protect the rights of the minority. Article VI declares the Constitution to be the supreme law of the land. If a law is passed which violates the rights of people, it can be declared null and void by the guardians of the Constitution.

Principle 21. Strong local self-government is the keystone to preserving human freedom. The Tenth Amendment leaves most power to govern with the states and local governments. This is where freedom really manifests itself.

Principle 22. A free people should be governed by law and not by the whims of men. The people reserve the right in Article I.1.1 not to be governed by any law not passed by their representatives. Article III gives the power to the judiciary to prevent a citizen from being prosecuted by an unjust law which violates the unalienable rights of the people.

Principle 23. A free society cannot survive as a republic without a broad program of general education. The reaction of King George to the list of grievances in the Declaration of Independence is an example of why tyrants want to keep the people ignorant of their actions. In order to preserve and encourage the sacred right of people to gain knowledge, the Constitution forbids the federal government from involving itself in education of the people. It leaves this responsibility to the states and the people where it can be locally controlled. (Tenth Amendment)

Principle 24. A free people will not survive unless they stay strong. Article 1.8 gives Congress the power to maintain a military.

Principle 25. "Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations - entangling alliances with none." No authority can be found in the Constitution for the United States to tie its sovereignty to any other nation or to give the people's money to foreign rulers.

Principle 26. The core unit which determines the strength of any society is the family; therefore, the government should foster and protect its integrity. No authority can be found in the Constitution to involve the federal government in family affairs. The Founders knew any laws dealing with these kinds of sensitive issues must be kept close to the people, thereby best preserving this most sacred institution.

Principle 27. The burden of debt is as destructive to freedom as subjugation by conquest. Article 1.8 lists “to pay the debts” as the first use of public funds. The Founders considered it immoral to pass debts on to the next generation.

Principle 28. The United States has a manifest destiny to be an example and a blessing to the entire human race. The entire Constitution was intended to be such a model for the world of how a people can govern themselves and thereby enjoy an unlimited amount of freedom, prosperity, and peace. Our greatest export was to be freedom.

As we experience this season of Thanksgiving, let us be thankful that our Founders rooted our wonderful country in solid and lasting principles.

Sincerely,
Earl Taylor, Jr.
President of NCCS

Hot Air Ballon

A woman in a hot-air balloon realized she was lost. She lowered heraltitude and spotted a man in a boat below.

She shouted to him, "Excuse me,can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don't know where I am."

The man consulted his portable GPS and replied, "You're in a hot air balloon, approximately 30 feet above a ground elevation of 2,346 feettabove sea level. You are at 31 degrees, 14.97 minutes north latitude and 100 degrees, 49.09 minutes west longitude.

"She rolled her eyes and said, "You must be a Republican."

"I am," replied the man. "How did you know?"

"Well," answered the balloonist, "everything you told me is technically correct. But I have no idea what to do with your information, and I'm still lost.

Frankly, you've not been much help to me." The man smiled and responded, "You must be an Obama Democrat.."

"I am," replied the balloonist. "How did you know?"

"Well," said the man, "you don't know where you are or where you are going. You've risen to where you are, due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise you have no idea how to keep, and you expect me to solve your problem. You're in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but somehow, now it's my fault.."

Honesty, Integrity, Truth, Virtue

George Washington

Honesty, In Government
“It is an old adage that honesty is the best policy. This applies to public as well as private life, to states as well as individuals.” – To James Madison, 1785

Honesty, And Good Sense
“These are qualities to rare and to precious not to merit one’s particular esteem.” - To the Marquis de Lafayette, 1788

Honesty, The Most Enviable Character Trait.
“I hope I shall always possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain the character of an honest man.” – To Alexander Hamilton, 1788

Honest and Common Sense, Needed for Nation to Prosper.
“It appears to me that little more than common sense and common honesty in the transactions of the community at large would b necessary to make us a great and a happy nation. For if the general government lately adopted shall be arranged and administered in such a manner as to acquire the full confidence of the American people, I sincerely believe they will have greater advantages, from their natural, moral, and political circumstances, for public felicity than any other people ever possessed.” - To the citizens of Baltimore, 1789

Truth, Will Prevail.
“Truth will ultimately prevail where there are pains taken to bring it to light: - to Charles Mynn Thurston, 1794

Benjamin Franklin

Virtue, Required for Happiness
“ Without virtue, man can have no happiness in this world” – 1728

Virtue, Required for Preservation of Freedom
“Let me add that only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters” – 1787

Thomas Jefferson

Honesty, and Government
“The whole art of government consists in the art of being honest” – Summary view of the Rights of British American – 1774

Honesty, Individual
“I know but one code of morality for men, whether acting singly or collectively. He who says I will be a rouge when I act in company with a hundred others, but an honest man when I act alone, will be believed in former assertion, but not in the latter… if the morality of one man produces a just line of conduct in him, acting individually, why should not the morality of one hundred men produce a just line of conduct in them, acting together? – 1789

Truth, Can Stand by Itself
“Truth will do well enough if left to shift for herself. She seldom has received much aid from the power of great men, to whom she is rarely know and seldom welcome. She has no need of force to procure entrance into the minds of men” – 1776

“Truth is great and will prevail if left to herself;… she is the proper and sufficient antagonist to error, and has nothing to fear from the conflicts unless by human interposition disarmed of her natural weapons, free argument and debate, errors ceasing to be dangerous when it is permitted freely to contradict them.” - Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom, 1779

“IT is error alone which needs to support government. Truth can stand alone.” - Notes on Virginia, 1782

Truth, Importance of Telling
“It is of great importance to set a resolution, not to be shaken, never to tell and untruth. There is no vice so mean, so pitiful, so contemptible; and he who permits himself to tell a lie once finds it much easier to do it a second, and third time, till at length it becomes habitual; he tells lies without attending to it, and truths without the world’s believing him. This falsehood of the tongue leads to that of the heart, and in time depraves all its good dispositions. “ – to Peter Carr, 1785

Truth, Propagated by Free Speech
“Freedom of discussion, unaided by power, is… sufficient for the propagation and protection of truth.” - Second Inaugural Address, 1805

Truth, Eternal and Enduring
“Truth and reason are eternal. They have prevailed. And they will eternally prevail; however, in times and places they may be overborne for a while by violence, military, civil, or ecclesiastical” – 1810

Truth, The Only Safe Guide
“The people… to be encouraged in all cases to follow truth as the only safe guide, and to eschew error, which bewilders us in one false consequence after another in endless succession.” – to John Adams, 1819

More Founding Father Quotes: http://www.foundingfatherquotes.com

Reading List for 2010

I have found a love for reading over the last few years. Reading has been a challenge for me, if the book does not grab me in the first couple of chapters, then it usually gets shelved and never picked up again. I like books, but have a hard time getting into them at times. Here is a list of some very short books, that should take readers little to no time at all to read. This is my reading list for 2010.

THINGS I DID TO DESERVE THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE
by Barack Obama


THINGS I LOVE ABOUT MY COUNTRY
by Jane Fonda & Cindy Sheehan.
Illustrated by Michael Moore

MY CHRISTIAN ACCOMPLISHMENTS & HOW I HELPED AFTER KATRINA
by Rev Jesse Jackson & Rev Al Sharpton

THINGS I LOVE ABOUT BILL
by Hillary Clinton

THINGS I LOVE ABOUT HILLARY
By Bill Clinton

THINGS I CANNOT AFFORD
by Bill Gates

THINGS I WOULD NOT DO FOR MONEY
by Dennis Rodman

THINGS WE KNOW TO BE TRUE
by Al Gore & John Kerry

AMELIA EARHART'S GUIDE TO THE PACIFIC

A COLLECTION of MOTIVATIONAL SPEECHES
by Dr. J. Kevorkian

TO ALL THE MEN WE'VE LOVED BEFORE ......
by Ellen de Generes & Rosie O'Donnel

THE AMISH PHONE DIRECTORY

MY PLAN TO FIND THE REAL KILLER(S)
by O. J. Simpson

HOW TO DRINK & DRIVE SAFELY
by Ted Kennedy

MY BOOK OF MORALS
by Bill Clinton
with introduction by the Rev. Jesse Jackson

Complete Knowledge of Military Strategy!
By Nancy Pelosi

Make My Day....

In a recent article in GQ, Clint Eastwood was named "Badass of the Year". In this article he is quoted saying "We're becoming more juvenile as a nation. The guys who won World War II and that whole generation have disappeared, and now we have a bunch of teenage twits."

Can you say refreshing? I love it when someone in the "liberal Hollywood scene" says something as true and to the point as that. Society has gone away from making the heroes played by Clint Eastwood as idols to the idols we have today. Who do you think has more moral character, the heroes of Clint Eastwood movies, or the heroes of Reality TV? Instead of us looking at characters like Lt. Morris Schaffer in "Where Eagles Dare", Sergeant Thomas Highway in "Heartbreak Ridge", Secret Service Agent Frank Horrigan in "In the Line of Fire"or Frank Corvin in "Space Cowboys". We are looking at heroes like Joe Gosselin, Richard Heene, and David Arhuleta.

What has happened to that traits like "Integrity", "Honesty", and "Truth"? They have been put on the back burner. They are at times even scorned as traits that will get you no where in modern life. "Livin' in a cruel world, pays to be a mean girl.. Plasma gettin' bigger, Jesus gettin smaller." - Toby Keith "American Ride". How far has society digressed? We are not becoming a moral society, we are becoming a society of self centered "teenage twits".

We are now a society where the Bible, The Ten Commandments, and Prayer are no longer given a place in public. And along with those items being removed from public view, we have removed the traits or characters they represent. We have removed "Love", "Caring", "Fidelity", "Truth", "Integrity" with traits of "Greed", "Ambition", "Promiscuity", and anything else that suits our selfish fancy.

It is time that we as a society started to get back to the basics. Where someone is rewarded for being a Man (or Woman) of "Integrity", "Honesty", and is applauded for searching and standing up for "Truth".

We don't need more politicians, we need statesman. We don't need more people talking about "Family Values" we need people who live "Family Values".

The Blue States go marching down...

CNNMoney has put out a recent article that talks about the top 10 troubled states. You can view the article by going to CNN Money.

It lists the following states:

California

Illinois

Arizona

Nevada

New Jersey

Wisconsin

Florida

Rhode Island

Oregon

Michigan

Anyone notice a trend with these states? I see a big one. Lets hear it for the liberal agenda and the blue states. There is not a Red state on the list. There are a couple that are considered Purple states (See Wikipedia - Current Classification).

California (D + 14.414)
Illinois (D + 15.844)
Arizona (R + 4.990) (Ok, so it has some RED in it)
Nevada (D + 2.004)
New Jersey (D + 11.656)
Wisconsin (D + 5.838)
Florida (D + 0.320)
Rhode Island (D + 25.708)
Oregon (D + 7.798)
Michigan (D + 9.120)

Three cheers for Liberal - Progressive thinking. It looks like it is working really well for these states.

The article continues.....

"The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a liberal research group, says the states need additional federal fiscal relief to avoid budget cuts that will hurt both the economy and people. State and local spending accounts for about one-eighth of the GDP.

Already, less than five months into fiscal 2010, several states are looking at additional budget cuts. Rhode Island announced Tuesday it is facing a revenue shortfall for the current fiscal year of $130.5 million. Gov. Donald Carcieri said the state must examine its aid to local governments, since it has already cut personnel and social service programs."

And we think a Liberal backed health care policy will fix things? I think we may now start seeing move Red in the Election maps of the future, well at least I hope so.

In God We Trust - Removed from schools

In reading the book "America's Godly Heritage" by David Barton, it makes a few points that I would like to cover. It talks about several land mark cases, and then what happens to America after those cases are completed.



1- Prayer is made unconstitutional in public schools



Engel v. Vitale, 370 U.S. 421 (1962)

The prayer "Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers and our country. Amen." was said to be Unconstitutional to be uttered in public schools. This made prayer in school illegal.



Wallace v. Jaffree (1985)

The Supreme Court ruled that one minute for prayer or mediation was now unconstitutional



Lee v Weisman (1992)

Court ruled that clergy-led prayer at graduation ceremonies was unconstitutional



Santa Fe ISD v Doe (2000)

Ban of prayer before High School football games.



2- Bible reading in public schools unconstitutional



Abington v. Schempp (1963)

The court ruled that any citation of the Bible in public schools were unconstitutional, even if attendance was voluntary. (This included the Lord's Prayer)



The courts had completely removed the Bible and Prayer from the schools. They later declared that the 10 commandments could not be displayed, nursery rhymes that made you think of God also were unconstitutional (even if they don't have the word God in them).



Now lets look at what has happened since they have removed these two Founding Father elements from public schools. (If you question wither the founding fathers believed in public prayer, and bible verses in schools, look at school books that the Founding Fathers helped author that were used in the first public schools.) We have seen a decrease in the moral fortitude of the school aged generation. Here are some statistical examples:



Result 1 - Higher number of unwed teen pregnancies.

In 1963 the percent of unwed teen births were 15.7%, in contrast in 2001 the percentage was 78.9%. Prior to the change, from 1940-1963 the highest percentage was 18.4%. Source: US Census



Result 2 - Sexually Transmitted Diseases (Gonorrhea: Age group 10-14) increases.

The rate of Gonorrhea infection per 100,000 was 14 in 1963, and has reached a high of 66 in 1990.



Result 3 - Higher divorce rates

The US now has the highest divorce rate in the World, it is now 4.95 per 1,000 people. Source: NationMaster.com. In 1965 the divorce rate was 2.2 per 1,000 population, it then increased to 5.2 in 1981 and is now at 3.7 in 2004. Source: US Census



Result 4 - Higher number of unmarried couples living together.

In 1970, there were 523,000 and in 2004 there were 5,840,833 unmarried couples living together.

Patent 7612259 – D4127789

To start this post, let’s define a few terms:

Patent:
A patent for an invention is a grant of a property right by the Government to the inventor (or his or her heirs or assigns), acting through the Patent and Trademark Office. The term of the patent shall be 20 years from the date on which the application for the patent was filed in the United States or, if the application contains a specific reference to an earlier filed application under 35 U.S.C. 120, 121 or 365(c), from the date the earliest such application was filed, subject to the payment of maintenance fees. The right conferred by the patent grant extends only throughout the United States and its territories and possessions. [Source]

GMO – Genetically Modified Organism:
A genetically modified organism (GMO) or genetically engineered organism (GEO) is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. These techniques, generally known as recombinant DNA technology, use DNA molecules from different sources, which are combined into one molecule to create a new set of genes. This DNA is then transferred into an organism, giving it modified or novel genes. Transgenic organisms, a subset of GMOs, are organisms which have inserted DNA that originated in a different species. Some GMOs contain no DNA from other species and are therefore not transgenic but cisgenic. [Source]
Now, let’s talk about a company called Monsanto Technology [http://www.monsanto.com/].

“Monsanto is an agricultural company. When farmers succeed, we succeed. Using the tools of modern biology, we help farmers grow more yield sustainably so they can produce more and conserve more. Afterall, it is the world’s farmers that truly feed, clothe and fuel our growing world.

We produce leading seed brands in large-acre crops like corn, cotton, and oilseeds (soybeans and canola), as well as small-acre crops like vegetables. We also produce leading in-the-seed trait technologies for farmers that are aimed at protecting their yield, supporting their on-farm efficiency and reducing their on-farm costs.”
[Source]

Monsanto currently owns US Patents on the following crops: Corn, Cotton, Soybean, and Canola. But it also owns the companies Seminis and De Ruiter. Seminis owns the patent on Dry Bean, Lettuce, Pea, Broccoli, Seedless Watermelon, Garden Bean, Watermelon, Cucumber, Carrot, Tomato and Papaya. De Ruiter Seeds is located in Bleisqijk Netherlands, so it does not currently own any US patients that I can find.

You may be saying to yourself, that this sounds good. That these companies have increased land productivity, and have removed disease vulnerabilities in its products. This is the problem.

“Currently, up to 85 percent of U.S. corn is genetically engineered as are 91 percent of soybeans and 88 percent of cotton (cottonseed oil is often used in food products). It has been estimated that upwards of 70 percent of processed foods on supermarket shelves–from soda to soup, crackers to condiments–contain genetically engineered ingredients.” [Source]

I don’t want to get into the issue of if GMO food is a good thing to eat or not. There is lots of debate on this topic, and you can do a search on google to explore this question.

Those percentages of plants are now controlled legally by one group of people or company. They are owned (under patent).

Do we really think it is a good idea to allow a small group of people to control that percentage of our food source?

What happens if they can’t keep up with the supply of their seeds, or if something happens so their seeds are no longer viable?

Anyone that has done any work with seeds, also knows that you can’t control what type of seeds pollinate your seeds. Let’s say you are one of the 9% that plants non Monsanto seeds for soybeans in your field. And the farm next to you is using Monsanto seeds. Your seeds will be pollinated by the Monsanto crops. Then you harvest your seeds, and then scrub them (get them ready to plant next year). You then plant your seeds the following year. You now have a percentage of Monsanto plants in your field. This percentage will get higher each year. So you may be saying to yourself, so what. You are now in violation of the patent that Monsanto has on their seeds. You are now planting illegal seed. How can that be? Let’s look at a corn patient (first one I found on a search for Monsanto patents), corn variety CH060503. Here is the problem, they own the seed, but they also own any plant that is a result of pollination from one of their plants.

“The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH060503, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH060503 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety.” [Source]

See the problem, within a few years, all of your plants and seeds are now owned by Monsanto or one of its daughter companies.

So, you are now saying, they don’t care, they won’t come after that small farmer for Patent violation. Take a look at this article, it is a little out dated, but you get the idea: http://www.mindfully.org/GE/2005/Monsanto-Prosecuting-Farmers12jan05.htm

But that is not the end of it. They are currently opening a new facility in China, the first Biotechnology Research Center in China. They are also pushing into Argentina and Brazil trying to get a market share there. In 2007, they also had an employee of theirs bribe an Indonesian government official, to bypass an EPA study.

If the trend continues, eventually Monsanto will own all the food production in the US and most of the other countries. There are only a hand full of countries that currently do not allow GMO food products in them.

And how does the government let them continue? Here is a list of former employees that are now on the Government payroll: Clarence Thomas (Supreme Court Judge), Michael Taylor (US EPA), Ann Veneman (former United States Secretary of Agriculture), Linda Fisher (US EPA), Michael Friedman (FDA) and several more. For details, go to: http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/news/?id=c255ae23-f41a-470d-8460-a65d65df6f58

Self Reliant - Really?

In Sunday School, we went over the lesson "In Mine Own Way". We talked about how to be Spiritually Self Reliant, and then we talked about Physical Self Reliance. I want to make a couple comments on the second one.

Is Physical Self Reliance only about storing Water and Food in case you need it? I think that may be the letter of the law, but not the spirit of the law. You know, if you have the money, you can pay a company like daily bread - 25 year worry-free food storage to send you as much food as you think you will need. This is one of the many companies that brag about a 25 year shelf life, no need for rotation. All you have to do is add water to these great things to eat. The the question comes to mind. What happens when you run out of the pre-packaged food? What happens when you don't have water for every meal?

This is where I think the letter vs the spirit of the law comes in. Do we think that the Lord wants us to just have food and water on hand? Or do you think he wants us to become self-reliant by learning how to make our own food, and how to find our own water? Do you think the spirit of the law says to buy it and not worry about it? Or do you think we are suppose to learn how to garden, and then store our own food?

I know that a lot of people don't have the resources to have a farm or garden big enough to feed their family for years at a time. I am not saying that you should not store stuff that you cannot produce yourself. But I also think it is important to know how to take what you have in storage and actually use it. Do you have what it takes to take the wheat you are storing and make bread with it? Can you actually use what is in your food storage, and have the ability to replace it during a crisis?

These are the questions I think need to be asked. If everything goes bad, and you have to use your food storage, will you actually be able to keep your family alive? And are you self-reliant enough to actually go for a long period of time? If you don't have the skills to create your own food and store it for times you can't create it, are you really self-reliant?

"For the earth is full, and there is enough and to spare; yea, I prepared all things, and have given unto the children of men to be agents unto themselves." D&C 104:17

"Thou shalt not be idle; for he that is idle shall not eat the bread nor wear the garments of the laborer." D&C 42:42