A tribute to a young warrior... Joshua Steven Eddy

I tweeted recently about my boss' loss of his grandson Joshua Eddy; although I never met this young man, I am very impressed by seeing the reaction of many to his death. Even at the young age of 19, his zeal and dedication to the purposes of God have touched many people... even more so, it seems, in light of his untimely death. 

Here's a sampling of online reactions to this tragedy that my boss compiled in honor of his grandson. (look out for the link to his blog, and to the FB page which his friends opened in his memory)... he really was a remarkable young man....

Joshua Steven Eddy

Quotes from blogs, Emails and Facebook

“Joshua Eddy, you could never have realized how much you have impacted so many people’s lives, especially in these last few hours–you have literally changed my life in 24 hours, and even though I am hurting tremendously and lack the words to give you a proper remembrance, God is working in my heart in a way that hasn’t happened in years. Thank you, Josh. Thank you for redirecting my eyes and heart back to Christ. Your ministry, life, and now your death, have not been in vain or for naught. I can’t thank you enough.”

“Josh. Where do I begin? Ever since I met you, you have inspired me to do great things for God. Thanks for being such a great friend to me, Bro. Through your blog, through your actions, through your smile, and through your photography, you’ve radiated Jesus. Life’s been a struggle, but now you’ve made it into your Savior’s arms. You fought the fight, you’ve won the battle. How glorious it must be to look upon our sweet Savior’s face!!”

“Josh... I love and miss you Bro. I cannot wait until Heaven reunites us; you have been such a role model for me alive, and your death has only amplified it. Your life may have been short, and our time together even shorter–but the impact you have made will forever be in our hearts. To die for loved ones is an honor. To die and become an example for loved ones is a greater honor. Until Heaven’s gates fling open wide,  –Ted”

“Joshua Eddy, you are more ALIVE than you’ve ever been before. Oh how I wish we could see it! I can see your big grin as you stand side by side with the Savior, arms around one another...WOW! What a picture! See you again my friend.”

“Josh’s life impacted me in so many ways, and now he’s continuing to impact people through his passing. My whole college has been reading his blog and being touched by Josh’s life, even though they never met him. One of my college friends shared this with me, and I found it very comforting: ‘Josh’s life has had my family praising God and wanting to be more like Christ, even though we never knew him. Like one of my siblings said, “When I hear about him, I feel like taking my shoes off on holy ground; he obviously lived for Christ.”’ Thank you for living out your life as a testimony that won’t soon be forgotten. You were truly one of the most remarkable and godly young men I have ever known. Thank you for the impact you have had on my life in your encouragement and willingness to always be there. Thank you for seeking Christ in everything. You changed my life and the lives of many others in your lifetime. And even though you’re with Jesus now, you’re still changing lives. See you in Heaven–I can’t wait! Your friend, forever,” ~Clareesa

“Josh, I miss you so much. I wasn’t super close to you; wasn’t one of your best friends by any stretch, but you have influenced me in ways I can’t explain. Your joyful, happy, enthusiastic attitude has always amazed me... Then you went off to ALERT, and we didn’t see you for quite awhile. You got back and you were so changed. You were still Josh, but the fire that had always burned in you had been fanned and had grown into a blazing inferno; passion for your King. I follow lots of blogs, but never, ever have I been so influenced by something I have read (other than the Bible, naturally) as I was by your post about dying well. I remember reading it at least five times and then crying and praying hard over it. I felt so convicted and challenged. You’re gone now, and that reality still isn’t sinking in. But your influence on people’s lives has not stopped. Your life, and death, have touched innumerable lives, and I know that this impact will never end. I can see you dancing, Josh. Oh, God, I can see it now. You are whole! You are no longer touched by sin. You are complete, living, dancing, praising, singing, jumping and leaping and never, ever stopping, in the presence of your Savior. Josh, thank you for changing the world. Thank you for never stopping.

‘For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, Fear not, I am the One Who helps you.’ (Isaiah 41:13)

Over and out,” ~Emily

“My soon-to-be brother-in-law left us suddenly on May 5th, 2012 by slipping off a rock into Rainie falls. He was 19 and so full of life, that it has been so hard to let him go. He wanted to live for Christ and die for Christ, and that’s exactly what he did. Because of how he lived, facebook.com/JoshuaSEddy is full of testimonies of his life. His blog has increased by 7 thousand views in 2 days. (joshyeddy.blogspot.com) People are being so blessed by his legacy; people he has never met. He was an amazing man, and he certainly is a witness for Christ. I cannot tell you how much I miss him. He was like a brother to me from the start, and I was so glad that he was going to become my official brother! Josh, I hope you’re enjoying Heaven, with a incredibly high-def camera slung over your shoulder! I am so glad you are now in your homeland that you always longed for. You’d better be ready for me to tackle you when I get there!”

“I was especially touched by these words of Josh in his blog concerning facing death: ‘Do these questions scare me? No. I would give anything to die like that. To die so that someone else might live—the thought shakes me and sends tears streaming down my face. But more than that, so much more than that, I want to die a martyr. To die for the overwhelming love of Christ, and the honor of bearing His Name and image; to be counted among ‘those of whom the world was not worthy,’ I can’t even imagine. That would be dying well. What would you consider the greatest thing you could die for? You show me a man who can lay down his pride for his faith and family, and I’ll show you a man who will not hesitate to lay down his life, also.’–Josh”

“You make me want to leave it all behind to be with you. Life seems a great labor before me; I’ve never looked forward to dying like I do now. I’m determined to live like a crazy thrill seeker, fighting for holiness and righteousness; but I yearn to my core for that day when I can be done with this shadow world. I don’t wish you were with us, I just wish we were with you. Oh Lord, number my days; I groan for heaven’s horizon. Those fair shores are calling me. How do I go on now having glimpsed the other side? I feel like a wanderer, a sojourner in a strange world that is not my home.
~Alexa”

“‘Grow, grow, grow, Destiny. Never adopt the disease of complacency. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and lean not on your own understanding. Pray, seek, and search. Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven.’ –Joshua Steven Eddy (a brief section of what he wrote me in an email) These words mean so much. Thank you Josh for challenging me. For encouraging me in the Lord. Thank you for being a godly example and for always directing me to Christ. You are an inspiration, Josh, and you always will be. Your life reflects the grace, love, power and glory of our Father in Heaven. I’m so very blessed to have seen the work God did in you and is continuing to do through you. Praise God!”

Joshua’s Dad – “It is very difficult for me to write about my son. His passion for Jesus is the thing that all of you have most noted of him. He loved the Lord with his whole being. He loved his family and his friends almost as much. He felt your burdens and your pains. He found great joy in directing you to the One who can truly lift your burden and comfort you. Now at a time when I could use his encouragement myself I find silence. Oh how I wish he could comfort me and encourage me to cast all my fears and anxieties on Jesus. Instead all I can do is remember. His face. His smile. The way he would bump his head into my shoulder. Well I do remember! I remember a son who did not live to please man; he lived to please Him who created him! To that end he accomplished much. Much more than he could have ever imagined. Since Saturday afternoon more than 7,000 people have been to his blog; many who never knew him commented on what an impact his writing had on them. I have read so many amazing posts about my son and it makes me so proud to know that he finished well (albeit a little too soon in my mind). I have much to say about my beautiful son, I just can’t write it out right now. 

My son Joshua wrote– “To surrender a precious dream is a fearful thing, but to pursue anything but the full measure of the glory of God’s love is a wasted life.”

Joshua is one of my most precious dreams! I love you boy! I long to see you again!  –Dad

“This is the second morning I have woken up with tears in my eyes...when I thought no more tears were possible. I was thinking back to one time, and I said something rather nonchalantly, and you were the only one that noticed I was hurting, Josh, and you took my hands in yours and looked me in the eye and asked me what was wrong and told me to let you know if there was anything you could do. Then you sent me a mile long email that touched me as no email ever has. I’m gonna miss you so much, Josh. I don’t wish you back, because you’re in a far better place; I just wish I could be up there with you.”

“Josh, there’s not much I can say that others have not already said. You were a man of God and a great example to everyone else, including me. One thing I know though, is that as you approach the Lord, you will hear a resounding, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

You didn’t stop a bullet, you didn’t beat up a burglar, you didn’t give away the last parachute, you did something more. You lived like a man; and though you may not have saved lives, you have changed lives. You sacrificed in a way that maybe you don’t understand. That maybe a lot of people don’t understand. You did something far more than heroic, you lived for Christ, and people will never be the same after what you did in their lives. Thank you, from a bystander, from a person who has felt the distant ripple of blessing you have sent. I may never have known you in person, but I know you as a fellow brother in Christ, and as one in fellowship of Spirit. I look forward to the day where I can shake your hand and say, “thank you. 
God Bless you.”  -Jacob Clifton

“Us broken-hearted kids are becoming wise old sages in the course of a few days. Life’s mysteries are being laid bare; we are scouring Josh’s blog for every last bit of wisdom we can embrace. We are not growing jaded, we’re getting softer, wiser. Our world feels upside down, when in reality it’s at last becoming upside up. We feel this is the breakthrough we’ve been longing for; it’s the trigger, the fuse, the tipping point, the edge, the push to finally live the thrilling freefall that Josh lived. God shaped our lives through Josh’s life in little, inestimable ways, but God has forever rocked our worlds through his death. All is becoming clear. 

“We are memorizing his favorite Scriptures. We are dying to live, living to die like he did. We are bonding together, binding ourselves to one another, calling for authenticity. Our eyes, brimming with tears, are wide open. We have been awakened. We will raise an ebenezer on that fateful rock from which he fell.”

“‘Joshua’ literally means ‘God rescues.’ Josh’s passion was to be a rescuer of bodies as a paramedic, and a rescuer of souls as an ambassador for Christ. Who knows who is being rescued by the incredible testimony of his life and death?”

“One more hug, one more talk, one more laugh... I wish it was so. I’m gonna miss you so much Josh. You were like an older brother to me. I admired, respected and looked up to you in so many ways. You had such a passion and heart for the Lord. Thank you for changing my life. :)”

“It is not death to hear


 The key unlock the door


 That sets us free from mortal years


 To praise You ever more.”

One Latino's Fascination with (and Celebration of) the Black Conservative Movement

April 12, 2011

I think the first time I became aware of Black conservatives or Black Republicans was in Spike Lee's movie "Get on the Bus." I was as surprised as the rest of the men in the movie to discover that the gay character was also a Republican. As one character put it, "A Black gay Republican?? Now I know I've seen it all!" But, I was also pleasantly surprised that Spike Lee portrayed the Republican in his movie in a sympathetic way.

My awareness of Black conservatism then reached another level when I first got my hands on Thomas Sowell's essay "Black Rednecks & White Liberals" - an eye-opener to say the least. And thus began my fascination with a movement that I very much identified with because it addressed issues near and dear to minorities, but from a Conservative perspective.

I consider myself a Latino Conservative not because I belong to any organization bearing such a description, nor as a representative of any such movement, but simply because I happen to be a) Latino and b) Conservative. And what I offer here are just a handful of brief observations about what it is about the Black conservative movement that so resonates with my own political values:

1. Race-consciousness is (kinda/sorta) OK within these movements.

In many conservative circles there is an aversion to "hyphenated-Americans," or "multi-culturalism", etc. There is of course some validity to this sentiment and it is an admirable thing to wish for and work towards a truly color-blind society. However, it is simply a fact of modern American life that there are some issues that affect African-Americans and Latinos uniquely. Primary among these are the problems of the inner city - we have a higher proportion of single-parent homes, a higher proportion of the prison population, disproportionate drop-out rates, etc. And in the case of Latinos, there's the issue of immigration, which affects our communities more so than others.

From what I've observed (as an outsider), Black conservatives are trying to develop a political identity and philosophy that remains true to the principles of conservatism, yet doesn't blindly deny the issues that affect minority communities. Maybe this is only a temporary phase within these movements, but in the meantime it probably is necessary to speak of "Black issues" and "Latino issues" that need to be addressed. For example, in the following video, Black conservative leader Deneen Borelli defends a controversial mentorship program at a public school that involves temporarily separating black boys and girls during the school day to be mentored by Black teachers to address their underperformance:

Similarly, Latino conservative groups have not shied away from issues of race, rightfully calling their fellow conservatives out on the nativist/racist tone of their anti-immigration rhetoric. Conservatives would usually frown upon the idea of playing the "race card" or "crying racism," but Latino conservatives have had to do so when the immigration debate has moved in that direction. Recent examples include Somos Republicans, a Hispanic conservative group, speaking out against groups like FAIR, the use of terms like "anchor babies," and the potential for abuse with laws like Arizona's SB 1070.

2. Pragmatic and moderate politics.

Many within the Black conservative movement and the urban conservative movement are very much connected to minority (read: "urban") communities, either because they work there, grew up there, or even live there. When one has their feet planted in the very communities which academics only discuss from ivory towers afar off, one cannot help but begin to moderate one's own ideology. I for one lean ideologically in a libertarian direction when it comes to economics. But if I want any of my ideas to gain traction in an urban setting, I cannot insist on ideological purity. Let's imagine that a Republican miraculously managed to win in an urban district. (As far as i know this rarely or never happens. I volunteered for Star Parker's recent Congressional campaign in the 37th district of California, representing Long Beach and Compton, only to see her get blown out by the Democrat incumbent). But assuming a Republican ever did win in such a district, he or she would have to:

a) work closely together with lots of democrats to get things done.

b) work in an environment where the progressive idea of government as Provider is firmly entrenched,

and

c) work in an environment where some government programs ARE in fact necessary given the brokenness of other primary institutions (e.g. the family).

Similarly, the Latino conservative movement is of a more moderate nature precisely because many Latino communities are inside the same urban areas just mentioned, and also because that movement cannot follow lockstep with the ultra-conservative immigration policies advocated by many in the GOP. Latino conservatives are often times still immersed in the immigrant communities in which they were raised (as is the case with me), and they cannot realistically think that they will be able to win the hearts and minds of their fellow Latinos to the conservative cause, while simultaneously advocating for the indiscriminate deportation of people in their own community. So of course one would seek some sort of middle ground in regards to this issue.

3. Social conservatism.

It almost goes without saying that Latinos and Blacks are social conservatives. The reason is obvious. Both communities have been greatly influenced by different Christian traditions. Traditional Catholics, conservative Evangelicals, and Pentecostals remain staunchly pro-life, in a few cases to the point of being anti-birth-control. And even though the mainline denominations have become more socially liberal over the last few decades, the minority-dominated congregations of even these denominations retain their social conservatism. The denomination I belong to for example, the American Baptists, has begun little by little, in certain regions of the country, to become more socially liberal, yet because of the influence of the Los Angeles and Southwest regions of our denomination, the American Baptist denomination has retained much of its conservatism. It just so happens that the congregations in those regions have large numbers of African Americans and immigrants (Asian, African, Pacific Islander, Latin-American, etc.).

How was the supposedly ultra-liberal California, a state that voted overwhelmingly for Barack Obama in the 2008 election, also able to pass the controversial Prop. 8, that would define marriage in California's Constitution as being between one man and one woman? It wasn't the affluent white neighborhoods of San Francisco and Westwood that supported it, it was the religious community, much of it Latino and African-American. Many have commented that because the candidacy of Barack Obama attracted so many African-Americans to the polls, the Prop. 8 cause gained that much more support in the ballot box. I imagine that had the large number of undocumented Latinos in California been able to vote in '08, Proposition 8 would have passed with an even larger margin.

These family issues are a very natural point of alliance between Black and Latino conservatives, and a common challenge to be addressed by the leaders of both movements. Both of our communities feel the acute negative effects of broken families in our neighborhoods, and many more civic and religious leaders are now stepping up to address it. I believe it's the most important of our common challenges because so many other problems of poverty, violence and illiteracy in the inner city originate from the destabilization of the family. I think this issue in particular presents the Black and Latino conservative movements a unique opportunity to put their ideals into action and bring about a desperately needed change.

4. The spirit of black conservatism.

Finally, I think I've been drawn to the Black conservative movement because of the energy and excitement behind it. It's a new sense among this emergent movement that their vote and their political allegiance can no longer be taken for granted by the Democrat party. It's a rejection of the patronizing and condescending attitude of the white/liberal academic and political class towards "poor colored folk." It is also a reclaiming of the Republican's long history as a civil rights party and a truly progressive party. And it is a repudiation of the conceit of left-wing ideology - a rejection of the quasi-socialist New Deal-ism and Great Society-ism which didn't actually empower blacks and latinos, but instead locked them into housing projects, and created a culture of government dependence among them.

I celebrate this movement's "rediscovery" of the legacy of Frederick Douglass, who I sometimes refer to as the patron saint of Black conservatism. The same Frederick Douglass who said the following in response to the question, "What shall we do with the Negro?":

"I have had but one answer from the beginning. Do nothing with us! Your doing with us has already played the mischief with us. Do nothing with us! ... And if the Negro cannot stand on his own legs, let him fall ... All I ask is, give him a chance to stand on his own legs! Let him alone! If you see him on his way to school, let him alone, don't disturb him! If you see him going to the dinner table at a hotel, let him go! If you see him going to the ballot- box, let him alone, don't disturb him!... If you see him going into a work-shop, just let him alone, ... Let him fall if he cannot stand alone! ... If you will only untie his hands, and give him a chance, I think he will live. He will work as readily for himself as the white man."

Beautiful! Some may cynically call this "boot-strap" idealism, but you know what? Douglass' ideal inspires me and reminds me of our God-given potential to create our own destinies, more so than today's liberal frame-of-mind of victimhood and helplessness. I prefer to dream of my own people's creative potential than to feel I am inevitably trapped by the powers-that-be.

Along the same lines, I am heartened whenever I read or hear anything by Alveda King, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s niece, who unapologetically decries the Democrat party's staunch defense of abortion - calling it for what it is - not a truly liberal idea, but rather a continuation of Margaret Sanger's and the Old South's war against darker-skinned people.

Even the spirit of Malcolm X is invoked. Of course many conservatives may be uncomfortable with this historical figure, and not all of his ideas resonate with me, but there's no denying that his rejection of white liberal patronage is very much in tune with the spirit of Black and Latino conservatism. I cannot help but be a little emboldened when I hear Malcolm say,

"This government has failed us, the government itself has failed us. The white liberals, who have been posing as our friends, have failed us. Once we see that all these other sources to which we've turned have failed, we stop turning to them and turn to ourselves. We need a self-help program, a do it yourself philosophy, a do it right now philosophy, an it's already too late philosophy. This is what you and I need to get with... "

Can I get an Amen?

And finally as a Latino Conservative, I feel a certain kinship to Vannesa Jean-Louis, the "Afro-Conservative," an up-and-coming Conservative leader whose recent speeches and writings have caused many a Black and Latino to pause and reconsider their unquestioning allegiance to the Democrat Party. I leave you with one of her videos, in hopes that you might likewise be inspired, or at the very least cause you to pause and reconsider....

Poisoning the well of Race Relations

Want to have a place here on my blog to present a series of articles by Thomas Sowell about how bringing up race in politics usually only serves to poison relations between different ethnic groups, which in times past has led to disastrous results. Here's his article Race and Politics. Parts two through four of that series of articles are here, here, and here.

Race relations may not be where we may want them to be, and pockets of racism may stubbornly persist in the U.S., and blacks and Latinos may have a lot of cultural catching-up to do to attain the levels of prosperity of our white counterparts; yet we would be better served as a nation if we took note of the warnings of Thomas Sowell, if we don't want all our progress in the area of race-relations to go down the drain.

REASONS I VOTE REPUBLICAN (and why you should too).

REASON #1 Civil Rights: Slavery, Segregation, and Abortion

Democrats made life A LIVING HELL for African-Americans in the U.S. by keeping slavery legal. However, in the 1850's when Abraham Lincoln founded the Republican party, they ran on an anti-slavery platform. The Democrats defended slavery til the bitter end.

Who's idea was Jim Crow Segregation in the South? You guessed it! Democrats. Who fought them every step of the way? The Republicans. Who fought for civil-rights legislation from the 1800's all the way into the 1964 Civil Rights Act? Republicans. Who resisted them every step of the way? Democrats. Democrats' civil rights record is horrendous. Republicans have a century-and-a-half legacy of fighting for Civil Rights.

That's why African-American abolitionist Frederick Douglass said,"I am a Republican, a black, dyed in the wool Republican, and I never intend to belong to any other party than the party of freedom and progress."

(more articles on history of Blacks and Republican party here --> http://www.nbra.info/ )

And just when you thought the Democrats' civil rights record couldn't get worse, it does. It is the most hypocritical nonsense when Democrats speak of defending the least among us, when Abortion for them is A NON-NEGOTIABLE tenet of their platform. Since 1972, about 50 million children have been legally killed in this nation and it is because of liberal Democrats. A HUGE percentage of those babies aborted happen to be black and Latino; a huge percentage of them happen to be girls. I thought the Democrats were the party of minority and women's rights...

The Republicans on the other hand have been consistently Pro-Life.

One should really consider the TOTALLY DIFFERENT Civil Rights record of each party before saying that "there's no difference between the parties." When it comes to Civil Rights, the Democrat party is a disgrace. The Republicans on the other hand, have much to be proud of in this department.

REASON #2

Democrat policies DESTROYED the inner city.

70% of African-American children are born out-of-wedlock. In other words, anytime you see a young black person, most likely they're being raised by a single mom. Why does that matter? Children (boys especially) raised in single-parent homes are more likely to not get a good education, more likely to be involved in criminal activity, and more likely to be poor. They're also more likely to be involved in riskier sexual behavior meaning that very likely, they're gonna get another young girl pregnant, repeating the cycle of the ghetto all over again. The numbers are similar for Latinos.

What caused this situation? African-American leaders like Thomas Sowell, Walter E. Williams, Star Parker, and many others lay the blame of the destruction of the black family on many factors, but one of the main ones is government dependence. So Franklin Roosevelt in the 1940's, Lyndon Johnson in the 1960's, and Jimmy Carter in the 1970's tried to "help poor blacks" by giving them government aid. I'm sure they meant well, but the result was that the State took the place of families and gave an incentive to minority families not to marry and to become dependent on the government.

In other words, big government DISEMPOWERED minorities by robbing them of the dignity to take care of themselves.

The old saying goes, "Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves. Franklin Roosevelt bought them all back."

What's the Republican solution? Unfortunately, they've never come up with a satisfactory one, but at least they recognize that when the government goes in to "help," most likely they're gonna screw it up worse. Conservatives like myself recognize that it is only through the empowering of marriages, families, communities, and churches that the inner city will improve. Not through government intervention.

REASON #3

Environmentalist Religion (and its effect on the poor).

Much of the hysteria about global warming, climate change, over-population, nuclear energy, oil drilling, endangered species is first of all based on inconclusive evidence. But sometimes, it's worse than that. Sometimes this type of religious fanaticism leads to destructive results for human beings. One example is the "Delta Smelt." A tiny fish which might be endangered, and because of this environmentalists have convinced California legislators to turn off certain sources of water in the Central Valley of California. Sounds like a good idea? Not for the poorest among us. Decisions like that cause the price of basic food like lettuce to go up, which ultimately hurts the poor. It also hurts poor Latino workers who are the ones that pick fruit in the Central Valley by causing more unemployment.

Another example is DDT. Liberal environmentalists fight against the spraying of DDT which is an insecticide that kills mosquitoes that carry Malaria in Africa. Instead they say we should give those in Africa mosquito nets because they're afraid of the consequences of DDT on crops. It sounds good, but as a result many thousands upon thousands of African people have died of Malaria.

Why not spray DDT? Because it "feels good" to be green. It gives us a nice warm feeling to "save the planet," never mind the disastrous effects on actual human lives.

Another example is oil drilling. We have tons of sources in the U.S. to drill oil, but liberal environmentalists always try to depict this as somehow evil. So because of restrictions on drilling in the U.S. we have to depend more on foreign oil, and prices of gasoline which could drop, stay high. (who is most affected by high gas prices? poor families, who else?).

REASON #4

Economics & Poverty

Since the Democrat Party has so much faith in the power of government to bring about equality, they have no problem taxing the prosperous in order to redistribute money to the neediest through government programs. Now, though sometimes this is necessary, it makes no sense to try to help the poor by making the nation less prosperous.

And this is exactly what happens when government over-taxes private business. Businesses aren't as profitable, which means there's less wealth to go around. Businesses then have to raise prices on their goods, which for the rich is not much of a problem, but which is a big deal for a family shopping for clothes, gas and groceries. What else happens when businesses are over-taxed? They stop hiring. Unemployment goes up. Who is hurt most by that? The poor.

The Republican party on the other hand understands that if we want the private economy to prosper, government needs to STAY OUT OF THE WAY. Now the Republicans don't always follow their own advice, but at least there's some among the party that understand this basic economic principle and actually try to stop over-taxation.

Many in the Democrat party sincerely believe that more taxation and regulation of the economy will end in good results. They fail to learn from history that the more you tax and regulate an economy, the more poor the nation becomes.

REASON #5

The elitism of the Democrat Party.

One of the worst pieces of misinformation out there is that the Democrat party is somehow the party of "the little guy." Now although there are wealthy people that make up both parties' leadership, there is nothing like the elite "noble" class that makes up the Democrat party. The Democrat party makes up the "cool crowd" so to speak.

The following groups are almost entirely Democrat:

1. Trial lawyers.

2. Wealthy union bosses.

3. The Journalist class, which controls the media.

4. Hollywood.

5. Academics (not only the intellectual class, but also University administrators)

6. Billionaires like George Soros, Bill Gates, T. Boone Pickens, etc.

As a matter of fact, what do the TEN WEALTHIEST Congressional districts in America have in common? You guessed it! They are all heavily Democrat. You know, those communities where the poor only see from afar. Places like San Francisco, Westwood, and quaint little neighborhoods in New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Connecticut. So much for the party of "the little guy!"

This is how LIBERAL scholar Camille Paglia describes HER OWN party,

"Why has the Democratic Party become so arrogantly detached from ordinary Americans? Though they claim to speak for the poor and dispossessed, Democrats have increasingly become the party of an upper-middle-class professional elite, top-heavy with journalists, academics and lawyers (one reason for the hypocritical absence of tort reform in the healthcare bills). Weirdly, given their worship of highly individualistic, secularized self-actualization, such professionals are as a whole amazingly credulous these days about big-government solutions to every social problem. They see no danger in expanding government authority and intrusive, wasteful bureaucracy."

feeling SNAPPY*

That new food stamp commercial for the SNAP program -- The lady asks, "but wait I have a job, I own a car, and I own a home." The guy responds, "you may still qualify..."


Welfare is for the poorest people. Having the government FEED us only cheapens our dignity as human beings... But if we want the ghetto-fication of the nation, then I guess that's a good thing!


It looks like the GHETTO is the way of the future for more and more of us, huh?

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"Any measure that establishes legal charity on a permanent basis and gives it an administrative form thereby creates an idle and lazy class, living at the expense of the industrial and working class."


"I am deeply convinced that any permanent, regular administrative system whose aim is to provide for the needs of the poor will breed more miseries than it can cure, will deprave the population that it wants to help and comfort, will dry up the sources of savings, will stop the accumulation of capital, will retard the development of trade, and will benumb human industry.". —Alexis de Tocqueville

What is a GHETTO anyway?

There's different definitions.

One common one is a region where people of one ethnicity is concentrated, usually characterized by poverty, lower levels of education, erc, etc...


But I'd like to offer another definition:


A Ghetto is AN URBAN REGION WHERE THE MAJORITY OF YOUNG MALES ARE RAISED BY WOMEN.
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What do I mean by that?


You see, most crime is committed by men, YOUNG men, to be more specific. We all know the obvious -- boys are different from girls. And one of the ways that they are different is that boys are simply more aggressive, they take more risks, and often do straight-out stupid things, all in the name of adventure. Some of that leads to productive energy, but sometimes, in certain settings (like a ghetto) it leads to gangs, vandalism, theft, violent crime, and irresponsible sexual behavior. And what's a ghetto without those things??



There is one very crucial component that can tame the beast that is male aggression, but this element is usually lacking in ghettos. What is this missing element???


.... It's FATHERS.



Chris Rock put it best when he said there's nothing more powerful than a mom telling her son "I'ma tell your daddy!" He goes on to say that a mom could have a gun to her kid's head, but that still wouldn't have the effect of those simple words: "I'ma tell your daddy!"



Though moms do important work in raising their boys, without the healthy and constant presence of a loving, responsible older male in the home, a boy's more aggressive tendencies won't be put in check. And since boys are also tribal, it won't be long before they find other fellow warriors to raise some hell with. Gotta appreciate that energy, although some won't appreciate when that energy turns destructive, or when several generations of male recklessness turns a neighborhood into a ghetto.



Now how do we increase the possibilites of making a ghetto by lowering the number of fathers?



1. Mock fathers in the popular culture. Portray dads in sitcoms and commercials, etc as old and out of touch. Not as cool as their kids, and not as sharp as their wives. Or better yet, portray them as indulgent and abusive. If this is what fathers are like, then maybe they're not that important, right?


2. Feminize boys in school and at home. Emphasize their feelings and their self-esteem, instead of their sense of honor and duty.



3. Give young men the option of leaving the young women that they impregnate.


This can be done with the following:


-we can teach young men and women that women are empowered and independent, and that they don't need men;


-we can REMOVE THE PRESSURE off males to marry a woman after he made her pregnant;


-the welfare system can remove the need for males to provide for their "babies' mommas",



The message the young man hears is "I don't REALLY have to stick around." Everything's covered, I can go back to playing video games and hanging with my boys. Meanwhile their sons, will be raised by their moms, repeating the cycle all over again!


Wow! Isn't making a ghetto fun? I wonder how many other cities we can impoverish by repeating this cycle?

How to make a Ghetto, An Introduction.

Here's some basic ingredients necessary for making a ghetto. They will be elaborated upon in later posts. Also more ingredients will be offered in the future.

1. DEPENDENCE

I remember Star Parker once mouthed the following - "we have the formula to escape poverty - Fear God; Work diligently; Manage your money." What utter nonsense! If the poor were to ever take such advice to heart, they might over the years become INDEPENDENTLY WEALTHY. But you can't have a ghetto with empowered, independently wealthy people... That's why here at How to Make a Ghetto (HTMAG), we propose instead DEPENDENCE.

de·pen·dence

n.

1. The state of being dependent, as for support.

2. Subordination to someone or something needed or greatly desired.

3. The state of being determined, influenced, or controlled by something else.

2. VICTIMHOOD.

This principle is very much related to the first. We must reinforce in the popular culture and in academia a strong sense of victimhood among the poor. We must never let them forget that they are the victims of oppression, racism, and other forces. They must focus on this. Some of them might say, "I ought not let the racism and actions of others deter me; I can to a large degree shape my own destiny." However, such happy talk might lead to the poor's uplifting... it emphasizes their DIGNITY as human beings, and fills them with a strong sense of COMPETENCE and ENTERPRISE. Kill such a spirit! The poor are VICTIMS, and they must never forget that.

3. PROMISCUITY

This is a big one! it might be the main ingredient yet! There is great evidence that shows that traditional morals about marriage and monogamy actually lead to a stronger social and economic situation. But is it worth the price of sexual freedom?? We must de-emphasize the importance of MARRIAGE, and instead remove taboos on fornication, illegitimacy, and divorce. We can facilitate this by enacting welfare and tax policies that actually DISCOURAGE MARRIAGE. Yes, almost everyone agrees that STRONG FAMILIES will lead to an improved economic status, but here at HTMAG we ain't with that! Destroy families --> make a ghetto. Simple as that.

There's more to come! Destroying the social fabric of our cities doesn't happen over night... So join us, as together we learn HOW TO MAKE A GHETTO.