You know I love to think and write about liberty.  Yet, I seldom mention the people that influence my thinking.  It is very true that I am significantly influences by the work of our founding fathers.  But, it is also imperative that we know about the writers that influenced them.

By far the source most often quoted by our founding fathers is The Holy Bible.  After that, four people seem to be quoted allot.  Beyond quotation, their thoughts and teachings permeate  our founding documents.

Sir William Blackstone is a great influence on our Constitution, Declaration of Independence and The Federalist Papers.  His most popular work is Commentaries on the Laws of England.

John Locke is often considered to be the greatest influence on our founders.   He is the quoted and paraphrased more than any other writer.  The link I attached to his name will take you to a library of his entire works.

Adam Smith is one of the most forgotten.  His works have been cited, used and abused by everyone from Ronald Reagan to Karl Marx.

Charles de Secondat baron de Montesquieu is the driving force behind our separation of powers.

Edmund Burke, of course has been a major influence on me. I did not know how much of an influence he was until National Review kept quoting him.  If you would like to have your mind blown, and you have a few hours, chew on these.

The only one of these men ever mentioned in school was John Locke.  And that was it.  He was mentioned.  I have no idea why we don’t introduce our children to the schools of thought that the founders subscribed to.  I guess it is just too hard.

Government is made for the purpose of governance. Unfortunately, our government thinks it is supposed to rule.

Defending life, liberty and property is the foremost obligation of every government official. Today many of them lose perspective or even worse never have a correct world view. They don’t consider life, liberty and property to be the only true entitlements of mankind. They forsake the sanctity of life, personal liberty and ownership in favor of the entitlements they see as right. Among these are “social justice” and “universal health care.”

Today, our government knows no bounds. It treats the constructs of the Constitution as old fashioned restrictions that hold no value. It has no respect for what I hold dear. It sees me as a bitter clinger, holding fast to my guns and faith. I am to be vilified. I am to be feared. I am to be destroyed.

Not everyone who is given life respects it. They destroy themselves. Not everyone who enjoys liberty truly wants it. They gladly trade their freedom for things less than freedom’s worth. Not everyone with property will increase wealth. They just sell it off bit by bit. People that don’t value these things are not reasonable. They cannot be convinced. They cannot be trusted.

This value system that discounts the blessings of God and elevates some sort of fictitious fairness, is the stuff that is destroying our country.

God is no longer the ruler. Now it is the State. The people who took an oath to defend the Constitution are supplanting the same God who bestowed our “unalienable rights.” This is political molestation.

My parents taught me better. I never knew life as being anything but the foremost blessing we have. I leaned my belongings were mine and other peoples belongings were not mine. I wanted nothing more than to make my own decisions.

I do not understand the socialist’s mindset. I’m pretty sure the reason that I don’t understand it is because it does not make sense.

I think we are not so different from the Israelites that demanded a King. They wanted to be like the other nations. They chose a bright handsome warrior. He lost what little mind he had. They were better off before. We too deny our true King His throne. We turn His authority over to men. We seek blessings from the state.

Surely, we must change our mind.

I just got back from the store.  I have had a craving for grape-nuts for several days.  It is like a big bowl of childhood.  It gets me how breakfast cereal makes me think about my childhood.

See, I used to eat grape-nuts on Saturday mornings.  I made my own breakfast most of the time.  Consequently, anytime I didn’t feel like cooking, I ate breakfast cereal.  Grape-nuts remind me of Saturdays.

Bran flakes remind me of my grandfather.  We used to eat them together.  Our favorite was Ralston brand.  You can’t find those anymore.  I miss them and I miss him.  One time my grandfather put half and half on them for me.  I tried to act like it was good but couldn’t pull it off.

Raisin Bran reminds me of getting ready for school in a hurry.  It was a standby for getting up too late.

Captain Crunch signified the end of the month.  That is when my mother’s paycheck came and we went shopping.  We would polish off the whole box in the first day.  Then I would have those nasty little canker sores on the roof of my mouth.

Cheerios will always remind of me of church with the kids when they were small.  Eating them without milk is still a habit.  They are really good with Diet Dr. Pepper.

The kids all have their favorites. Zane loves a variety of stuff just like me as a kid.  His favorite is Cinnamon Toast Crunch though.  Tiger is a Fruitloops fanatic.  Zoe likes the Apple Jacks.

Well, I’m going to kick back and enjoy the rest of my grape-nuts.  Bon Appetit.

I was recently on a training junket to Bartlesville Oklahoma.

I enjoyed it.  I stayed in the Phillips hotel which is soon to be no more.

When the training was over, most of the attendees left town.  I however could not get a flight out of Tulsa and had to stay the night.

Any time I visit a town, I like to do something that is unique to that town.  The Tom Mix Museum was closed for that whole month.  So that was ruled out.  But it just so happens that Bartlesville has a landmark that I have wanted to see since I was a boy.  Bartlesville is home to the only skyscraper Frank Lloyd Wright ever built, Price Tower.

So, I went over to Price tower with the intention of asking the inn keeper to let me look around.  I walked in and was greeted by people from the Price Tower Arts Center.  They had an exhibit there and invited me into the arts center to see it.  They took my coat and walked me into see the art.  It was a fantastic exhibit featuring paintings of Wright’s Fallingwater, one of his best houses.

I met with a young lady who gave me a tour of the hotel.  Then she encouraged me to eat supper at Copper, the dinner club at the hotel.  This sounded great but I had to ask, “Can I afford to eat here?” She replied, “Oh don’t worry sir.  Your bill shouldn’t run more than $50.”  “Outstanding.”

Since I was by myself I opted to eat at the bar.  As you can imagine the place was covered in copper and was classic Wright architecture.

I looked over all three items on that evening’s menu.  I chose the bone in bison ribeye.  I needed to order a drink.  I was contemplating a glass of wine since the beer in Oklahoma is 3.2% and doesn’t even taste right.  The young bartender told me, “Sir, all of our imported beers are the real deal.  You look like the type to appreciate a Chimay with your steak.”   “You sized me up pretty well.  I would love a Chimay.”

The steak was good.  The beer was better.  But, the conversation was the best.  The locals that came in and out of the bar were very friendly and all somehow connected to ConocoPhillips.  Folks in the oil business are typically friendly no matter if they are ditch diggers or high dollar executives.

I told the bartender, “I may have to split my bill into what I can expense and what I can’t.  So, figure it up and I’ll figure how to split it.”  He came back with the bill.  It was more than $50.  Significantly more.  The beer alone was $14.  I can buy it at the store for $3.

As if the bill wasn’t enough of a shocker, the Arts Center was closed with my coat in it.  Nobody at the hotel could open it.  My flight left Tulsa before anybody was going to be available to retrieve my coat.

It all turned out alright.  My coat was mailed to me.  I’ll always remember the fantastic scenery. And, I learned a valuable lesson about eating above my pay grade.

I haven’t been blogging lately.  Not only not writing here but also not reading any blogs.

It isn’t that I have been any busier than any other time.   I just haven’t  been creative.   Or interested.

I do have some ideas.  And I will be writing some stuff soon.  I also have half a mind to change the looks of the place.

Tonight I had the misfortune of watching episode 1 of Autism x 6. On Discovery Health. (That is right. No links.  They don’t deserve them.)

I expected to see some stuff I wouldn’t like.  What hit me was who said the things that rubbed me wrong. The parents on the show did not get my dander up.  The Educators did.

The so called Educators seem to think that Sarah, a little girl no more severely disabled than my own son, lacks humanity and must be taught to be human.

Funny, I thought our DNA dictated whether or not we are human.  I thought God Almighty determined who is human. What was I thinking?

Apparently, humanity is a skill to be learned from Utah Educators.

If any one thing makes me angry enough to misbehave it is some idiot telling me my son is soulless or  inhuman.   These Educators, actually prove their own inhumanity by their own words.

I guess the fact that I look forward to coming home to Tiger’s smiling face has nothing to do with his humanity.  Apparently, I should not want this.  I’m supposed to dread my life.

I love my son.  I love doing things with my son.

My son is “Severely” Autistic.  He is also fearfully and wonderfully made.  He is a great blessing to my family.  I am honored to be his father.

I’m not special and picked by God to raise a problem child.  I am not subject to special responsibilities because of some special talent.  I am special and picked by God to enjoy a beautiful blessing because He loves me a little more than all the other parents in the world.  I have the world’s best children, all of them.  For that, I am truly thankful.