Another big issue for ’08 is a Health Care Plan for All Americans. Personally, I like the idea that we all have access to great health care. Personally, I would like for me and my family to get whatever services we need and have someone else pay for it. After all, that is the plan, Right?

If we actually ALL had to pay for our healthcare then we would ALL being paying for our own coverage. Whatever services you want, you would pay for. The problem is, we all can’t afford to pay for what we want so the government is going to make someone else pay for it. First, we are going to make the employer pay for it. Well, where does he or she get the money? Do they figure it into your benefit package? If so, then they take the average and spread it out. Your benefits are credited for an “average” and if you don’t use the average amount of services there is no refund. It goes to pay for the people that use over the “average”.

Another way for the employer is to add to the price of the final product. Then, the consumer actually pays for the healthcare. So, your employer may pay for your healthcare, but every cheeseburger or new pair of jeans you buy at Wall-Mart pays for their employee’s healthcare. In the end, the consumer pays for it.

The other plan is for the government to pay for it. Well, guess where they get the money? Taxes! Oh yeah, we are going to tax the rich. Well, where do the rich get their money? From the consumer. Three Fourths of the new “rich”, as defined by Obama, are small business owners. They already operate on small profit margins (they do have to compete) so they will either have to cut back on operation costs (your next raise or bonus) or they increase the price of their product. In the end, the consumer (you) pays for it. Taxes are a cost of business and all taxes are passed on to the final price. I hate to break it to you, but businesses pay NO TAXES. They just pass them through.

Latest plan. Lets make healthcare not for profit. Okay, I kind of like the sound of that but then lets think it through. Our education system is not for profit, but many people use private schools. Why? Because they can afford it and if you want your kids to get the best education you send them to a private school. Imagine a future where your only option is a government non-profit school and if you send your kid to a private tutor you would be in violation of Federal Law. That was HillaryCare. I am not sure of the new plan. Our postal system is non-profit. Can you imagine what business would be like if we did not have Fed-Ex and UPS and we had to rely on the US Post Office?

The phone system was regulated. Now it is wide open to competition. Can everyone afford a cell phone or an unlimited product like Vonage? What would be the phone system be like if it was non-profit.

I just ask for you to think of the consequences. Do we have a moral duty? Yes, I think we have a duty to do all we can but can we sink the life raft and doom everyone?

 

The other day I heard a comment made by Sean Hannity that struck a nerve. A caller had called in and mentioned the name of Mike Huckabee. Sean’s reply was basically the Mike was probably a wonderful guy but he did not stand a chance and he should just pull out of the race as should candidates like Paul or other 2^nd and 3^rd tier candidates.

Since I am a fourth tier candidate, this struck me as offensive. Imagine that, a GOP candidate being offended. LOL Anyway, I guess the point was, here I am clawing and scratching to get notice and here was this big bad talk show host shooting down a potential candidate. With his audience he was basically driving a nail in the mans coffin. A man who has stepped up and offered his services to be the President of the United States. I believe any candidate deserves respect. Yeah, I was a little ticked.

I mentioned this to a very trusted friend of mine, who is a blogger, and he pointed out that is was Hannity’s show and he could say what he wanted. After all, this is a free country. That really put me in my place. Then the obvious hit me, like a freight train. This is a free country and we can say what we want so I am going to exercise my right to voice my opinion.

Now a real politician would speculate or take a poll or even consult with his staff before stating an opinion, and I do consult with people, but on this one I am going to do what is in my heart to do and that is speak my mind. Whatever the ramifications are, I just have to live with. So here we go.

In my opinion, Sean is an “American” just like all of us. Is he a “Great” one, I will leave that up to the individual listener. Many of his fans have him high on a pedestal and many of his detractors think of him as evil. The fact is he is an “American” and has lived the American dream. He has worked hard and now is one of the highest rated talk show hosts in the US. I listen to him myself and enjoy many of his shows.

He is articulate and definitely a conservative. He does his party justice and does everything he can to entertain his base. His success is hard earned and should be a model for the rest of the country, through hard work and diligence, you can succeed.

Now on the other side. Sean is insulated in his conservative world. Most of us cannot afford to eat at Ruth’s Chris on a regular basis, in fact, most of us cannot afford to eat there ever. I have once. Besides the wonderful building, the pleasant service, the dirty wine glass on my table from a previous customer, the dried food stuck in the fork, the overcooked streak that had to be sent back, and the $250+ bill for a party of two it was a nice evening. In the future I will stick with the Victorian Fillet and the Onion for a big night out.

2006 shook up Sean’s world. The loss of the House and Senate was blamed on the apathetic voter. It was our fault that we did not support the GOP. It was our fault that Pelosi and Reid are in power. We were supposed to vote for the GOP even though they did not perform as we wanted. Even though we were disappointed and they offered nothing new or offered change we were supposed to support the GOP not because we believed they were right but because of fear of the liberals.

I don’t think Sean or the GOP gets it. We need ideas, we need change, we need conservative politicians who will do the job that we want. We are the ones hiring them to do a job and we are hiring them to do the job we want. To tell us that we should support the GOP because the alternative is worse is not much of an inspiration. Yes, voters are apathetic and YES they are mad. We are tired of not having a candidate that we believe in.

Now to the nuts of the issue. We have a humongous field of candidates. We have all kinds of choices and right now we are doing what we are supposed to be doing. We are active, we are researching, we are learning, the politicians are debating, the political process is rolling.

The first primaries are 6 months away. That is a lot of time to get out the issues. Personally, I don’t think the field of candidates is creating too much noise, in fact it is causing a lot of passion. People are getting fired up and they are talking. The net is filled with blogs, websites, and commentary. Voices are being heard, people are seeing that they can make a difference. Actually, to me it is quite exciting. People are talking about politics. I think ’08 will be another record turnout.

Now to my problem. Once again I acknowledge Sean’s right to speak his mind but I do have some questions. What is wrong with this large field? Why is it a bad thing that so many people are getting fired up? Why do you think it a good thing that we should limit the field this early? Would you support a filing deadline? Your favorites, Newt and Thompson have not even filed so should they even be let in now? Sure, they have name recognition and they are getting numbers but what happens if they get in and they start getting examined and their numbers go down?

Sean, yes you have the right, but what it sounds like to many people is that you are telling us we should limit our choices. We don’t like that. We are not the stupid herd you think we are. We are bright people who are passionate about picking our leaders. We want the chance to debate and learn. We will limit our field when we are ready. When the man we are supporting bows out, and you know he will, then we will support the next best candidate in our opinion. Do you really think this field will be this large in Feb of ’08? By the time of the convention, the process will have worked and we will choose a candidate and that candidate will have EARNED it by proving he is the best of the best. So you really believe we should be choosing from a field of 3-4? We will have done our homework, we will ask our hard questions, and in the end we will pull together when WE find the candidate that we like. Sir, with the utmost respect, you have but ONE vote and as an American Voter, I WILL DECIDE when and who to support.

Respectfully,

Raymond McKinney

 

“My fellow Americans” Ronald Reagan

When I was younger and I heard that statement I felt that Ronald Reagan was talking to people like you and me. I believed that this was one country and we were one people. Sure, we have our differences some cultural, economic, political, and religious but we were still all Americans.

Today when I hear those words I feel that there is something missing. The politicians of today are not “fellow Americans”. Most of them are professional politicians and know nothing about what it is like to be a fellow American.

It is my opinion they are out of touch and that their one focus is how to keep themselves in power. They play politics with our troops, our security, and our energy dependence. They play partisan politics on the most basic of issues. They are so busy fighting each other that while the ship is sinking they are busy blaming the cook for burning the chicken. I would bet money that one party could introduce a bill that would save the world and the other party would vote against it just because they didn’t introduce it first and the only way to get it passed is to a about a bazillion dollars in personal earmarks to buy their vote. Why else do they have to tack on billions of dollars to virtually every bill they pass now?

The best way I can describe them is a bunch of kindergarten children fighting over who gets to play with what toys and staking out territory in the sandbox.

I believe that many Americans feel the same way I do. I believe the ’06 election was NOT a mandate for the democrats but was a mandate for the GOP to get off their butt and to start taking care of the nation. I, we, are fed up with politics and having our future sold out from under us. They have destroyed our manufacturing, they have made us dependent on foreign sources of energy, and both parties just blame the other. I believe it is time for a change, it is time for a revolution in our government. This is not a revolution with guns and bullets but a revolution by the voter. We have the power to make change. We outnumber them over 240,000:1

It is not our politicians fault, it is OUR fault for allowing them, NO, for REWARDING them for the way they are acting. We need people in office who are there to do a job and not there to consolidate their own power.

I have filed with the FEC and it is my intention to be the GOP nominee for vice-president of the US. Yes, the vice-president. I am not qualified to be the President. I am qualified to be his assistant. For one I believe it would send a clear message that we are fed up. I have researched this, I am constitutionally and professionally qualified, and I am willing to do the job for the American people. Was Dan Quayle a rocket scientist, was Al Gore an Astrophysicist, was Mondale an Electrical Engineer, no, but they were able to run NASA. You don’t need to be a legal expert, your not writing or passing any laws. You don’t need to be a foreign policy expert. First off, who do we have that is a foreign policy expert because our foreign policy hasn’t been working that well lately. If I need legal advice, I have access to hundreds of the brightest lawyers in the country. Lawyers that are so bright they can’t even agree on a law, and when they do pass a law, another group of lawyers declares their law unconstitutional.

The point of being the Vice President is to be a manager not a subject matter expert. His job is to pool the experts together, listen to what they have to say, and then formulate the plan. For that I am qualified.

Just imagine the signal this will send to Washington. Every day I will be there to remind those in power that they are NOT untouchable and that the American people are watching them. Every day I will be there to remind them that THEY WORK FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.

People, politicians make up less than .2% of our population. In sports there are recruiters scouring high schools, colleges, and play grounds looking for the “best”. Every day, businesses recruit from colleges or competitors to find the “best”. Just imagine how inefficient a sports team would be that if the only way you could qualify was that you were a son or daughter of a former player? It is time that we realize that politics is NOT for a specific group of people. They are politically inbred, they are stagnant, they are out of touch and we need to make some MAJOR changes.

This is your chance to really vote for NONE OF THE ABOVE. This is your chance to put one of us into real power. This is a chance for all of you who are sick and tired of the same old choices. This is our chance to speak up or forever hold our peace.

Help me send a message to Washington, a message they do NOT have to interpret. A message that is loud and clear. Yes, this is possible. It is legal. It can work. There are over 120 MILLION registered voters and guess what. Over 119 MILLION of you are my “fellow Americans”.

For more information about me and how you can make a difference go to my website www.ray4vp.com and join my team.

Thank you for your time.

Respectfully,

Raymond McKinney

 

I was listening to HIS radio today on the way into town and they were playing a childrens song. The words "obediance to authority" rang in my head and I recalled an earlier conversation with another Christian who said we should not bother with politics, that was for the secular world. Now if you tie that in with obedience to authority, that sure has a nice passive ring.

Now I recall the passage "render unto ceaser" which is used to explain to Christians that we should listen to our leaders and basically be good little citizens and I am all for that. The question I have, is what happens when you have bad leaders? Is it our responsibility to try to replace those leaders or should we just stay out of politics and let God take care of things.

Well if you are one of those that thinks we should let God take care of things, this little blog is just for you.

We all heard the story about the man during a flood that turned down 3 different rescue workers and claimed God would save him. When he drowned he asked God "Why didn't you save me?" and God replied "I tried, I sent you a rescue truck, a rescue boat, and a rescue helicopter, you just wouldn't get in."

My point is that we can follow the law of man, we can be obedient to authority but that does not mean we cannot PARTICIPATE in authority. Many of our founding fathers who designed our current "authority" were in fact men of God and I believe were inspired by God, so why should we feel that we should not participate.

Here is another point I would like to make. If you do not vote, if you do not participate and our government reverses the partial birth ban and hundreds or thousands of children are killed as a result, just who do you think is accountable? You are! Through YOUR inaction, your apethy, you ALLOWED this to happen. If your neighbor is being attacked and you do not call the cops or try to help defent them then YOU are also accountable.

Every bad law that is passed, every attempt to re-engineer our society by a liberal agenda is YOUR fault. Many of us Christians and even non-Christians who share our sense of right and wrong are trying to stem back the tide of immorality, selfishness, degenerates, and atheists who want to remove any semblance of right or wrong from our society. Your apathy is a sin. Jesus did not command us to be lambs before the slaughter. So yes, give us your prayers, donate to our causes, support us where you can, but most importantly get off the pew and into the voting booth. Your fellow Americans, your children, and your childrens children NEED your help.

I wonder if there will even be a line in Vegas on this one? I can see it now, Ray for VP at 100,000:1. I'd be willing to put down $10 bucks on that just for the chance. Pinky promise, if I win, the whole roll goes to a welcome home party for the boys stationed at Ft. Stewart. (Less the $10 and whatever is taken by the Fed) I figure if I can get a few videos on You Tube, do a Leno show, a Hannity and Colmes, maybe even a Letterman I have a shot. Personally I figure the odds at a million to one but thats better than the odds I have winning the Dannielynn paternity suit.

Why I probably don’t stand a chance.

1. 1. I don’t owe anyone in Washington anything so no one in Washington has a reason to want me to succeed.
2.  
3. 2. I will be the proverbial thorn in the side. If I see something that is not right I will be the loudest opponent. Hmmmm, maybe the press can be useful.
4.  
5. 3. I will NOT play ball, I will NOT play partisan politics, it’s about what’s right and what’s wrong. Sure their will be tough decisions and it will not be my way or the highway but if there is something they want they have to convince me it is in the best interests of the country.
6.  
7. 4. I’m not one of them, I won’t be welcome and neither would 98% of the population and I think that is one of the major problems.
8.  
9. 5. I’m not rich, I’m not an actor, a lawyer, a politician, in fact I’m just an average American and they don’t like us. They are “better” than us. They know what’s best for us. They believe we are all equal it’s just that they are more equal than us. (It's not mine but I love that line)

Laugh all you want. America loves an underdog. Maybe I'm just an "average" guy but it's guys like me that keep this country going. Our politicians produce nothing, squander our resources, pander to whoever offers them the most money, and the majority of them should be ashamed of themselves. Before I wake up from this dream I may as well dream the whole enchilada.

Who will I invite to my inaugural ball?

Everyone. It will be in an open field in DC. I would like the following groups to perform.

1. Kansas
2. KC and the Sunshine Band
3. Charlie Daniels
4. Chicago
5. Eagles (if they can fit it in their schedule)
6. ZZ Top

Many others welcome, but these are some of my favorites. The party would be open to all, $20 a head with all proceeds, after paying the performers, going to a veterans charity.

 

Religion

I am a Christian. That should cover most of it. I’m not going to try to ram my beliefs down your throat. It’s your choice, I’ve made mine. I will not legislate my morality, it’s your choice if you want to be a moral person or not. I only answer for my own self. There is a but coming here. But, I am a Christian and will act as one. I will be honest, I will be hardworking, and I will respect everyone as much as they respect me. I believe in turning the other cheek to a neighbor but I do not believe that everyone is a neighbor. I can back this up with the bible. I do believe in the separation of Church and State but not as some of you do. I do not feel I have the mandate of God to force anything on you, I do not believe it is the position of government to mandate religion on you, but I believe a government (ours) was meant to offer a haven to Christians or anyone else who wishes to practice their religion in a manner that DOES NOT force others to believe as they do. I think our current government is “hostile” to Christians and I think “political correctness” has run amok.

Gun Control

My first thought on gun control is being able to effectively hit your target. My next though on gun control is anyone who wants to legally possess a firearm should be allowed to do so. I think if you are convicted of a felony, are mentally impaired, or have ever been convicted of any violent crime (spouse abuse included) you do NOT have that right. If you want to have an AR-15 in your bedroom, then by all means go for it. Some opponents of guns have no problem with you having meth in your bedroom but they have a problem with a gun. Personally, I don’t get it. If you are stupid enough to leave a loaded gun around where your 3 year old blows a hole in the wall then you have (1) forfeited your right to have a gun and (2) you go to jail for endangering the life of a child. If you want to carry a hand gun (concealed) then I think you have the right to do so AFTER you have been trained and tested by a government agency (local police department) and that includes a psychological test. You have to take one to work in a nuclear plant so you should have to take one to carry a gun. If you use your weapon to stop a criminal you get a reward, like a free dinner to the White House with overnight stay. If you pull a gun in anger or shoot the moon, you (1) forfeit your rights to ever own or carry a gun and (2) you go to jail. If you injure or kill a civilian you will go to jail. If you injure or kill a law enforcement officer you (1) get a needle, FAST TRACKED. It is the cost of having the right to carry.

Education

It is not the Federal Governments job to educate our kids. The Fed should get out of the business. Other than prosecuting wars, the government doesn’t do very well at anything else. We are spending money at a throwaway rate. Our education system is failing. We should cut off ALL federal funds to education. Why should we take money from Montana and send it to a school in New York City? Let the funds come from the community. It is not our job to redistribute wealth within the country. If that’s want you want then move to Europe, Russia, or some other successful (as if there was one) socialist or communist country. I think parents should have the right on where to send their kids. Parents pick colleges all the time what’s the difference. Competition is what makes our country great. It is what put us in space, created companies like Microsoft, Google, and made millionaires of the guys who started YouTube. So why shouldn’t schools work the same way. You’re a school district, you have several schools, you have an underperformer? Well, it’s not because the paint is the wrong color it’s because the people running it stink at it. If schools had to compete with each other, if teachers had to perform to keep their jobs (just like the rest of us) if teachers and principles had the right and the authority to “decline” your neighbors bratty kid then our schools could excel. I think every child has a right to access to education but if they choose not to exercise their right then they can pay the price. Why should the students who want to learn or the ones who are supported by their parents have to suffer because a minority of children want to throw their education opportunity away. If your going to be stupid, you better be tough. Once again we see what a government bureaucracy can NOT do.

Taxes

I’m tired of paying taxes. You’ve all seen the list of taxes, federal, state, tobacco, gas, sales……. It goes on for pages. Personally, I like the Fair Tax. Just think if you are making below 35K a year you will pay ZERO taxes. Businesses from around the world would flock to do business in the US. We would once again become an economic power house. It is well researched and if you actually READ it, I challenge you to find why it won’t work. If you haven’t read the book, then you are basing your decision on what someone told you who might actually have a personal reason that they want to keep the present system and couldn’t give a hoot on how it would benefit you. So please, research this idea. Tell me what is wrong with it?

FEMA

The US Government is an awesome force. FEMA is a disaster. Florida can handle 5 hurricanes in a year but Louisiana can’t handle one. Did FEMA make a difference? Nope, it came down to the states. The government should get out of the disaster business. FEMA should be a support role, stage equipment and resources around the US. At a states request, send in the material. That’s it. Each state should KNOW what it needs and where it needs it. After all the state is being run by people who live in the state and answer to the people living in the state.

State Control

I read a study once that 4 out of 10 people that left California would return if given the chance. That meant that 6 out of 10 were voting with their feet. That is as it should be. If NY needs more money to fix its roads, school system, rebuild its ports then let the people of NY pay for it. If it is a worthwhile endeavor they will pay for it. If the roads are bad, then let the local contractors fix them and the local people pay for them. If the local politicians want to rip the people off and they keep getting elected then fine by me. If the schools are good and producing productive people then they should be supported by the community. If they fail the community and the people pool together and create a private school then so be it. If the ports are a vital part of the community then rebuild them and pass the costs on to the people using the port. Add the price to the guy buying the widget imported through the port just don’t expect the farmer in Georgia to pay taxes to import peanuts from Mexico.

The government should be there in case of need, but each state has its own laws and what happens in the state should stay in the state. Federal highways should be maintained through the Fed, there should be some services offered by the Fed, military bases and such. The main source of state funding should come from the state. If they want to add a tax on their products that is there choice. If people really want the product they will pay the tax until another state competes.

Federal Justice Reform

First off, the Federal Prosecutors work for the President visa vi the Justice department. If there boss doesn’t think they are doing a good job he has every right to fire him. Heck, Clinton fired over 90 of them right off the bat. So what is all the fuss about. Just another political bunch of hoeeey.

The ninth circus? Anytime you have a group of guys that have a majority of their rulings overturned it’s pretty clear to me they aren’t playing with a full deck and need to be replaced.

It is my opinion that judges are there to implement law, NOT interpret the law, or choose what laws they are willing to enforce.

Did you know we have a judge serving prison time and collecting his pay? This system is messed up and needs to be taken to task. I would have a group of federal prosecutors investigating judges all over the country.

Speaking of the law, I am NOT a lawyer. I’m sure I will have to hire a few as time goes on. Maybe we should have free legal care while we are at it. Or free auto insurance care. Let’s make everything free and we will all do our jobs and everyone will have whatever they need. Oh yeah, that’s been tried (look at the Mayflower compact) and see how that worked out.

Military/Research

If there is anything that should be in our budget it is the Military. We have the best but it can be better. They should have the best healthcare. They should have benefits as good as our congressman and senators have. If they are good enough to earn retirement with 5 years of service then so is our military. If it’s to good a package for the military then maybe it’s to good for our politicians. We should have a system that protects the US and its allies from ANY missile attack in the world. If you’re a foreign country and you don’t like it then get on our neighbor list. If your not on the neighbor list then tough. Build your own.

We can take all the oil that we don’t need and use it for jet fuel and tank fuel.

National Security

This should be at the top of the list. I’ve already covered a few things like moving the UN, creating the FUS, border security (why don’t we have a problem at the Canadian Border), enhancing the military. I have no problem with a computer program that searches for key words and then flags a conversation that a real person can listen too. If you use words like Allah, bomb, nuclear, death to America, you should have your call listened too. Face it people we have people that WANT US DEAD. Only 10% of Muslims are considered radical, and I thank the 90% but that still means there are over 100 MILLION people who want us DEAD! We should get our heads out of the sand. I believe in personal rights. I think we should have more personal accountability but I have no problem with an agency that is closely monitored by a bi-partisan group investigating every possible lead. Why not select a group of congressman from both parties that have access to all surveillance so that no one group can use it against another. If you are on that group and you leak data you will be PROSECUTED. If a single death of a US citizen results from your leak you will face the death penalty. Oh yeah, I’m in favor of the death penalty in an extreme case. I know of no executed felon that ever committed another crime.

Prisons.

We need more of them and we need them now. Federal and state. I propose a multi tier system as in separate, completely separate facilities based upon your record. If it’s your first non- violent offense, you do your time in a facility designed to give you a second chance. You will be safe, you will be educated, we will help you get a start. You could learn a trade or get a degree. If it is a second offense or a violent offense, you are sent to a facility designed to rehabilitate and incarcerate with a group of your peers. You may not be as safe, you will get an education. If you are convicted of a third offense, a second violent offense in a second tier group, or you commit a capital (murder) offense you go to the top of the line for life with NO PAROL. Streamline the appeal process. Keep like with like. The ones who have a chance of redeeming themselves, give it to them. The mad dogs, lock up and throw away the key.

Lawsuits

A personal favorite. Have I mentioned I'm not a lawyer and don't actaully care too much for lawyers. I kind of like loser pays and I see the problems with loser pays. In my opinion if your suit is deemed “stupid beyond belief” then you should pay the opposing parties fees and the case thrown out. If you’re going to be dumb you should learn to be tough. This will be determined by the jury at any time during the case. It doesn’t have to be unanimous, just a majority. If you lose your suit, but it was deemed to have merit, then it stands or the judge or jury has the right to award you costs only. If you win, you are entitled to “real” damages (no more than 2X what you would normally earn over the course of your life plus medical expenses and actual legal fees) and a reasonable amount of punitive damages. Reasonable will be determined by the presiding judge and subject to appeal. Actual damages may be subject to appeal but only AFTER the loser pays them. No more people (who won) having their money held up for years by some fancy law firm. However, you don’t get the punitive damages. This is NOT the lottery. You have been compensated. Your attorney gets his share for his gamble that you would win and the rest goes to the court to cover costs of indigents. After all they have the right to “free” legal representation, don’t they?

I was personally involved in a lawsuit in US Federal Court. In a meeting with the attorneys and the judge I was told that over 90% of ALL federal cases are mediated prior to a jury trial. I thought we were right in what we did and the lawsuit was a waste of time. The judge informed me that “right or wrong” was not the point. That we should settle (for over a million dollars). His purpose was to mediate the dispute so that it would not go to trial. We went to trial. We WON. We did not even get our attorney fees covered. The other party was willing to drag things out in hopes we would just cave and pay them off. That is not RIGHT. But I do realize that if we were the ones suing this major company, and knew that if we lost we had to pay their attorney fees we would not be able to sue. So, if you think you have a good case then go for it and let the jury decide but I don’t believe you should have the chance to win the BIG ONE, you should be able to regain your losses with compensation but a couple hundred grand for a coffee burn?

Minimum wage

Why not make it $15 an hour? Because it would ruin our economy and we all know it. What is all the fuss about. If you are just starting out and have no skills other than “Would you like fries with that” what makes you think you should be earning enough to raise a family. Every time you buy a burger or get gas at the local Jiffy Mart you are paying for the product plus the cost of wages. If the minimum wage goes up, so do the prices. If the prices go up then your minimum wage needs to go up. It never ends. If you want to earn more money, get a skill. It’s called capitalism. If you could earn enough to raise a family working at Burger Doodle, why would anyone bother getting and education in the first place. This is America, you should earn what your WORTH. Learn to be a welder and help me solve the “climate change” thing.

Federal Budget

What a joke. If ANY of us ran our household the way the politicians are running our country we would be in jail. 2.9 TRILLION is the last budget I heard they were trying to pass. That is $2,900,000,000,000. There are 300 Million people in the US, that’s $10,000 for every man woman and child. These guys are out of control. $453 Million for 2 bridges in Alaska, one of which is expected to cost $1.5 BILLION when it is completed? I will not spend more money than comes in. I WILL reduce government and government spending. It is time we cleaned house. It is time we stopped sending our money overseas. Right now foreign countries are selling us junk for US dollars and investing those dollars in US notes. We are selling out our country for cheap dog food and gadgets.

Would someone explain why we are buying materials for cat and dog food from China? The latest rat poison issue has me wondering. Have things gotten so bad we can buy a can of cat food from a foreign country and ship it to the US cheaper than making it here? People listen up. This is just the beginning and if we don’t get a handle on this quick we will be at the mercy of the rest of the world. Our politicians are selling our birthright for a power trip.

Can I pass the global test? Probably not as measured by our current standards. I'm not one to mince words. I say what I mean and mean what I say. Here are a few of my thoughts on the matter.

Iraq

We are there. We have to fix it. Does anyone know how long we were in Germany or Japan after WWII? Aren’t we still in those countries? So why is Iraq any different? BUT we should do it right. Lets get it done, no holds barred. I don’t advocate torture, but I believe we have the right to interrogate aggressively. We don’t have to be cruel.

Iran, North Korea, …..

Who cares. This is simple. Apparently the rest of the world doesn’t care too much if these guys get nukes so why are we all up in arms over it? If they want to build nukes, then go ahead, heck we built nukes. You don’t think politicians should exert their moral authority over you so by what right should we exert our authority over them? I think the solution is rather simple. You use a nuke, you give us the right to use one back. We also have the right to shoot down any nuke you send up. We have the right to send a defense system to anyone who asks. I’ll even give a bargain. For every nuke you send off we will return 10. We simply supply each country with the co-ordinates of our targets and they can decide. No money, no incentives, just cold hard repercussions. If you don’t want to play nice in the sand box we are taking out the box.

Another idea I’d like to float around. Why don’t we just send everyone their own nuke. Problem solved, everyone has one. If they want to use it, same deal. That probably wouldn’t go over that well.

Mexico/ Immigration

Give me a break. Last time I checked, Mexico is a foreign country. I think we ought to give them a choice. Either become state number 51 or start acting like a real country. No more open border. No virtual fence. A real border, a real fence, and if you’re here illegally you have 6 months to go home with no repercussions. End of story. If you are caught illegally you will be deported, all of your assets will be seized to cover the cost of deportation. You will be fingerprinted and if you come back you will be put in prison. A special federal prison just for illegal aliens or better yet you will be employed clearing ground for new power plants or factories, you will be paid (and docked) for your housing and cost of deportation. Better than that, you will also contribute to a fund to cover the cost of deporting other of you countrymen. When your time has been served, 2 years for first offense, you will be returned home with whatever is left. Hey, no one forced you to come into our country. It was your choice so now you can pay the price. If you are a business employing illegal aliens, then you will be fined the cost of deporting each and every employee you are caught with.

If you are born in this country and your parents are here legally, then you are a citizen. If your parents are here illegally you belong to the country they came from. We are not the Salvation Army of the world. Remember according to the media, the world already hates us so we are doing them a favor, Who wants to be a citizen of a country that everyone hates?

Foreign Policy

I’ve covered part of this earlier concerning nuclear weapons. Here is some more of it. Israel is a friend of the US and will always be on my “neighbor” list. BTW, it’s a short list.

If you don’t like the way we do things in the US, then don’t ask us for foreign aid.

If you want farm aid, I will send you millions of dollars worth of US made tractors, farm tools, seed, fertilizer, and if you want a few farmers to show you how to use them. No MONEY!

If you want medical aid, I will send US medical troops, paid US volunteer Doctors and Nurses, and US made pharmaceuticals. No MONEY! I will pay to have some of your people attend US Universities.

Want to build a dam? I will send equipment, boatloads of cement, and US engineers. I will even let your students attend US universities. Again, NO MONEY!

Have I mentioned we also need to rebuild our shipbuilding capacity to make US ships for sending foreign aid.

Foreign Policy Experience

Big buzz work, what experience does he have dealing with other “cultures”? I’ve worked side by side (and I mean getting dirty pulling 12 hour shifts) with Boilermakers in Buchanan NY, I’ve worked with Millwrights in Greene County Al, Iron Workers in Monroe Mi, Pipefitters in Minn, and just plain old maintenance guys all over the US. I’ve dealt with a lot of the cultures that matter to the US. I have been briefly overseas and met many wonderful people. I may not have experience being an ambassador to France but I think I can handle the task. After all, I’m running for office in this country, not France.

UN

I can think of a few words other than United for this astute body. Useless is on the list. I propose we treat the UN like the Olympics in that a different city gets to host the UN, say every 4 years. They can bid on it. Just think of all those dollars flowing in from all those dignitaries. The rental property, the large dinners, all those diplomatic dollars flowing in. I propose the first host city to be Havanna, Cuba so that all the world can experience the success of the communist dream. As far as relations with Cuba, who cares. No more embargos. I think people would have dumped Castro years ago it they had to choose between VCR’s and Castro. Look at Vietnam.

To me the UN is basically a useless body. It is corrupt and Americans are tired of supporting it. We have NATO and that seems to work. Why can’t we have a Friends of the US. We can use the old UN building for it. You don’t like us, you can’t come. If you like us, then by all means, be a neighbor, pay your rent, spend some time visiting. BTW ALL foreign aid flows through the FUS building. At least this way we will have an easy time keeping up with who are friends are.

We should still keep an ambassador at the UN just to keep an eye on things.

Yes, I am serious about this.

Well, if your going to swim in the deep end you have to be prepared for trouble. I'm going to hit on topics no sane "politician" would touch with a 10 foot gavel, but then again, I'm not a politician. So here we go on Stem Cells, Abortion, Social Security, and Healthcare. There's more to come folks. You want to know where I stand on the issues? I'm not afraid to stand up and let you know.

Stem Cell Research

US news headline “NIH chief says stem cell ban hurts U.S.” Hmmm, is there a ban on stem cell research? NO!! There is a ban of Federal FUNDING of stem cell research. If stem cell research is as great as it is then why isn’t every drug company in the world jumping on the wagon? What about Federal funding on umbilical stem cells or adult stem cells? What has that led too? How much federal funding was there for Viagra??? This is some of what if really ticking off most Americans. Why can’t “headlines” and “politicians” speak the truth. Why do we have to “translate” everything? Another “headline” “Circumcision Increases Aids Transmission”. Wow, the fact was that it was easier for a WOMAN to get aids if having sex with a circumcised partner that had NOT HEALED yet. Hmmmm, open wound anyone? Stem cell research is a political toy. Just another sound byte, something to make the news.

You want money spent on stem cell research? What else do you want YOUR money spent on? My policy will be to let the drug industry research the heck out of anything they want to research on. Don’t you think if stem cell research would lead to massive cures there would be a profit in it? Will the drug companies make a deal that ANY federal funds used for research will be RE-PAID with a percentage of profit? If the federal government invests in research then the federal government should OWN a portion of the results.

That brings up another point, flu vaccine. The latest headline “30 million” doses to be thrown out this year. Will you see that on the mainstream media? It’s all political folks, say what you will to make someone else look bad. I’m tired of it. I think politicians should do there job and quit pointing fingers at each other.

Abortion

This is a tough one. Personally, I don’t agree with abortion. I think it’s wrong. I think too many people use abortion as birth control. I don’t think the government should be involved in this, either way. I believe it is a personal choice. Unfortunately it is a big issue, so this is where I stand. If you are a victim of rape, incest, or your personal health (and I DO NOT MEAN sagging breasts) is an issue then you should have the choice. If you decide not to have your child and wish to abort, then that is your decision, I don’t agree with it, but it is your decision NOT MINE, and you have to live with it. I think you should make up your mind with in a reasonable amount of time. Partial birth abortions is an abomination to God and to our own humanity. It should be punishable by imprisonment to the mother and to the doctor. There is no justifiable reason for it (except for health reasons) and only the mother should decide if she is willing to give her life for her child.

Government paid abortions? I have a tough time with that. If you want the government to pay for your abortion then the government should pay for ONE. You will have the choice of having your tubes tied and then un-tied at a later day, at government cost. The government should not sponsor abortion as birth control. If you have had your one and declined to have your tubes tied, then the next ones can be picked up by an organization willing to support your right to get pregnant and then kill the child.

 

Social Security

What a scam! This scheme would be illegal any where else in the US. Our politicians should be ashamed over this scheme. Okay, we’ve got a pig in a poke, now what do we do about it. Well, someone is going to get the short stick. To everyone at AARP, it won’t be you. I’m going to be a member soon. You get to stay in and stick it to the next generation. Actually our kids are the next generation so we have to take that into account. Fact is, someone is going to get stuck. But you guys raised us so it is our turn to take things over.

We have to wean ourselves off of this one people. To put it simple, our last crop of politicians have “borrowed” this money and spent it. Actually, our politicians have been spending this money since the 60's. Bridges to nowhere ring a bell? Can you say “pork”.

I think we have to start putting our money where they can’t touch it. We have to get it out of their hands. We will have to come up with a plan where if your under 25 your out and we will set up something different for you. 25-45 you get a credit on what you paid (say 60% of what you’ve paid in, with interest) and if your over 45 your stuck with the current plan. The guy who is 44 will win out, but most of you don’t want if fixed anyway. These are just some ideas, but it is something that HAS to be fixed. It’s like a tooth ache, if the politicians had left things alone and kept brushing we wouldn’t have a problem, or if they would have pulled it 20 years ago, it wouldn’t have hurt as much, not the darn thing is abscessed. It has to go.

Health Care

It sure would be nice if medical care was free. Nothing in life is free. Medical care is no different. Does our current system work? Well, maybe not that great, but who has a better system? Show me facts people, I’ve already been to some of these countries and I’ve seen the stats. If you are in Canada and need open heart surgery what are the odds you are going to have it in Canada? “But Ray, Canadian drugs are sooooo cheap. It’s not fair to us”. Well if they are so cheap why is the Canadian government threatening to cut them off to the US? Because they are selling them less than cost because the Canadian Government is subsidizing the drugs!! If they were really so cheap they would be shipping them down here in truckloads to sell and make a profit. Smell the coffee people. It’s just another scheme.

You want cheap drugs? Buy them from Mexico. You want the RIGHT drugs? Buy them from the US. Why are they expensive? Because drug companies spend millions to research and test them. They have to get their money back or would you rather the “efficient” federal government tax you and then fund the drug companies?

We have great doctors. Why? Because they can make a good living here in the US. Do you think you have access to the same doctors a senator or congressman has? Maybe now you do but if the government gets into the healthcare business you can be they are going to suck up the best and base them in DC.

I’m truly sorry folks but this is just another pie in the sky plan to turn our country into a socialist Mecca. Free healthcare does not exist. Doctors, nurses, pharmacists will not work for free. These are hardworking and smart people. They are out to make the best living they can. If they can’t make it in the medical field they will find another field to do it in. Setting wages will only lower our level of care not increase it.

Where will it end? Does everyone have the right to liposuction? Do we all have the right to tummy tucks? Can we really afford to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on every person to extend what may be the last month of their life? There is a statistic where 80% of all the money spent on your personal care is spent in the last 6 months of your life. I am NOT advocating ending life. It’s a cold hard fact though. We cannot justify total resources to everyone. If you can pay for the insurance or your employer offers the insurance, then fine. If you do not provide a service or have not planned or put yourself in a position for expensive care then that is your choice.

Basic healthcare is doable. My wife currently works for a hospital that takes in ANY patient that cannot pay for healthcare. It’s not the Hilton by any means, but it is healthcare. You will get your medication, and you will be looked after. It’s reality. Some of her patients are homeless but have the choice to detox and move into a home that will teach them a skill and find them a job. Most of them decline. I believe they have that right but they also have to pay for that right.

 

Global Warming

Today’s buzz word or should I say “Climate Change” is the flavor of the day. Personally, I know the world is going through a change, it’s always changing and there is nothing new about it. I wonder why Mars is going through a warming trend? Something to do with the sun? But I also think humans are having a negative impact and there is something we can do about it. Will it make a major difference, who knows. Can we do it and survive economically? Yes! We can do it and come out stronger. I will cover this in my energy policy.

Energy Policy

Say YES to nukes! As a guy who has over 20 years working in nuclear power plants and having received over 3 rem lifetime dose (not counting the many rems taking IVP’s and X-rays) I can tell you the American public has NO CLUE what a resource we have available to us.

Go ahead and tout 1979, Three Mile Island (TMI). Big Whoop. How many died? ZERO. More people have died choking on a steak than have died in nuclear power plants. Ten times maybe a thousand times more people will die from health issues eating at Burger Doodle than will die as a result of radiation. How many people got sick? Honestly I don’t know but I haven’t heard of any multimillion dollar law suits so if I heard about 1 person spilling coffee and suing (BTW winning) I think I would have heard about a few suing TMI. The technology has changed. Compare a 1975 Ford Pinto to today’s cars. Major changes, better, more efficient, and safer. Do you realize the rest of the world has figured out that nuclear power is a good way to go?

“Nuclear energy accounts for 90 percent of all electric utility reductions in carbon dioxide emissions since 1973” Patrick Moore, Cofounder Greenpeace before a US Senate committee.

And the US quit building plants in the early 80’s. We haven’t started new construction of a nuclear power plant in almost 30 years. Why? Hysteria is why! Ignorance as to how a plant actually operates and what the benefits are.

First “urban” myth. A nuclear power plant is a bomb waiting to explode. Pure myth. A reactor is designed to shut down. In other words you have to “make” it run. The more heat you want, the more water you have to push. The little bubbles that build up on the fuel rods (just like in the bottom of a pot you are boiling water) actually “kill” the reaction process. You have to force water through the reactor and get rid of the bubble to sustain the reaction. Secondly the fuel used is around 2% enriched. It’s not 98% like bomb material. These are designed safe and are no where near the point of “fixin” to explode at any minute. You may as well take a teaspoon of gunpowder and mix it with a 5 lb. bag of sand and call it an IED. Take time to learn more about them.

Another “myth”. “I seen a green glow coming from that tower with all the smoke coming out of it.” That “smoke” is water vapor and it’s not even from the reactor. In some units the reactor makes steam that turns a turbine (BWR). That steam is cooled by tubes of water and the cooling water is water you see giving off steam in the tower. IF and I mean IF a tube leaks, the cooling pressure is higher than the condenser pressure (actually its in a negative pressure state) and if there was a tube leak, the coolant water leaks INTO the condenser not the other way around. In other units (PWR) the reactor makes hot water, that in turns heats up water that becomes steam. It’s a totally separate unit. These units are used all over the world, safely. Chernobyl? Well that was another case where the reactor was trying to shut down and “forced” to operate causing the accident. It was operator error, not design error, and on top of it, that is another Pinto.

What’s the rest of my energy plan?

First we start training young people real life working skills. The US is falling behind in the crafts. Pipefitters, ironworkers, boilermakers, machinists, electricians, civil engineers, all kinds of trades are dying. We are too busy building strip malls and fast food joints we have lost our industrial base. If you want a large forging today you have to order it from overseas. Our steel industry has shut down. We are losing our crafts. Our kids want to have a corner office and be day traders or game designers. Go to any major plant during a shutdown and the contractor force looks like an AARP convention (of which I will soon be a proud member). It is the older generation that has all the skills, valuable skills that are going to be lost soon if we don’t do something about it. Yes, we are turning into a service economy. Look around you and tell me if you want your kids growing up in the “service” sector. Get used to asking “Would you like fries with that”? That’s part of a service economy. We aren’t making anything anymore. Who is going to fix anything 20 years from now. The US will have nothing to offer in a few years and not only will we be energy dependant we will be dependant on almost any manufactured good.

First we have to have the people, second we have to have the industrial resources. I want to build enough reactors to ELIMINATE ALL fossil fired base line units within the next 30 years. I want to totally eliminate the need for natural gas, coal, or oil fired units. That will give plenty of time for existing units to recover their investment costs and to be slowly mothballed at the end of their service life. We should have a combination of nuclear and hydro units to provide the power needs of the US for the foreseeable future. Did you know to order a new rotor for a turbine you have to get the forging overseas? We have gutted our manufacturing base. We are slowly selling our future to foreign countries.

This will reduce our current greenhouse gases by 81%. That’s more than anything anyone else has come up with. It’s doable and it actually makes sense. That should make a lot of tree huggers happy (nothing personal, I think nature is actually pretty wonderful). I believe it is the right thing to do. It will reduce our electrical costs. It will reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

I also want to build excess units to “cheaply” produce hydrogen fuel for the auto industry. I want Detroit to produce up to 50% of their units to run off hydrogen within the next 20 years. By then almost every vehicle on the road will be replaced any way. I want the US to lead the world in reduction of POLLUTION. I want the US to lead the world in the manufacturing of nuclear units, in hydrogen powered vehicles. I want to re-energize our manufacturing sector. I want jobs back in the US.

How are we going to do this? First off streamline the process. There are over 30 pending sites wanting to build a new unit, WITHOUT TAX DOLLARS. The value is there, the need for energy is there. Cut out the layers of government in the process. Turn it over to the private sector. Tax breaks, heck, no taxes on your investment in this endeavor. Tax breaks on training and so on. Let our economy roar. Get the government out of the way. If you buy a hydrogen car, write it off. Make it affordable to do what is right. I plan on cutting government spending so we won’t need the revenue any way.

You want to do something for the environment? You want to make the US energy independent? You want to revitalize our industrial economy? Here is how we do it.

No one in our government can think beyond the next sound byte. I want to put in a plan that I know will take 20-30 years to complete. Our current politicians won’t plan beyond the next campaign and ALL they do is geared to winning the next election. Most of them don’t care, it’s all about their power. Let’s start looking to our countries and our children’s future not the next election cycle.

No, I am not referring to Iraq. I am referring to the current state of affairs. This is my first announcement that I will be seeking the position as Vice President of the United States. There is no way to "run" for this appointed post but my goal is to gain the support of "Average" Americans like myself and be selected as the running mate in the next general election.

Sound Crazy? Maybe. but how many of us have gotten tired of "politicians" and all of their political wrangling. Both parties have been disappointing in the last few years. Scandals, bridges to no-where, ineffectiveness at legislation. How many have been looking for new blood. Someone not affiliated with special interests, not interested in political power, but one of us, the majority, who only wants to do what is best for the country and his/her family. It's time we change course. Our country was founded by farmers, artisans, tradesman, businessmen,  and entrepreneurs not just lawyers with family connections.

I'm throwing my hat in the ring. I don't have millions. I'm not famous, BUT, I am the majority and we can make a change.

Here is my official announcement.

I am announcing my intention to serve as Vice-President of the United States. Do I have a chance? Probably not. So why am I doing this? A lot of reasons and I will do my best to explain why I want to do this and why I think I am qualified to hold this office.

First off, who is Raymond McKinney. Well, I’m a guy just like most of you. Let’s go with the majority numbers. I am a natural born citizen (that’s an easy one), I’m over 35 years of age, and I work for a living. I’m NOT a politician. I earn a living and pay taxes and unlike ALL of our Congressman and Senators I pay Social Security taxes. I don’t have a retirement plan that pays me my annual wages after only 1 term of office. I take short vacations. I have a wife, we’ve been married for “over” 23 years. I can remember the wedding date but the year escapes me at times. I graduated high school, spent almost 2 years at a technical school, and am currently working on my degree using an online school. So far I’m pretty much like most of the country, I’m one of you. I have to pay a mortgage, electric bills, property taxes, groceries, car insurance, tithes, and so on. Just like most of you. I have close personal family in the military. I pray daily. I worry about my families future.

I believe in God, I attend church on average once a week. I think a good religious moral code is important. I do not believe I have the right to shove my faith down your throat. If you have a problem with a Christian in office, think of this. Would you want someone making life and death decisions who believed that they would face judgment from a higher power and pay for their decisions for all eternity or do you want someone who is in it for the short tem and get what they can get?

I like my martini’s dry, with 2 olives. I have been known to have 3-4 on a Friday night when my wife is there to drive me home. I don’t do illegal drugs, although after having a few kidney stones, I can appreciate the desire to remain in a drug induced euphoric stage but then reality hits, after all I do have a job.

We have one son, who is currently trying to do things his own way. Half the time he probably hates me and thinks I’m the biggest jerk around (I’m his dad, not his friend, there is a difference) the other half we get along just fine. He’s a good kid, never arrested, never hooked up with a gang, graduated high school, refused to take the SAT and wants to prove he can do it on his own.

We have 2 dogs and enjoy going to the movies and spend most evenings at home or at a neighbors house. Our favorite show is 24. We don’t watch it all year but buy the season set and have a 24 marathon during Christmas. We can normally get the whole season in about 48 hours.

I’m just a regular American who is fed up with our current political set. I believe most politicians have forgotten what their job is, what it’s like to have to live in the real world, and spend their time trying to stay in office rather than doing their job. Personally, I think we should replace anyone who has currently been in office for more than 2 terms in ANY position. Let them have to deal with our world and the laws and regulations they have passed. I do believe there is 2 Americas and the current crop of “professional” politicians is one group and the rest of us trying to get through life make up the other.

I have no political “experience”. I owe nothing to any one in office, I am not bound to any political group or special interest. I will perform my duties based on what I believe is right for my fellow Americans. The ones who work for a living, the ones who put their kids through school, the ones who pay taxes, worry about retirement, who think an Outback steak is “fine” dining. Who eat at Ryans Steakhouse on a regular basis. Who shop at Wal-Mart because they aren’t going to waste money at Macey’s. People just like you, the MAJORITY of this country.

I will probably not be taken seriously because I’m not one of “them”. Isn’t it interesting how so many politicians talk about having a conversation or how they “feel” your pain. How do you “feel” my pain when your electric bill is more than my mortgage? How do you “feel” my pain when you fly in a private jet and I fly coach? Please, give us ALL a break. I’m not about class envy. If you’re a millionaire, that’s great. I would like to be one too. I think most people want to be successful. I would be ecstatic if my son became a millionaire. The point is, you guys are spending OUR money. Sure a lot of it goes the right place but the study of the Amazonian Red Tree Frog? I’ll get more into this later.

So why run for VP? First off, I am NOT qualified to be the President of the United States. I’m a realist and know there is no way to attain that office without experience. Even I wouldn’t vote for me as President, yet. As VP, I intend to perform the duties as set forth by our constitution which is mainly to cast deciding votes in the senate and to execute the policies of the President. What I do intend to do is find out how things are really working in Washington. I also want to spend a lot of time with the “average” American. I intend to have one dinner a week with an average family, chosen at random all over the US. Please, not take out dinners and nothing special. I’m a casserole or meat and potatoes guy. Salmon patties and fried potatoes are fine by me. I prefer cornbread over bread and I like ketchup. Un-sweet tea or water. I just don’t like the taste of sweet tea, my mother burnt me out on that.

I want to get the experience to become your President so that I can do the things I think you and I want done. I don’t want to start out as a mayor or congressman. I think I am a good person, will do what is right for our country, and a term or two of service in either house would do nothing but really tick me off. I would be so frustrated at what these “politicians” are currently doing. The games they play, the “negotiating”, the partisanship, it’s enough to make the average American not even want to vote. I think we should clean house.

All you have to do is watch CNN or FOX for a night or two and you are just disgusted with our politicians as I am. Blathering on about this or that. The latest scandal. Who found out what or said what about who. The guy with $90K in bribe money in his freezer still serving in the house. Oh please, we all know it’s bribe money, he’s on camera for Pete’s sake taking the money.

Maybe there are a lot of good ones, but it’s the alcoholics, the “nuts”, the booger eater and the ones really out of touch we see on the news. Our current batch is mostly an embarrassment to our country. I think they are out of control and as President I intend to make them accountable. Currently I would use the veto pen so much I will need refills for the ink cartridge. Spending is out of control, regulations, corruption, all out of control. It’s time we have Americans running the country and not politicians.

Okay, to keep from rambling from one topic to the next, I will try to cover my position on each issue. These are issues, in no particular order, that I believe are important to the nation either from a security or a moral standpoint.