Dante's Infuego

Raimundo, I agree, people should be able to live ...

2010-11-28T08:33:18.596-05:00

Raimundo,

I agree, people should be able to live their lives as they choose, but when the poo hits the fan because of the way they have lived their live, I don't want myself or anyone else to have to pick up the tab in any way, shape or form. You reap what you sow so you live with it and you pay for it.

Oh...and yes...Bill of Rights on my phone and smal...

2010-11-21T09:26:41.775-05:00

Oh...and yes...Bill of Rights on my phone and small print copy. (Actually, the whole constitution) It's like having the game rules for a country in your pocket.

To the last poster: You're right, and that...

2010-11-21T09:22:09.135-05:00

To the last poster: You're right, and that's one the reasons the tour dude really didn't want to get into it. But one problem for T.J. was that it's one thing to deplore slavery, but in climate of the times, not all that practical, or even beneficial to the slaves you own to buck the system. What good would it have done for Jefferson to have freed his slaves? Would they be able to make it on their own? Would someone else just scoop them up? Slavery was just too pervasive. Etc.

As for slavery & Thomas Jefferson, the subject...

2010-11-21T02:07:20.919-05:00

As for slavery & Thomas Jefferson, the subject cannot be fully covered by someone giving a tour of Monticello. He opposed slavery, yes, he also thought that colored were child like & inferior. He considered it contrary to the laws of nature that decreed that everyone had a right to personal liberty. He called the institution an "abominable crime," a "moral depravity," a "hideous blot," & a "fatal stain" that deformed "what nature had bestowed on us of her fairest gifts." For more information on the history of Thomas Jefferson and Slavery check out the website run by the Monticello Organization/Museum:
http://www.monticello.org/site/plantation-and-slavery/thomas-jefferson-and-slavery Thomas Jefferson’s life & slavery are the subject of quite a few publications & hope that you are reading up on the subject with great fervor and interest as we know you can have.

Thomas Jefferson is a difficult person to truly de...

2010-11-21T02:03:45.590-05:00

Thomas Jefferson is a difficult person to truly describe. He may have been born into a wealthy white family, but he died broke over $100,000 in debt. His estate was sold off after his death to pay that debt. The only reason that we have Monticello today is that the Levy Family bought it & sought to preserve it.

Additionally it was recorded that John Adams & Thomas Jefferson later in life became good friends. This can be shown in their correspondences that should be part of the Museum at Monticello. They experienced huge differences over the course of their lives, but as each grew as a person, they came to realize that they each had valid points.

As for slavery & Thomas Jefferson, the subject cannot be fully covered by someone giving a tour of Monticello. He opposed slavery, yes, he also thought that colored were child like & inferior. He considered it contrary to the laws of nature that decreed that everyone had a right to personal liberty. He called the institution an "abominable crime," a "moral depravity," a "hideous blot," & a "fatal stain" that deformed "what nature had bestowed on us of her fairest gifts." For more information on the history of Thomas Jefferson and Slavery check out the website run by the Monticello Organization/Museum:
http://www.monticello.org/site/plantation-and-slavery/thomas-jefferson-and-slavery Thomas Jefferson’s life & slavery are the subject of quite a few publications & hope that you are reading up on the subject with great fervor & interest as only you can have.

I assume you have a copy on your phone of the Bill...

2010-11-21T01:58:44.698-05:00

I assume you have a copy on your phone of the Bill of Rights...or is it a laminated small print copy? haha...

One thing about John Adams, he refused to buy a sl...

2010-11-21T01:51:05.273-05:00

One thing about John Adams, he refused to buy a slave and opposed slavery. That is something that I can respect. He not only talked the talk he walked the walk. He was not free from faults though; see the Alien and Sedition Acts that he signed into law.

Back to the main topic…. I think that Thomas Jefferson might have been more of a do as I say, not as I do person. He did have some great ideas as you stated regarding life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. He however lacked the balls to follow through with those ideas when it pertained to his own life and slavery. One thing for sure is that many of his intentions have been published, but some have perished with him and will never be known.

But thanks for the primer on the Bill of Rights......

2010-11-20T22:53:23.229-05:00

But thanks for the primer on the Bill of Rights...I think the copy I carry in my pocket keeps me pretty current though.

@M40...This wasn't about the constitution. In ...

2010-11-20T22:48:55.291-05:00

@M40...This wasn't about the constitution. In fact, I had a hard time figuring out if you were even commenting on the right post. This is simply about the spirit and intent of the author of the Declaration of Independence stating people should be free to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Ray, Gotta agree with M-40. Jefferson, Adams and...

2010-11-20T21:57:49.537-05:00

Ray,

Gotta agree with M-40. Jefferson, Adams and Cronies were products of their age, albeit more ambitious and I suspect more intelligent that most. None-the-less, personal beliefs including religion was going to find its way into their writings. Many of the signers and writers of some of our most important documents were Deists, not Christians in the sense of the word.

Ray, you KNOW I like your writing but in this case...

2010-11-20T11:07:44.176-05:00

Ray, you KNOW I like your writing but in this case, I've got to cry foul.

The constitution was intended NOT as a means of granting power to the federal government, but to limit its scope and reign in any

quest for domination over the individual states. It was set up such that if the constitution doesn't say it... the feds aren't

supposed to do it.

After enumerating the specific duties of the various branches of government, the framers of the constitution decided maybe it wasn't

clear enough to simply tell the future occupants of federal office what they COULD do. Whereas most politicians are power-hungry,

narcissistic assholes, the framers wisely decided to ALSO list what the feds COULDN'T do (just in case they got any crazy ideas). Thus

was born the 'Bill of Rights'. They made it short and sweet... a 'ten commandments' of sorts for anyone who got too big for their britches.

In short, the Bill of Rights says the fed has to let people live, speak, believe and write what they please. The people can own and

use guns. The fed can't put soldiers or cops in peoples homes, nor can they bust in the door and go through your stuff. If you're

'busted', there's no holding you without a trial and no third world dictator style show trials. They gotta play fair... due process,

juries, etc. If you're convicted, there's no pulling fingernails, drawing and quartering, cutting off junk, etc. The final bit as

written by the framers (the tenth amendment) is perhaps the most important point when it comes to understanding your rights.

The tenth amendment says, "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." That means that if the constitution DOESN'T SAY IT, the fed CAN'T DO IT. This is why ANY federal law governing marriage, abortion, health care, and ALL other matters not mentioned in the constitution... is ILLEGAL. These are NOT within federal purview. These are matters for individual states. Everyone should familiarize themselves with their state's constitution.

If Alabama decides that abortion should carry the death penalty for both mother and doctor... it's PERFECTLY within their rights. Likewise, if California decides that they will give free partial-birth abortions every Tuesday, and then feed the still-kicking fetuses to hungry wolves... it's within their rights. About the only role the feds would have in all this is to make sure that there's a highway between Alabama and California. That way, pre-teens in Alabama have a means of getting rid of incestually deformed pregnancies, albeit with a lengthy bus ride.

My point is that ANY state where a majority of the populace wants 'non-traditional marriage' (same sex, multiple partners, or the family dog), is within their rights to legalize it. There ARE already several states where same sex marriage is now law, and I suspect there's a couple that may eventually legalize polygamy. One thing about democracy is that it can suck when your opinion is in the minority. I personally don't give a crap who marries who or what... but about 2/3 of Americans DO seem to care, and vote as such. I may not agree, but I would NEVER want to cede control of this to the fed!

After they finished the constitution, the framers didn't sit down and write our law books. They simply kept the laws of the day, most of which date back to Roman common law (thus all the Latin verbiage in modern day legalese). Blaming the founders for individual state's laws is like blaming hurricanes on Bush. It might make you feel better, but it's a silly stretch.

Wow, Raymond, this is the first time I was totally...

2010-08-15T10:26:33.139-04:00

Wow, Raymond, this is the first time I was totally shocked and saddened to read your blog. :( No one is "taking measures" to block the building of the 9/11 Mosque de Triumphe and no one is arguing that followers of Islam don't have the Constitutional authority to build it 600 feet from ground zero and yes, those behind the building of it have no intention of stopping their plans and no, there is nothing we can do about it but try to appeal to them on "sensitivity" grounds. Which we all recognize is a waste of time since it's very name "Cordoba House" echos the Islamic conquest of southern Spain from 711 to 1492 and Islam's very successful 10th century "Caliphate of Cordova". Yes, they have the Constitutional right, no one that I know of is arguing that point. But it shouldn't be built THERE. Whether the location needs to be CHANGED through zoning laws or because the area is declared a national shrine or a historic monument. I don't know. But it shouldn't be built THERE and arguing about the purity of the Constitution seems to be missing the whole point and is exactly what they want us to do to take the focus off facts like, oh, I don't know...who is funding it? Do they have ties to Terror organizations like Hamas? etc.. Just ask the Hagia Sophia Cathedral and the Temple Mount what an Islamic victory memorial looks like...wow, it looks much like a Mosque.

2010-08-12T17:04:20.541-04:00

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Glad to see your economics class is influencing yo...

2010-05-16T01:48:52.494-04:00

Glad to see your economics class is influencing you. I agree with your analogy on minimum wage. And I think that your daughter should be buying bling for her mom and dad's mountain bikes!

2010-04-24T09:11:13.166-04:00

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That is true. However, it's tangential to my ...

2010-04-13T07:55:02.430-04:00

That is true. However, it's tangential to my point. The point being made goes to the fact that you have to get a mother-may-I to build a 3-sided dog house today in contrast to the past. Your comments, while accurate, are not really relevant to the argument.

Thanks for reading. Whether you agree or not, all points view are welcome here.

Let's see. 100 years ago, a person was free...

2010-04-13T00:36:23.938-04:00
Let's see. 100 years ago, a person was free to...well...do...pretty much whatever the hell they wanted as long as it didn't get in the way of someone else trying to do whatever the hell they wanted.

Sure, as long as your weren't a woman. Or black, in an area with Jim Crow laws. Or pretty much anyone other than a white dude.

Good work Raymond.... Long Live The Republic!

2010-04-12T16:20:09.555-04:00
Good work Raymond.... Long Live The Republic!

Not in my backyard. So many no longer concern them...

2010-04-12T15:50:34.304-04:00
Not in my backyard. So many no longer concern themselves with that which layth outside there personal business. And 'Precious little snowflake' parenting is just going to churn out more of the same.

Thanks for reading.
Long Live the Republic.

Dante, What's even more amazing is you have so...

2010-04-12T09:17:21.250-04:00
Dante, What's even more amazing is you have society that, " feel the need for recess education" and protecting its citizens from "getting their feelings hurt" but they could care less about citizens getting their heads lopped off by radical Islamic extremists or their cities nuked by rogue agents of terror. Go figure.

Well Ray it seems you are behind the times. Derek...

2008-12-30T23:32:00.000-05:00
Well Ray it seems you are behind the times. Derek and I had a pressure cooker when we lived in Tucson, had we known you would be so interesting to watch (or should I say listen to) while you used the pressure cooker we would have introduced you to pressure cooking as an "adult" sooner. There are certain meals that cook really well under pressure, and I have to say chili is one of them. I hope that you figure out what a little steam is... and be very careful venting it!!!

2008-12-09T09:26:00.000-05:00
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Well... To be fair, I'm sure you've had worse thin...

2008-12-07T20:54:00.000-05:00
Well... To be fair, I'm sure you've had worse things in your mouth.

How are you going to make natural Twinkies? I did...

2008-12-07T09:51:00.000-05:00
How are you going to make natural Twinkies? I didn't think you could live without whipped beef lard?

Ray. Honestly, that's cool beans what you're tryi...

2008-12-07T01:09:00.001-05:00
Ray. Honestly, that's cool beans what you're tryin' to accomplish there. However comma I think you have ENTIRELY too much free time on your hands and you're goin' mildly insane as a result.
Which of course leads to your current crazy shenanigans.

Well, either way, best of luck.

-Vickers