This week in an Our Town Special Edition: get your own copy of the Declaration of Independence! That's right, Bob Beierle, of the not at all satirically named Creative Insight, is attempting to co-opt one of the greatest pieces of American history to push his anti-government agenda.  Bob really does most of the work for me here, starting his rant off by telling us about how hard the founding fathers had it, reminding us that they literally put everything on the line, and some even lost everything, to give us the freedoms we enjoy and take for granted today.  Then he goes on about how our government today is so evil because they have things like eminent domain (at least, I think he means eminent domain.  He says public domain, but then rants about government "taking our lands in the name of what serves the better good of the state," which sounds an awful lot like eminent domain and not intellectual property rights) and different sets of laws for the rich and famous and illegal (no, really, he equates being an illegal immigrant to being the same as rich and famous in the eyes of the law) than for us regular, working class folk.  How can one even begin to compare the tyranny being committed by the British to the American government of today? 

     Now, I'm guessing Bob isn't really a student of history.  In fact, I would bet he got D's at best, because if he knew anything about history and the American Revolution in particular, he would know that the things he's complaining about are little piddling nothings compared to what the British were doing to the American colonists in the 1760s.  He would know that the concept of eminent domain dates back to 14th century England, and did not generally merit compensation.  That's right: the crown took what they wanted, because it was already theirs, you were just leasing it from them, so get out and be happy we don't just throw you in jail because we can. So be happy that the Fifth Amendment actually protects your right to not be derived of property without due process and provides for just compensation.

     Bob thinks our government overrides the will of the people and regularly invalidates elections and referendums.  I'm sure Al Gore would have some things to say about this.  Not only that, but I'm pretty sure that our founding fathers might have a few things to say about it too.  Probably something to the effect of "In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury."  Yeah.  When was the last time the American government used force and jail to silence it's people?  How many people have they killed to suppress dissenting opinions?  Bob makes a great many accusations against the government, claiming they are illegally searching and seizing property, levying illegal taxes, and waging war against it's own citizens without offering a scrap of evidence or a whit of proof.  If you're going to make ridiculous and outrageous claims, the least you can do is offer some evidence.  Or is that the "creative" part of Creative Insight?

Finally, I want to leave you with this thought, from Mr. Jefferson:

"Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes"

These are light and transient causes, Bob.  You can wrap yourself in as many flags as you can carry, but you're not fooling anyone.  Your un-American ideals and selfish outrage will not help anything.  Your divisive and accusatory and confrontational rhetoric is not making anything better.  The founding fathers suffered to gain their freedom, our freedom.  Their homes were burned, their families terrorized and murdered.  All so that you could exercise your "god given right" to bitch and complain about paying taxes and how oppressed you are.  Show a little respect and shut the hell up.

    

             A new screed this week from Robert "Bob" Beierle of Creative Insight.  This time, it's something about a dog.  I'm really not sure why he spends over a page going on about Lassie and barking, but I guess there's some kind of theme where he thinks he's Lassie, warning America that bad people are coming or Timmy's fallen down a well or something.  It's not until page two where Bob starts his real article, claiming that politicians are attacking the Constitution.  While I have to agree that there's some real screwed up things going on in Washington right now, I think Bob really should get out of his basement and look around once in a while.  Reality will shock him.
            First off, one might notice that the weather has been a bit weird lately.  In my town, we suffered flooding last year worse than any on record.  Homes that had never flooded were suddenly under water, destroyed.  People were left without their most valued possession, lives ruined in one single, terrible night.  Not for nothing, but those people have been and are being helped by an organization I know Bob loves, FEMA.  That's right: the Federal Government is actually helping Americans who need it.
            Later in the year, on Halloween, we had a freak snowstorm.  Almost 30" in some parts of NJ.  My parents were without power for nearly a week, because a tree branch was overloaded with ice and took down the power lines on their street.  Now, we're being told that we may suffer a drought this summer.  In 6 months, we've gone from record floods and snow to drought.  How could this happen if the climate is not changing?
             Why am I talking about this?  Maybe it's because Bob spends so much time railing on educators and "BS Hollywood movies" for trying to teach children that we only have one planet to live on, and we need to take care of it.  Yes, buying fluorescent light bulbs will make a difference.  Yes, planting trees will make a difference.  I don't know why he can't see that, I know he can read.  The facts (yes, Bob, facts.  Not Fox, facts) are out there, in black and white, for anyone with enough sense to open their eyes and see it.  You don't need fancy science to see that there are more tornadoes and hurricanes, more destructive storms, fires, and droughts than there have been in the past.  All you need to do is open your eyes and see it. 
              Moving on: we jump (literally.  This is a bigger segue than his article) from climate change to the idea that the problems in this country are all caused by the politicians.  They're the "big evil boogie men who are trying to destroy and gobble up our freedoms," right?  Except, who controls the politicians, Bob?  Who bankrolls their campaigns?  Who spends millions on a SuperPAC that ensures they'll beat that recall election and continue to fight against unions and other groups that try to protect the rights of the middle class?  Could it be the 1%, those wealthy "job creators" that seem to need tax breaks so much?  The guys that are making record profits while unemployment soars?
               "We are told that prosperity and the desire to create and to build is mean and cruel and evil."  Who told us this, Bob?  Where, in America, does anyone believe this, except in your brain?  Whoever said that is lying.  Everyone in America wants to prosper.  Everyone in America wants to create, we all want to build a better life.  That's why we're here.  But some people believe that once they achieve that better life, they need to protect it at all costs, even going so far as to deny it to others.  They value greed and avarice over equality and prosperity.  Instead of using their money to help others (you know, like Jesus said to), they use it to protect their position and ensure their own profit.  They make "contributions" to politicians who then rewrite the laws making it harder for people who don't have money to prosper and create and build.  You want to bark at someone, Bob, start barking at Wall Street. Start barking at the Koch brothers. Bark at Restore Our Future, American Bridge, and Americans for Prosperity. You complain about the symptom (politicians attacking our freedoms) and completely ignore the cause.  Nobody wants a free ride, all they're asking for is a level playing field and a fair chance.