It Is Time For a New Idea In US Politics!

Time for Change!

“True republicanism is the sovereignty of the people. There are natural and imprescriptible rights which an entire nation has no right to violate.”
-Marquis de Lafayette

My name is Sprigley Keys Allan and I am a born and bred patriot who believed himself to be a staunch republican until the last couple of years.  I have been convinced by the spineless actions of republicans in the house and senate along with the GOP’s kowtowing to Rush Limbaugh that the republican party is not going in the direction I believe is necessary for the USA.

The United States of America has always been and should continue to be the metaphorical light on the hill. This country was founded on the principles of liberty, safety and the freedom of expression.  Our founding fathers hoped to create an entirely new type of country governed BY the people and FOR the people.  Not a government that regulates every move you make and has the audacity to charge 200% taxes on products in the attempt to extinguish them from the marketplace or to murder a doctor who might of saved thousands of teenagers from the impossible situation of raising a child while the mother is still in high school.  I will not waste you(the readers) time with a plethora of annectdotes or mere slander agaist the excisting parties, but rather I want to lay down some ideals and ideas for a new type of party, a party that would support strong conservative financial values, social liberties and an overall down sizing, streamlining and overhaul of the United Stated Political System.

In the last 100 years we have gone from a horseback riding, non refrigerated, non computerized, land line locked, isolationist country to the icon of modernization.  The United States has been a global leader in innovation for 100’s of years and yet we are still battling it out on the political floors with the same two, outdated political parties, the Republicans and the Democrats.  It is time for something new and here is the beginning.

Some Ideas for a New American Party:

VICTIMLESS CRIMES – We believe the government has no right to criminalize conduct consensually agreed to between adults that cause no direct harm to others. We believe in people taking responsibility for their own lives and oppose paternalistic government. As a result, we seek the immediate decriminalization of marijuana, cocaine, mushrooms, pornography, prostitution and other victimless crimes.  These are not under the domain of a national government.

The United States spends more than $18 Billion dollars annually on a hopeless drug war.  According to the Economist, since the United States began their crusade against drugs, drug usage has gone up by at least 3%.  That does not sound like a lot but consider the fact that 3% of the national population is 9,240,00. (based on current US census data)  We need to stop dumping this money down the drain and instead use the same resources to fight crime, violence and theft on a national scale.  Also we could launch more educational campaign’s to educate the population about the tremendous risk they take if they decide to do some of these harmful drugs.

DRINKING AGE: The drinking age should be lowered to the age of 18.  Our current system is a complete logical fallacy.  At the barely past pubescent age of 16 a person is allowed to pilot a 2,000 pound killing machine known as a car.  Then at the age of 18 a person is allowed to buy cigarettes (guaranteed to cause cancer), buy pornographic materials, VOTE and join the US Military and if the situation arises are expected to lay down their life in defence of a country where if they got married before they were twenty they are not allowed to taste the Wine.

We need to completely re-thinking the age restrictions we have in place and make some more logical decisions.  One thing that would HAVE to change is the drinking age.  We need to change the drinking age to a maximum of 18 years and would encourage people to consider either lowering it further or making the driving age 18+ as it is in Europe.  The logic behind this is that you need to give people the opportunity to try alcohol and learn their limits before putting them behind the wheel of a car, not the other way around.

MONETARY POLICY & TAXATION – The current taxation system is a form of modern train robbery.  For a country founded on the principle of no taxation without representation and low taxes we have ENORMOUS tax responsibilities.  Lets follow the life of Bill, the dollar bill.  Bill is printed by the US federal government and shipped out to banks to be circulated into the economy.  So Bill is given to a random person named Fred as part of his pay when cashes his pay check.  Before leaving the building Bill has already had Social Security deductions, Healthcare deductions, Welfare Deductions along with both federal and local income tax deductions.  Then when Fred spends 50 cents on a pack of gum Bill is taxed yet again in the form of a sales tax that tops 10% in some places.  At this point Fred is feeling very disheartened at the apparent lack of value of his dollar and deposits the remains in bank of his choice where he runs the risk of being taxed when he withdraws it.  Unfortunately Fred meets an untimely end and so Bill enters the twisted world of post mortum estate preparation.  Fred had 4 children who are all in tight economic situations and are needing Bill to help so they decide to cash out dads goods and slit the money between them.  So in response the US government steps in and taxes approx. 50% of all the cash in a so called post mortum tax.  So to sum it up Bill has been taxed a minimum of 4 times during its life.  Fred was taxed when he earned it, he was taxed when he used it, he was taxed when he saved it and the last travesty, he was taxed when he gave it away in his estate.

I also believe the government should not cause inflation and devalue our currency by permitting the Federal Reserve to “print money” or by borrowing money in order to balance the budget. As this merely bankrupts the next generation and puts presidents in incredibly difficult circumstances from day 1 of their presidency.  I also oppose the large percentage of people’s earnings the government takes through taxation.  As a first step toward the goal of drastically reducing taxation on a federal, state and local level, I support the institution of a percentage based, federal flat tax.

Let me lay out both the logic behind this idea;

1. We need to institute an updated and continuously tracked, minimum standard of living.  Lets say hypothetically that is $35,000.  Then we need to decide what a fair, rational and logical tax rate would be that would simultaneously fund the US government while still allowing the family to live in comfort and security.  Lets say a 8% tax seems appropriate at a federal level along with a 5% state/local tax rate.  This would mean the abolishing of the income tax, and consequently would mean the family only pays $4,800 in taxes and keeps the rest of their hard earned money.  If you then extend that same rate to someone who makes $500,000 a year they would pay $65,000 in taxes which is a tremendous amount of money but still is FAIR and BALANCED.

GAY ISSUES – We believe the government should not discriminate against anyone on the basis of that person’s sexual orientation. On a federal level, we support the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act.   On a State level, while our ultimate goal is to get the government out of the marriage business, we support full recognition of gay marriages so long as the government continues to issue marriage certificates to heterosexual couples.

IMMIGRATION - We support the right of all countries to control their own borders and to set the conditions immigrants must meet in order to obtain permanent residence and citizenship. We would give State law enforcement officials the power to enforce immigration law and to deport illegal aliens. We would grant immigration preferences to those with special skills; to those who would create jobs; to those who ideologically support free enterprise and respect for individual rights; to those who are committed to the use of science and reason when evaluating and discovering objective reality; and to those who believe in self-reliance and the pursuit of productive and purposeful lives.  We would also give illegal but productive members of the American public the opportunity to become citizens and allow us to tax this enormous work force.

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION: Unacceptable. Private institutions will always have the right to discriminate. Racism to be deterred by private protests not government bayonets.  Do not miss understand me and think that I would ever support blatant racism,  or discrimination based on religion.  Affirmative action served a very important and noble purpose but they are no longer needed.

DEFENSE – We believe one of the primary purposes of the federal government is to provide for the national defense. Toward that end, we would support expanding the incentives offered to encourage citizens to join the military and the National Guard.

CIVIL LIBERTIES – We believe the government must respect the individual and constitutional rights of all citizens including the right to keep and bear arms. We oppose all forms of censorship and invasions of privacy. We believe in the strict separation of church and state, faith cannot be the policy of a law based on reason.

ABORTION: Acceptable, not to be subject to regulation, not to be funded with public funds.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP & MONUMENTAL PROJECTS – We believe the entrepreneurial spirit should be encouraged by reducing corporate taxation and bureaucratic regulation. We support the identification and development of privately financed grand scale monumental projects that can inspire citizens to lead heroic lives and to contribute more to their civilization.

These are the first steps to creating a modernized government that still respects the morals and values that were essential in the foundation of this great nation!  Please comment away as I am always open to new thoughts and view points.

“It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
-Theodore Rosevelt

Grandpa Harpers Obituary

3/23/09

There is no word to describe Harper Allan or the copious amount of services he did for his family, friends and country. It is not easy to sum up the life of someone who lived for nearly a century, nor is it easy to forgive oneself for not taking advantage of every moment you ever had with him. I remember sitting and soaking in every word he said and gasping in awe at every story even if I had heard it ten times before. Colonel Allan is one of the most amazing and venerable person this country can claim in todays troubled times.
In my Harper Allan Represented the modern American dream. Our fore fathers wanted to bring into the world a country that was based on the principles of freedom, equality and the result was the United States of America. We have faced many trials in our troubled past but we persevere because of people like Harper Allan. In the beginning we had to conquer a new land, today we have to coexist with the entire world. But regardless of what happens we raise a special breed of people here. People who are strong, smart and proud. Harper Allan represented the quintessential American Hero. He grew up in the great mid west playing baseball, listening to his elders and at night sitting and listening to the radio and cheering the red rider and all his other boyhood heros on. Then after growing up he went to a University to pursue his education, but when our venerable nation was attacked he rushed forward to join up and serve his country in the romanticized seat of the United States Army Airforce. After getting thru the rigors of training he went to Europe where the last shred of romance was erased from his mind. Flying over 20 missions over fortress europe he participated in some of the most daring air force battles to ever occur, including Overload….. a.k.a. D-Day. During his heroic actions he flew bombers home after they had lost not just one but two engines. He not only had the responsibility of his mission but he was in charge of keeping his crew alive and he did an amazing job of it.
At this point a person could of been content with what they had done in the war and come home to celebrate and/or live off of uncle sam for a while. This was not so for Harper Allan. He came home and dove headfirst into his family’s business so that he could provide a comfortable home for his new family. Immersing himself 100% in every aspect of his life he became president of the country club, earned the rank of bird colonel and raised an amazing family.

Harper Allan is an amazing man who influenced innumerable people and I am proud to call him my
Grandfather

What is a Sprig?

What is a Sprig?

I was born on March 16, 1988 at Rose Hospital in Denver, CO. I was two weeks over due and had trouble breathing but was quick to recover. In a nutshell, that story was an omen of the life to follow. I grew up on a ranch in Colorado then moved to a beach in beautiful La Jolla, then it was off to Spain where I stayed until I moved to San Francisco and then last summer to my true home in San Diego. These anecdotes are part of an explanation of what a Sprig is, and what a Sprig is, directly influences how I communicate and to whose culture I feel a part of.

Being born in Colorado gives me my most sacred cultural affiliation, I am an American citizen. Ever since I can first remember pride in my country and our customs has been instilled in me by my teachers, parents, siblings, media and a million other sources. Along with the national pride, I am proud to be a Caucasian of German, Scottish, French and Welsh decent. However you will never catch me calling myself a Caucasian American. The reason for this is, I don’t think an American should need to tell what their race is when describing their nationality.

America is so unique in its incredible diversity. It is diverse in terms of race, religion, sexual preferences, political groups and in many more ways. This diversity along with my immediate family helped to shape who I am and what I see as an American. My father is from an ultra-conservative family in Springfield IL and my mother is from a tiny town called Mankato in Minnesota. Combined, my parents raised my brother and I in a very strict and old fashion way. We were taught to open the door for a girl and to always eat properly along with the importance of honesty and good manners. However my parents were also very modern in the sense that they taught us to not see race but to see people of any color as they really are, people. Also we were never hushed but rather encouraged to voice our opinion and join in the “Big Kids” activities. This was instrumental in making me who I am today, and helping to give me a very out going personality and the resulting “low anxiety/uncertainty levels (Gudykunst & Kim, 2003) that help me communicate across cultural barriers. I have been proud to be an American my entire life. I cannot say there has ever been any significant change in that fact. However it is not hard to explain how I came to be so proud.

My greatest hero/role model has always been my Grandfather, Colonel Harper Charles Allan. I see him as a model American and a perfect snapshot of my view of ideal American culture and why I am proud of it. My grandfather was raised in the hell hole of the great depression and rose to be an American hero. He finished college only months after Pearl Harbor and foregoing his invitation to play professional baseball he joined the US Air force to help defend our freedom. He safely flew 12 different B-17 Superfortress over Germany 42 times and earned the distinguished flying cross. After marrying his OSS sweetheart he took over his father-in-laws insurance company and raised a family of 5. His children became CEO’s, Movie Directors and Entrepreneurs of the finest caliber. He stayed in the Airforce Reserve and retired a bird colonel. A republican, my grandfather was a great man and lived the American dream. If this story represents what it means to be an American, than I would rate my culture identification at a 9.

In terms of being able to identify with my ethnic group, impossible because I do not have one. Am I German because I have blond hair? Or maybe I am Scottish because my last name is Allan. Perhaps I could consider myself French because I like good cheese and wine. Maybe I should say I am a northerner because I am a decedent of Abraham Lincoln and Francis Scott Key? None of these are the right answer alone, because I am all of them combined. I am a classic American, a decedent from a dozen places but none to call mine. I don’t mind not having an ethnic group because it allows me to become a part of wherever I am. However when abroad or in another town/city/state I have to be careful and not let my very American communication style get me in trouble.

In America we tend to be loud, fast and rude as a part of life. When we feel life speaking our mind we are encouraged to do so regardless of whether it is good for other people too. This is a good example of what the authors mean when they say, “Most people in the United States have individualistic tendencies…”(Gudykunst & Kim, 2003, p. 54) Unfortunately in my opinion, America seems to be driven almost exclusively by money which leads to an almost Darwinian and individualistic style of culture. Although I am not proud of this part of our culture, we are all forced to play along with it or face a very bleak future while others take the opportunities. Another byproduct of this is Americans tendencies to keep their personal ‘bubble.’ Americans tend to keep everyone at an arms distance and hesitate to even sit right next to someone on the bus or in a movie theater.

To put it as Woodrow Wilson did, “Sometimes people call me an idealist.  Well, that is the way I know I am an American.  America is the only idealistic nation in the world.” I am an American to the core but that does not mean I look down on other cultures. To finalize my cultural explanation I use the immortal words of James Bryce, “Our country is not the only thing to which we owe our allegiance.  It is also owed to justice and to humanity.  Patriotism consists not in waving the flag, but in striving that our country shall be righteous as well as strong”

Patriotism Today

American Patriotism Today

Depending on who you are, patriotism is a gift, an obligation or a burden. The dictionary defines patriotism as, devoted love, support, and defense of one’s country; national loyalty. The definition may seem straight forward and simple, but in reality patriotism has many more definitions and its meaning changes over time. Being born in Denver, CO in 1988 my views of patriotism were shaped by my family as well as by the ultra-conservative community I grew up in. A persons definition of patriotism is generally shaped by three main factors; the timing of the question, their family values and their community values. The timing of the question is of vital importance as the national view of patriotism can change in as little as a couple months.

American Patriotism used to be supporting the Constitutional right of all men to be free, then it was patriotic to ration during WWI and WWII. After WWII it was patriotic to be anti communist, and to turn in your “red” neighbor. Following McCarthyism, it became patriotic to fight the governments involvement oversees, or to support it depending on whose political ideology you followed. After the peaceful and lucrative 90’s people were forgetting what it meant to be patriotic. Then on september 11^th the country was united and a whole new wave of flag waving and anthem playing patriotism arose. However the consequences of 9/11 would later divide the country in a way that has not been seen since the 1960’s.

A couple months after 9/11 it became patriotic for republicans to defend Bush and his decision to go to Iraq. At the same time it became popular for democrats to constantly batter Bush for his not finding of WMD in Iraq and to constantly fight every move president Bush tried to make on everything from health care to education. Iraq became the iconic hot button for Bush’s presidency, and helped re-write the definition of patriotism for the rest of his term.

Now that the reader knows the importance of this brief history of American patriotism, I can now explain my personal view of what it means to be patriotic. To be patriotic a person needs to meet a couple of very important criteria. First, a person needs to be driven not only by what is good for them but also by an honest concern for the greater good of their countrymen. Second a person needs to know what they are being patriotic for. For example a person who has no knowledge of our countries history would have a hard time being honestly patriotic. I would define patriotism as; a love and respect for your country and a willingness to make sacrifices for it.

Following this definition of patriotism I would be considered a patriot of the first order. The United States of America is far from perfect but it does represent an idealistic society unlike any other in the world. However to enjoy the right to vote, the right to free speech and all of the other rights we take for granted some one had to pay the ultimate price. In my opinion the greatest patriot is the soldier. The US soldier is a volunteer who has given an oath to defend the constitution of our country and is sometimes asked to lay down his life to guarantee those rights. Although sometimes a soldier is driven more by the monetary incentives than by their patriotic ideals but that is not the norm. However it does not take the blind obedience of the soldier to be a true patriot.

Some of the greatest patriots of all were people who spoke out against the current administration and/or against unjust laws. Although I do not go to the extremes that Kazin does when he says, “Throughout or history, and still today, the most effective way to love the country is to fight like hell to change it,”(The Informed Argument) I think that it is entirely possible to be patriotic and not support what is going on in Washington at any given time. One phenomenal example of an American patriot is Martin Luther King Jr. Our founding fathers put down in writing that all men are created equal and yet they allowed the enslavement and later discrimination of people based on nothing but the color of their skin. Being born in the time of segregation in America, Martin Luther King had an enormous task in bringing equality to all Americans. Marting Luther King believed in the uniquely American ideals of freedom and equality and took measures to guarantee them. He led dozens of enormous and peaceful protests against Washington D.C. and yet he is still, according to my definition, a model for American patriotism.

American Patriotism should never be defined as a blind obedience to any political party or president. American patriots need to balance their allegiance to their political parties or other groups with their national pride. As McClay puts it, “On the contrary, American patriotism has generally affirmed and drawn upon the vibrancy and integrity of other, smaller-scale, and relatively independent loyalties.”(The Informed Argument) This quote is explaining that being of a different race, religion or even sexual orientation does not need to take away from a persons patriotism but rather can help make it stronger. In America an unjust rule can always be fought against and changed if the majority agree with you. This means that to be an American patriot does not mean blindly following all the rules but rather fighting for what you believe in.

As JFK so eloquently put it, “And so, my fellow americans: ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.” Thanks in part to this mentality and Americans definition of patriotism is changed depending on the time, their family and their community. American patriotism as McClay so beautifully put it is, “To be an American… is not a matter of whose child you are but of what principles you accept. It is a nation of the twice born, politically and culturally, a nation founded not upon decent but consent.”(The Informed Argument)

 

Works Cited

Miller, Robert, and Robert Yagelski The Informed Argument. Massachusetts, 2004

Capital Punishment and Deaton

Studying in my garage with my friend Deaton, I was struck by the inequities of our legal system. Knowing that I had to write an essay about argument I decided to ask Deaton about her views on capital punishment. Deaton was quick to respond with a resounding “NO” and I knew I had found the perfect topic to explore the different kinds of arguments defined in our text. The four arguments presented in the text were; the argument to inquire, the argument to assert, the argument to dominate, and the argument to negotiate differences.

Initially Deaton was very sure of her argument that people who had committed murders should be imprisoned as appose to being punished with lethal force. She presented her arguments in comments such as, “death is the easy way out” which is an argument to assert. Two other arguments she made are, “prison is punishment” and an argument to compassion, “the peoples lives will be sufficiently ruined by being in prison and having their identities marked with a criminal record.” I asked why the criminal record is a sufficient punishment and she answered by saying that, “because of the record they would have a hard time getting a job, which can be seen as a punishment.”

After she had her say I proceeded to utterly and completely tear apart her argument using statistical evidence and many arguments to dominate. One such counter arguments I used was, “The American prison system gives even death row inmates state of the art medical care, 3 meals a day, in some cases a TV and air conditioning. These are luxuries that thousands of Americans do not have a hope of getting, and yet our tax dollars are providing them for people who have committed heinous crimes against fellow human beings.” I am very passionate about this topic for a variety of reasons and I found myself using predominantly argument to dominate with no arguments to negotiate differences. After about twenty minutes I decided that my arguments to dominate were not appropriate to use with a close friend because it hurt too many feelings.