Hi! My name’s Ashley, and on this blog I will be posting weekly essays during the school year and stories and poems as often as possible, as well as any other post on a random topic. I’d appreciate it if you’d tell tell me how I can improve my blog!
Ashley
What’s the difference between state-subsidized churches and state-subsidized schools?
The difference is that churches, with exceptions of course, are not the absolute key to an individual’s intelligence and ability to conduct himself in the world with status and courage, endowed with the spirit of self-esteem and knowledge. Education is. Churches are important spiritually, a large factor in any individual’s life. However, without proper schooling, complete and fair, the individual does not have the foundation upon which to build his personality, opinions and political and moral standpoints.
Therefore, state-subsidized schools are more dangerous than state-subsidized churches in the sense that they form more of a child’s consciousness. In effect, they are the impacting factor in a child’s life. The child is in school more than he is with his parents and in church combined. Therefore the influence exercised upon him will have far greater effect than any his parents or pastor would have upon him.
Education is a very important factor in everyone’s life. Learning does not end with a university degree. The difference is that now the education is choice and according to each one’s personal taste. (more…)
Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s four freedoms are famous across this country, perhaps across the world. They have been widely accepted as a true statement of what America should be. But do they really promote liberty?
The first is the Freedom of Speech and Expression. This is a true freedom, without which we could and would not survive as Americans. Or, for that matter, as any kind of free being with self-esteem.
The second is Freedom of Worship, also an essential freedom. Both of these are in accord with our founding documents, as stated in the Bill of Rights.
The third is Freedom from Want. Is this a legitimate government-enforced freedom? My answer is No. It is the government’s duty to ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense and promote the general welfare. It is not the duty of the government to provide the kind of freedom from want that Roosevelt described. This impinges on American rights and it should not ever be enforced. (more…)
A pencil. One of the simplest pieces of creation, seemingly. It’s used for school, business, architecture, carpentry, designing, writing famous books. A kid drops it, breaks it and you can buy a whole new pack for a couple bucks. And yet a pencil is so much more than just a piece of wood and graphite with an eraser stuck on the end.
Think about it. Where does the pencil come from? Who made it? What work went into it? Where did the materials come from?
To get to the roots of the pencil, we go to the Northern Pacific US. There, a logger cuts down a tree. But in order to cut down the tree, in order to make the pencil, he has to have a chainsaw. To make the steel chainsaw blade, you need iron ore. The list could go on and on.
Once the tree is cut, you need trucks and cranes and other equipment to get it to the mill and the factory where you get it cut to proper size. After that it’s carted off using more machinery and people to the place it gets refined and put together with the other pieces.
Graphite comes from China, Hong Kong and South America. It’s mined and taken to a facility where it’s compressed, baked and compressed again. It’s then cut into strips and sent to the same factory where the wood is waiting for it. (more…)
Hey, everyone! I got back Sunday from a week-long vacation in balmy San Diego, a beautiful city with a small town feel. We spent most of it on the beach, something I’d never done before. It was something to see the vast, endless expanse of the ocean for the first time!! We toured La Jolla, Oceanside, Mission and Pacific beaches and downtown. The day before we left we went to Sea World. Absolutely stunning! 😀
We drove ten hours the first day, to the bottom of Utah. After staying overnight, we drove the remaining seven hours through Nevada, Las Vegas and San Bernardino to the outskirts of Escondido, a suburb of San Diego. It wasn’t too hot, which was really nice. I’m not very heat tolerant.
Here are a few pictures of the end of the Grand Canyon and red rocks that we glimpsed as we drove by on the way over:
And here are pictures of Arizona and Nevada deserts:
And here are few pictures of vegetation around the cottage we stayed in, downtown San Deigo, Seaport Village and Coronado bridge. (more…)
Which promotes greater personal responsibility, the free market or the welfare state?
It’s almost too easy—the free market, of course. Why? Because the welfare state creates dependency and even greater need than the need it is trying to solve. The free market offers opportunity, a chance to create something all your own, something made out of your own two hands, so to speak. That, in essence, is what America is all about—the need and joy of entrepreneurship. The joy of making it on your own and the realization of personal freedom, from which stems your creativity and ability to fulfill your dreams.
The welfare state, on the other hand, deprives people of the ability to live for themselves. It eradicates the bustle of entrepreneurial ideas. Instead of the welfare state, which only temporarily reprieves a situation, there is a far greater need for the bringing up of people—the raising of self-esteem and courage and honor, which in turn naturally leads to a desire to fend for yourself. Once that is accomplished, you can gradually turn off the tap on welfare, until the people are standing on their own two feet, proud and free once more. (more…)
Is restitution to victims better for society than jail sentences for criminals?
One could say that restitution is better for society. It accommodates the victim, who normally does not get compensated in the least because the money goes to the government. It allows the “bad guy” to work off his debt and bad name in a protected workplace. But does it really work better than our modern jail system?
Craig Badguy robs Bob Goodguy. Police catch Badguy and put him in a camp where he can work to pay off Goodguy. Badguy, although counseled, secretly plots revenge and robs another man soon after he serves his time in the prison camp. Prison camp wasn’t so bad! A minor flaw in restitution, that.
Joe Badguy robs Dean Goodguy. Police catch Badguy and throw him in jail to fulfill his years-long sentence. He sweats it out in jail……HOW MUCH LONGER, LORD???? He gets out and decides to reform a little. Jail definitely wasn’t worth it. Of course, there are criminals who don’t reform. Those usually get life sentences. But……what about the victim? He doesn’t get paid! (more…)
