“Too many people are ready to assert their rights, but not to assume their responsibilities.”
- John Maxwell
Posts Tagged ‘government’
Responsibility
Service Requires Freedom
On one recent occasion, while I was pondering my freedom as it relates to how I live my faith, I was struck by the connection between freedom and service. Forgive me if this seems to be an over-generalization, but the thought crossed my mind that human beings have always lived at some degree in the following spectrum:
BONDAGE <—-> INDEPENDENCE <—-> SERVICE
Latter-day Saints young and old alike are often reminded of the Lord’s commandment to serve their fellow brothers and sisters as they read the words of King Benjamin:
“And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.”
In addition, priesthood holders have been counseled countless times to magnify our callings and render service to all those in need. As we apply these scriptures to our own lives, in our own day, we can be grateful that we live in a country where we are free to serve our fellow beings according to our own willingness and desires.
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What, Now They Care? Really?
Here’s something to keep your eye on.
There’s been a flurry of new web activity this year as representatives at the state and federal levels have rolled out attractive, fancy websites that allow you (yes, YOU) to submit and vote on changes that you’d like to see made to government.
Isn’t that sweet.
(note: sarcasm)
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Avoiding Unintended Consequences
Consequence, defined: that which follows something on which it depends; that which is produced by a cause; a result of actions.
We Latter-day Saints know a little bit about consequences. We teach (or at least we should teach) our children from a very young age that we have been given agency by our Creator and that our actions will produce good or bad “fruits”, or in less metaphorical terms, good and bad consequences. We teach our children that sometimes our actions produce consequences that we do not expect. We offer warnings during this learning process – “don’t do x because y will surely follow” – and we hope that our children will be able to grasp the concept without suffering too much.
Yet for all the years of lessons and experiences that should cement the law of unintended consequences into our minds, we often ignore the warnings that we have been given by those who came before us. Specifically, I would like to describe our ignorance concerning the warnings related to unintended consequences that will destroy our agency and liberty.
The Pennsylvania First Plan
Pennsylvania First is a blueprint for government reform that will benefit all Pennsylvanians, regardless of political affiliation or socioeconomic status.
For too long, Pennsylvanians have been lied to. During every election cycle we have been conned into believing that our representatives in government have our best interests in mind. All of their idealistic plans have failed. And while the general public has been forced to open their wallets to pay for the government’s failures, our representatives have been safely shielded from any ill effects. Their pay increases have continued. Their corrupt dealings with lobbyists and corporatists have continued.
Pennsylvanians are angry. Pennsylvanians deserve better.
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