http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress Idaho Common Sense® Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:02:45 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Welcome to - The truth as I see it™. Dr. Bosley writes sociopolitical columns with a conservative view that is well articulated and defended, provoking thought and discussion without telling people what to think. He poses questions, while offering his personal views and reasoning for them, allowing readers to better understand his opinions as they develop their own. His advice to himself - "Writing the truth as I see it; trying not to offend those who will disagree." Craig L. Bosley, MD no Craig L. Bosley, MD webmaster@craigbosley.com webmaster@craigbosley.com (Craig L. Bosley, MD) 2010 Craig Bosley The truth as I see it™ http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/powerpress/rss_default.jpg http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2010/10/reclaiming-the-constitution-part-v/ http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2010/10/reclaiming-the-constitution-part-v/#comments Sun, 10 Oct 2010 19:03:20 +0000 Craig Bosley http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/?p=1659 http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2010/10/reclaiming-the-constitution-part-v/feed/ 1 http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2010/09/the-path-to-socialism-part-i/ http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2010/09/the-path-to-socialism-part-i/#comments Mon, 13 Sep 2010 11:02:40 +0000 Craig Bosley http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/?p=1608 http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2010/09/the-path-to-socialism-part-i/feed/ 0 Bill of Rights,Federal government of the United States,government,Law,Supreme Court,Supreme Court of the United States,United States,United States Constitution "We do not have socialism. We have regulated capitalism." - ISJ reader comment Is that true? Is it all or none? Or is the path to socialism a process so slow that each individual step is logical, masking the eventual outcome and encouraging inattentio... "We do not have socialism. We have regulated capitalism." - ISJ reader comment Is that true? Is it all or none? Or is the path to socialism a process so slow that each individual step is logical, masking the eventual outcome and encouraging inattention and indifference until it's too late? More important, if we are not yet socialist, is our federal government still the limited government the founding fathers created with the United States Constitution? Does it still respect state's rights? Does it still respect individual rights and freedoms? Before answering, remember that this past summer the Second Amendment was upheld by only a 5-4 vote of the Supreme Court, a constitutionally guaranteed right only one political appointment away from revocation. Is this what the founding fathers intended for the federal government they created? Or, did they intend something different, something limited, something not at all like our federal government? What was the purpose of the United States Constitution? Why did the states create a federal government and what did they want it to do? The states had some common needs, like defense, they realized could be more efficiently managed as a national unit rather than individually. But they only intended the federal government to oversee a limited number of things on their behalf, demanding the government they created remain subservient to the states, which were subservient to the people? Although the Constitution lists the limited powers of the federal government, in 1791 the states added the Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to the Constitution, because they wanted to better clarify the people's and the state's rights. Keep in mind that these rights are not the same as privileges granted by the government. Our rights are guaranteed by the Constitution and the government cannot amend or revoke them, although the Supreme Court came perilously close this summer. Moreover, with the Tenth Amendment, the founding fathers intended to prevent the federal government from usurping powers not in the Constitution - "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." With ratification of the Constitution and these amendments, neither the people nor the states abdicated control to the federal government. Instead, if you will, the states employed the federal government to perform certain tasks for them, outlined in a contract - The United States Constitution. Has the federal government been a good employee? Has it honored the terms of its contract with the states and the people? In the 219 years since the Bill of Rights, only 17 amendments have been added to the Constitution; only 17 times has the federal government admitted it needed an amendment to address an issue before it. Is that logical? Do you believe the founding fathers were so brilliant that they capably addressed all but 17 issues? Instead, maybe the founding fathers knew they could not address all that was to change, and in anticipation of needed changes to the Constitution, they gave us Article V, a mechanism to amend it when needed. Perhaps they also appreciated and valued the sanctity of the United States Constitution, intentionally designing it to be cumbersome to amend, requiring the agreement of two-thirds of each house of Congress and three-fourths of the states. Perhaps they recognized that something as important as our Constitution should not be amended lightly, should not be amended at a whim, should not be amended as political fortunes dictate. Would they be appalled with the irreverence and irrelevance our federal government shows the Constitution, reducing it to a constitution in name only. Would they be appalled that our federal government ignores the Constitution with its legislation and Supreme Court rulings, offering only a passing nod to the document they swore to uphold and defend? What happened? Craig L. Bosley, MD no 4:48 http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2010/07/subject-or-citizen/ http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2010/07/subject-or-citizen/#comments Sun, 18 Jul 2010 22:43:17 +0000 Craig Bosley http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/?p=1363 http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2010/07/subject-or-citizen/feed/ 2 Conservatism,Freedom of information,government,Government Operations,Great Britain,John Adams,Politics,United States "Oh posterity, you will never know how much it cost us to preserve your freedom. I hope that you will make a good use of it." - John Adams, second U.S. president American statesman Dean Alfange, born in Istanbul in 1899, "Oh posterity, you will never know how much it cost us to preserve your freedom. I hope that you will make a good use of it." - John Adams, second U.S. president American statesman Dean Alfange, born in Istanbul in 1899, reflected the values of an American citizen when he wrote, "I do not choose to be a common man; it is my right to be uncommon . . . if I can. I seek opportunity . . . not security. I do not wish to be a kept citizen, humbled and dulled by having the State look after me. I want to take the calculated risk, to dream and to build, to fail and to succeed. I refuse to barter incentive for a dole; I prefer the challenges of life to the guaranteed existence, the thrill of fulfillment to the stale calm of Utopia. I will not trade freedom for beneficence nor my dignity for a handout. I will never cower before any master nor bend to any threat. It is my heritage to stand erect, proud and unafraid, to think and act for myself, to enjoy the benefit of my creations and to face the world boldly and say: 'This, with God's help, I have done.'" We faced the wrath of Great Britain and risked our lives for these values. We had been subjects. We demanded to be citizens. We knew the price of being subjects, of security. We knew the price of becoming citizens, of freedom. The founding fathers decided to pay that price for our freedom, for our citizenship. They willingly traded security for freedom. Do we still want to be citizens? Are we still willing to pay the price? Perhaps Alfange's words no longer matter, no longer are relevant. Perhaps the thought of a "mother" government deciding what's best for us and making decisions for us is what we want. Maybe the price of freedom is too high, the security of a subject preferable. Maybe we claim to want freedom, but really want "caveat" freedom, freedom with the caveat, "but only as long as." We demand independence - but only as long as handouts continue. We demand freedom - but only as long as it's easy, no hardship. We demand a government subservient to us - but only as long as it does not require us to sacrifice. We demand the freedom to dream and to build - but only as long as the government accepts the risk if we fail. We demand to experience the joys of life - but only as long as the government guarantees to build our "Utopia" if we cannot. We demand our pride and dignity - but only as long as government subsidies continue. If Alfange reflected today's values, might he disappointedly write, "I choose to be a common man; it is too hard to be uncommon . . . and I no longer can. I seek security . . . not opportunity. I expect to be a kept citizen, willingly humbled and dulled by having the State look after me. I will not take a calculated risk. I do not want to dream and to build. I will not risk failure to succeed. I will always barter incentive for a dole. The challenges of life are too hard; I want a government guaranteed existence. I have no interest in the thrill of fulfillment; I want the stale calm of Utopia. I will always trade my freedom for beneficence and my dignity for a handout. I will cower before my government and I will bend to its threats. It is now my heritage to crouch, ashamed and afraid, to no longer think and act for myself, to no longer dream of new creations and to no longer face the world and say: 'This, with God's help, I have done,' . . . because I traded my freedom to the government." I am a subject. Again. Printable Page (http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/20100719-Subject-or-citizen2.pdf) (http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=e42a8289-b2db-4893-b951-2387f713fc49) Craig L. Bosley, MD no 4:12 http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2010/04/no-more-apologies-part-ii/ http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2010/04/no-more-apologies-part-ii/#comments Mon, 05 Apr 2010 19:22:09 +0000 Craig Bosley http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/?p=1070 http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2010/04/no-more-apologies-part-ii/feed/ 0 Department of Defense,Economic,Education,Executive Branch,government,Gross domestic product,Unified Combatant Commands,United States We grovel before Gadhafi and hide our flag. Critics claim we are a self-centered and selfish country, providing less foreign aid than twenty-one other countries when comparing the aid as a percentage of gross national income. Are our critics right? We grovel before Gadhafi and hide our flag. Critics claim we are a self-centered and selfish country, providing less foreign aid than twenty-one other countries when comparing the aid as a percentage of gross national income. Are our critics right? Are we not what we believe? Well, how might we fare if we looked at total foreign aid rather than percentages? In that case, the United States is first, giving more than $25 billion in 2008; the next 21 nations combined giving only $85 billion. The United States provides nearly 30% of the world's foreign aid. So which are we, self-centered or generous? Although using percentages of gross national income is a more accurate way to compare foreign aid, is it a truthful representation of United States assistance to other nations? Or is it misleading, lying by omission, leaving out data to prove a pre-determined outcome? It turns out the data ranking us twenty-second in foreign aid is misleading, just one piece of a much larger pie the United States bashers tend to overlook. Most of the other twenty-one nations provide little private philanthropy. Moreover, most are "socialist," their citizens believing it is the government's responsibility to give aid to other countries, not theirs. Pretty much the way they view everything else in their lives. Which country does provide the most private charity? The United States, of course. Even when compared to other nations as a percentage of gross domestic product; we give more than twice what any other nation gives. Not bad for a self-centered people. That said; a third area of foreign aid needs examination. Most of the free world, with few exceptions, expects the United States to provide their military protection, a tremendous financial windfall for them. We are no longer the United States military; we are the world's military. In 2008, world military spending was $1.47 trillion, the United States responsible for 48% of that total. Removing Chinese and Russian spending, the United States pays for nearly 56% of the free world's military needs. And, we actually provide much more because most countries adeptly find "reasons" they must stay on the sidelines, sitting at home, refusing to step up to the plate while American men and women die in their place. Since our critics compare us to other countries as a percentage of gross domestic product or gross national income, what dollar value do they place on American lives? Can they explain how to calculate American lives as a percentage of gross domestic product or gross national income? Foreign aid, philanthropy and military expenditures are all pieces of the same pie. Selecting only one piece and using the data to denigrate America is nothing more than lying by omission. But, if we look at the whole pie, the United States takes care of the world. We provide more foreign aid than any other nation. Our citizens provide more charitable contributions than any other nation. And we provide military protection for the free world, including the lives of our men and women. Maybe we are not the self-centered people the critics claim. Too often, our critics, both foreign and domestic, treat the United States the way a spoiled child treats a parent; rather than appreciative of what they are given, they resent they are not given more and they continually ask for more. Further, they become indignant if expected to contribute anything. In their view, they are to have whatever they want, whenever they want and if the parent, the United States, fails to comply, temper tantrums and threats can follow. Maybe, just maybe, it's time to allow some of the world's spoiled countries to provide for themselves, to protect themselves, time to allow them the opportunity to grow and appreciate the United States for what it really is - the world's provider and protector. Remember, the United States, with all its blemishes, is still the greatest country in the history of the world, Craig L. Bosley, MD no 4:34 http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2010/03/fundamental-rights-of-americans/ http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2010/03/fundamental-rights-of-americans/#comments Mon, 15 Mar 2010 06:10:29 +0000 Craig Bosley http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/?p=1031 http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2010/03/fundamental-rights-of-americans/feed/ 0 Constitution,Gerald Ford,government,Health care,Social Security,Supreme Court of the United States,United States,United States Congress,United States Constitution,Washington D.C. The government, determined it knows what is best for us, continues expanding its role beyond its constitutional authority. It has little need for the Constitution because over 60 years ago the Supreme Court ruled that the founding fathers erred and act... The government, determined it knows what is best for us, continues expanding its role beyond its constitutional authority. It has little need for the Constitution because over 60 years ago the Supreme Court ruled that the founding fathers erred and act... Craig L. Bosley, MD no 4:20 http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2010/01/guns-the-constitution-and-switzerland/ http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2010/01/guns-the-constitution-and-switzerland/#comments Sat, 02 Jan 2010 23:37:36 +0000 Craig Bosley http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/?p=126 http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2010/01/guns-the-constitution-and-switzerland/feed/ 0 government,Gun politics,Law,second amendment,Second Amendment to the United States Constitution,Supreme Court,United States,United States Constitution,United States Supreme Court A fact regularly ignored in much of the gun debate – the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution.  In 2008, the Supreme Court revisited the constitutional meaning of the right of the individual to “keep and bear arms, A fact regularly ignored in much of the gun debate – the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution.  In 2008, the Supreme Court revisited the constitutional meaning of the right of the individual to “keep and bear arms,” and unequivocally affirmed our constitutional right of individual gun ownership. That should end the debate because a constitutional right is not the same as a governmental privilege; neither the legislature nor the Supreme Court can change a constitutional right.  Yet, gun control advocates continue discounting this reality with ongoing legislative assaults on our rights. The diatribe continues with tired and illegal arguments.  One popular “explanation” for limiting gun ownership is that the Founding Fathers intended for citizens to have muskets; therefore, anything beyond a hunting gun is not protected by the Constitution. False.  First, the Constitution makes no mention of limiting gun ownership in any way, to any type of weapon.  Second, the muskets owned by citizens of the time were the very same muskets carried by the military.  In other words, the Founding Fathers intended the citizens’ weapons to be the same as the military’s, precisely because the Second Amendment was to arm us to protect ourselves from the government, should that be needed. Another argument is that the Constitution was intended to be a living document, evolving with the times and needs, reinterpreted by the Supreme Court. False again.  There is no language in the Constitution suggesting the government or its agent, the Supreme Court, can reinterpret or change the Constitution.  The Founding Fathers clearly stated the only way to change the Constitution is via Article V, an amendment.  The Constitution is amendable, but it is not re-interpretable. Another popular false argument is that gun control reduces crime.  Even if it were true (which it is not), the government simply does not have the legal authority to take our guns. I have a proposal.  Let’s copy the Swiss.  The Swiss build shooting ranges like we build golf courses.  Those who advocate taking our guns away would cringe at the Swiss, labeling them gun nuts.  Guns are everywhere in Switzerland. Why?  Because every able-bodied male is required, at the age of 20, to attend the Swiss equivalent of military boot camp and remain in the country’s national guard until the age of 30.  During those years they keep in their home their military rifle, similar to our military M-4. And when they complete their military obligation, they have the option to keep their weapon, once the fully automatic feature is removed, making it similar to our civilian AR-15. While every able-bodied Swiss male serves in the military, less than 1 percent of United States males ages 18 to 24 serve in our nation’s armed forces, according to the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series, a “project dedicated to collecting and distributing United States census data.” Moreover, the Swiss love of guns goes well beyond the military, with the government building gun ranges, sponsoring shooting competitions and holding gun training clinics for all citizens.  Only two nations have more guns per-capita than Switzerland and it has more people trained to use guns per-capita than any place in the world. And guess what?  It is one of the safest places in the world, although one could argue this does not prove a link between gun ownership and less crime because other factors could be involved.  But Switzerland is an excellent example that gun ownership does not mandate increased crime as we are continually threatened it will. And there might be an added benefit.  What if we could get Congress as excited about spending money building shooting ranges and providing the citizens with weapons as they are about spending money on water taxis and bridges to nowhere. Remember, Congress has repeatedly proven its desire to spend huge sums of money, with little concern on how the money is spent. Craig L. Bosley, MD no 4:13 http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2009/11/to-be-president-of-the-united-states/ http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2009/11/to-be-president-of-the-united-states/#comments Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:10:10 +0000 Craig Bosley http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/?p=120 http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2009/11/to-be-president-of-the-united-states/feed/ 0 Constitution,Elections,government,Natural born citizen of the United States,Politics,President of the United States,Presidential,Ronald Reagan,Thomas Jefferson,United States Constitution There are only two constitutional requirements to be president of the United States of America.  You must be a natural born citizen of the United States and at least 35 years of age.  That is all that is needed for the most important job in the world. There are only two constitutional requirements to be president of the United States of America.  You must be a natural born citizen of the United States and at least 35 years of age.  That is all that is needed for the most important job in the world. ... Craig L. Bosley, MD no 4:00 http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2009/07/who-are-real-americans/ http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2009/07/who-are-real-americans/#comments Mon, 20 Jul 2009 16:03:01 +0000 Craig Bosley http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/?p=106 http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2009/07/who-are-real-americans/feed/ 0 http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2009/07/is-the-government-the-new-company-store/ http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2009/07/is-the-government-the-new-company-store/#comments Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:58:46 +0000 Craig Bosley http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/?p=105 http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2009/07/is-the-government-the-new-company-store/feed/ 0 http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2009/07/equal-protection-of-the-laws/ http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2009/07/equal-protection-of-the-laws/#comments Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:46:20 +0000 Craig Bosley http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/?p=100 http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2009/07/equal-protection-of-the-laws/feed/ 0 http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2009/06/what-do-we-see-in-our-flag-fourth-of-july-2009/ http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2009/06/what-do-we-see-in-our-flag-fourth-of-july-2009/#comments Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:40:10 +0000 Craig Bosley http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/?p=99 http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2009/06/what-do-we-see-in-our-flag-fourth-of-july-2009/feed/ 0 http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2009/04/the-socialist-states-of-america/ http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2009/04/the-socialist-states-of-america/#comments Mon, 13 Apr 2009 12:01:18 +0000 Craig Bosley http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/?p=63 http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2009/04/the-socialist-states-of-america/feed/ 0 http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2009/04/selective-law-enforcement/ http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2009/04/selective-law-enforcement/#comments Mon, 06 Apr 2009 20:12:13 +0000 Craig Bosley http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/?p=54 http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2009/04/selective-law-enforcement/feed/ 0 http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2009/03/can-one-person-make-a-difference/ http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2009/03/can-one-person-make-a-difference/#comments Mon, 23 Mar 2009 15:59:48 +0000 Craig Bosley http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/?p=5 http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2009/03/can-one-person-make-a-difference/feed/ 0 http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2009/03/can-we-tax-our-way-out-of-irresponsible-debt/ http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2009/03/can-we-tax-our-way-out-of-irresponsible-debt/#comments Mon, 16 Mar 2009 16:05:05 +0000 Craig Bosley http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/?p=6 http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2009/03/can-we-tax-our-way-out-of-irresponsible-debt/feed/ 0 http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2009/03/responsibility-and-self-respect/ http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2009/03/responsibility-and-self-respect/#comments Mon, 09 Mar 2009 16:25:05 +0000 Craig Bosley http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/?p=7 http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2009/03/responsibility-and-self-respect/feed/ 0 http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2009/03/is-the-united-states-an-empire-in-demise/ http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2009/03/is-the-united-states-an-empire-in-demise/#comments Mon, 02 Mar 2009 18:54:19 +0000 Craig Bosley http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/?p=8 http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2009/03/is-the-united-states-an-empire-in-demise/feed/ 0 http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2009/02/make-my-day-gun-laws/ http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2009/02/make-my-day-gun-laws/#comments Mon, 16 Feb 2009 19:00:03 +0000 Craig Bosley http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/?p=10 http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2009/02/make-my-day-gun-laws/feed/ 0 http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2008/10/who-should-pay-to-rebuild-following-natural-disasters/ http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2008/10/who-should-pay-to-rebuild-following-natural-disasters/#comments Mon, 20 Oct 2008 16:39:51 +0000 Craig Bosley http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/?p=83 http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2008/10/who-should-pay-to-rebuild-following-natural-disasters/feed/ 0 http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2008/08/the-united-states-the-worlds-provider-and-protector/ http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2008/08/the-united-states-the-worlds-provider-and-protector/#comments Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:51:16 +0000 Craig Bosley http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/?p=74 http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2008/08/the-united-states-the-worlds-provider-and-protector/feed/ 0 http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2007/12/perspective-new-years/ http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2007/12/perspective-new-years/#comments Mon, 31 Dec 2007 14:04:22 +0000 Craig Bosley http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/?p=40 http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2007/12/perspective-new-years/feed/ 0 http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2007/11/thoughts-of-a-soldiers-father-veterans-day/ http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2007/11/thoughts-of-a-soldiers-father-veterans-day/#comments Mon, 05 Nov 2007 16:15:51 +0000 Craig Bosley http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/?p=32 http://www.craigbosley.com/wordpress/2007/11/thoughts-of-a-soldiers-father-veterans-day/feed/ 0