My Personal Manifesto

1. I no longer consider myself a Republican. I am definitely not a Democrat either. I am a bleeding heart conservative, if such a thing exists. I believe in and defend the Constitution of the United States. That includes Religious Freedom and the Second Amendment. I believe in gay rights. I believe in many programs that help the less fortunate. And I really hate big government and big business.

2. I believe citizens have the right to bear arms. I do. I have no problem with people owning firearms. However, I do not think ALL people are smart or sane enough to have one, and do, 100%, firmly, and without question, believe we need stricter gun controls. Gun permits and CCL's need to be determined by much more than a computer and a gun store owner. And they shouldn't be for life. They should have to be renewable, just like a driver's license.

3. I am all for stronger and more States' rights. Sure it means some states will get a little carried away with their legislation. (California, Massachusetts, and Illinois come to mind.) But as long as people have the right to pick up and move away, or vote out bad politicians, those problems will take care of themselves in time. (Everyone in Utah knows at least one Californian who has moved to UT to get away from the craziness of CA.)

4. I believe that as things currently stand, politics and representatives has put gay rights and religious liberty at odds with each other. I do not believe that it has to be that way. And I think that in time that will start to work itself out. I believe in gay rights. I believe in religious liberty. And I will work to help those two things work in harmony with each other.

5. Donald Trump is a complete arse.

6. I fully support the refugee movement. I live in one of the designated refugee towns. I am not in a situation where I can provide housing for someone. But I will absolutely give my time, skills, and money to assist refugees in whatever way I can.

7. Obamacare is a complete disaster. The state marketplaces are a complete disaster. Healthcare reform has been a complete disaster. And my opinions are based solely on my personal experiences using all of the above. I firmly believe we need more controls and safeguards. I believe the insurance system in this country is a complete crock. I do not think the government should run insurance. At.All.

8. There is a violence and narcissism problem in this country. And I believe the two things go hand in hand. The more narcissistic people become, the more they believe they have the right to violent, unchecked, harmful behavior. I don't know how this can be fixed or helped, but something needs to be done.

Republican Platform May Include a Gold Standard Commission

Is it the Ron Paul Effect?
Drafts of the Republican Party platform (which will get voted on and ratified at the convention next week) have included a call for an audit of the Federal Reserve monetary policy and a commission to investigate the feasibility for a return to the gold standard.
Marsha Blackburn, (TN-R), co-chair of the platform committee, said the issues were not adopted to keep Paul and his people happy, but because Republicans at large wanted it. (They did?)
Fact: Richard Nixon broke the link between gold and the dollar during the 1971 oil crisis.
During the Reagan years the party platform included a “restoration of a dependable monetary standard," (1980), and “the gold standard may be a useful mechanism” (1984).  It hasn't been included in any platforms since. Interesting to note that Reagan was not in favor of the gold standard.
Federal Reserve Chairman, Ben "the Beard" Bernanke,  is not a fan of the gold standard either. Why? Bernanke is cited as having said that in the 1800s the U.S. was prone to frequent booms and busts in part because the gold standard left no discretion in the banking system over interest rates or the money supply.
Governor Romney is not a big supporter of the idea. He's also not a big fan of Bernanke..
Romney told CNBC, "I know that in the past when we had a gold standard, the idea that somehow it was detached from or free from any interference by Congress was simply wrong because even with the gold standard someone has to decide what is the conversion rate between the gold and the dollar."
Romney, Bernanke, or Paul fan, now may be a good time to invest in gold!

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