For Rachel

Because you see beyond yourself...

 "While we are busy looking at ourselves, shooting stars fall"

 - Akiane

From Rachel

"People always ask me who my best friend is.. But I never have a solid answer. I have too many great friends, but none like my mom. She is a great blessing in my life and I am so thankful for her. So from now on when people ask who my best friend is, it isn't going to be a question I'm going to ask myself, I'll have my mind made up right away! My mom is my BEST friend. :)"

- Facebook post
5/1/12

Not Yet

As you walk, as you pass, there is no romance or balance in the voices
Just a chilly laughter
Do not mix with the crowds yet - the spirit has not changed them
As you walk, as you pass, you defend all the defeated and defenseless fears
But gold still refuses to be sifted
Do not blossom yet - all the shovels are looking for you
As you walk, as you pass, there is a helmet on each crown
And life seems like an illusion that can never be conceived by you
Do not open your eyes yet - the cages are still bigger than the land
- Akiane

A metaphor of my life-

A ship caught in the turbulent ocean
Seeking a glimpse of light
The moon’s pull of the tide
Dim silver light reflected off the dark clouds
... The rage of the wildfire
The caress of candlelight
The strength of the redwood
The frailty of the falling leaf
Faced with a choice at the edge of a cliff
Overcoming the mountain in front of me
The choppy waters pacify
A lighthouse appears from the fog
The ship is sailed by a new captain
Dawn beginning to break
The stability of a rock
The fluency of a river
The surety of the sky
The piercing purity of light
Finding the parachute strapped to my back from the start
And the map leading to the valley of rest
 
-Kenyon

Don't Need Proof - for don & lance

Havin’ a bad day, ever have one of those?
Surrounded by people, still feelin’ alone
Wish you were here or that I was there
Wishes can’t help me, wish I didn’t care

Send me a smile, and some of your love

Share some of you, a small piece, a hug
Feelin’ so empty, feeling so low
Feelings like this, wish they would go

So far away, you are today

Still you are near, feel you inside
Like part of me, that I can’t hide
I’m only me, when you’re by my side

The best part of me, is what you’ve done to me

The best part of you, is what you give freely
I know you won’t read this, you never do
But I will still write it, I simply have to

You may never know, what words I write for you

But that doesn’t mean what I write isn’t true

You don’t need to see, what you know is real

You don’t need proof, of what you already feel

- liz

4/23/12

Differences Between a Constitutional Republic and a Democracy 

A Constitutional Republic is a state where the officials are elected as representatives of the people, and must govern according to existing constitutional law that limits the government's power over citizens.  A Constitutional Republic is the current form of government in the United States. However in recent years, many people have criticized the federal government for moving away from a Constitutional Republic, as defined by the Constitution, and towards a pure democracy^.

Democracy means the people rule and can do anything they want by majority rule. In the U.S. "super majorities" (over 50%) are required for many decisions, such as ratifying a treaty or passing a constitutional amendment. Republicanism means there is a system of rule of law, or inalienable rights, which no majority can vote out.  Alexis de Tocqueville wrote:  If, on the other hand, a legislative power could be so constituted as to represent the majority without necessarily being the slave of its passions, an executive so as to retain a proper share of authority, and a judiciary so as to remain independent of the other two powers, a government would be formed which would still be democratic while incurring scarcely any risk of tyranny.

A Republic, by definition, has two principle elements. First, it is controlled by Law; therefore, it does not control Law. Second, it recognizes the private independent sovereign nature of each person (man or woman) of competent age and capacity; therefore, a Republic must be representative in its nature.  A Republic recognizes Law is unchangeable, or at least that it can only be changed by a higher source than government. In a Republic the concept of “collective sovereignty” cannot exist, except with recognition that the State or nation, as a body of sovereigns, can speak through one elected voice; though that one voice can never lawfully interfere with the private rights of the individual sovereigns.  The purpose of a Constitutional Republic is to place limits on the tyranny of the majority over the rights and freedoms of the individual.

Definition of Sovereignty

Sovereignty is having ultimate authority over a territory, with the absolute right to govern. Thus, a sovereign state is one that governs itself, independent of any foreign power, with the full authority to make war or peace and to form treaties or alliances with foreign nations. Sovereignty in government includes the authority to create, execute, and repeal laws, as well as the power to impose and collect taxes.

Popular Sovereignty

Democracy is based on the concept of Popular Sovereignty.  In federal systems of government, such as in the United States, sovereignty also refers to powers that state governments possess independently of the national government. Disputes over this authority led to the American Civil War.  So this form of Sovereignty can lead to state vs. state.

Collective Sovereignty

The people collectively, also known as the Collective Sovereignty, have a similar responsibility towards governments as parents have towards their children. They have the inherent and irremovable authority to instruct and command their elected civil servants.  That the Sovereign people do not need to seek permission from any of the governments they created to speak and act in their Sovereign or Collective Sovereign capacity.

Theory of Sovereignty vs. Today’s Reality

Acting in our Collective Sovereign authority we have also participated in elections every 4 or 5 years. In theory the purpose of the elections is for the Collective Sovereign people to elect public servants from amongst ourselves. However, in reality the so-called democratic leaders have been pre-selected for us by the wealthy and powerful corporations who finance the politicians' campaigns. Those elections have only given the illusion of democracy and are both a challenge and insult to our Collective Sovereign authority - reducing us to a level of voting for pre-selected leaders, signing useless petitions and participating in letter-writing campaigns of questionable origins, value and effects.  We are occasionally asked to vote simply yes or no on referendums, laws and restrictions of which we were not even part of the drafting or creating. Most times we are left out of decisions that directly impact our daily lives. We are told that our government knows best, or that certain knowledge is top secret and somehow beyond our authority.  We have increasingly become subject to licensing, registration, taxation and such restrictive laws that we no longer live or act in a free capacity.  We have become the “silent partner” in our own fate.

We often hear the claim that our nation is a democracy. That wasn’t the vision of the founders. They saw democracy as another form of tyranny. If we’ve become a democracy, I guarantee you that the founders would be deeply disappointed by our betrayal of their vision. The founders intended, and laid out the ground rules, for our nation to be a republic.

The word “democracy” appears nowhere in the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution – two most fundamental documents of our nation. Instead of a democracy, the Constitution’s Article IV, Section 4, guarantees “to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government.” Moreover, let’s ask ourselves: Does our pledge of allegiance to the flag say to “the democracy for which it stands,” or does it say to “the republic for which it stands”? Or do we sing “The Battle Hymn of the Democracy” or “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”?
-info from several internet sites

Spider - for Rachel

I slept with a spider last night
He bit me on the thigh
I know he was not invited
He came in on the sly
I think he sought revenge
Because I smashed his cousin
I left it on the wall
To scare of all the others
But he came anyway
I hope he will not stay
I really don’t like spiders
Do you? 

-Liz
4/13/12