WAKE UP! PAY ATTENTION!

I'm getting absolutely fed up with the Federal Government. Congress is supposed to be limited to a certain number of jobs. These were listed at the time of the founding of our country. Go look them up. You'll find the listing in Article I, Section 8 of our great Constitution. I've even provided a link for you to the right.
You will not find anything in there about handing out money to private companies. Nope. Nothing about Health care. Nothing about social handouts. Our government has a specific list of tasks that, if stuck to, would render it much more efficient. I heard something on the radio a few days ago about a bill in congress designed to discourage and prevent voyeurism and illegal child and other pornography.
This bill states that cellular phone manufacturers would be required to make all camera phones make some sort of noise when taking a picture, whether the sound is disabled or not. The intent is to make the person taking a picture noticed. My phone already does this. I can't turn the damn noise off. I don't take "naughty" pictures, but I can't stand that noise just the same. I'm a fairly low profile kind of person, and would prefer to stay that way. Consequently, I don't use my phone camera much.
I do use my digital camera, it doesn't make a noise, and is barely larger than my phone. Therein lies one major fault of this bill. Another is that a determined person could defeat the noise one way or another anyway. How about tape over the speaker? How loud does the requirement say the noise has to be?
Every time I am near a place populated with children, most everyone has to practically yell in order to be heard. Fat lot of good a little clicky noise would do then. It is a ridiculous bill, and should not be in congress in the first place. Leave those things to the states, as our Constitution says to do. Social programs, as well.
Some people are legitimately receiving welfare, but far too many are just soaking up free money. How about an experiment? Close the Federal social programs down, and pass the responsibility to the states. See how many pick them up. Not all will. Those that do, will have an influx of people who want to take advantage of other peoples' money, then those who are making the money will move away. The economy may not collapse in that state, but it will recede. Bet on it. It wouldn't be long before those governmental social programs would be out the window. Ultimately, those programs would end up as charities, pandering for donations.
Likewise with these ridiculous proposals like this camera phone bill. Toss it out there for a few states to try out. See how many really think it's worth a darn. Then watch the crime rates in those states. My bet is that it would do little, if anything, to lower crime rates. The criminals will simply adapt. We are humans, and we are good at that.
Gun control laws are the same way. Leave my guns alone. If a man enters my home with intentions of using deadly force, or decides after he enters that he wants to use deadly force, against me or anyone in my home, my only options are to use deadly force, or die. Maybe watch family members or friends die. Government is trying to legislate away my right to defend myself and my family. If I do not have the option of using a gun against a gun or knife wielding intruder, and I perish as a result, my blood and that of my family is on the hands of the bastards who took away my right to life, and the defense thereof. Give me a law that says no one may own a gun, and show me a criminal who will abide by that. I will abide by it, and maybe suffer death or injury as a result.
As far as these monetary handouts, I've already blogged on that. I stand by my opinion. Let the companies who refuse to adapt suffer their fates. We will emerge stronger for it.
In Calhoun County, Michigan, a small item was placed on the agenda with a motion to pass. It had to do with support of a new "assault weapons" ban. Apparently, many phone calls were made concerning this item, and it was removed from the agenda before the meeting. Media even announced that it had been removed. Even so, nearly 300 people showed up to voice their opinion on the item. To put it shortly, the people were pi$$ed. I am proud of those people. Watch your local area gov't. You never know what might be getting shoved through.
Government has gotten way too big. They have their hands and fingers in our pockets, and in all kinds of things that they do not want to let go of. We have let this happen, through our complacency. We, the people, have become lazy, and take for granted that someone else will fight our fight. Guess what. That attitude is going to cost us, it already costs us. Start attending local government meetings. Watch meeting minutes online, watch agendas in your county or township. Show up when something you don't like pops up, or show up to show your support when something you do like pops up. YOU are in charge. NOT the elected officials, NOT the law enforcement, NOT the government. They are PUBLIC SERVANTS. THE GOVERNMENT IS SUPPOSED TO BE YOU.