03.22.09

Orlando Tea Party

Posted in Life, Liberty, Property, Miscellany at 6:20 pm by LeftBrainFemale

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All I can say is WOW! I haven’t written much lately - frankly, I’ve been too disheartened to do so. I actually thought, for about 5 minutes, that maybe our new president wouldn’t be too bad - thought perhaps I’d misjudged him and he was really just young and inexperienced. Like I said, that lasted about 5 minutes. Then he opened his mouth and spoke those fatal (to my hopes) words “I won”.

And with that utterance, all hope died, and he cemented, forever in my mind, the picture of the arrogant, immature, scheming and conniving son of a gun that we’re stuck with for the next four years.

So what can we now do? Well, when I heard about the Tea Party movement and found that there was going to be one in our area, I knew I had to go - and drag the family along with me!

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It was a beautiful sunny day on the shores of Lake Eola in Orlando, and we all enjoyed it. We were running late, arrived about 20 minutes before the official start of the event, and due to the crowds, we couldn’t get within 200 yards of the amphitheater. But we could hear most of the emcee’d words by our own Bud Hedinger. Bud is a long-time Florida notable who currently hosts his own radio show in the afternoons on 540 WFLA after Rush’s show completes at 3 p.m. Bud read a list of grievances sent in by listeners, and that list was later signed by thousands of attendees.

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The crowd was very polite, and composed of all ages - infants to aged. I saw a dog with a sign saying “I work for my food”, and an elderly woman with a sign on her walker. Everyone seemed friendly and happy to be a part of the assembly, and I did not note any garbage being strewn around.
Initial reports that I read or heard placed the number of attendees at around 3000, but I’ve since heard over 6000; that seems more accurate to me. The Disney Bandshell Amphitheater where the event was staged will seat 936 people - since it’s kind of a “bowl” design with a berm of high ground surrounding it, and that hillock was completely covered over with attendees, we couldn’t even see the seats when we arrived, but I’m certain they were all filled. The only way I could get any pictures of the stage were for my taller-than-I husband to hold his camera up in the air and shoot!

Toward the end of the event, we rented one of the electric gondola’s to take a little ride on Lake Eola, and it gave us a different perspective on the crowd.

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One thing that rankled all day was the lack of ANY media coverage prior to the event. I shouldn’t be surprised, I know. We were competing, as far as events go, with the Winter Park Art Festival and - believe it or not - a Lemonade Stand. Now I certainly have nothing disparaging to say about either event - we have been, many times to the Winter Park Art Festival, and the young girl who’s mother died of cancer was surely running her lemonade stand for a worthy cause. But wouldn’t you think that some small mention might have been made prior to the event? What’s really disgusting to me, is that after the event, my family and I decided to have a late lunch/early dinner at a small cafe (The Metro Espresso Pizza Cafe). Due to the fact that there had been absolutely NO media coverage prior to the event, these small businesses near the event had no warning that they might get some extra business, and therefore, they were completely unprepared. We actually had a very nice dinner, and our server was very sweet and apologetic that it took so long for our orders to come up, but we assured her that we were fine and all was well. She told us that they usually have quite a bit of advance notice on events at Lake Eola, but this one - no notice whatsoever. So, note to event organizers - you can’t count on the media to advertise for you, but it would be great if you contacted local restaurants or businesses if your event time would coincide in some nice extra business for them!

At any rate, we were happy to share the day with so many like-minded people, and I highly recommend supporting these events should they be organized in your area. Enjoy a few more photos of the day below:

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05.23.06

Carnival of Liberty XLVI

Posted in Life, Liberty, Property, Miscellany at 6:06 am by LeftBrainFemale

Time sure flies when we’re having fun - and thankfully, as I like to add - even when we’re not! Somehow, it seems the older I get, the faster days pass - here we are, almost halfway through 2006! Well, without further ado, here (in no particular order) are the posts from Carnival of Liberty XLVI - that’s 46 for those who are roman numerically challenged.

In his submission Army chief backs off of war documentary because it has all that pesky war stuff in it Steven Silvers of Scatterbox takes Secretary of the Army Dr. Francis Harvey to task for his lack of support of the staff of the 86th Combat Support Hospital in Bagdhad ER.

Israel and the U.S. by James at Ruminating Dude questions the U.S. Committment to Israel.

Dan Melson of Searchlight Crusade says he can see no reason why Real Estate Boycotts would be an effective method of bringing down housing costs.

Interesting essay on Freewill over at Generative Transformation which reminds us that freewill is illusory if our decisions are made without forethought or with incomplete or inadequate information.

The Pubcrawler reports on A Civil Rights Victory which was won (as it should have been) but with the wrong reasons given.

Mark Rayner “The Skwib” gives us a political parody with Beijing Olympic Mascots: Press Clubbing.

Francois Tremblay of The Radical Libertarian argues in Market Anarchy and Arbitration that Protection Agencies and Dispute Resolution Organizations would represent political freedom by replacing governmental monopoly.

OK, so I’m not really a cowboy
gives us a delightful essay which is well worth the time to read in Liberty in a Statist World.

Anonimity - Hiding your Identity in 2006
comes to us from Darknet in the UK.

Ogre
yearns for freedom from governmental interference in NC State Workers Want “Free” Cash Too.

Rick Sincere News and Thoughts had his tongue planted firmly in his cheek when he titled his article on the cost of housing in Charlottesville, VA Slavery is Freedom, Too . . .

Uganda - Children on the Frontline
, an article on child soldiers in Uganda is brought to us by Polo’s Bastards.

Stephen Littau of Fearless Philosophy for Free Minds gives us Update: The Plight of Cory Maye in which he points to a number of curious inconsistensies which deserve to be addressed.

Cape Cod Porcupine
believes that “Academe knows that its silken walls are gossamer thin, and one sharp remark will rent their feeble superficiality asunder.” He takes schools to task regarding their rejections of commencement speakers in Pomp and Circumspect.

From Lisa at The London Fog, we read of Canada’s census demands in Census 2006 - Sealing our fate for the next five years.

While I’m not generally a pessimist, admittedly my own submission to this week’s carnival is a bit more negative than usual - but I’m including it as I know I need to keep my priorities straight - and perhaps it may help another reader to give some thought as to how many of us have become the ultimate American Idle.

05.18.06

American Idle?

Posted in Essays, Life, Liberty, Property at 7:13 pm by LeftBrainFemale

Okay, I confess - I have actually watched American Idol - once or twice - for a few minutes, and only this last season as I was curious as to what all the furor was about. Even though I didn’t watch any of the previous seasons, the names of the winners are stuck in my brain from the headlines on Yahoo and our Fox affiliate morning news.

There are aspects that I can even see as mildly entertaining - in an “I’m bored and can’t think of anything else to do right now” sort of way - but I’ve never even considered dialing in to place a vote for a contestant. I guess you could say I don’t “connect” with any of these folks. I know that these shows are springboards for many of these kids to make it in the music biz, but the practical, pragmatic realist in me sees a lot of people wasting a lot of time - and I’m not referring to the contestants!

It’s really amazing - and appalling - that more people can rattle off the names of the American Idol contestants from the last few years than can recall the names of the Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, and Vice President.

What is this escapist mentality that so permeates our world today? Why do we (and I’m speaking collectively) spend so much time living vicariously through these strangers that we don’t know - and can’t really know - as they sing and dance and cavort across our screens? Does the fascination that we seem to have with these wanna-be stars do anything to enrich our lives, our families, our neighborhoods or our countries?

How much time do we spend in front of that idiot box? What could we be doing for the benefit of our home or family in the time wasted? There is a time and a place - and there are worthwhile programs that stimulate our brains and spur us to do good and noble things - but those are definitely the exception rather than the rule.

I’m so very thankful that the founding fathers of our nation didn’t have to compete with the television and biased media in their day - I don’t think we’d be in as good a shape as we are if they had. As it was, pamphleteers like Thomas Paine and Alexander Hamilton were able to capture the hearts and minds of the citizenry of their day. We have many wonderful bloggers today who are carrying on the pamphleteer legacy, but I fear that as bloggers, we’re mainly preaching to the choir.

Is our collective nation really so shallow that our own lives are slipping swiftly and silently away as we idle away our time watching these idols? I’m quite afraid that generally it is so. So many of my own peer group (40’s) and even that of my parents (60’s) seem to be disconnected from what is going on in the world - on the one hand it sounds like hopelessness - and a feeling that they could not do anything to make a change, but I fear that even worse than that we have become a nation addicted to lethargy and laziness which makes us the real American Idle.

05.03.06

And More Common Sense on Immigration . . .

Posted in Essays, Life, Liberty, Property at 1:06 pm by LeftBrainFemale

This article written by Heather McDonald really cuts through the BS . . .

Here’s an excerpt -

The first myth is that illegal aliens live in the shadows. The “shadows” claim then becomes an urgent reason why Congress must pass a legalization plan: so that 11 million people can come out of hiding. In fact, illegal aliens live in the full blaze of day. Only when confronted with the merest hint that immigration enforcement is even possible do they curtail their movements—and then elite thinking immediately declares such curtailment a gross injustice.

But even if it were true that illegals lived in the shadows, why is that unfair? The bargain they chose was clear: if you come here illegally, the law says that you should face deportation. It is a measure of how surreal our immigration practice has become that it is now “mean-spirited” simply to raise the possibility in an illegal’s mind that his deportation risk is real, much less actually to deport him.

Continue reading . . .

04.30.06

Immigrants or Migrants?

Posted in Essays, Life, Liberty, Property, History at 1:26 pm by LeftBrainFemale

I’ve been thinking about this for a while - and it occurs to me that a great many of the illegal immigrants (so-called) in this country are not immigrants, but migrants.

I remember as I was a youngster, my parents and grandparents referred occasionally to the “migrant” workers who worked in the Orange groves near my grandparents home. I understood them to mean some of the poor families who worked in the Orange groves in season and travelled to other areas of the state or country as there was need - picking fruit, ferns, vegetable crops, etc. These were folks who were known for what they did - it wasn’t meant as any kind of slur, it’s just who they were.

It has become apparent in the last few years that using the term “migrant” is apparently no longer PC - but I think it’s time we call a spade a spade and begin using the proper terminology.

The word “migrant” means someone who changes residency - usually to better their financial or living situation - but not particularly for any permanency. This means they go where pickins’ are best.

An immigrant is one who makes a permanent change of residency.

Now, it follows, that one who makes a permanent change of residency is probably someone who is working toward helping himself and his family in his new home - and to help positively impact the surroundings of his new home (whether we’re talking a neighborhood or a country). Thus I would contend that legal immigrants - that is those who have come through legal channels, are going to add value to the community and not be takers. In fact, in my experience with most of the legal immigrants I’ve met (either in person or through their writings) is that they are stronger patriots than most of my compatriots. They appreciate the opportunities which this country affords and they would not even *think* about accepting welfare. If they’re sending money “back home” to family, it’s generally with an eye toward helping those family members who are too old to immigrate or to help them to come to this country legally.

On the other hand, a migrant who has come into this country just because it is a land of opportunity, but who has no love for the country may and probably does accept welfare, medicaid, as well as sending money back to family and encouraging them to enter the country in the same manner in which they did. Can you imagine an illegal immigrant assisting anyone to come into the country legally? Not bloody likely.

There is a completely different mindset today than there was 100 years ago. I know I was and am blessed to have lived in this country all my life. I’m probably about a 12 generation native as most of my ancestors came over long before Ellis Island was established. But even 100 years ago the mindset was not about holding on fiercely to the old culture at the expense of the new.

The point really came home to my sister (and vicariously me) a few weeks ago. St. Patricks day fell on a “casual Friday” this year, so my sister wore her Irish Tee shirt to work in her primarily Hispanic office. She was stunned when several of her co-workers remarked to her “hey, we didn’t know you were Irish”. Her response I thought classic. “That’s because I’m an American” she said. Therein lies the crux of the matter, and the reason that we’re likely headed for another kind of civil war in this country - because while some of us haven’t forgotten our heritage, we consider ourselves first and foremost AMERICAN.

Those from other countries (whether legally or no) who think that they’re going to engender love and acceptance from those of us who’ve been here all our lives by requiring that we change to suit their needs (by learning their language or having their culture shoved down our throats) have got another think coming. This is not how you show love to your fellow countrymen.

But I digress - back to my original point. The word migrant is often used when talking about birds - migratory birds generally travel South in the winter (to more hospitable climes) and back North in the spring. Kind of “fair-weather” birds. D’ya see the parallel? And do you see that as long as we make this country always more hospitable than their own, they’ll never leave? Do you understand that those of us who love this country and are legal residents are supporting these illegals - not the other way ’round as the media would have you believe? I’d venture to say that these “migrant birds” are not only migrant - they’re predatory birds. Predators are opportunists - and these predators are picking us dry.

Cross posted at The Liberty Papers.

02.13.06

Sarah Brady thinks Cheney is scary?

Posted in Essays, Life, Liberty, Property at 8:32 am by LeftBrainFemale

WASHINGTON, Feb. 12 /U.S. Newswire/ — James and Sarah Brady made comments today related to Vice President Cheney’s reportedly accidental shooting yesterday in Texas.

“Now I understand why Dick Cheney keeps asking me to go hunting with him,” said Jim Brady. “I had a friend once who accidentally shot pellets into his dog - and I thought he was an idiot.”

“I’ve thought Cheney was scary for a long time,” Sarah Brady said. “Now I know I was right to be nervous.”

Wow. The Brady’s think VP Dick Cheney is “scary”. Forgive me if I wait to hear a statement from Harry Whittington himself.

But meantime, let’s take a look at the lady in question:

Sarah Brady, of course is the wife of former White House Press Secretary, Jim Brady who was shot by John Hinckley Jr. in the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan March 30, 1981.

While it’s easy enough to understand the frustration, hurt, and anger one would feel at having a spouse shot in the head, logically it seems to me it would be better to direct those feelings towards the individual who was behind the gun, rather than at the gun itself. Logic not being the Brady’s strong suit, however, they pressed for and achieved passage of the so-called “Brady Bill” which required a 5 day waiting period before a purchased gun could be taken home.

Incidentally, in March 2002, Mrs. Brady bought a gun for her son (outside her home state, and without waiting 5 days). An archived copy of the article from the NY Daily News can be found on the All Safe Defense Systems website here.

There are a number of cases easily found on the web where the lack of a handgun caused a person or persons to die, one of the most famous being the case of Bonnie Elmasri, and there are also a number of cases where access to a handgun saved the life or lives of a number of persons. Many of these are highlighted in an article by Erich Pratt Let’s Not Forget about the “Brady Victims”.

But I have another question not often heard and impossible to quantify - How many lives are indirectly saved by the use of a gun against a thug? In other words, everytime a murderer, robber, rapist, etc. is stopped cold by a gun, there is a possibility - dare I say, even a probability - that other lives have been saved.

Do accidents happen with guns? Yes. Do accidents happen with knives in the kitchen? Yes. Do accidents happen on the job at saw mills, in auto service garages, in skydiving accidents, etc. Yes. Is the answer to remove all knives, close saw mills, get rid of automobiles (oh, hey that’d save gas - but I think bicycle and horse riding accidents would probably increase) . . . okay, you get the picture. An accident, is an accident. And accidents don’t happen in a vacuum - there are usually extenuating circumstances. Let’s not castigate or call names ’til all the facts are in.

Cross-Posted at The Liberty Papers.

12.19.05

Scenarios

Posted in Essays, Life, Liberty, Property at 8:18 am by LeftBrainFemale

Ruminations from this morning cross posted atThe Liberty Papers

It doesn’t matter our label or what we choose to call ourselves, but those of us who truly believe in personal freedom and responsibility - and live our lives in this way are rarely going to be victims. Sure, there are exceptions - we may at times be overcome by brute force, but anyone who thinks they’re going to rape, mutilate, or murder us will find that they’re going to have to have brute force on their side . . . ’cause we’re not going to make it easy for them to accomplish their nefarious aims.

We’re fully aware that life doesn’t happen TO us, but that things which happen in our lives are a direct result of the choices and decisions we’ve made. One of the things that has always been quietly prevalent throughout my life which makes it difficult for me to be a victim is what I call “scenarios”.

My first memory of this concept was around the time I was 12 years old. One of our neighbors who was remodeling his home was renting a house closer in to town while he made the renovations. His step-son, who was a couple years younger than I - got home one day from school to find that his step-dad dead - killed by a bullet from one of his own guns. It took years before they found the perpetrator, but I still remember vividly the call my mother got that afternoon. She was crying hysterically, and it took a bit for me to get out of her what had happened - naturally, I was afraid something had happened to my own father.

The repercussions for our family were that while my dad had had guns before (.22 rifle, shotgun) my dad acquired a .357 magnum, and immediately made sure that my mom and I knew how to handle it. Dad had given me a Daisy Red Ryder a couple years before, and I enjoyed playing with it, but this was a whole different ball game. I didn’t really like the loudness, but I was proud of the fact that I was a pretty darned good shot. At any rate, back in those days, we NEVER went anywhere without our gun along - and if my folks ever left me at home, dad would remind me “where my equalizer” was and give me a quick refresher. I think I only ever had to get the gun out one time as I answered the door (we lived out in the country and had no “peep hole”) and it turned out to be a friend, but I answered the door with the gun held out of sight in my hand as I’d been taught.

My point is, in order to teach me how to handle the gun and situations that could arise, my dad introduced to me the concept of scenarios. He didn’t call it that, but that’s what it was. He put into my mind the ideas of things that could happen and asked me to come up with how I should handle those situations. A few years later, as I became a driver and took my much younger sister out to movies and things, I would run through scenarios on my own to try to prepare myself mentally should we be accosted somewhere by someone who wanted to carjack or abduct us, and a few years later, I worked for our sheriff’s department (as a secretary in CID) and learned first hand some of the consequences of not being prepared for the worst. I took classes given through the department on self-preservation and rape prevention, but I think one of the greatest teachers I had was that of the crime reports that I typed and things I learned from them.

For a long time, I thought that I was the only one who ran “scenarios” in my mind. Then, when I met my husband, I would notice sometimes that as we were driving along somewhere, I’d look over at him and see him with his jaw set and a “don’t you mess with me” expression in his eye. Since there was nothing that I had seen to precede this behavior, and I knew he wasn’t angry with me, I finally asked him one day “what are you thinking?” when he explained to me that something that he’d seen in passing triggered his going into a daydream about a scenario and what he would do if he encountered it, I think I knew then that I’d met my prince.

Before we married, my home was broken into one day while I was at work. I arrived home, went to check the answering machine, and to my horror, it was gone. I can’t imagine that any thief today would bother with an answering machine, hehehe - but it was no laughing matter at the time. It took probably a full minute for the impact to sink in - for me to realize that my jewelry box was lying upside down on the bed, that a pillowcase was taken from the bed, etc. It was fairly obvious that my arrival home had probably scared the thief away - my VCR had been partially pulled out but not removed and screens were slit in both my kitchen window and a back door. All these years later, I still remember vividly how violated and angry I felt that some stranger had entered MY home and taken MY personal property. I felt deeply the lack of control and the powerlessness to stop what I’d not known was happening, but I quickly took action to insure that no more harm be done. I was a victim I suppose, in the the strictest sense of the word, but I wasn’t going to lie down and be victimized further.

As soon as I realized what had happened, I retrieved the small handgun that I’d had hidden and made a tour of the house - looking under the beds and in every closet, gun in hand. I then made two calls - one to my fiance and the other to the Sheriff’s department. Fortunately for me, hubby-to-be arrived first finding me standing in my driveway, gun in hand. He convinced me that it would be best to put that away and not mention it.

As sad as that was, I’m sure he was right. At that time, laws concerning handguns were more strict in Florida than they are now, and my gun could very well have been confiscated. It wasn’t, and for many years after, I carried it with me in my vehicle wherever I went. Like my dad before me, I resolved never to be caught unawares.

Things are a little different now - I’m home most of the time with my daughters - but I noticed that Daisy has brought back the “Red Ryder” again and they’re selling at our local Wal-Mart. Maybe it’s time I buy one for my gals - I’m definitely NOT raising them to become victims.

12.07.05

Clark Foam vs. the EPA

Posted in Life, Liberty, Property at 8:55 am by LBF (Left-Brain Female)

I’m writing today about a situation that I just learned of which hits pretty close to home for us. Some of you may have realized from my writings that my husband is a surfer (has been since the 60’s) and it has played a rather large role in our life - we host a website dedicated to local surfers where we post pictures of them that we have caught at local surf spots. My hubby along with a number of his friends have made several surfboards - both for themselves and others.

It came to my attention last night that Clark Foam, the producer of 90% of the polyurethane surfboard blanks used world-wide has been closed down by the 9th District of the EPA for a two-week period while they investigate the factory which they believe does not meet industry standards. At issue is the chemical toluene diioscyanate commonly known as TDI along with the fact that the technology inside the factory was designed and built by Gordon “Grubby” Clark in the 60’s.

In a fax which Clark sent out to shapers on Monday afternoon, he says that the citation issued him by the EPA could mean prison time for him or the fining of an “astronomical” amount of money. He also apologised to customers and employees saying “I should have seen this coming many years sooner and closed in a slower, more predictable manner . . . I waited far too long, being optimistic rather than realistic.”

And, frankly, the research that I’ve done overnight on my own, I can understand why he would be optimistic. According to the EPA website, research on toluene diioscyanate has been rather inconclusive - a number of studies have been done over five-year periods and while it has been shown that inhaling TDI is a bad thing (that’s why they wear respirators, yanno?) the only link to increased cancer that has been shown was when they put to substance into the stomachs of rats! TDI is not only found in the manufacture of surfboard blanks, but also in sealants, adhesives, carpets, furniture, etc. - probably in items found in every home in the world!

So it seems to me that Gordon Clark’s only crime is one of naivete - most other companies using this chemical have already left California, where, by the way, simultaneously with the Federal EPA implementing a slightly weaker version of California’s existing anti-TDI law in 1999, California itself actually instituted stronger laws against its use.

The outcome of this investigation could potentially have a devastating effect, at least in the short term, on the surf industry. Yes, there are other ways to make boards. (Polystyrene, epoxy, etc.) Yes, others will move in to take up some of the slack - but in the short term, at least, there are going to be jobs lost, manufacturers of boards who have to lay off employees, and prices of surfboards will definitely increase. I’ve already heard some rumbling in the surf community (not known for their conservative views in general) that “he shoulda known better” or “he coulda switched to a less harmful way of manufacture - it wouldn’t cost that much” but to those folks I just say get real - if it could have been done better, cheaper, smarter - why did he end up with such a corner on the market? Seems to me it would be a real feather in the cap of a new manufacturer to be able to say that they had a safer way to produce a polyurethane blank.

My heart, personally, breaks for Gordon Clark, his employees, and the shapers, manufacturers, hobbiests, etc. who are losing a great resource. While most homes in America may not have a surfboard among their prized possessions, of those of us who do - Clark Foam has had a solid reputation for almost 45 years.

In a letter of allocation placed on the web for their customers, I think Matthew Weaver of Fiberglass Supply sums it up best:

It behooves all involved to take some time to reflect on what is happening to Clark Foam, and what is happening here in the United States. We need to be concerned about the future viability of manufacturing in the U.S. especially in regards to small businesses and the regulatory burdens placed on them. We need to become educated in the issues and facts. Then we must act. Write letters to your legislators and become involved in local area politics and organizations.

While my own family doesn’t rely on Clark Foam for our livelihood, I’ve never felt a governmental burden hit more close to home - and I’m afraid we may have reached the end of an era.

Update - Quotes from the EPA and local officials are coming out now, saying they did not force Clark Foam’s Closure. But I think Clark himself spells out pretty clearly what has happened:

“Meeting increasingly stringent environmental regulations would cost millions of dollars.”

“The way the government goes after places like Clark Foam is by an accumulation of laws, regulations, and subjective decisions they are allowed to use to express their intent. Essentially they remove your security, increase your risk or liability, and increase your costs.”

“They simply grind away until you either quit or they find methods of bringing serious charges or fines that force you to close,” Clark wrote.

Open post linked at The Conservative Cat

Cross-posted at The Liberty Papers

12.06.05

Carnival of Liberty XXIII

Posted in Life, Liberty, Property at 11:50 am by LBF (Left-Brain Female)

Hey all, Carnival of Liberty XXIII is up at Below the Beltway! Check it out!

12.05.05

Is Tolerance the same as Acceptance?

Posted in Essays, Life, Liberty, Property, Strictly Opinion at 1:44 pm by LBF (Left-Brain Female)

Cross posted at “The Liberty Papers”

Exerpt: I’m afraid at times that I may come across as a moralizer - it’s really not my intention - but I think of myself more as a moral philosopher or ethicist.

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