The VonFrederick Group

by Leave a Comment

Dumb and Dumber

Homo homini aut deus aut lupus (Erasmus, 1466-1536, One human being to another is either a divine being or a wolf).

Erasmus was so right when he wrote that man is the only real predator to man. Think about it, without wars, accidents, man-made mayhem, ecological or industrial disasters, not to mention inborn stupidity, mankind would fully benefit from modern scientific and technological break-through, and happily spread across planet Earth in numbers far beyond what its natural resources can sustain.

Nature has one goal only when dealing with living beings, from veggies to meat eaters, green beans to roses, sardines to whales, ants to elephants: REPRODUCTION! Nature wants us to multiply, reproduce our own specific way and spread to live another day! At the same time, nature has setup mechanisms to prevent one group to overcome another. This is your balance of nature, demonstrated by the existence of one or many predators per specie, coded life spans, natural disasters, or epidemics that come as the big equalizers for all the life forms that compete for the same habitat and resource – all but one! [Read more…]

by Leave a Comment

Educated Ignorance: Does It Threaten Our Future?

“It is usually futile to try to talk facts and analysis to people who are enjoying a sense of moral superiority in their ignorance” Thomas Sowell

Since the advent of the industrial age and transference to the information age education of our youth is essential in ensuring our nation’s ability to compete in the global economy. Yet, assessments of our education system are frightening. In comparison to other industrial nations the American youth score in the bottom half on the basic subjects and science, but score at the top in self esteem.

Thomas Sowell noted, “One of the many failings of our educational system is that it sends out into the world people who cannot tell rhetoric from reality. They have learned no systematic way to analyze ideas, derive their implications and test those implications against hard facts.” He added, “These educated people will have developed no ability to analyze opposing sides of issues… and learning only how to label, dismiss and demonize ideas that differ from what they have been led to believe. Their educated ignorance is a danger to the future of this country.” [Read more…]

by Leave a Comment

How Far Should We Go to Accomodate?

I have already complained enough about the abuses of the first amendment and how free speech protects pan-handling, soliciting work on a sidewalk, flag and cross burning, yacking away in a cell phone.

Another thing that literally enrages me is the American Disability Act and the abuses it has generated. It drives me crazy when I see cars loaded with obese people sporting the handicapped sticker so they can park right at the entrance of their favorite junk food place. It drives me nuts when I read about these made up official “illnesses” such as the grooming disorder that protects the psychos and even allow lawsuits and money on top of special working arrangements and preferential treatments. Sure the ADA must have benefited real disabled persons, but its language is so vague that ambulance chasers allied with “disabled” con artists have made fortunes filing up lawsuits left and right and cashing settlements. [Read more…]

by Leave a Comment

Allegations!

“Represented as existing or as being as described but not so proved; supposed.”

This is Represented as existing or as being as described but not so proved; supposed; one of the definitions of a word that is taking more and more importance in the legal and media vocabulary, a word that is often being misused in order to protect the “rights” of the criminals, and, a rather new phenomenon, a word used to smear “out of the blue” and forever a person that has not been proven guilty yet.

The word is alleged!

It used to be in the books that any accused person was innocent until proven guilty! [Read more…]

by Leave a Comment

Are Your Rights Slowly Being Eroded?

freedom-of-speechIn the December 2005 newsletter Eric Chevrevuil discussed the 1st Amendment and freedom of speech, as a freedom the U.S. Constitution was created to guarantee. The discussion indicates Eric, along with many Americans, doesn’t get it. The Constitution was created to place limits on government, not the citizenry. Take the 1st Amendment; “Congress shall make no law; or abridging the freedom of speech.” No confusion there. No allusion to kinds of speech, just speech. Yet, those like Eric, minority activist groups, and activist judges, revel in exactly that, lofty discussion about definitions, applications and interpretations of free speech.

Oliver Wendell Holms’ claim in 1919 that any speech is not free speech is in of itself contrary to the 1st Amendment. Of course, yelling “fire” in a crowded theater is an obvious rare example of unprotected speech due to the inherent danger caused by the immediate result of stampede. However, there are no inherent dangers in offensive speech and the questions posed by Eric make for nice debate but is irrelevant. The framers of the Constitution indulged in these debates and carefully chose the words in the Constitution to avoid confusion and multiple interpretations. What Eric and like minds seem not to realize is that offensive and unpopular speech is exactly what was being protected, in spite of the so called “French” saying, one’s freedom stops when it infringes on another’s. [Read more…]