School Board Moves To Remove “Citizens” From Belief Statement

March 29, 2013 by 2 Comments

The Sunnyside School Board took steps towards eliminating the use of the word “citizens” in its belief statement at Thursday night’s meeting.

Board member Michelle Perry noted that often “citizens” can be seen as an intimidating word to some people who may not be here legally.  She said, “We should look for a more friendly word.  I think it needs to be “people” or “members” to be more cohesive and inclusive.”

In addition, school board members decided to change the word “parents” to “parents/families” since there are families in the community where children are not living with their parents.

The school board unanimously approved a first reading of the changes, and will consider finalizing them on a second reading at their April meeting.

If adopted the changes will effect the third part of the school district’s Belief Statement:

We believe it is the responsibility of parents/families, staff and the

citizens members of our community to ensure the development of

our youth.

<div style=”margin-bottom:5px”> <strong> <a href=”http://www.slideshare.net/rainesman6/belief-statements” title=”Belief statements” target=”_blank”>Belief statements</a> </strong> from <strong><a href=”http://www.slideshare.net/rainesman6″ target=”_blank”>Jason Raines</a></strong> </div>

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Remarks On Gun Rights At Sunnyside Council

January 28, 2013 by 2 Comments

Monday night, I made the following remarks about gun rights during the meeting of the Sunnyside City Council.  My thanks to the City Clerk for researching the text of Ordinance No. 15 (passed in 1902).  In the future, I would like to make a visit to the city archives to see some of the other treasures our city’s founders bestowed to us.  It is my great pleasure to serve the people, and promote freedom everywhere I can.

STATEMENT ON GUN RIGHTS, 1/28/13 SUNNYSIDE CITY COUNCIL MEETING

Recent discussion of gun rights has prompted a public response from some officials in our state. These responses include remarks from the governor, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, our legislators, and also our county sheriff.

Some are begging for more government control over citizens, and think they should be in charge of allowing them to possess firearms, and where (if ever), they should be allowed to carry them. Others advocate for greater freedom, pushing for increased rights of individuals.

Yakima County Sheriff Ken Irwin issued a statement last week in which he cited the U.S. and State of Washington Constitutions. He later clarified that he is opposed to the proposed ban on certain types of firearms that is being put forward by the President and his allies in Congress.

Elected officials take an oath to uphold the federal and state constitutions mentioned by our sheriff. Unfortunately, some municipal government officials in Washington do not always respect that.

For example, on January 15, 2013, at a meeting of the City Council in Oak Harbor, a failed attempt to trample on the 2nd amendment rights of citizens occured. Video of the incident is making the rounds on the Internet.

During that meeting, a Councilman asked a gun rights supporter if he was carrying a firearm in council chambers. He demanded an answer even after the city attorney said the citizen was not obligated to give one. The citizen did choose to answer, and confirmed he has a Concealed Pistol License, and was carrying a firearm.

In response, the councilman made an unconstitutional motion to strip the citizen of his firearm on the spot. The motion failed, causing the Mayor of Oak Harbor to apologize to the citizen for the behavior of some of his colleagues, and spoke to the oath of office that all electeds take. The councilman who made the motion left the meeting rather than stay in a room where citizens exercise their right to bear arms.

I would like to take just a moment to remind my colleagues, and members of the public, just what our oath of office supports, as it relates to gun rights.

The 2nd amendment of the US Constitution states:

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

For those that question whether that applies to individual citizens; can you imagine George Washington leading an army if citizens did not possess firearms?

The other constitution that warrants our attention, is our own Washington State Constitution. Article I, Section 24 has the relevant language on the right to bear arms:

The right of the individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself, or the state, shall not be impaired, but nothing in this section shall be construed as authorizing individuals or corporations to organize, maintain or employ an armed body of men.

If one is still in doubt, our state constitution is much more explicit in its language that the right to bear arms is an individual right.

This is not a new debate among the people, nor is it the first time restrictions have been proposed by politicians.

Our city founders first regulated the rights of citizens to carry weapons within three months of the city’s founding. Ordinance No. 15 Prohibiting Carrying Concealed Weapons and Fixing Punishment Therefor was passed in 1902. This handwritten ordinance was signed by our first Mayor, James Henderson. One should take note that at the time, the city also did not allow gambling, alcohol, or dancing.

Times have changed since then, and I am not about to suggest we take away our citizen’s guns, anymore than I want to take away their dance halls or their beer! In over 110 years as a city, our citzens have repeatedly demonstrated at the ballot box that they prefer more freedom over less freedom.

In the present day, citizens of Sunnyside may obtain a Concealed Pistol License by submitting an application through our local police department. I encourage everyone to do this, even if they do not own a firearm.

By exercising their rights, citizens can send a message to politicians that they do not want more government restrictions on personal freedoms. When more citizens apply for a Concealed Pistol License, it demonstrates that the people are serious about maintaining their rights and personal safety, as outlined by both our federal and state constitutions.

 

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WA State OSPI Pushes Gun Control On Twitter

January 17, 2013 by 6 Comments

The Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, led by Randy Dorn, is the state’s lead agency for education.  They also are advocating for gun control.

On their official Twitter account yesterday they re-tweeted President Obama and Vice President Biden’s post regarding their press conference where new gun control measures were being discussed.

The White House ‏@whitehouse

Happening now: President Obama & @VP Biden announce proposals to reduce gun violence: http://at.wh.gov/gRO4m

Retweeted by WA State OSPI

I responded by asking WA State OSPI to stop this, and focus on their organization’s purpose. This resulted in an exchange with another individual on Twitter, and prompted a response from WA State OSPI:

Jason R. Raines ‏@BlogSunnyside

@waOSPI please stop retweeting White House pitches for gun control, this is not your agency’s mission. #wcot #waleg #waelex

Brock Howell ‏@BrockRides

@BlogSunnyside I support @waOSPI. When children get massacred in schools, gun control unfortunately becomes part of their mission. #waleg

Jason R. Raines ‏@BlogSunnyside

@BrockRides @waOSPI Beg to differ; retweeting the White House legislative wishlist is not advancing the cause of education in this state.

Brock Howell ‏@BrockRides

@BlogSunnyside It may help prevent their kids from getting killed. @waOSPI

WA State OSPI ‏@waOSPI

@BlogSunnyside Student and school safety is part of our mission. A safe school is a positive learning environment. http://bit.ly/Vmp7ev

Jason R. Raines ‏@BlogSunnyside

@waOSPI may I point out that guns are already legally banned at schools? Please redirect your focus. #wcot #waleg

Given that guns are already banned in schools, WA State OSPI apparently wants to control what you do with them at home, or whether you are allowed to have them at all.  Is this what our elected leader of education should be focusing on?

In my opinion, this irrational fear of firearms is due to a failure of the American education system to properly instruct our children.

Children should be taught to have a respect for life, and firearms safety.  When I was a child in a public high school, one of my teachers gave me a rifle and ammunition, and told me to fire.  This was during class, and on the school campus.

My school had an indoor firing range, and fielded a competitive rifle team made up of students firing .22 cal bolt action rifles.

We also received hunter safety instruction, which is a requirement for those wanting to get a hunting license.

Instead of trying to run people’s homes, our schools should be teaching important life skills. Unfortunately, our current crop of educational elites does not see it that way.  They seem to think that government makes better parents than parents.

 

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Review: Known and Unknown by Donald Rumsfeld

August 9, 2012 by Leave a comment

This memoir by Donald Rumsfeld chronicles a long career of mostly public service, but also devotes time to reflecting on private sector experience as well.  Rumsfeld was first elected to Congress in the 1950′s, served in an administrative capacity in the Nixon administration, and most notably as Secretary of Defense under both Ford and George W. Bush.

This book was difficult for me to read for a number of reasons.  When it was first released, the eBook version listed at a higher price than the hardcover edition. Since it has been out for awhile, I purchased a used copy for a more reasonable price.

Some readers disagree with me considering price in a book review, but I stand by my position that eBooks should be sold at a lower price than their physical counterparts.

It took me a long time to read the book, for a couple of reasons.  First, it is a hefty book, running 50 chapters, divided into 14 parts, and counting supplemental information and notes adds up to about 800 pages.

Rumsfeld’s writing style is clear and not difficult to read, but I had to put it down numerous times due to my getting upset at his attempts to evade responsibility for his shortcomings.  From Abu Ghraib to the Iraqi insurgency, from secret CIA run prisons to Guantanamo Bay, I have a number of things I disagree with Rumsfeld on.

Rumsfeld seeks to justify his actions by carefully documenting memos he says show he was doing the right thing.  Outside of Washington D.C., this is not seen as an effective way of doing business.

Despite these differences, the book is a fascinating look into the life a major player in Washington policy making, that has had a tremendous impact on both the United States, and the international arena for many decades in our recent past, and will continue to do so for decades into our future.

This book gets 3 stars out of 5; losing one star for the publisher’s nonsensical pricing scheme.

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Richard Sanders Seeks Return To State Supreme Court


					

						

							June 11, 2012
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Photo Credit: friendsofjustice.com


Sanders is seeking a return to the Washington State Supreme Court. He recently addressed the Washington State Republican Party Convention in Tacoma.


The Executive Committee of the Washington State Republican Party unanimously endorsed Richard Sanders for the Washington State Supreme Court.


Liberty, the rule of law, and protection of individual rights drive Sanders to run for the open seat on the court, created by the retirment of Tom Chambers (who is also endorsing Sanders.) He previously lost re-election to the court in 2010, when he received 49.6% of the vote in the statewide race. His current two principal challengers have in the past run as Democrats (Hilyer for King County Executive, and Ladenburg who ran for Attorney General and lost to Rob McKenna.)


Sanders has only run for the judiciary, never seeking partisan office. He heard over 1700 cases, and wrote over 600 opinions during his previous time on the Supreme Court.


Some “controversial” views that Sanders holds are that you have a constitutional right to own property and actually use it. He believes you also have the right to develop your property. Sanders has endorsements from the Gun Action League and the NRA. He is also a champion of religious liberty, and a proponent of open government.


The interior of the Wasington State Supreme Court
The interior of the Wasington State Supreme Court (Photo credit: Wikipedia)


Washington Association of Business, The Rental Housing Association, and the Washington State Realtor Association have all endorsed Sanders for the Supreme Court.


Sanders also believes in the rights of citizens to have issue initiatives and referendums stating “it’s in the state constitution you know!” He decried the recent decision of the court that says citizens can not put the issue of red light cameras on a referendum.


If one supreme court candidate gets over 50% of the vote in the primary, only one name goes on the general election ballot. Sanders joked that this is sort of a communist style election practice, putting only one name on the election ballot, then added “but if I was the only name on the ballot, I would like it.”


The primary election is August 7; voters should begin receiving ballots in the mail during the month of July.


Listen to his speech here:


				
					
					
					
					
					
					
									
					
				
				

							

		


				


				

					

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Review of: THE FOUNDERS’ KEY by LARRY P. ARNN


					

						

							May 28, 2012
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The Divine and Natural Connection Between the Declaration and the Constitution and What We Risk by Losing It


Dr. Arnn is the President of Hillsdale College. That alone generated enough interest for me to read this book. In order to understand the current debate regarding our Constitution, the author explores the connections between it, and the Declaration of Independence. He points out substantial evidence for the faith of the men involved in writing these documents. Furthermore, he gives specific examples of documents they wrote that shed light on how they did not operate in an isolated vacuum from each other.


Today’s efforts to redefine the Constitution cause people (and even scholars) to suggest that the Declaration of Independence has nothing to do in the debate, because they are separate documents. Arnn argues that many of the men involved in crafting the Constitution had lived through the Revolution, and knew full well that the outcome of their “experiment” depends on having a government that serves the people.


The book is a little over 200 pages of hard hitting factual analysis, with a substantial part of the volume given to reprinting foundational readings, including The Declaration of Independence, The Constitution of the United States of America, Federalist No. 10, Federalist No. 39, Federalist No. 48, Federalist No. 49, Federalist No. 51, and “Property” by James Madison.


Arnn relies heavily on Virginians Jefferson and Madison for his points, but reinforces them with evidence from others, such as Washington and John Adams.


For an interesting look at the linkage between our country’s foundational documents, check out this book.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”


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Public Criticism of City Officials


					

						

							March 23, 2012
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Editorial submitted to, and printed by, the Daily Sun News on March 23, 2012:


At a recent council meeting, a motion was made to bind city council members to an unconstitutional code of conduct. While noble in intent, I took a principled stand to allow council members and the public the opportunity to express criticism of city officials.


At all times I have said that people should treat each other with dignity and respect. In my view, allowing citizens to express themselves is important to the functioning of our representative form of government. I learn from others, and appreciate all points of view. In order to make good decisions, council members need to hear all points of view from the citizens.


People should be treated with common courtesy because that is the decent thing to do. There are some that think this issue should be dealt with by the Sunnyside Municipal Code. I respectfully disagree. We can not legislate good manners by issuing a decree from council. Furthermore, it is abhorrent to think that the government is going to be in charge of determining who is exhibiting the proper “respect” towards others.


One provision of the so-called code of conduct is “never publicly criticize an individual employee.” The code of conduct also prohibits this same criticism in private conversation. In effect, it prohibits council members from calling out corruption, incompetence, inefficiency, or a host of other issues that may need to be addressed.


This does not pass the smell test. My colleagues who are crying the loudest for “respect” are unwittingly failing to perform the full duties of their position. Despite the best of intentions, those that are trying to silence their opposition on the altar of “respect” are missing the big picture. Scott M. Missall, a municipal law attorney, recently sent a fax to the mayor addressing this issue. A copy of this communication is being provided to this newspaper along with my comments. Mr. Missall says:


“…each Council member is an independently elected City official, and it is therefore incumbent on him or her to abide by state law and the constitution, which each Council member has sworn to uphold, in the execution of their duties. It would be in derogation of those responsibilities and statutes for any Council member to be less than forthcoming in public about governance or management issues connected with the performance of a city manager. Similarly, it would be improper for one Council member to attempt to curtail another Council member’s public comments or concerns about a city manager’s performance.”


While I respect my colleagues on council, and appreciate the work they do for our community, I will continue to do my part of the heavy lifting as well. Whether it is tackling the issue of out of control legal bills ($770,000 in a 28 month period), or laying off police officers which allowed shootings to increase from 17 to 38 (a 124% increase from 2009 to 2010) and homicides to increase an astounding 600% in the same time period; I will not stop pushing for public safety and sensible spending as priorities at City Hall.


The good news is that the police department’s “Gang Elimination Strategy” is producing positive results for our city. According to statistics recently compiled by the city’s crime analyst, shootings decreased from 38 in 2010 to 21 in 2011. This is a 45% reduction following the hiring of additional officers, and implementing an aggressive stance against the violent offenders. This strategy saw homicides decrease from six in 2010, to only one in 2011.


And while council has not received a monthly financial statement from city staff in 2012, until the recent hiring of Mr. Sweet, our new Interim City Manager has promised we will be getting monthly financial reports from this time forward.


Armed with this information, we can make the difficult decisions that will be required in order to stop using reserve funds to balance the city budget. With all due respect, these are the sensible spending patterns that citizens should expect from Council.

		


				


				

					

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It is Dangerous to be Right When the Government is Wrong, By Andrew P. Napolitano


					

						

							March 10, 2012
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“The government makes it dangerous for us to be right when it is wrong.”




ImageThis is the basic premise behind this book by Andrew P. Napolitano, otherwise known as “The Judge” from Fox News and talk radio programs. For those who have not read any of his prior books, it is an excellent illustration of his libertarian views of politics, government, and Constitutional philosophy. Others who have read prior works of his, will find it fits with the ideas he has written about in prior works.


As a lover of liberty, I typically react in a positive way to Judge Napolitano’s books. When Napolitano says “The government is here to protect free choices – even bad ones – from the tyranny of the majority,” I could not agree more. In our age of out of control political correctness, the thought police are applying ever more pressure on people to modify their behavior, speech, and if possible, their thoughts, to the group-think model they espouse.


Napolitano argues for the notion of individual rights, without apology. He cites historical examples, such as the English Declaration of Rights which enshrined the “right of the subjects to petition the King, and all commitments and prosecutions for petitioning is illegal.” In this instance, penalties on the right of the people to petition were being used to try and prevent the very petitions in the first place.


This is an excellent read for those wanting to learn about the Constitutional rights which we have (and in some instances have lost) in America.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

		


				


				

					

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A Zenger In Sunnyside


					

						

							February 29, 2012
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Zenger´s trial
Image via Wikipedia


Recently, a very fine fellow made a very fine suggestion.  Let’s have everybody show respect for each other.


It is a very fine suggestion, and all is fine with adopting it.  We SHOULD all show respect for each other.  However, I could not quite bring myself to join in the erstwhile enthusiasm of my colleagues, for you see, this kind of suggestion is more symbolism than substance.


While I agree that everyone should be shown courtesy and respect, it is an unfortunate reality that even the loftiest of sentiments can be used to take away the liberties of our citizens.


Over 150 years before Sunnyside became a city, our country was faced with a situation where a man named Zenger said some rather unflattering things about a local government official.


The official in question, William Cosby, was the governor of the colony of New York.  Among his dubious actions, he sought to raise his own salary in an unsavory way.  When the courts expressed concern on the legality of his actions, he removed the chief judge and appointed one of his buddies to the position.  When a local newspaper, published by John Peter Zenger, said disrespectful things about the government official, Zenger was brought up on charges.


In a case of great renown, a jury refused to convict Zenger for telling the truth.  Zenger was accused of:




“being a seditious person and a frequent printer and publisher of false news and seditious libels” had “wickedly and maliciously” devised to “traduce, scandalize, and vilify” Governor Cosby and his ministers. Bradley said that “Libeling has always been discouraged as a thing that tends to create differences among men, ill blood among the people, and oftentimes great bloodshed between the party libeling and the party libeled.” *




As students of history know, this landmark case helped establish freedom of the press in colonial America, and later in the United States.  Zenger was not convicted for the simple fact that he told the truth.


In our local community, I have seen government officials cringe at the sight of criticism.  Our community is well served by its respectful citizenry, even when they dare criticize their local officials.  Our citizens are responsible enough to accept accountability for their utterances (whether respectful or not), and if truthful, will be defended by this author.


It is ironic that the values decided in this case decided nearly 276 years ago are not now well known.  In showing respect, we should also acknowledge the truth.  Or put another way, is it disrespectful to tell the truth?

		


				


				

					

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BE THE PEOPLE, by Carol M. Swain PhD; A Book Review


					

						

							September 18, 2011
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Be the People, A Call to Reclaim America’s Faith & Promise, is a call to action for those that many would categorize as “the religious right.” What makes this book so interesting, is that the author is not what one would expect. Dr. Swain is an African-American woman raised in the rural South in a shack with no indoor plumbing. She dropped out of high school, has been divorced, raised kids as a single mother, and admits to having an abortion.


Against all odds, Swain earned her GED, and eventually achieved a successful career in academia. She is now a professor of political science and of law at Vanderbilt University. Her “rags to riches” background is a forceful reminder that the ideals of the “American Dream” are alive and well; and can be achieved regardless of socioeconomic backgrounds.


The book is broken into two parts; the first is titled “Broken Vows: Forsaking What We Once Knew.” It focuses on the changing values that Americans have, and how they have departed from those of our founding fathers. She is critical of political correctness, and its censoring of traditional Christian expression of thought in the public sphere. Swain documents how Christian values were integral in the creation of historical documents such as the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution.


Her pro-life stance is strong, and she documents her own personal battle with guilt and health complications following her own abortion. Swain courageously criticizes faulty arguments on the “necessity” of abortion, knowing that she risks losing her academic career by “coming out” publicly as a Christian. She compares many of the academic studies on abortion to the documented “junk science” of climate scientists that have altered data to document climate change, now referred to as “climategate.”


Part Two of the book is entitled “Banished Virtues: Reclaiming Truth and Justice in Policy Choices.” In the second part of the book, Swain amplifies her call for readers to become politically active. At the end of each chapter she includes “Action Points”, which have suggested readings, and topics for small group discussions. She also prints the link to her website for more discussion items.


Swain presents a strong spiritual message of taking action in society. Although heavily centered on political issues and activism, she also encourages readers to be openly Christian in the business world. She laments that major media is heavily slanted toward secular humanist culture, and that merely winning at the ballot box will not counter what she considers the deterioration of our culture.


The last 90 pages of the book are filled with what I consider “clutter.” She includes the text of the Ten Commandments, The Declaration of Independence, The Bill of Rights, and the Constitution of the United States of America (1787) as appendices. This is followed by traditional style notes documenting sources and an index.


As important as the founding documents are, I do not feel it necessary to have them printed in this book. She could have simply stopped with encouraging her readers to read them. All are readily available on the Internet and at libraries everywhere.


Despite this, I found her book thought provoking. Her unique perspectives on poverty, race, and women’s issues are something that conservatives and liberals alike can benefit from. I recommend this book, and give it four stars on a five star scale.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”


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