The Teenager’s Guide to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness…
Life is too short to waste, Liberty is too precious to ignore, and Happiness can only be realized through education, passion, and action. Rich Hand shares his life lessons with his two teens; and now you, to help all teens to look at life and appreciate what we as parents already know; life is too short and precious to waste. We need to pay attention to the opportunity we have been given, and the sooner we realize this the greater opportunities we have. Kids don’t know this yet, and it is our jobs to get them to understand it as soon as possible. This is our gift to our children. Every one of us has a special destiny to fill on this earth whether we end up being a scientist, pilot, trash man, or teacher, life can only be fulfilling if you take a path you choose. Make good choices!
We as parents have so much to give through storytelling and by example. This book helps to bridge the gap between what a parent knows and what our kids will eventually learn. The earlier we get them to understand the greatness of this country, the importance of character and critical thinking, and the knowledge that all is not what it seems on the surface, the more successful and greater this country will be. Too many parents have given up their responsibility to others to mold and shape their children. This is a grave mistake. Our children are targets of many who have motives that undermine the moral and foundational character of this nation. This is an attempt to engage every teen and parent to get back to the basics of communication.
This book is a gift from one parent to his children. He has published it so you as a parent can share your greatest gift with your children; experience, knowledge, and the love you have for the future leaders of this great nation!
About the Author:
Rich Hand is a husband, father, and self proclaimed motivational expert in the area of constitutional governance. He believes that all greatness derives in the individual pursuit of happiness, not from a collective utopia. He knows that when we as individuals follow our passions and our dreams all of society prospers. We can only be compassionate when we have taken care of our own basic needs, and that true compassion can never be derived from any government. His lifelong mission is to break the shackles of government off of the backs of our most vulnerable citizens that have been convinced that the government is the answer to their American Dream. He knows the American Dream can only be achieved through individual efforts. When everyone understands that they are the only ones that can truly fulfill their own destiny; his job will be done.
Rich Hand is a professional speaker and has spoken to thousands of professionals around the globe including the U.S., Brasil, and Canada. He looks forward to speaking to your group. Contact him at www.WhoisRichHand.Com
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
Celebrate Our Constitution; It’s Not Just About Our Past, It’s the Key To Our Future…
Today is the day we celebrate the signing of the most influential political document ever created by man. It was a miracle that a document like this was even created based on world history, and the barbaric nature of governments at the time. But the framers were not regular men, they were inspired. It was divine providence that this document ever made it to the signing ceremony. It was a blessing of freedom and opportunity for the entire world to see and envy.
We face significant challenges today as a nation with deficits running in the trillions of dollars, companies and states going bankrupt, and individual freedoms being forfeited for promises of security from an out of control federal government. These problems have been created because of one simple fact; we have ignored our founding principle of limited government clearly spelled out in the U.S. Constitution.
For too many years our politicians have taken an oath to defend this historic document but have immediately set off to undermine the same principles they promised to obey under the guise of compassion, security, morality, or some other unjustifiable justification they could fathom. Since the presidency of Abraham Lincoln who boldly stampeded the constitution, to FDR, and beyond to the current president, the constitution has been ignored as the document holding the solutions to our problems. President Reagan briefly renewed the spirit of the constitution but unfortunately many leaders since have forgotten his lessons.
President Reagan and the founders knew that any government allowed to grow would do so, and in effect would trample the liberty and opportunity of all of the citizens that it governed. That is the miracle of the constitution; it concisely and deliberately limits the government’s ability to grow. It clearly states that it is a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, not the other way around. It does so with the balance of powers defined within the document which purposely made the process of government cumbersome and divided, to insure that it was the greatest weapon against tyranny. The founders knew human nature and history, and understood the instinct of humans to control others had to be checked or the United States would end up like all other free civilizations throughout history; extinct.
Over the years many cases concerning constitutionality of state and local laws have been reviewed by the federal Supreme Court. Many were seen as an abandonment of the constitution to appease popular sentiment, but ultimately ended up undermining the intent of the constitution’s limit on government power and control. These laws have become what lawyers refer to as “precedence.” One of the most abused precedents has been the “interstate commerce clause.” It has allowed the federal government to involve itself and grow to the point the federal government is telling us how fast we can drive our cars, a power that cannot be found in the constitution. There are too many examples to state here but we must take a fresh look at the constitution and apply it today without reference to the abuse of past Supreme Courts. All law should be reviewed in the context of the concepts so clearly defined in the constitution.
I like clear examples and here is the one I tell which I heard told by Walter Williams: The constitution is the rules of the game. If in a game of poker I deal the deck and you have four aces. I decide that two twos beats four aces and I win, would you play poker with me? If you say yes I want your e-mail. The point is the constitution is the rule book. Judges can’t decide to change it because they don’t like the circumstances. That is what has been happening. So to make it fair, all cases making it to the Supreme Court should be judged against the original rule book. Not against a changed rule by the card dealer.
So when we see that our constitution has been altered by bad law what is the remedy? There are several, but one constitutional response is found in the Tenth Amendment. The Tenth Amendment simply states, “The powers not delegated to the United States by the constitution, no prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” This means the states have the right, and I would argue the obligation, to nullify bad and unconstitutional law at the State level. For example, nowhere in the constitution does it allow for the creation of a Department of Education. Education is the responsibility of the individual, communities, and states to figure out. The federal government should have been stopped from creating the department. But many say so much of what has been done can never be undone. Never say never.
Our constitution is clear on the roles and responsibilities of the federal and state governments. All we have to do is to get our Governors to go back to this miraculous document, start auditing the functions of the federal government, and start nullifying them one by one. The Sixteenth Amendment allows the federal government to tax individuals and corporations directly but it is missing one key component; it doesn’t set a limit. Our Governors need to utilize the constitution and set the limit on what they will allow their citizens to be taxed. We need a constitutional challenge of the Sixteenth Amendment by having a state set a limit on the amount of money that the federal government can tax individuals and corporations. Since it is not defined, the responsibility defers to the states respectively, or the people.
The future of the United States lies in the words of this historic document. We don’t need reform; we need compliance with our current Constitutional law. We must know our history to have a productive and free future. History is the key to the future. Just like our founders of yesterday, the leaders of today must put their faith in the greatest set of laws ever created by man. Our leaders of today must know their history to create policies for the future.
The U.S. Constitution is the solution to our seemingly endless problems, mostly created by an out of control unconstitutional government, and we as a nation have ignored this fact. The solution to our problems is all found within the document we celebrate today. We must read it, and study it. God Bless our Constitution and America…
We face significant challenges today as a nation with deficits running in the trillions of dollars, companies and states going bankrupt, and individual freedoms being forfeited for promises of security from an out of control federal government. These problems have been created because of one simple fact; we have ignored our founding principle of limited government clearly spelled out in the U.S. Constitution.
For too many years our politicians have taken an oath to defend this historic document but have immediately set off to undermine the same principles they promised to obey under the guise of compassion, security, morality, or some other unjustifiable justification they could fathom. Since the presidency of Abraham Lincoln who boldly stampeded the constitution, to FDR, and beyond to the current president, the constitution has been ignored as the document holding the solutions to our problems. President Reagan briefly renewed the spirit of the constitution but unfortunately many leaders since have forgotten his lessons.
President Reagan and the founders knew that any government allowed to grow would do so, and in effect would trample the liberty and opportunity of all of the citizens that it governed. That is the miracle of the constitution; it concisely and deliberately limits the government’s ability to grow. It clearly states that it is a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, not the other way around. It does so with the balance of powers defined within the document which purposely made the process of government cumbersome and divided, to insure that it was the greatest weapon against tyranny. The founders knew human nature and history, and understood the instinct of humans to control others had to be checked or the United States would end up like all other free civilizations throughout history; extinct.
Over the years many cases concerning constitutionality of state and local laws have been reviewed by the federal Supreme Court. Many were seen as an abandonment of the constitution to appease popular sentiment, but ultimately ended up undermining the intent of the constitution’s limit on government power and control. These laws have become what lawyers refer to as “precedence.” One of the most abused precedents has been the “interstate commerce clause.” It has allowed the federal government to involve itself and grow to the point the federal government is telling us how fast we can drive our cars, a power that cannot be found in the constitution. There are too many examples to state here but we must take a fresh look at the constitution and apply it today without reference to the abuse of past Supreme Courts. All law should be reviewed in the context of the concepts so clearly defined in the constitution.
I like clear examples and here is the one I tell which I heard told by Walter Williams: The constitution is the rules of the game. If in a game of poker I deal the deck and you have four aces. I decide that two twos beats four aces and I win, would you play poker with me? If you say yes I want your e-mail. The point is the constitution is the rule book. Judges can’t decide to change it because they don’t like the circumstances. That is what has been happening. So to make it fair, all cases making it to the Supreme Court should be judged against the original rule book. Not against a changed rule by the card dealer.
So when we see that our constitution has been altered by bad law what is the remedy? There are several, but one constitutional response is found in the Tenth Amendment. The Tenth Amendment simply states, “The powers not delegated to the United States by the constitution, no prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” This means the states have the right, and I would argue the obligation, to nullify bad and unconstitutional law at the State level. For example, nowhere in the constitution does it allow for the creation of a Department of Education. Education is the responsibility of the individual, communities, and states to figure out. The federal government should have been stopped from creating the department. But many say so much of what has been done can never be undone. Never say never.
Our constitution is clear on the roles and responsibilities of the federal and state governments. All we have to do is to get our Governors to go back to this miraculous document, start auditing the functions of the federal government, and start nullifying them one by one. The Sixteenth Amendment allows the federal government to tax individuals and corporations directly but it is missing one key component; it doesn’t set a limit. Our Governors need to utilize the constitution and set the limit on what they will allow their citizens to be taxed. We need a constitutional challenge of the Sixteenth Amendment by having a state set a limit on the amount of money that the federal government can tax individuals and corporations. Since it is not defined, the responsibility defers to the states respectively, or the people.
The future of the United States lies in the words of this historic document. We don’t need reform; we need compliance with our current Constitutional law. We must know our history to have a productive and free future. History is the key to the future. Just like our founders of yesterday, the leaders of today must put their faith in the greatest set of laws ever created by man. Our leaders of today must know their history to create policies for the future.
The U.S. Constitution is the solution to our seemingly endless problems, mostly created by an out of control unconstitutional government, and we as a nation have ignored this fact. The solution to our problems is all found within the document we celebrate today. We must read it, and study it. God Bless our Constitution and America…
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
It’s a Reflection of Our Education System…
This administration and their inability to understand simple math, basic human behaviors, and our history is the reason our nation is sinking into the current economic abyss. They are the product of a failed education policy that is run by government bureaucracy. The quality of public education and its focus on everything except what is important to the health of our nation has come home to roost.
Obama and his team may be educated but they are far from smart. We have been teaching community without a firm understanding of the importance of the individual. We have been teaching animal rights when we have not been teaching constitutional rights. We have been teaching economics without connecting it to the human behaviors that incentivize and stop economic transactions.
We have filled our schools with teachers that have only their educational experience to pass on and very little real life experience. The educational “diversity” is nil to none and it shows. The key to our future is education and controlling the curriculum. We have allowed people like the current administration too much control over our future and now we see how important that piece of the culture is.
It is time for some adult and analytical conversation in this country. Stop spending money we don’t have; cut the taxes on the engine of our freedom and economy (business and personal taxes), and return the power back to where it belongs in the states and the people. Finally we must take back education and control the curriculum to align with the American value system…
Obama and his team may be educated but they are far from smart. We have been teaching community without a firm understanding of the importance of the individual. We have been teaching animal rights when we have not been teaching constitutional rights. We have been teaching economics without connecting it to the human behaviors that incentivize and stop economic transactions.
We have filled our schools with teachers that have only their educational experience to pass on and very little real life experience. The educational “diversity” is nil to none and it shows. The key to our future is education and controlling the curriculum. We have allowed people like the current administration too much control over our future and now we see how important that piece of the culture is.
It is time for some adult and analytical conversation in this country. Stop spending money we don’t have; cut the taxes on the engine of our freedom and economy (business and personal taxes), and return the power back to where it belongs in the states and the people. Finally we must take back education and control the curriculum to align with the American value system…
Sunday, July 26, 2009
The Tenth Amendment continues to “get legs”…
The movement has been long seeded and is finally becoming the clear rallying point for concerned Americans. The brilliance of the constitution and in particular the Tenth Amendment is its clarity of purpose.
The Tenth Amendment clearly states “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”
The beauty of clarity! There are basically 17 enumerated powers given to the federal government, which are defined but relatively broad as to not completely hamstring the government. They were made broad by the Founders because they believed there were other areas of the constitution that would reign in any abuse of power like the Tenth Amendment.
The states were extremely reluctant to sign the constitution and although it took over 200 years to play out, we can now understand the basis for their reluctance to get involved with a centralized authority. They were right to be concerned about man’s propensity to control and dominate others. But the states considered the Tenth Amendment the “ace in the hole”. It was clear that if this centralized government became too big they could control it by insisting the government cease activity based on the amendment.
The states were the true power at our founding and through Chief Justice Marshall, Hamilton, Lincoln, FDR and others, we have allowed a government to completely ignore the constitutional limitations with arguments based on emotion and faulty logic. To be fair the people have allowed this to happen based on circumstances of the times but that is water under the bridge.
Just because we have allowed these intrusions of federal authority to happen does not mean they can’t be challenge and changed. The Tenth Amendment is still the Tenth Amendment, it has not changed Its meaning has not changed, and it has only become more apparent that it is the amendment that must be resurrected to stop this massive federal takeover of our freedoms.
Every day new articles and movements are cropping up about governors and state legislators adopting resolutions to confirm the Tenth Amendment. Go to the Tenth Amendment Center to see all of the activity.
It has been a long time coming but the time has arrived. The American people have finally seen the massive failure of centralization and want to take back control from this faceless behemoth of a government. States are not perfect either but they are easier to get involved with.
It is time to support candidates at the state level that support enforcement of the Tenth Amendment. Recognizing the amendment exists was the first step but now it is time to take real action. We must recognize that the power of the federal government is in its individual taxing authority and this must be challenged on the grounds that taking money from one state to give to private companies in another (car bailouts) is unconstitutional. Where in the constitution does the federal government derive that right?
That is money that is stolen from a state to give to private business in another. There are many angles to cut off the funding of the central government and they all derive from the Tenth Amendment. People are starting to understand our future is now at risk but there is an answer.
We must cut off the funding and bring back control where it belongs; to the states. The movement is getting legs; it needs your legs to keep marching on. Join the fight and join with others like the Tenth Amendment Center to get informed and involved. We are in exciting political times and every citizen that loves the greatness of this country must get armed with the knowledge of the Tenth Amendment. It is the most powerful “weapon” in our arsenal…
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Targeting the wealthy…
In an act of typical congressional ignorance, Charles Rangel, referring to the way he and the other anti American congressman wish to fund a new healthcare debacle stated; we are targeting the wealthy because it “causes the least amount of pain on the least amount of people”. That’s an interesting comment that is completely and utterly false.
Let’s take one simple example. Ted Kennedy in his bright wisdom introduced and passed a tax on luxury boats sold in America targeting the wealthy because it causes the least amount of pain on the least amount of people. The result was American boat manufacturers moved to Bermuda, Bahamas, and everywhere else but America. They even closed down operations in his own state of Massachusetts at Boston Whaler.
You see the wealthy own the businesses where we work and derive our incomes. So when you try to inflict these unfair programs on them they just pick up and leave. Like the boating industry where the wealthy people instead of buying boats made in the US flew to the offshore locations and drove their boats home to dock in their San Diego harbor slip, the same will happen here. The wealthy will find a way out of the tax or they will find a new place to live. So instead of receiving additional tax benefits from the wealthy, these politicians put the people that make the boats out of work; me and you. Needless to say the boat tax was rescinded.
There is no reason to inflict “pain” on anyone here. We need to get the government out of our lives. That is the pain we need to address. This congress and administration is a total pain in the American way of life…
Let’s take one simple example. Ted Kennedy in his bright wisdom introduced and passed a tax on luxury boats sold in America targeting the wealthy because it causes the least amount of pain on the least amount of people. The result was American boat manufacturers moved to Bermuda, Bahamas, and everywhere else but America. They even closed down operations in his own state of Massachusetts at Boston Whaler.
You see the wealthy own the businesses where we work and derive our incomes. So when you try to inflict these unfair programs on them they just pick up and leave. Like the boating industry where the wealthy people instead of buying boats made in the US flew to the offshore locations and drove their boats home to dock in their San Diego harbor slip, the same will happen here. The wealthy will find a way out of the tax or they will find a new place to live. So instead of receiving additional tax benefits from the wealthy, these politicians put the people that make the boats out of work; me and you. Needless to say the boat tax was rescinded.
There is no reason to inflict “pain” on anyone here. We need to get the government out of our lives. That is the pain we need to address. This congress and administration is a total pain in the American way of life…
Friday, May 29, 2009
Federal Borrowing Must Be Stopped…
The Federal Government is borrowing away our future and has taken away every American’s constitutional right to the pursuit of happiness. We can no longer stand by and watch our debt quadruple per family.
You now owe $546,668 as a family thanks to the out of control spending of this government, and it is mostly unconstitutional. How do you pursue your own happiness when the government has the ability to borrow in your name for things that bring no value to you?
The constitution allows for the federal government to borrow for things that are important to the nation as a whole, mostly defense. But when the federal government borrows from you as an individual to “buy” a car company it is obvious they have gone too far. When the government takes your money to give to others they deem more worthy they have gone too far. When the federal government takes our state and local tax money for educating our children they have gone too far.
The Federal government has gone too far. If I were to borrow $546,668 in your name I would be thrown in jail. None of this federal borrowing beyond our military is justified or needed. Our Governors must stand up for the rights of their states, and we as individuals must stand up for our rights to the protection of our property (hard earned money) and our pursuit of happiness. How can any family pursue their dreams when the federal government can take away our rights to a prosperous future by borrowing on our individual credit?
The tenth amendment and nullification of federal programs is our only chance. We must audit all federal expenditures on our behalf and determine the constitutionality of each federal expenditure. Then we need to nullify each program at the state level and reduce our federal tax burden accordingly.
The only way we can do that is each state must end individual federal withholding taxes and collect those taxes at the state level. Then the states can pay the taxes on behalf of their individual citizens. This will bring the balance of power back to where it belongs; in the hands of the states and individual Americans. With the state in control our state representatives will have greater ability to provide the services truly needed to run the state according to the citizens of the state. No more federal extortion to get our state funds back for our own use.
This is not a radical idea. This is an idea rooted in the US Constitution. What is happening now is a complete disregard for our constitution and especially our tenth amendment rights. Government programs are so much more manageable at the state level, and we have a much better chance of holding our state representatives accountable as opposed to holding a Federal Representative from San Francisco or a Federal Senator from Nevada accountable.
Our Federal system is broken. There is no true representation in congress when the rules are contrived to nullify representation from states that happen to elect a representative from the “wrong” party.
Does anyone feel represented anymore at the federal level? Did you approve $546,668 borrowing on your behalf? Do you want it to stop? Have your read the tenth amendment? Have you read the US Constitution?
Stand up and fight for the US Constitution and your rights. Let your governor know you want this federal oppression to stop. Read our constitution and start the ground work for a movement back to our future. We don’t need radical change, we just need to abide by the framework already in place; The United States Constitution!
You now owe $546,668 as a family thanks to the out of control spending of this government, and it is mostly unconstitutional. How do you pursue your own happiness when the government has the ability to borrow in your name for things that bring no value to you?
The constitution allows for the federal government to borrow for things that are important to the nation as a whole, mostly defense. But when the federal government borrows from you as an individual to “buy” a car company it is obvious they have gone too far. When the government takes your money to give to others they deem more worthy they have gone too far. When the federal government takes our state and local tax money for educating our children they have gone too far.
The Federal government has gone too far. If I were to borrow $546,668 in your name I would be thrown in jail. None of this federal borrowing beyond our military is justified or needed. Our Governors must stand up for the rights of their states, and we as individuals must stand up for our rights to the protection of our property (hard earned money) and our pursuit of happiness. How can any family pursue their dreams when the federal government can take away our rights to a prosperous future by borrowing on our individual credit?
The tenth amendment and nullification of federal programs is our only chance. We must audit all federal expenditures on our behalf and determine the constitutionality of each federal expenditure. Then we need to nullify each program at the state level and reduce our federal tax burden accordingly.
The only way we can do that is each state must end individual federal withholding taxes and collect those taxes at the state level. Then the states can pay the taxes on behalf of their individual citizens. This will bring the balance of power back to where it belongs; in the hands of the states and individual Americans. With the state in control our state representatives will have greater ability to provide the services truly needed to run the state according to the citizens of the state. No more federal extortion to get our state funds back for our own use.
This is not a radical idea. This is an idea rooted in the US Constitution. What is happening now is a complete disregard for our constitution and especially our tenth amendment rights. Government programs are so much more manageable at the state level, and we have a much better chance of holding our state representatives accountable as opposed to holding a Federal Representative from San Francisco or a Federal Senator from Nevada accountable.
Our Federal system is broken. There is no true representation in congress when the rules are contrived to nullify representation from states that happen to elect a representative from the “wrong” party.
Does anyone feel represented anymore at the federal level? Did you approve $546,668 borrowing on your behalf? Do you want it to stop? Have your read the tenth amendment? Have you read the US Constitution?
Stand up and fight for the US Constitution and your rights. Let your governor know you want this federal oppression to stop. Read our constitution and start the ground work for a movement back to our future. We don’t need radical change, we just need to abide by the framework already in place; The United States Constitution!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Closing Car Dealerships?
I do not claim to be an expert in the car industry but I have to ask how closing the places you sell your cars is good for business? My understanding is that dealerships are franchises that agree to carry the cars of the manufacturer whose logo they put on their buildings.
Dealerships have to meet criteria set by the car company by proving their ability to finance the purchase of inventories large enough to fulfill the local market needs for the cars they carry. They must be exclusive buildings for each brand. They must carry original parts with certified mechanics. They must be able to sell cars ethically.
What the car company gets from the dealer in return is the integrity of their brand and they don’t have to make the large investment it would take to have so many locations to manage around the country. They get the expertise of local business people that are closely connected to the community. They get a motivated workforce that is determined to sell cars for survival. They get data from the dealers on how to improve their products. It sounds like the car companies get the better deal in this relationship. So what benefit does Chrysler or GM or Ford get out of closing dealerships? Savings on some marketing costs? Accounting staff reductions to keep track of dealers? Someone help me out here.
The costs are mostly incurred by the dealers. They are highly motivated to sell their cars and take all of the risks in maintaining a healthy business. In a tough economy dealers adjust their cost structure based on demand to maintain profitability. How is that working for the big 3 car companies?
Reducing dealers is something that is best left to the free market not government bureaucrats acting like they know anything about the car business. I think the car companies need to adjust their union contracts, find new management that has the guts to go through bankruptcy to become healthy again, and throw the government bums out!
If not we will soon be getting the cars no one REALLY wants to buy; the “smart” car! Puke…
Dealerships have to meet criteria set by the car company by proving their ability to finance the purchase of inventories large enough to fulfill the local market needs for the cars they carry. They must be exclusive buildings for each brand. They must carry original parts with certified mechanics. They must be able to sell cars ethically.
What the car company gets from the dealer in return is the integrity of their brand and they don’t have to make the large investment it would take to have so many locations to manage around the country. They get the expertise of local business people that are closely connected to the community. They get a motivated workforce that is determined to sell cars for survival. They get data from the dealers on how to improve their products. It sounds like the car companies get the better deal in this relationship. So what benefit does Chrysler or GM or Ford get out of closing dealerships? Savings on some marketing costs? Accounting staff reductions to keep track of dealers? Someone help me out here.
The costs are mostly incurred by the dealers. They are highly motivated to sell their cars and take all of the risks in maintaining a healthy business. In a tough economy dealers adjust their cost structure based on demand to maintain profitability. How is that working for the big 3 car companies?
Reducing dealers is something that is best left to the free market not government bureaucrats acting like they know anything about the car business. I think the car companies need to adjust their union contracts, find new management that has the guts to go through bankruptcy to become healthy again, and throw the government bums out!
If not we will soon be getting the cars no one REALLY wants to buy; the “smart” car! Puke…
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