Neal Boortz is Wrong

OK, I have a few other topics I want to discuss and this is one that crossed my mind. I often browse through his daily comments ( www.boortz.com ) as well as others that can be found at townhall.com, for viewpoints not found in the news. Neal's world is skewed by the rose-colored glasses of self-sufficiency, pragmatism and pseudo-intelligence. His arguements are quite good, and he makes a lot of common sense, but sometimes he misses the boat. One needs to listen carefully in order to pick up on these things. Here's what I mean:

Neal argues that in all things the free market must reign, and also that the law is the definitive guidemark for morality in America. Specifically, I will point to two examples.

One arguement he made was about gas prices when they went up so high. "Let them go as high as the market dictates," [not an exact quote, but close] he remarked. He can afford high gas prices. Gas makes up a miniscule amount of a fraction of a tiny percent of his budget. He can afford to argue this point. My question is, what about the hardest working people at my school, the custodians? What percent of their budget goes towards gas? Oh, it's their fault for not making more of themselves. Is it? What about our mentally retarded citizens, Neal?

Furthermore, we live in a society where much of the market is dictated by gas. Its not like we can walk or bicycle to the center of our hamlet to buy food brought in from the farm. Nearly all consumer goods are delivered by way of truck to our markets. In the wintertime, fresh produce has to be shipped from the southern hemisphere. Gas prices have a direct effect on all our consumer goods. But thats ok, Neal can afford $20/per gallon without missing a beat, so therefore the have-nots have to suffer. Well, I am INTELLIGENT. I am HARD WORKING. I made myself who I am today! Who gave you your intelligence, Neal? Who gave you your ability to work hard in the first place? Let's give credit where credit is due. I can't do that! Humility is a virtue Neal.

Now the libs like to legislate through feelings; they view the government as a giant, beaurocratic, warm, fuzzy band aid. A political Robin Hood, so to speak, and I disagree with this most heartily. I believe that it is not the governments job to make people feel good. It is not the governments responsibility to be our pinch hitter when it comes to aiding the poor, and I say this to my own disgrace. It is our individual responsibility to be our brother's keeper. We should never say, "I gave to the poor through my taxes," but with a liberal governmental philosophy we do, whether we admit it or not.

What about hurricane Katrina? I don't have an answer for that. On one hand, people who refuse to get insurance in an area that is below sea level next to the coast are asking for it. On the other hand it is the lawyers (hear me Neal?) and insurance companies that are driving and artificially inflating prices well beyond the level of being exhorbitant, just ask anyone who lives in Florida. It is part responsibility, for people not moving to a place they can afford, and part greed on the part of these industries.

Neal will at times cite the law as being all important as the guiding moral standard for our society, and I will agree that it's a good place to start. However, he waffles as well as Bill Clinton does when it comes to whether the law supports his agenda or not. Oh, we can't outlaw abortion! It's against the law. Neal. Its November 10th, 1938 and Jews are being rounded up and sent to prison camps. Whattya do then? Its December 16th, 1773, and England is making up taxes just to make a buck off of the Colonists. Ya gonna be a Benedict Arnold? Herod the Great is looking for Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus. You going to take the place of Judas and turn them in cause its the law? [in fairness, many of the things I attribute to Neal I have not heard him state directly, but I have heard him use the arguement about the law being the ultimate guide for Americans]

The fact is that over 1 million unborn children were killed in the United States alone last year by means of abortion. One million tiny little voices. One million fellow humans. One million, in 2005 alone. "Its my body." Not according to DNA evidence. One need only look at a Y chromosome to determine that. "Its my right." Maybe, but it was also "the right" of the Nazis to exterminate 6 million Jews. We'll weep over them and build community centers and holocaust museums, but ignore our fellow Americans that we chop up into little bloody bits. But thats ok, because it's the law, right Neal?

Consequently, there needs to be a line drawn. The answer is not complete pragmatism, based on views which are born from self-sufficiency and financial independence. Ultimately, we are all utterly dependant on God, our maker, for our being, our existance, our reason for living. The answer is not in liberal love-by-proxy, by means of government programs. We bear individual responsibility for the group actions of our society. The answer, Neal, is love, which comes from God.