Unlocking Cellphones Becomes Illegal

The article Unlocking Cellphones Becomes Illegal Saturday reports that today, January 26, 2013, the government has declared that it is illegal to unlock a new cell phone.



Myself, I did not even consider the issue as this seems to me to be clearly stated in the contract that people sign with the big mobile carriers.

However, it is amazing that the government will prosecute people for breaking private contracts, using Copyrights as the excuse.  Big corporations that are overcharging people for phones and for mobile services now have the US Government to enforce their contracts.

Sadly it is no longer ironic that the US Government does not take interest in prosecuting the big corporations for violating the contracts with their customers.  The US Government has absolutely no concern for the fact that these corporations promise good service but do not supply good service.  The government takes no action regarding the abuses of these corporations with poor reception, dropped calls, bad connections, and a host of other issues.

Instead, the government helps the corporations to enforce the contract in a one-sided action against the little people.  Suing these companies is restricted to class action law suites because of the cost factors.  These suits are a joke as they never actually punish the corporate thieves and most customers never even see any substantial refunds.

Moreover, the corporations are allowed to track the customers’ activities without restriction and without customer consent.  “Minority Report” type selling of the customers’ activities and even location is now common.  People are even being conned into accepting retinal scanning “for their protection.”

In the end, it is the willful gullibility of the customers that allows this.  Greed, a.k.a. “envy” and “idolatry,” lusting after every new technological gimmickry.  If people did not buy the overpriced phones and plans, and if they demanded proper service or stopped using the phones, and if they voted for officials who actually cared about people rather than enslaving them through economics and promotion of lust, things would be different.

But that requires an otherworldly mindset.

Philippians 3:20

Colossians 3

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Americans Enslaved Both to and through Apathy

According to Wichita: Population Profile, the total number of city residents for the year 2000 was 344,284. The age categories are listed by 5 year increments, but that still allows one to consider the primary voting age population of 20 years and older. Subtracting the numbers for those under 20, 102,704 from 344,284 leaves a total of 241,580 people of voting age. And this number does not count 18-19 year olds.

So out of 241,580 people, 26,305 voted in the February 28 special election regarding the City Council’s attempt to misdirect tax money for private gain. This is slightly less than 11 percent of those who could have voted.

What does this mean?

It seems to indicate at least three things.

1. that the perception among the citizenry regarding whether their efforts can have a genuine and substantial impact upon the actions of the government and government leaders is becoming more negative
   
2. that people are pressed so hard to fight for personal survival that fewer and fewer people are investing the time and effort required to make informed political decisions
   
3. that fewer and fewer people believe that they are empowered to learn sufficiently the issues on which they would vote
   

During my activities earlier in the day I spoke with a number of people regarding the special election. I spoke to about a dozen people, small businessmen who serve the community with their businesses, intelligent businessmen who are well educated and hard workers. They all said that they did not know enough about the issue to vote responsibly. When I shared the details with them, details that were in the local paper and easily accessible on the Internet, they were appalled by the facts. They all were enraged by what was being done. Yet not one indicated an intention to go and vote against what they counted as being wrong. Not one.

Perhaps some did decide to go and vote. I hope so.

But what is wrong that less than 11% actually voted?

We receive no television broadcasts in our home. We no longer receive the newspaper because of the endless lies and misrepresentations in it. Yet I knew about this issue.

Why?

First, those who were seeking to steal the tax money kept calling me trying to convince me to vote in favor of it. These calls were of the type that I recognized as deceptive propaganda, simply by the language and approach utilized. This alone made me investigate.

But there were also billboards all over town. There were mailings of propaganda. There were radio advertisements. There were campaign lawn signs on the street corners.

What is happening that people no longer hear or see? How is it that people no longer perceive?

Is this merely apathy, or is this something more?

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Political Posts

Lately I have posted way more on political issues than I am comfortable doing. Yet as a citizen of this country, I care deeply about what is happening. The reason that I care is twofold. First, I care about the people and how these things affect us all. Secondly, I care about the proclamation of the Gospel, which these things also affect and will affect very powerfully very soon.

But I am tired of these things. Politics, which comes from the word that means “city” and itself means “of, for, or relating to citizens” is rarely understood this way anymore. Today it has become a term that is regarded to be “of, for, or relating to those who control the citizens.”

We often consider the term politician to be a synonym for liar and deceiver and thief. Often the presumption is true.

But why? We have allowed this to become the way.

I, for one do not accept this, and so I sometimes speak out.

I have always spoken out regarding the wrongs that I have observed done to others. Even in Junior High School and High School, I spoke up when I observed bullies tormenting others, especially weaker or less popular ones. On a few occasions I actually stopped them. When I think of these things, it amazes me that I have never been in a fight. Perhaps it is because bullies of this type are really seeking something other than a fight and are somewhat open to reason.

But these political bullies are organized. They have massive clout and wealth behind them. They have been building their infrastructure for a very long time. They have used the media and the educational system to win people’s trust. They have actually convinced most people that their bully ways are actually thoughtful and caring and proper.

Does it really do any good for one little nobody to cry out?

Well, I cannot help it. That is who I am. That is what I do.

But that is not my primary concern. Primarily I am concerned about everlasting matters. I am primarily concerned about people’s souls and their everlasting salvation. My other concerns actually flow from this, but are secondary to this. Thus I desire to return to matters of the Gospel and the life that the Gospel generates. While I have not actually departed from this, the other issues do distract from it.

I much prefer to comfort people with the wonderful good news of the Gospel proclamation.

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Old Glory

Independence day will be a day of displays of the American Flag and of fireworks, which lit the sky so that Francis Scott Key could see the Flag during the dark hours of battle.

When I was in grade school, I was permitted to help take down the flag that was flown on our flag pole. I was instructed as to the proper lowering and folding of the flag. Part of those instructions included the warning that if the flag should be permitted to touch the ground that it would have to be burned, for the flag was never to be dishonored by letting it touch the ground.

To me this was terrifying!

The thought of having to burn my nation’s flag was a terrifying thought. I had been taught to know what this flag represents. Such a precious symbol should be held in the highest regard.

After all, my grandfather left Germany and became a naturalized citizen, devoted to all that the United States of America was founded to be. He told his household, “We speak English in this house, for it is the language of this country!”

When Old Glory flies, it shows that the bounties of God are still upon this nation. Not only is it beautiful in design, but glorious in the standard that it represents.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Both this pledge and the Flag have come under attack by those who do not love this nation nor the standards under which it was founded. This pledge makes clear what the United States of America is and what it means to those who flee to her from all over the world. Men and women have bled and died for these precious gifts in order to help insure them to our posterity.

Consider the words of this pledge.

“I pledge allegiance.”

This is a voluntary pledge that flows from being taught to understand what the Flag and Nation are. It flows from a love of others, one’s fellow countrymen, and even for those who will benefit worldwide from the existence of a nation that stands for the things declared in our Declaration of Independence and in our Constitution. It is a pledge to stand firmly upon and unmoved from those principles that place the liberty and justice above even one’s own life and rights and freedoms. It is a pledge that moves one to sacrifice on behalf of others. It is a pledge that flows from a shared faith in what is right and good.

“. . . and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, . . .”

This flag stands for a united republic with a clear definition and identity. This republic is united in understanding the basis for the blessings and privileges and rights and security that its citizens enjoy. It is a nation that is founded upon the confident faith that the God of love who created and redeemed the world has established His goodness for all to enjoy, goodness that the founders of this nation did their best to secure in the founding documents. They realized that such goodness does not generate from the hearts of men but must come from above and then flows from a people grounded in this knowledge.

Such a nation is truly indivisible, as history clearly shows. But as history is also showing, when a nation loses this grounding, it becomes deeply divided.

“. . . with liberty and justice for all.

Clearly, liberty and justice must be for All, or else it crumbles. Liberty and justice flow from one source, from the One who IS Love and is just.

This is the source of the liberty and justice which have been enjoyed for generations. Any nation that recognizes this and abides by it enjoys the same freedom and beneficence.

Truly this is a pledge worthy of those who would live in unity and harmony together for the benefit of all. This is what the Flag of the United States of America represents.

Yes! I love this flag and I love this nation! God preserve us from seeing either being dragged down to the ground to be defamed or destroyed.

God bless America and cause her to continue as a blessing to all!

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Christian Vote

In a country where the citizens are given the opportunity to vote, a very special privilege and duty is entrusted to the citizenry and to each citizen. It seems, however, that very few citizens actually remember today what a vote really is.

The first two listings for vote in the American Heritage Dictionary are:

* a. A formal expression of preference for a candidate for office or for a proposed resolution of an issue.
* b. A means by which such a preference is made known, such as a raised hand or a marked ballot.

The vote is the citizen’s voice. It is the citizen’s opportunity to stand publicly for what that citizen believes. The vote is the opportunity to have a say in the way that the nation’s and society’s life is ordered. It is the person’s expression of what is right and good, not only for self, but for family, friends, neighbors, for all.

So what does a citizen actually say when that citizen votes for a person that does not stand with the same principles? What does the citizen say when a vote is cast for the lesser of two evils?

On what does a citizen stand when such a vote is cast?

The answer seems to be “winning.”

So what does the citizenry win when a vote is cast for the lesser of two evils?

Some Christians argue that we always cast a vote for the lesser of two evils since all human beings are sinners and all human beings have faults and make errors in judgment.

Well, isn’t that clever? Since all people are sinners and make bad judgments the conclusion is that no one can ever actually stand for what is right and good.

This is ludicrous reasoning. This is the reasoning that has resulted in the kind of politics and politicians that we have today, politics and politicians who say whatever sounds good at the moment but are never held accountable by the people and so they lie and change their promises from minute to minute.

What is worse is that people have started listening to the voices on the radio, voices that actually encourage the voters to be like the politicians. One such clever strategist has named himself the commander of “operation chaos.” Since his party of choice can no longer be called conservative and no longer stands for anything, now, rather than encouraging people to vote for a candidate with conservative principles, now he encourages people to try to cause chaos in the other party by voting in that party.

Why? Why would someone promote such dishonesty? The answer lies in the title that he has claimed for himself. It is about gathering followers to himself.

The really sad point is that people do follow him and boast of their mischief. They speak of themselves as liars and as dishonest and then pride themselves as taking one for the cause.

What cause?

WHAT CAUSE?

They hate themselves for remaining with a party that is represented by someone they distrust, someone who openly undermines what they believe. So what is their answer? To cause trouble in the other party.

Why not let go of the party and take a stand for what is right? Why not let John McCain have the Republican Party? Why not let the dueling duo have the Democrat Party?

Why not stand back from both parties and regroup? What does anyone win by preserving a party that no longer stands for the principles on which it was founded?

What is worse is that people would rather cause trouble when the nation needs to be reunited in the principles that made this nation strong.

Voting is not about one side or another winning. Voting is the voice of the citizenry. It is that which makes this a nation of the people, by the people, and for the people, rather than a battleground for politicians who care only about being elected at the expense of the citizenry.

Do the American people really want to follow the ways of the politicians, or do they want to have the politicians follow the voice of the people? Once upon a time in this nation the people claimed to follow a voice that was greater than their own, a truly reliable voice. When this was their claim, this nation called itself and was known throughout the world as a Christian nation.

Isn’t it time for the citizenry to remember and hear again the voice by which this nation has been blessed beyond that of any nation in history? Isn’t it time for the people of this nation to stop giving their voice away to leadership that leads us in the opposite direction of what we know to be right and true? Isn’t time for the citizenry of this nation to take back their voice and be heard again over the ruckus of the corruption of the media and the politicians?