North Carolina in the News

You don't have to be a resident of North Carolina to realize it sure has been in the news a lot lately and not for good reasons.

Started with the sad vote for amendment 1 on May 8th. Not only was this an attack on the gay community but also had other potential repercussions on non-married heterosexual couples as far as limiting doctors visits and employee benefits. Although the law does specifically refer to "personal relationships" which does include most heterosexual couples living together. Homosexual couples have every right to have the same legal rights as heterosexual ones. As I have said before I think marriage is more of religious based term and should be determined by those institutions with the government simply providing the legal rights of partnerships.

North Carolina next sad move was on sea level rise. For the time being with global temperatures increasing causing both sea ice to melt and ocean water expansion to just base sea level rise on past increases is illogical. Things change we cannot say just because something has happened in the past it will continue to happen just that way.

I don't think anyone said it better than Colbert in his "The Word - Sink or Swim": http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/414796/june-04-2012/the-word---sink-or-swim

The most recent now being legalizing fracking due to a voting mistake. Fracking is such a difficult issue to deal with because of how little known on its more longer term affects. The even larger issue in NC being that many of the underground water reserves are connected so that if one gets contaminated it could affect many others. Although many environmentalists would utterly prioritize avoiding this contamination over any economic benefits I think both must be considered. Sadly this as many environmental issues can not be solved completely by property rights since free flowing air or water is hard to define as being owned by one person or another. As fracking technologies increase, so do those attempting to help with the contamination issue. A great example of this is a group of students at Duke trying to do a start up company: http://safetna.com/

Happy 4th of July: A Look Back

Have a great 4th of July and always remember history:

Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors,and tortured before they died.

Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War. They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes,and their sacred honor.

What kind of men were they?

Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants,nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated,but they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.

Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to
pay his debts, and died in rags. Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him,and poverty was his reward.

Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer,Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.

At the battle of Yorktown , Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed,and Nelson died bankrupt.

Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.

John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his
children vanished. So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid.

Remember: freedom is never free!

It's time we get the word out that patriotism is NOT a sin, and the Fourth of July has more to it than beer, picnics, and baseball