Humpday Happenings...

And it looks to be a wonderfully dismal day here in Hoosierland with some rain, a GOOD possibility of some snow flurries (no accumulation, thank God), and the much cooler temperatures associated with the autumnal season.
Today's high will only top out in the mid-to-upper 40s (again) and if we do see the sun, it doesn't appear we'll see much of it.
Those clouds look pretty thick to me.
Outlying schools have a delay due to poor visibility, but we're okay in the Summit City.
Now, let's  refill that cup of coffee, tea, or whatever, and get started with the rest of the day...such as it will be, shall we?
*** First off the shelf today is our Motto of the Week aka WHO SAID THAT?
"Each experience through which we pass operates ultimately for our good. This is a correct attitude to adopt and we must be able to see it in that light."
So, who said that anyway?
The answer at the top of tomorrow's post.
Meanwhile, back at the bookstore...
*** Yesterday, I was speaking about those who have become "entitled" in life, and what that denotes.
And, as is the case, with these people, there is a very blurry line when it comes to what is a "right" and what is a "privilege".
We talked about those things before...a RIGHT is something given to you by God...like the "right to life", while a PRIVILEGE is something GRANTED you because you have earned it...like getting a driver's license - you learned how to handle the vehicle, know the rules of the roads and signage and have passed the test to qualify AS a driver..simple, huh?
Well, when it comes to the low-information entitled folks among us, they tend to see damn near everything as "their right".
Now, that's plain nonsense, isn't it?
Why do people feel they deserve something they have not earned, and then profess to call it a "right" they are expecting to be given?
Okay, time to strap on your thinking caps, boys and girls...
In the purest sense of the language and interpretation, both a right AND a privilege are ENTITLEMENTS...(didn't see THAT one coming, did you? That's okay, neither did I at first), but there is a caveat attached to these...
-- A RIGHT is that which is an inherent, irrevocable entitlement held by ALL citizens or human beings from the moment of BIRTH.
(that oughta confuse the hell or piss off the abortion pundits when they kill off those millions of unborns)
-- A PRIVILEGE is an entitlement that is CONDITIONAL and granted only after birth, and it IS able to be revoked under specific circumstances.
It would behoove ALL the people who produce all these government-sponsored handout programs to UNDERSTAND this...totally.

There are those who will say that SOME people are "more privileged" than others...and for the most part, that IS true.
And, if that privilege is obtained by illicit means, or on the backs of others, that it needs to come under scrutiny, but by and large, most privileges are still EARNED in the correct manner.
Any privilege that excludes others from it being to be obtained through normal means needs to be examined, for any such privilege should be AVAILABLE to EVERY person, regardless of race, religion, sex, etc.

For example...to have a job is NOT your "right", but it is a privilege, and for the reasons mentioned above, and if you are willing to apply yourself, work hard, and appreciate the opportunity allotted you, you will not fail...hell, you might even wind up owning the damn company...who can say?
Housing is also NOT a right, but a privilege...yet, there are those that will say that housing IS your right.
Where exactly does either GOD or our CONSTITUTION state that?
( I haven't found evidence of it yet)
When you're born, you do not automatically GET HOUSING (well you do when your parents have a place to live, but you get my drift).
And, to further support this, you CAN be evicted FROM your housing, and the last time I checked, a human "right" cannot be revoked, but a "privilege" can be, so there, take that logic-seekers!
Basically, a right is something which you DO get "for nothing", while all these privileges cost something...somewhere along the way, either in time, or money, or whatever else we can apply.
A right is the ONLY entitlement that is free and unearned.
EVERYTHING ELSE becomes an entitlement that DOES cost someone something at some time or another.
Now, I said all that to say THIS:

Today's entitlements have become the bastard children of what we used to determine were god-given rights...and in our democratic republic society here in America, that plays counter to almost every value system and principle laid out in the founding documents, and yes, even in the Bible.
People have grown accustomed to EXPECT damn near everything, while doing nothing (or as little as possible) to warrant it.
Whenever you hear the word "entitlement" these days, you really have to pay attention to the usage of the word, because it will probably NOT be referring to anything approaching a privilege, but will be twisted about to denote what is now called a "right".
We don't progress as a society when the government creates an entire sub-class of people that DEPEND on that government from cradle to grave.

If anything we move backward, and if you want an example of how this can go sideways, look to the French Revolution - a revolt that sought to abolish "privilege". Not the best way to emulate the colonies here in America with OUR revolt against the crown for liberty and freedom, was it?
Well, you learn from experience, I suppose.
Still, when you take a look at ALL the entitlement programs this government has created to "assist" the downtrodden, when it fact it doesn't really help all of them OUT of their plight, but rather REINFORCES their existence within that plight, you learn SO much more than you're being told.
We've moved out of the realm whereby the private sector helped these people...and did a stellar job in their day. The CHURCHES were the first and best refuge for the indigent within our society, and we are seeing a small swing back to that...as long as the government stays the hell out of the way.
So, how do we deal with this ever-growing issue of handouts that are being interpreted as human rights?
Well, if I had THE answer to that, I'd be a very wealthy man.

It will take some soul-searching on the part of those we elect, and especially for those who will cast votes for future representatives...people who will wrest the grip of totalitarianism out of the government's hands and place such responsibilities back to the people...where it damn well belongs.
We got along so much better when we helped one another, instead of the government intrusion into nearly every facet of our personal lives.
Those who claimed to be poor before the welfare system was created still ate...and had housing...and managed to do much more than those people today to whom we, the taxpayers GIVE everything...and receive nothing back.
I guess we did call that SELF-RELIANCE...seems to be a lost art these days in the age if entitlements..
Maybe we might have to hit bottom before we can rise again...maybe not.
But when you educate YOURSELF to the real issues of the day, and come to an UNDERSTANDING of what words mean, how they're used OR abused, you have become a better person than you were the previous day...and that's something we can ALL embrace, is it not?

Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay SAFE out there, America.