The Jenkins Report

Early Voting

2010-10-27T06:21:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I went to the store with my siblings Thomas, Amanda and Ryan. On our way back we had to stop off at the library to drop off a book that Amanda had checked out! I know, I know what a nerd, getting books from the library! Anyway, while we were there we noticed that they were doing early voting. I was intrigued, so we went down to check it out! It was great! I can’t believe how fast it was. I showed them my driver’s license, they asked me for my name and address and then I was at the voting machine casting my ballot! I’m so glad that I did it because now I can relax and not have to worry about going on Election Day. If you’re going to vote, I recommend doing it early!

By the way, if you don’t know what’s going on with the election, you don’t have to vote. I know that’s not what people want to hear, but it bugs me that there is this huge push to get people to vote. I think the push should in fact be to understand the election, understand the issues and then go vote. Don’t just vote for someone because they had a catchy slogan or because they offered to increase the welfare checks. Find out where you stand and then vote for the person who you think will make those things happen.

FREEDOM

2009-01-19T15:39:00.000-08:00

Ok, so it's long I know, but I don't post too often, so you can read it in parts if you like. I have been thinking a lot about freedom lately. We are all free to act according to our will. I can do anything within my ability. The only true way to take away someone's freedom is to physically restrain them. To cast someone into prison, or to lock them up. Of course you can always take away their life and that takes away their future freedom to make decisions. Other than that everyone is still free to act as they may. The only thing that stops us from acting in a contrary manner is consequences. When the consequences of an action become to great a person will not act in a certain way so they might not have to suffer the consequence. The ultimate consequence to any action would be death.

We can think of consequences as a range too. From completely natural and unchangeable, to completely made up and ever changing. It does not matter how hard you try, you can't reach your bare hands into a fire and expect not to get severely burned. This is a consequence that will not change. No law can be passed to change whether a fire will burn you or not. On the other had we make laws that change how people act. If you steal, you will be punished, if you kill you will be put in jail and possibly lose your own life. The consequences to these actions are determined by the people. Of course there are consequences in between. How you treat others determines how they treat you.

I have been reading a book called "The 5000 Year Leap" by Cleon Skousen. In it he talks about laws and states that there are two extremes to power. Either nobody has any power and anyone can do whatever they want without consequences, or one person has all the power and that person forces his/her will on others. These two extremes are anarchy and tyranny respectively. This got me thinking about how someone can have total control over someone else? How can a dictator rise to power? How does someone restrict another's freedom?

Consequences! That is always what it comes down to!! Whenever we are faced with a decision innately we think of the consequences and then decide how to proceed. From years of learning as a baby and then as a teenager and finally as an adult we gain knowledge of the natural consequences to our actions. We learn that if you fall down you might scrape your knee. We understand that if you say nasty things about someone that person will not want to be around you. We learn that if you don't go to work on time you might lose your job. These are natural consequences.

When a society is formed, a group of people with similar ideas get together and decide what consequences will be imposed on the society in order to make the society better. These differing societies range from Anarchy to Tyranny and everything in between.

Let's take a look at both extremes. Anarchy has no consequences imposed by a ruling power. With every decision you must only think of the natural consequences. There is no such thing as a crime because there is no law. So, for example, if you were to go out and murder someone, you would not worry about a police officer coming to your door and arresting you. You would, however, have to worry about the natural consequences like the guys brother or father beating down your door and shooting you, remember there are no laws!!

Now if we were to be ruled under tyranny there are a whole new set of rules. There would possibly be hundreds of rules and these rules and regulations would change under each new dictator or king. The most basic of freedoms like going to the church that you like or working at the place that would want might be taken away. I like to think of Saddam Hussein's regime as a tyrannical regime. If you were to speak out against the dictator, you would most likely get shot. Very steep consequences are put in place in order to force others to act a certain. way.

So it comes down to consequences. The consequences we as a society impose on one another is what determines how free of a people we are. The ideal is to get right in the center of the spectrum from Tyranny to Anarchy and create a society where laws are enforced to keep people from hurting one another, but where laws don't become so burdensome that the people suffer under a supreme leader's rule.

Throughout history we can see examples of both ends of the spectrum. Most European governments were set up with a Monarchy where one person is given complete control. The people suffered under the burdens of leadership changing and rules changing every 20-50 years. We see how Russian rule went from a Monarchy to a President, with only the title and the way government was run changing, while the basis of freedom stayed the same. The people were oppressed by leader after leader. Forced to act exactly as the union wanted or facing severe consequences.

The natural tendency of a people is to move from Anarchy to Tyranny. Then once the Tyranny has taken control it can only be overcome by severe means. Bloodshed and violence are the only things that overthrow a king. It is difficult to push back against a supreme leader without suffering huge consequences. Our freedom was paid for with the blood of many Americans who would not suffer under the plight of a tyrannical leader any further. Let's not give up any more of our freedoms!

Free Ride

2008-12-04T20:35:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking a lot about the economy lately. Sometimes I worry that things are going to get really bad and that we are in for another Great Depression. Other times I think that this is probably just another economic slump and that we'll pull through really quick. Then other times I remember that the Democrats are going to be in control of everything and I think that maybe the whole system is going to bottom out! Sometimes I feel like I can't plan for my future because I don't know how things are going to be! Of course that is irrational, but I don't like the idea of not knowing where our country and our economy is headed.

I heard someone give a talk recently and they were saying that the reason we are in the situation we are in is because of greed. Our country has been very prosperous for many years now and everyone is hoping to make a quick buck. Everyone wishes that they could find some get rich quick scheme and make a bunch of money and then live on a beach somewhere in the pacific ocean. This got me thinking and I realized that I am as guilty as the next guy. Me and my brother put some money into the stock market. Of course our goal was to make a bunch of money without any effort. It's that easy. Buy low and sell high and you can make a fortune. So that's what we did, but it didn't work. Instead of going up all three of my stocks have gone down. My investments are now only work 40% of what I paid.

Everyone wants to invest in the next pet rock, or have a rich uncle die and get all his money, or sue McDonalds for millions cuz they made you fat. We have forgotten the value of money, and the value of a hard day's work. We have to study to do well in school, we have to go the extra mile to get a promotion and you have to look in order to find what you are looking for. Successful people are successful because they worked for it, everything else is just playing the lottery.

Why not Socialism?

2008-11-14T21:13:00.000-08:00

Karl Marx said that Socialism is the transition society between Capitalism and Communism. Communism being a society in which there is total distribution of wealth. In a communist society everything everybody makes and produces and earns is put into a big pot and then someone divies it out to each person as they need. In concept a communist society sounds good. Everyone gets what they need and everyone works as hard as they need. There are two major flaws.

First, the distribution of wealth. Because we are human and we are subject to greed and pride there can never be a continuous leader who would distribute the wealth fairly. A leader would always give more to one person whom he favors and give less to one whom he dislikes. This leader would keep more for himself and give less to others. Even the most well intending leader would be tempted by a pot of gold.

Second, communism assumes that individuals in a society give their highest effort when performing their job. Because wealth is distributed evenly a doctor would make the same wage as a janitor. (no disrespect to janitors, they are very hard working individuals!) In this lies a major flaw. Communism assumes that doctors and lawyers and businessmen would do the same starndard of work that they currently do while getting paid less. This is certainly not true. Doctors sacrifice at least 12 years and immense wealth to go to school. They do it because they want to "save lives". . . . well . . . . and because they know that at the end of 12 years there are big payouts. They know that they will be financially rewarded. Therefore if the wages of a doctor were cut to less than $100,000, how many people would be doctors?

A good example of this is me. I think about my life and where I would want to be. I am an accountant. I enjoy my work, but let's be honest accounting is not the most thrilling job in the world. I sit at a desk all day and look at numbers. So, what do I really want to do? Well, I have always wanted to have a bakery. I want to make bread. I would get up every morning really early and make the dough and bake the bread and people would come and buy my bread. So why don't I do it? Because I don't have the potential to earn as much money. Accountants make more money than bakers. This is what drives me to be an accountant. Well, not everyone can follow their passion! Not everyone can be an artists, or a baker, or a dancer, or a historian. If everyone in the country followed their passion, because everyone was paid the same, there would be a lot less doctors and lawyers and businessmen. I wouldn't spend 6 years to get a Master's Degree in Accounting. Doctors wouldn't spend 12 years to be a physician. Instead I would be a janitor with a lot less skills, making the same amount of money with less stress and more time off. The fact of the matter is that Capitalism is the best system we have got. It fairly compensates those who put forth the necessary effort. It takes from those who wish to party more than work. Yes, there are flaws, it is not a perfect system, but until we get a perfect leader and until everyone wants to put forth their best efforts in spite of a paycheck, it's all we've got.

Say No to Communism

2008-10-31T18:46:00.000-07:00

So I saw a billboard the other day that said “Friends Don’t Let Friends Vote Straight Party!” You know how there is that option where you can just vote for all the Republicans or all the Democrats instead of going through and checking all the boxes for each Republican or Democrat? The first thing I wondered was if any of my tax dollars went to pay for such a dumb advertisement, I hope not! You know the only people that don’t like Straight Party voting are all the Democrats in Utah. They hate it that some Utahn’s would never vote for a democrat. On the one hand I see their point. It is not good to vote for someone just because they are a Republican or Democrat. I know I should learn about the candidates specific views. Different politicians have different ideas, so you really can’t tell what they are made of just by their party affiliation. Then, I thought, there are people like me. I can’t remember the time when I heard a Democrat speak and thought he/she made more sense than a republican. If you have Democrats on the Left and Republicans on the Right, I sit on the extreme right. So I know that even the most centrist republican would fit my views better than a democrat.