(Author’s Note: Abortion in most cases is a uniquely modern day evil.  This column sarcastically addresses a common but not-well known issue regarding the practice of abortion.)

The Senate is considering a health reform bill right now.  Part of the ongoing debate is how to handle abortion funding.  Some Senators want federal funding for abortions while others oppose it.  Regardless of how you feel about the morality/advisability of abortions, there is a free market solution to the problem of how to fund abortions.  Here is one example of a comparable free market solution to the problem of wrecked and old cars.

Auto salvage yards pay for wrecked cars.  If you are in a car accident and the car is totaled, the insurance company pays for the value of the car and then the car is sold to an auto salvage yard.  The salvage yard then sells the wrecked car in parts to people who are looking for used auto parts.  It is a profitable enough business that the yellow pages have many listing for auto salvage yards.

If you have an old car that you just want to get rid of and is not able to be sold, you can still sell the car to the auto salvage yard and they will come and tow it away for you free of charge.  You are not liable for the costs of transporting it at all.  It works out pretty well for all the parties involved.  When the cars are completely stripped of usable parts the rest is sold for scrap metal and recycled.

There is a thriving auto recycling industry.  There are suppliers and buyers of all the used, wrecked, and recycled vehicles.  You may be wondering how this applies to the abortion question.  The answer is that there is a similar and thriving market for unborn babies.  There is a literal flesh market for unborn baby parts.

Medical research facilities purchase and traffic in bodies and body parts.  Abortion facilities and hospitals are a regular source for these parts.  When a woman goes in for an abortion, she is not informed that the life that is removed will be cut up, packaged, and re-sold to medical research facilities (not unlike how the neighborhood butcher takes care of cattle).  The worst of these procedures is partial birth abortion which I will not describe here.

Because of the market for bodies a doctor performing the abortion will alter the procedure to produce better specimens for the laboratories.  Babies have been removed alive and left to die or be killed, then processed for these labs because they make better specimens.   Sometimes the dissection is performed on a baby with a still beating heart meaning that it was a vivisection.  If you have a miscarriage and go to a hospital for follow up treatment the tissue samples will be processed and re-sold.  Unusable tissue for laboratory analysis is gathered and incinerated much like the scrap metal left over from auto wrecking yards.

So here is the free market solution to abortion funding.  Just like a woman does not pay to go to a fertility clinic to have her eggs harvested, abortions should be free and the costs covered by the re-sale of baby parts.  There is no reason that abortion clinics should not be self funding with the market for baby parts.  The problem of funding abortions is solved.  After all, it is her body and she should have control over it.

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220 members of the U.S. House of Representatives have decided that we are subjects and not fellow citizens.  The House voted to pass a nearly 2000 page bill to reform health care late on a Saturday night probably hoping that it would not be noticed.  The good news is that the bill is not expected to see the light of day in the Senate.

The federal government proposals to reform health care have not enjoyed a majority of public support for the last several months.  There were summer protests, the tea party movement, a march on Washington, and several protesters at town hall meetings in August of this year.  In a poll from August, support for reform was only at 42% with strong opposition at 44%.  There has been no significant improvement in these numbers for supporting health care reform.

What is shamefully absent in these discussions is any notion of the concepts of freedom, liberty, or the limits of permissible Congressional action under the U.S. Constitution.   There is simply no basis in the Constitution for the government take over and complete regulation of health insurance.  If any level of government has the power to regulate health insurance it is at the State level.  Instead of letting a free people find the answers, the House of Representatives passed this monstrosity.

In the bill you would be required to file with you tax return proof of your enrollment in a qualified (federal government approved) health plan or face an additional tax.  Failure to pay this tax if found to be willful could result in five years in prison.  If your benefits are through your employer your employer will have to enroll everyone in a qualified plan and if you are paying for your own health insurance you will have to switch over as well.

These qualified plans are expected to cost approximately 17% or more of your yearly income.  The federal government will determine what the qualified plans will cover and how much they will cost.  It is not a public option it is a public mandated expenditure.

This kind of lawmaking is outrageous.  The public voice has been squarely against this kind of reform, the cost is much too high for any reasonable organization to bear, and the authority to take this kind of action is entirely absent from our Constitution.  A bare majority of the U.S. House of Representatives chose to act like our rulers instead of our representatives with a clearly defined grant of authority in Article I of the Constitution.

Utah’s delegation did the right thing by voting against this bill.  Kudos to Rep. Jim Matheson in particular for breaking ranks with his Democrat fellow travelers and voting against the bill.

This Congress is not interested in helping the people or following any of the Constitutional restrictions placed on them.  Health Care reform would place a full 18% of the economy under federal government control.  It is a naked power grab by elected officials who do not want to represent us, they want to rule over us.

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We are living in tough times right now.  Economic indicators are not looking promising no matter what the powers that be want us to believe.  There is no surge of confidence that our governmental policies will rise up and save the day with the current problems we are facing.  Official unemployment numbers are around 10% but the real unemployment numbers including the people who have given up on looking for work is closer to 20%.  Taxes and government spending is higher than ever.  Foreclosures are up, bankruptcies are up, and times are tough for a lot of people.  Even with all of these problems we still have a lot to be thankful for.

Thanksgiving is a great time of year to be reminded of the need to be thankful.  Of the 110 Pilgrims that Thanksgiving is connected with less than 50 survived that first winter.  With help from the local Indians the Pilgrims were able to learn how to grow food in the difficult New England climate.  That first year’s harvest was plentiful and sufficient for the second winter and a celebration was held.  The Pilgrims were able to make their situation better in spite of the tremendous losses they suffered in the first few months in the New World.  We can do the same in these very trying times.

The most basic thing we have to be thankful for is life.  We have been given a wonderful body and mind that can work together to solve any problems we face.  Our mind is a powerful instrument empowered to solve many problems and our bodies can be used in productive labor to these ends.  At any point in your life you can work toward improving your situation.  You can work to change your life for the better.

We live in the United States.  Living in the United States has so many advantages over living in other countries.  Here we can complain about not getting enough whip cream on a banana split while people in many other countries don’t even know where their next meal is going to come from.  We have so much abundant and cheap food that obesity is epidemic in the United States while starvation and bare subsistence living is the rule in many other parts of the world.

We have so many varied and plentiful resources at hand that we can take advantage of.  There is more money, information, and opportunity flowing through this country than ever before.  The United States has problems with millions of people sneaking over the border to work and live here precisely because of the opportunities available in this country.  To compare: the only border China has issues with is the North Korean border.

Now is a great opportunity for rebuilding and creating new things.  With each of the difficulties we face there is an equal opportunity for growth, improvement, and something better.  The millions of people who are unemployed will have new opportunities forced on them that they never considered before.  The inventiveness and creativity of the American People is unparalleled and unequalled.  New businesses, new solutions, and new technologies will have their origins in these tough times.

The American People as a whole will begin to rediscover that what lasts is what matters most.  When times are tough people rediscover their families, their faith, and their true strength.  The American People are fighters.  We are not content to sit by and wait for someone else to make things better but will take charge and work to make things better.  We are a very resilient people who will see these challenges through to the very bright future on the other side.

We have so many things to be thankful for, even if times are tough for now.

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Here’s why.  It is one of the best hours about the subject I have ever seen.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” — The Declaration of Independence.  This is one of the most quoted sentences from the Declaration of Independence.  It is a correct and masterful statement about the nature and source of our rights.

Many people talk about our rights without considering what the source of rights are or what the impact of a right may be on others.  We need to re-think the meaning of a right and what it entails.

A right is a claim to a thing, action, belief, or course of conduct.  You have property rights, religious rights, human rights, freedom of belief, freedom of conscience, rights of self protection, rights of self determination and self government, judicial rights, freedom of the press, parental and familial rights, and many other rights.  The source of these rights is our Creator.  Because our rights are a grant from our Creator, it places the risk of divine punishment for trampling those rights.

The God given rights we enjoy are liberating to us.  We have the freedom to do many things as long as we do not infringe on the rights of others.  Property rights protect the fruits of our labor.  Religious rights allow us to explore belief systems about the nature of the universe and the mystery of life, or to ignore these questions completely.  Our freedoms allow us to take responsibility for ourselves and make mistakes.

A competing and mistaken idea is that rights come from the government.  This is the idea that the government “allows” freedom of speech, freedom of worship, the right to bear arms, or ownership of private property.  Government does not GRANT rights but is supposed to PROTECT rights.  The Declaration of Independence puts it this way: “That to secure these [God given] rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed”.

Because of this mistaken idea that the government gives us our rights we are in the middle of a debate about the “right” to healthcare.  How can this possibly be considered a right?

All of the rights that are recognized as coming from God do not place a financial obligation on any other person for that right to be honored.  The ‘right’ to healthcare would require someone to pay for the healthcare and the problem that is fueling the current debate is that healthcare is so expensive these days that people are unable to pay for it.  If a person is not able to pay for something now, it will not be magically better when the government is involved.  The money to pay for things will have to come from someone.  This is a right that would cause servitude rather than liberty.  There are no God given rights that require someone to pay for your care.  It should be handled through compassionate giving in a truly free market.

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We live in very interesting times.

Perhaps the greatest entertainer ever died last summer.  You probably know the name.  The funeral was all over TV and cable television has not been able to find anything else worth talking about for several days.  While this entertainer made a big impact on the world and our global culture this person had very little to do with our daily lives.

People know more about movie stars, tabloids, sports teams, what movies are coming out this summer and what TV shows to watch this week than they do about things that have a more serious impact on our lives.  We need to begin finding strength in our unity instead of focusing on our differences.

Media outlets control the narrative we are spoon fed every hour, every day, every week, month after month and year after year.  We are told what to think, who to like, what shoes are cool, what cars show success, how often we should be having sex, what drugs to take to make us feel better, how we should feel about things and who to vote for.  We are entertained, shocked, and tricked into using many hours each week to keep up with what our media magnates are telling us.  When analog TV was going away there was such great concern that some people would not be able to get their TV instructions that the deadline was extended a few months and government coupons were distributed to make the converter boxes less expensive for the less fortunate.  It is as if our own government is afraid of what people might do if they stop watching TV and start reading and thinking more.

Entertainment and TV is alright in the right place and time but the problem is that it dominates our time and attention.  What difference does it make ten years later who won the Super Bowl?  Will it really matter in ten years the movies you watched, what celebrities got divorced or married this week, or how the exciting action packed conclusion was resolved on your favorite TV show?

We need to spend more time with family and friends doing real things.  Spending time fishing with family, going for a walk, or playing games will create memories that will have a better lasting value to your life because it is developing relationships that matter.

We also need to start paying attention to what our government is doing.  We feel impotent and unable to do anything about the growing power and influence of government in our lives.  That is where the power of entertainment and distraction comes in because when we are distracted we are not thinking about how to take control of our lives back from the government.

We need to focus on the things that matter and will make a difference for the future.  We need to pay attention to what the government and jealously guard our liberties and freedoms.

There are several municipal elections next month, people who will have the ability to tell you how to take care of your property, raise your taxes, plow the streets, and so many things that make a difference in your daily experience.  Have you figured out who you are going to vote for?

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“Wo unto them that call evil good, and good evil, that put darkness for light, and light for darkness, that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”  – 2 Nephi 15:20

Today we are beset with messages that are confusing and wrong.  In our integrated society ideas cross political, moral, social, and entertainment boundaries.  So many things have become politicized because our government has taken to control and regulate everything.  It seems that you are not allowed to express your point of view on a moral issue without it being politicized.

Here are some things that would seem to fit the definition of calling “evil good, and good evil”.  Same Gender attraction issues are huge right now.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has a long public statement on the issue.  Our society is facing pressure to accept gay partnerships and sex acts as on par with marriage and fidelity.

Calling these contrary views “enlightened” is also calling light darkness and darkness light.  Same thing as calling these relationships as fulfilling and as wonderful as traditional relationships.  They are not the same and they never will be.

All kinds of things are promoted as good ideas when they are not appropriate for Latter Day Saints, like drinking, carousing, and other activities that have been verboten for those who choose to follow our faith.

The reality is that following God’s commands and exercising appropriate self discipline will go a long way toward creating a happy and fulfilled life.  Lasting joy comes from living righteous laws.

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Bankruptcy filings are up nationwide and could top 1.4 million this year.  This is the approximate level of bankruptcies that were filed per year prior to the new bankruptcy laws enacted in 2005.  Utah’s bankruptcy filings are up 62% from a year ago.  On a per capita basis Utah is ranked 13th so far this year in the nation, up from 20th and 37th in 2008 and 2007 respectively.  This is not a good trend.  You probably know one or more people who have declared bankruptcy.

People go through bankruptcy for many different reasons from a way to escape monetary judgments (like O.J. Simpson) to just trying to get a clean start after massive crushing bills (the majority of filings, I hope).

Bankruptcy is designed to give people a fresh start.  Many famous people have declared bankruptcy and rebounded from it.  These are people like Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, Mark Twain, Harry Heinz (Ketchup), Milton Hershey (chocolate), Henry Ford, Walt Disney, Larry King (twice), and Donald Trump (twice) among many others.  It was not the end of their life or financial fortunes.  Many people recover from bankruptcy and are able to move on with their lives and go on to relative financial security.

Bankruptcies and foreclosures are trailing economic indicators that show the effects of economic troubles. Unemployment rates near 10% will probably lead to greater numbers of bankruptcy filings in the future.

There are many causes for filing bankruptcy.  Some people live beyond their means always thinking that their income will somehow keep up with their spending and borrowing.  Some people may have an accident and not be able to work for several months and never can get caught up on the bills that continue to pile up while not being able to work.  Sometimes these accidents result in massive medical bills that are the cause of bankruptcy.  The blame game for why people are filing bankruptcy is not productive or useful.  It is good to be prepared and to live within your means but it is impossible to prepare for every eventuality that may befall you.

Whatever the underlying reasons for bankruptcy are the main cure is gainful employment.  People need to be able to work to be able to pay their bills.

The best way to create a prosperous and employed people is freedom and the free circulation of money.  Allow people to open businesses and compete on a level playing field and prosperity will be the result.  People will find ways to make money and to take care of their obligations.  The biggest obstacle to a free market is government regulation and taxation.

There are thousands and millions of people who have ideas for businesses and are short of funds and are unable to comply with all of the regulations to start up these businesses.  If the government got out of the way to let the free market work we would again be the most prosperous people on the planet.

Investment dollars are lacking right now.  The availability of credit is short and many people are finding it difficult to get the funding they need to start businesses.  Many Americans have accumulated Trillions of dollars in accounts outside of the country.  Part of the reason the money is still overseas is the IRS.  The IRS will assess financial penalties, plus interest, and then income tax on the money brought back in.  What if we just let the money back in tax and penalty free if it is used to invest in the economy?  Trillions of private dollars could flow back in to the country which would be a great benefit to everyone.

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The Salt Lake Tribune reported on Harry Reid criticizing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints for standing up for the right thing.

Specifically Sen. Reid thinks that the LDS Church should not have become involved in the Proposition 8 battle in California saying it was “a waste of church resources and good will . . . [and] didn’t think it was appropriate”.  In fairness it should be noted that Sen. Reid’s more balanced spokesman said “[w]hile Senator Reid agrees with his church that marriage is between a man and a woman . . . he also believes that the resources that went into the Proposition 8 effort could have been put to better use”.

Sen. Reid also supports a gay rights march on Washington D.C. and a sustained lobbying effort to allow for a federal law enabling gay marriage among other issues.

So, if I read this correctly Sen. Reid believes that marriage should be between a man and a woman but that Federal Law should allow for official recognition of sinful behavior and the LDS Church should just shut up about it.

Sen. Reid is wrong.  If you sincerely believe that a particular behavior is immoral or inherently evil you should pursue laws against that behavior.  In a republic with elected representatives the representatives will make laws that reflect the values of the people they represent.  Last time I checked Nevada was also against Gay marriage.

The LDS Church should get involved in moral issues regarding the laws of the land.  Laws against prostitution, gambling, gay marriage, gay adoption, abortion, and any other number of moral issues are up for debate in the public arena and churches should get involved in the debate, just like anyone else.

Sen. Reid was not specific about what goodwill was wasted.  The groups who fought against Proposition 8 already had no great affection for the LDS Church anyway.  If the Church did not get involved in the campaign they probably would have wasted the goodwill they had with other religious groups much more than any theoretical goodwill from the gay rights groups.

Sen. Reid probably wasted more of his good will with the LDS Church by his statements.

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“Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press . . .”  – The First Amendment.  Congress continues to regulate speech in violation of the Constitution.  What we need is to have power returned to the people in their communities to regulate speech and the press.

Right now pornography is a more protected medium of expression than explicitly political speech.  Thanks to the McCain Feingold Campaign Finance bill there are severe limits on the freedom of political speech in the last 30 to 60 days prior to an election, the most important time for open discussion and airing of issues before any election.

Congress has outlawed child pornography but does not know what to do with computer generated images of child porn.   Because of these laws underage kids are now facing problems of being listed on sex offender registries for the rest of their lives for sending pornographic images of themselves or others from their phones with cameras.

This week the Supreme Court will be hearing a case about a movie maker who filmed some dog fighting and used video from other sources in his films.  The film maker was sentenced to 37 months in jail although there were no allegations that he was involved in staging, encouraging, or participating in the dog fights.  The film was found to violate a federal law against trafficking in depictions of animal cruelty.  Michael Vick who organized and paid for a dog fighting ring was only sentenced to 23 months in prison.  The law makes exceptions for videos that have some kind of educational, religious, historical, journalistic, or artistic value but without clear guidelines people who make these videos may face unfair prosecution.

We need a return to local controls again.  Freedom of speech with local influence and restrictions according to the values of the community.

In the early 1800’s the First Amendment applied to the Federal Government, not the states.  Not only could a state persecute people for their religion, but the individual states and municipalities could abridge freedom of speech and of the press.

One example in the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (“The Church”) was action taken by Joseph Smith and the City of Nauvoo against the Nauvoo Expositor.  The Expositor printed some very inflammatory articles calling for violence against the leaders of The Church.  The city council of Nauvoo met and after taking evidence and having a hearing on the matter declared the Expositor a public nuisance and ordered it destroyed.

Is that such a bad model?  Just imagine if that kind of local control was given to the people again!  Communities and cities could ban pornography and other salacious material.  There would be public airings of difficulties and then people and businesses would know what kind of speech is allowed in their city or community.  Likewise there would be some other communities that would pander and cater to lower and baser elements of society.  When the same rules are applied to an entire State or Nation there is a race to the lowest common denominator for what is barely acceptable speech.  This never allows for a community that wants higher standards.

On a community or even a city level, you can have a marketplace of acceptable speech where community values would rule and allow for a better mix of what is or is not acceptable.  Let the communities have more control.

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