1776 - Commonsense - 2016: A Modern Day Comparison to an Age Old Condition

By Joseph Banta

When a void in leadership exists, it is up to each one of us as American patriots to step forward and take point. This book is my attempt to temporarily fill that void. I offer commonsense reasoning in order to bring about honest discourse in an effort to create a unified purpose among ALL American citizens of every social class. We are all pink on the inside and we are all brothers and sisters in arms. We are concerned liberals and conservatives. We are red and we are blue. We are white, black, yellow and every color in between. Most of all, we are ALL Americans. WE are the only solution to OUR problems. It comes down to honest and forthright effective leadership, renewed national pride among our citizens, tolerance and respect of others, and a renewed effort to collaborate in order to win. Don’t be a mindless sheep preyed upon by those who would rather divide us for their own personal gain. We are America and we will show the world what we can do.

As my father used to say, “Lean into ‘er”….

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gatekeeper Press
• Release date: Sep 25, 2016
• ISBN: 9781619845596

Book preview

STATE OF THE UNION

Dysfunctional and biased. Those with wealth and power seem to be above the law, corruption by many within the government’s employ is rampant, and the operating structure of the government as an independent entity is inefficient. Streets and neighborhoods are more unsafe than ever before in our history and a surplus of good paying jobs and a secure retirement does not exist. The nation’s debt is in the trillions of dollars and our economy is hedged on inflated numbers and backed by printed paper. Turmoil caused by ideology and a lack of resources around the globe resembles a tinder box about to ignite into flames that will devour everyone and everything in its path. American’s personal liberties are under attack by a growing far left ideology that seems to promote socialism over democracy. The majority of existing media outlets, of which for most Americans is the only source of information they receive, are owned and controlled by those on the far left. This in fact enables these media outlets the power to overwhelmingly and unethically manipulate Americans perceptions on things such as social norms and public policy. I believe the media’s personal bias is most responsible for the divisiveness that inhibits all Americans from working together thru genuine discourse to ultimately create real solutions to the many problems that we face together as a nation. Does anyone else see this? Is anyone else looking at the big picture? How long are we going to keep sabotaging our own collective ability to prosper and thrive from within?

1776

Common

sense

2016

A Modern Day Comparison to an Age Old Condition

Joseph Banta

Published by Gatekeeper Press

3971 Hoover Rd. Suite 77

Columbus, OH 43123-2839

Copyright © 2016 by Joseph Banta

All rights reserved. Neither this book, nor any parts within it may be sold or reproduced in any form without permission.

ISBN: 9781619845589

eISBN: 9781619845596

Printed in the United States of America

Contents

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

PREFACE

GENERAL COMMONSENSE

1776 – COMMONSENSE – 2016 - A Modern Day Comparison to an Age-Old Condition

I. A PROBLEM-SOLVING FORMULA—Taking Our Country Back

II. NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION OF PROBLEM-SOLVING FORMULA

III. COMMONSENSE CURRENT ISSUES AND SOLUTIONS

1. CORPORATE CORRUPTION

2. GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION

3. PERFORMANCE-BASED PAY

4. LAW ENFORCEMENT

5. REVENUE GENERATION

6. PRIVATIZATION OF GOVERNMENT

7. GIVE STATES BACK THEIR POWER

8. PRISON REFORM & REHABILITATION

9. ABORTION

10. ANIMAL RIGHTS

11. INTERNET CENSORSHIP

12. CIVIL RIGHTS

13. DEATH PENALTY

14. EDUCATION

15. FIREARMS

16. FREE TRADE

17. UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE

18. IMMIGRATION

19. LANGUAGE

20. PATIENTS’ RIGHTS

21. RACE RELATIONS

22. TOBACCO

23. STATE OF THE UNION

24. TERRORISM

25. WAR AND PEACE

26. WELFARE AND POVERTY

27. AFFIRMITIVE ACTION

28. BUDGET AND ECONOMY

29. CHILD SUPPORT

30. CLIMATE CHANGE AND GLOBAL WARMING

31. ENERGY AND OIL

32. FLAT TAX

33. GAY RIGHTS

34. HOMELAND SECURITY

35. INFRASTRUCTURE AND TECHNOLOGY

36. MEDICAL & RECREATIONAL CANNABIS and ALCOHOL

37. NUCLEAR ENERGY AND WEAPONS

38. POLITICAL CORRUPTION

39. SCHOOL PRAYER

40. STEM CELLS

41. WAR

42. COLLABORATION AMONGST THE CLASSES

AN APP OR WEBSITE TO CHANGE THE WORLD

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PRESIDENT

INTERACTION BETWEEN SPECIES DRIVES EVOLUTION

OUR CURRENT SITUATION

IN CLOSING

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First, to my wife, who is an exceptional mother to our girls.

To my girls: you are the sun that is the light shining upon my world. My life only really began when you were born.

To my close pals who I still hang out with today; true patriots each of them.

To others from my past who showed me that good souls are all around us.

To my Mother and my deceased Father: Your unbelievable unselfishness, many sacrifices, and fortitude to do that which is just while remaining humble and proud American patriots, continue to be my guiding light.

To my brothers and sisters, who are each unbelievably amazing and loving in their own ways. A very special thanks to one of my two beautiful sisters without whose eternal fountain of positive motivation this book may never have become a reality.

To my great grandfather Epke for having the courage to leave everything behind in 1659 to seek a better life in America so that he and his family could escape religious persecution and live just and free, beholden to no man.

To America, the land of the free and the home of the brave; to freedom and the preservation of true justice for all.

PREFACE

I want to be clear about why I have written what you are about to read. It wasn’t conceived and created to meet some specific motive, agenda, or special interest. It began simply as a therapeutic writing exercise, aimed at relieving the deep frustration I was feeling at the time about the divisiveness and dysfunction that continues to undermine America’s collective ability to prosper and thrive. Please listen closely to what I am about to say.

Brothers and sisters, fellow countrymen and women of all classes and all races, we are currently engaged in a fight for our survival. Each passing moment that we put off the necessary work in front of us we die a little more as a country. We are a gathering of diverse people bound together by citizenship across this amazing piece of territory we call the United States of America. We comprise every ethnicity, style, attitude and temperament that exists. What truly connects all of us together in this noble fight is this piece of turf we share and call home named America. No matter what our personal feelings are sometimes about the laws or perceived injustices, it is ours to defend and shape as we want it to be. This responsibility lays solely on we the people. Make no mistake: if we do not defend it, hungry people from distant lands will always attempt to take it in one form or another—piece by piece and freedom by freedom. Just as in the beginning, when I began this journey of writing therapy—and as it still does now—one plaguing question about the future of our country continues to resonate in my mind: How long are we going to keep sabotaging our own collective ability to prosper and thrive from within?

During the writing process, this document took on a life of its own. I had no specific end goal in mind when I began and I certainly did not expect to write anything more than a few pages of frustrated rant. It was simply written from the heart. In fact, my only real experience in writing consists of just the few assignments I was required to complete in college many years ago. These words were not born from a hidden liberal or conservative agenda, but instead were created out of a genuine desire to break the continuing cycle of abuse that perpetuates the problems we face in America. I have included a few things within this that should help clarify the points I make.

I became aware of the need to offer possible solutions as examples in order to fully explain my thinking rationale and various views. I also realized that offering a particular method to prioritize the problem-solving process, a formula if you will, would help prevent the deviation that often inhibits our ability to reach productive solutions in a timely manner. Maybe, if I am lucky in my quest, this collective work of good intentions will offer insight and relief to others out there who are just as frustrated about the direction that our country is headed. At the very least, it might open up some much-needed dialog about the major issues we face. Near the end of the document, I discuss a tool that will facilitate this need to problem-solve. It may eventually be regarded as one of the most influential concepts ever devised as it could have beneficial life-changing implications not only for America, but for the entire world. Our ability to gather mass public opinion and viable solutions on everything from political issues to cures in medicine will be exponentially enhanced. Finally, it is election season. The opportunity exists at this very moment to encourage voters to choose a candidate based on his or her ability to actually make a difference rather than to base a decision on the candidate’s looks, a few manipulated sound bites, or that voter’s normal party affiliation. I offer herein detailed descriptions of the contributing traits, necessary abilities, and preferred mindset such a person must have.

Ultimately, this document can help to find and elect the most suited candidate to be President of the United States, not the most pandering one. Keep in mind when evaluating possible nominees that the idea of the perfect human is a fallacy. One does not exist. And neither does a perfect candidate. We should stop the holier than thou hypocrisy we so often love to inflict on those who have the courage to commit to such an insurmountable task as the one in front of us. Divisive rhetoric only serves as a slanderous tool used to sabotage good intentions in order to fulfill someone’s or some group’s personal agenda. What does exist, however, and what we can all find real hope in is the ability of our countrymen and women who, when given adequate support and guidance by the body collective, can achieve virtually anything. That is what makes America unique among all nations. From the days of the American Revolution up until now, we have proven this ability to recreate ourselves and adapt as needed time and time again—better than any other nation on the planet, in fact.

I began this exploration before any announcements for presidential candidacy were publicized. This material was written with an open mind based on finding solutions. I ask you to do likewise and withhold judgments or personal preferences until the end as well. Allow common sense deduction to outweigh personal biases. At the end, evaluate who is currently running for President and make your decision based on that person’s ability to be flexible enough and not under the control of others enough to enable him or her to concede views when needed, as well as hold fast and be forthright when faced with the harshest criticism. The ultimate goal to achieve is group prosperity that is actually viable in the immediate future. Together with our guidance, he or she can implement the solutions that offer instant personal safety and a strong economy. While those solutions stabilize this sinking ship we call America we can collaborate to implement the necessary policies that will provide long-term sustainability and well-being. The person who is best suited to do this is who we need to have as the leader of our country at this very crucial moment in our history.

The main body of work highlights many of the most crippling issues we face. It is not my intention to slight or exclude any particular view. I believe all problems can be resolved through productive collaboration. My sole intention throughout has been simply to prioritize some of the most relevant problems and in no way purposely dismiss any one issue in particular. My intention is to provide an unbiased observation of the current and ongoing political process. Doing all the above will enable readers to make a more informed decision when voting that is unmolested by ANY special interests. I offer possible solutions based on common sense reasoning that exhibits absolutely no bias to any race, gender, or sexual orientation. It is only in this unbiased non-preferential style that true equality for ALL can be achieved. This is the key to gaining a unified consensus among both those on the left and on the right as was originally intended to be by our founding fathers. The ultimate goal is to draw readers from both sides of the aisle into an agreeable middle ground, hence, to achieve democracy as it was intended. Utilizing common sense reasoning to enable group unity will accomplish this goal. So often the original argument made is lost to deflective rebuttal based on discriminating personal biases. Simply put, egos take over, discriminating remarks are made that are completely off topic and the real purpose for the discourse, hence, the opportunity to problem solve, is missed. We must truly consider the negative consequences caused by our great division. In the end, we all pay the price for that division. Together we stand, divided we fall. Our future president-elect is the only person capable of pulling America back from the brink of destruction that lays directly in front of us. For me personally, it is quite impossible not to notice the number of these attributes that one particular candidate has. It is either by sheer luck or by some great unproven power of the universe that we currently have one person in this race who meets many of the critical requisites I list. If this is not a sign of a higher force shaping our collective destiny, I don’t know what is. Only one candidate has stepped up to the plate and