The Vulnerability of Youth

I've been meaning to blog...really I have. Since Christmas, all of my free time has been spent studying for various professional exams. I have one left out of the eight required to earn my Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation. The exam is scheduled for May 5...but I decided to take a few minutes to blog.

Since Christmas, all of the topics I've wanted to blog about have been centered around political events. I wanted to publicly promote my support for Governor Scott Walker. I wanted to share some insight regarding refinancing our mortgage (from our conversation with the lender, it was clear that Obama promotes death, disability, and divorce). We give too much charitable contributions to refinance under his plan without experiencing one of those 3 "D" words.

There have been so many other topics as well. Our involvement with Libya and the budget debate...yep, I wanted to talk about those, too. But I'm finally taking time to share my thoughts on another political topic. I want to briefly discuss President Obama's recent 2012 campaign speech via facebook. I want to start by sharing a few scriptures that came to mind:

O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise... (2 Nephi 9:28) I'm not saying Obama is the devil. But I am saying Obama is employing those same tactics that Satan uses. I have an example to illustrate:

I was recently reading in the Book of Mormon when Alma and Amulek were preaching to the people of Ammonihah. There was a lawyer who came forward and questioned Amulek's testimony. "Now Zeezrom was a man who was expert in the devices of the devil, that he might destroy that which was good." Zeezrom asked several questions of Amulek. In reference to the Son of God, Zeezrom asked, "Shall he save his people in their sins?" Amulek responded no because for the Savior to save us in our sins would deny the truth that no unclean thing can stand in the presence of God. But the Savior will save us from our sins if we choose him over the world and repent.

Then Zeezrom turned to the people and said, "See that ye remember these things; for he said there is but one God; yet he saith that the Son of God shall come, but he shall not save his people - as though he had authority to command God."

Zeezrom was deceitful and ommited a key phrase in his response to the people. Amulek never said that Christ would not save his people...he said Christ would not save his people in their sins.

O that cunning plan of the evil one!

Now read what President Obama said regarding Conservatives:

"Their basic view is that no matter how successful I am, no matter how much I've taken from this country... I wasn't born wealthy. I was raised by a single mom and my grandparents. I went to college on scholarships. There was a time when my mom was trying to get her Ph.D. where, for a short time, she had to take food stamps. My grandparents relied on Medicare and Social Security to supplement their income when they got older. Their notion is: Despite the fact that I've benefited from all these investments, somehow I now have no obligation to people who are less fortunate than me."

His statement is completely illogical and deceitful. It is full of anger and resentment. It begins with an unfounded premise, adds a little truth, and then distorts the truth by adding key words. And finally ends with a lie.

Rather than show appreciation for the blessings he was given to achieve his current status in this mortal life, he's ungrateful and even angry that he wasn't born wealthy. His mom had to take food stamps. He never mentioned that in either of his two autobiographies. And he was attending an expensive prep school at the time his mom would have been on food stamps. His grandparents relied on Medicare and Social Security. Never mind that his grandparents were wealthy beyond their means. His grandmother was a VP of a bank and his dad was an executive of an oil company.

If so many of the rich want to pay more in taxes (according to Obama all we had to do was ask), then why aren't the liberals paying their legal obligations NOW? Like Senator Kerry who legally docked his yacht in a different state to avoid higher property taxes...or the President himself who paid only 27% in taxes as opposed to his legal obligation of 35% because his accountants found loopholes.

At the 16-minute mark of the town hall, he actually said that increasing our tax rates would help reduce government spending. What?

Instead of helping Americans look for a brighter day when they can pull themselves out of unemployment and not rely on the government, the President of the United States is applauding welfare as the path to success. He's destroying the concept of work.

He's demonizing his own citizens. He's taking away private sector jobs (i.e.: allows Brazil to drill in the Gulf but still has a moratorium for his own country) and increasing the public work force...which is essentially buying more votes. He's doing his best to make a case for welfare and dependency - not the freedom, liberty and independence that made this country what it is.

And to whom is President Obama speaking?

The youth - the college aged facebook generation. Those who are still "taking" and don't value the freedoms of being an adult because they haven't experienced it yet. Who else appealed to the youth of their generation? Hitler comes to mind first. And I'm not comparing our President to Hitler. I'm comparing his approach and philosophy to that of Hitler, Chavez, Fidel Castro, Mao, and all communist leaders in modern history.

I've often wondered how Lucifer convinced one third of Heavenly Father's children to rebel and deny themselves eternal blessings? This speech that Obama gave on facebook made me consider something I never had before. I imagine that Lucifer addressed the younger spirits of Heavenly Father - those who lacked experience. As well as those prideful, angry, self-centered spirits who were learned and thought that was synonymous with being wise. Youth have an excuse...adults do not.