Americans don't need a shepherd

President Obama and his supporters see America in need of a Shepherd. Our nation is, in their mind, basically sheep. Some have coined the term “sheeple.” The mass herd that is the American population can be controlled by the barking dogs of Congress and government departments and regulators. Tax policy is used to bite the heels of different groups. Running from the left to right to left again, President Obama nips at the heels of stragglers and slow moving citizens. Even the President’s own words make clear he sees his role as Shepherd. President Obama has said the Constitution is a collection of “negative” powers. The Constitution is to liberals, a tool for herding the population into a protective pen, a pasture, where the elite will care for and protect (until sheared), the population. Recent major legislation reinforces this view.

Consider health care legislation. The 1900 pages just out from the House ignores real reform and establishes new taxes, regulations, fines and hundreds of managers and boards of review. The herd will be bitten, barked at and growled at until they comply and behave in a manner suited to liberal attitudes. Tax soda, tax fat, tax young people, tax small business and on and on. We are to be herded into compliance. No tort reform. No plan for purchase across state lines. No tax break for individual purchase of insurance.

The Cap and Tax plan promises a green energy future. How? Tax coal. Tax gas. Tax cars. Tax business as it uses energy and transfer that wealth into groups that suit the liberal view of the world. Where is innovation? Where is leadership? Where is trust in the American people? The debate is, we are told, over on climate change. Hiding from debate is not leadership. Hiding from debate is a barking dog at the heels of sheep.

President Obama sees as nearly divine his obligation as the great Shepherd of the people. His speeches reach out to groups, not individuals. His management style is one of listening, consideration then consensus. No where do we see leadership, individual excellence. The President seems to be a barking dog running behind the herd of shee-people, biting here and there, growling and stopping for a moment to rest then rushing off to bark again. The herd circles and moves around the pasture and spends some time grazing, some time drinking and then comes the culling of the herd. Just yesterday President Obama was holding another war group. He sits at the end of the table and listens to all the advisors and then he will bring everyone together. He will “Shepherd” the military into his vision and his plan.

May I be so bold, America does not want or need a Shepherd with sheep dogs. WE NEED AND WANT A LEADER. The problem for President Obama is free people won’t follow a Shepard. They will follow a leader and mostly they will make their world themselves. A very telling example from President Obama is his judgment of the capital gains tax cut put in place under President Bush. When Bill O’Reilly asked then candidate Obama about the increase in revenue the “tax cut” generated Obama disregarded the revenue and said it was just a matter of “fairness.” The President and Democrats in general have never understood that in America freedom equals discretion. The reason a lower capital gains tax rate increases revenue is simple, all first choices that may generate a capital gain are discretionary. No one has to invest or take a risk. When the tax rate gets too high, capital gain based choices will stop. Very simple.

We can apply the same truth to health care. Liberals simply cannot see choice as a good thing. Choice makes sheep herding more difficult. I believe health is the area of greatest personal discretion and when the free people of America feel the barking dogs and the bite of Congressional force upon their health care choices, the American people will revolt.

President Reagan was hated by the shepherds. The barking dogs hate freedom and they hate all things individual. President Reagan saw America as a nation of Eagles. I too believe we are Eagles. Some act as sheep, you can see them in their SEIU and ACCORN tee shirts. It is time for Eagles to fly again. Tell Obama we will not be herded into the pen and sent to slaughter. The United States Constitution leads America, leads the world to individual freedom and greatness. The liberal sees the Constitution as an obstacle to overcome. I see the Constitution as the gateway to freedom.

Kris Hager Gold Star Dad 941*587*9373