“Change” and “Gay” Need Definitions

"The man who never looks into a newspaper is better informed than he who reads them, inasmuch as he who knows nothing is nearer to truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods and errors." -- Thomas Jefferson


If I didn’t know better, I would think Mr. Jefferson was able to see the future and determined our modern day mainstream news media was more poisonous than informational. And he would be right. A big problem today is our ever evolving English vernacular. Nothing new really, but today as with much of our contemporary world the speed at which modifications takes place at most times is faster than the definitions needed for qualification. I can’t help but feel it is the very reason many people (mostly progressives) like it that way because it fits their situational ethics as they need it and when they need it. You might be asking, “What is he talking about?” I’ll use two words we read often in the news to qualify.


Gay has been around for a while and long enough for us to understand the change the word has morphed into. People even giggle now when singing a popular Christmas song proclaiming; “now we don our gay apparel”. Fifty years ago visions of “Sunday best” or special attire to reflect a clean wholesome outfit for a special occasion and celebration was envisioned. Today we might more readily attribute visions adapted to an x-rated party or brothel. At the very best just something more colorful; as a rainbow or maybe two suits for a “bride” and / or “groom”. This is a complete one hundred and eighty degree change.


Ummm. I just used the word change. I should be careful. You see, recently that word was used to help elect our last president (and still is used many times). He campaigned on the idea of “change”. The problem is people were not listening to definitions used when this word was thrown around as a positive experience. That might be because “we the people” were defining the idea as something positive and probably related to financial strings as we have become more materialistic. “Change” for the better meant more jobs or more money to buy things or spend on college or any number of other good “things” Americans have come to enjoy. These are extensions and enhancements of our “pursuit of happiness” and most often envisioned when we want “change” for the better.


You can not argue that Obama is delivering on his promise of change. But we should have been listening closer to his idea of it.


“Change doesn't come from Washington. Change comes to Washington.”

BARACK OBAMA, DNC speech, Aug. 28, 2008

“It's time to fundamentally change the way that we do business in Washington. To help build a new foundation for the 21st century, we need to reform our government….”

BARACK OBAMA, weekly address, Apr. 25, 2009

Now let me ask you, when you think of change for our American way of life would you have thought this kind of change? Look again at the quotes. Not change from Washington to the people as it should be, but change to Washington (aka, the government). How? Well, to “fundamentally” change it. Just to make sure we don’t misunderstand the definition of that word, fundamentally –

Basic - relating to or affecting the underlying principles or structure of something.

Encarta Dictionary.

That sounds an awful lot like changing the basic fundamental of our nation’s founding principals as written by the founding fathers. If you agree with Obama, I consider it anything but patriotic as defined by our American principals. People, we can’t blame our president for the changes he is making. We can only blame ourselves for not interpreting his intentions. He is not talking about our kind of change, one to keep our liberties with the help of a small government to assist in letting us change for each individual. No, his change is one of big government that will tell you what you need or don’t need.


From now on, we need to be very clear about what kind of change we want and need; not what government thinks or wants for us. I need to share a quote with you from one of our most recent presidents who understood how our government is supposed to work. Then I’ll finish with another from one our founders who we need to heed now more than ever.

“The Founding Fathers knew a government can't control the economy without controlling people. And they knew when a government sets out to do that, it must use force and coercion to achieve its purpose. So we have come to a time for choosing. Ronald Reagan (October 27, 1964)”

"Those who would sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither."--Benjamin Franklin