Listen to the national dialog in America today and it is clear that the distinction between Rights, Powers, and Privileges is becoming increasingly confused and even lost. In today’s affluent modern American society it is common to hear the anguished cry for, “our rights!” We hear many demanding rights that are in fact not rights. We hear few talking about powers and it appears unclear to many who should have the powers and which powers. The word privilege is rarely if ever heard. The idea of privileges has been completely supplanted by the inaccurate use of the word '”rights.”

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Much has been said and written about the Global Warming or Climate Change debate. (First, I must make a comment about two names because it irritates me. At least the name Global Warming had specificity going for it. At least with the name Global Warming we knew what we were discussing. With the name Climate Change it seems it could be anything. Getting hotter, colder, wetter, drier, windier, I mean come on! Its ambiguity annoys me. Of course the climate is changing, the earth is dynamic, and so what are we really talking about?) If you are one of those who think there is a consensus or the debate is over, you should look around more, the debate is far from over.

My point here is not to rehash the arguments made on either side of this debate but rather to remind those considering the issue that there are five major assertions that must be found true in order for the Al Gore position to win the day. Given that these points are still hotly debated in the scientific community, for us common folk to reach a conclusion on them is an exercise of significant faith. These five major assertions are:

1. The climate is changing in an abnormal way.
2. This change will bring about significant problems.
3. This change will occur in a timeframe that will affect humanity.
4. The cause of the change is manmade.
5. We have the ability to avoid the problem.

While these questions are being debated among leading scientists it is a big leap of faith for the rest of us, and for politicians, to make and support major policy changes, such as Cap and Trade legislation. Cap and Trade legislation would be a significant impact to our economy by imposing limits on businesses regarding how much energy they could consume before being penalized with taxes. Not a job creator. Being hasty to determine and implement solutions of this magnitude before the problem is clearly understood is an excellent way to create a solution to the wrong problem or a problem that doesn’t actually exist. We should demand that policy makers do not act before they and we know what they are acting upon, and that the action will make things better. This is just good common sense.

While forming our nation, the word sovereignty was critically important to the conversations of our Founding Fathers. Unfortunately, this word has virtually disappeared from modern conversation. Sovereignty means to have power and authority. Throughout history it has been common for societies to believe that rulers or governments are sovereign. This made the people subjects or even property of the state. Our Founding Fathers revolutionized this thinking by declaring that the people are sovereign and the only power or authority which the state obtains is through the delegation of that authority from the people. This was a powerful idea. This idea in forming a government would restrict the power of the government through a set of enumerated powers. Only those powers which the people specifically delegated, via the constitution, to the government could the government act upon. In all other areas, the power is retained with the people. This is why it is critical that we as a people first understand what powers we have enumerated and thereby given to the state, and in addition we must think very carefully before we enumerate, or allow to be enumerated, new powers by those who represent us in Washington.

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When are we going to get a common sense energy policy out of Washington D.C.? On July 29th we learned that Cuba sold rights to Russia to drill for oil off its shore. This will be right off American shores, possibly as close as 45 miles. These areas that environmentalists have been keeping us from will be drilled. Because of the anti-oil policies of America this oil will be drilled for and recovered by companies and drilling rigs that have much lower environmental standards than U.S. companies. Where is the victory in this? In addition, this precious energy resource will now be in the hands of countries unfriendly to America. It is estimated that Russia could get 5 billion barrels of oil and 10 trillion cubic feet of natural gas out of this area. Now we learn that the Obama administration is going to lend billions of dollars to Brazil so it can drill for the oil off its shores.

Do you know that off the shores of the U.S. there are an estimated 86 billion barrels of oil and 420 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Almost all of this is locked behind regulations and restrictions from the government. We need a comprehensive energy policy that is based on common sense. Current drilling techniques are safe for the environment. 

The United States must leverage all technologies to become energy independent. This includes oil, coal, gas, hydro, wind, solar, and nuclear. France generates over 75% of its power from over 55 nuclear power plants and the French love it, including those living near the plants. The fears regarding nuclear power in the U.S. are irrational. Everyone will bring up Chernobyl as an understandable yet uninformed emotional reaction. Chernobyl was built and operated in a manner completely different and notably unsafe. The risk of today’s plants having an incident like that is incredibly remote. Some will point to the perceived problem of what to do with the waste. This too is an overblown problem. First, most of the waste can be recycled and reused. The part that cannot is about 20 tons per year per plant. Compare that with the 320,000 tons of waste a typical coal plant produces per year. When people tell me they are for environmentally friendly energy, the first question I ask them is if they support nuclear energy. If they say no, then I know they are ideology motivated or uninformed about the subject. With today's nuclear technology and the safety track record of the nuclear industry, no one that is serious about solving this problem can dismiss the nuclear option. American Solutions has a petition to tell your representatives to open these energy reserves to the American people now. SIGN THE PETITION

Years ago I had a conversation with a friend regarding an important and often contentious political issue. The issue is not important but what I learned through the conversation is. After exchanging views with my friend, He asked if I was a member of any of the various groups that champion my ideas. I said no. We talked through a list of groups that have taken up the cause for which I claimed to support. I was a member of none of them. I donated to none of them. He asked me how many congressmen or women I had written letters to expressing my views, especially when legislation was being debated concerning that issue. I replied, none of them. He asked me how then am I supporting my side of this issue. I indicated that I always vote in the presidential elections for the candidate which shares my view. He clarified by asking what I did on the other 1,459 days between elections? I was left wanting; I had nothing to offer. He was not impressed and neither was I. The magnitude of my inaction was clarified when he said, “your voice is heard 0.06% of the time.” He ended the conversation by saying, “I guess your voice doesn’t matter very much does it?” This bothered me. I spent a lot of time thinking about it. If I live to 86 years old, I will have the opportunity to participate in 18 presidential elections. During that time 26,280 days would go by and my voice would only be heard on 18 of them.

We all have values. Many of these values we hold dear and believe we would fight for, but in fact we do not. With a world as morally complex as the one we live in, battles over these values are being fought everyday. Ground is being gained and lost every week and most of us do not join the fight. Instead, we hide in a false hope that because the value is so obviously right that surely it cannot fail. Most of us have busy lives with many responsibilities and it is impractical to take on every battle on every issue ourselves. However, there are those fighting for your values on your behalf. You could and should support them, but you do not. I am challenging each of you to spend some time using the internet to find those groups and put your weight behind them. They need your support, usually by giving of time, talents, or financial resources. In doing this you can stand a little taller and know that your voice is being heard on a specific set of issues. Your voice will be heard not just on one day in 1,459, but everyday. The more you can put into these causes the louder your voice becomes and you change things, change lives, change the world.

The ACT NOW feature of this magazine is our way of making this easier for you. As we address certain issues we will have a Act Now button at the bottom of each article. By clicking this button we provide you the contact information for your congressmen and women. We also provide a prefilled textual response which you may include as-is or edit to your liking and send to your representatives. In this way, we at American Sage hope to help you make your voice be heard everyday, VOTE EVERYDAY!

Here are some examples of groups you could support if these issues and their positions align with yours. If not these, then there are many organizations easily found via the internet that you should take the time to find, research, and support if appropriate.

Wounded Warrior Project

The Federalist Society

Stop Rape Now

Citizens Against Government Waste

American Israel Public Affairs Committee

Children International

Americans for Tax Reform

American Solutions

National Rifle Association

National Right to Life

Change Congress

Amature Radio Emergency Service (ARES)