Belle, Rudy, and R.J.

Belle, Rudy, and R. J. were some of the best pets I ever had, and they were goats.

My first goat, Belle, was a black, brown and white Nubian (the kind with long floppy ears). I purchased her as a project for my children to produce goat milk. The first thing I learned about goats, and sheep for that matter, is that they are herd animals and need company. Just as I was about to be cited by my neighborhood for having a screaming solitary goat, she solved her problem. She had two adorable kids. We learned to milk Belle, played with her kids, and sold them to a friend.

To get the milk operation back up, and solve Belle’s increasing bleating, we mated Belle. We hoped she might throw three kids, so we might try some goat meat. She only had one, and we decided to keep him as company for Belle. He was a beautiful tan color, so we named him Rudy.

Rudy was all play, loved sweet corn, and quickly grew in excess of two hundred and fifty pounds. Once he ripped his side flank open on a nail while rubbing against the walls of the barn. It was our first and only home-visit by the vet, who promptly asked, “Who is responsible for this obese goat?” Rudy would play by standing on his hind legs, rear back, and lean his forehead into you: a slow-motion butt.

My wife and I went to Ireland for our 25^th anniversary. On our return, we were greeted at the airport with the sad news, “Rudy had hung himself!” Evidently, he had lost his footing while reaching for some honey suckles on the back fence, and his collar got stuck on the fence. He hung there for two days until my son found him.

About the same time, a neighboring pig farmer had inherited a 4-H goat. The farmer didn’t have any other goats, and Belle needed the company, so I offered to keep the 4-H goat. It had coloring very similar to Rudy, and had won 1^st place in the County Fair. We named it RJ, for Rudy Junior, and he got along great with Belle.

Belle eventually passed away. Now, to keep RJ company, I thought I might get a sheep and try producing some lamb. Another friend had been raising lambs for years, so I purchased a young female. She was skittish, flighty, most unfriendly, and pregnant. She would always stay two lengths behind RJ, as RJ could never get enough pets and rubs. R.J. was another lovable goat. There was a natural calmness in placing my forehead against R.J.’s, all the while keeping eye contact with those wide-set peaceful eyes.

The sheep gave me two lambs, which were great in the freezer. We bred her again, and she had one lamb, which we also took to market. R.J. eventually went lame with hoof rot, and both he and the sheep went to their earthly judgment: the livestock auction.

I tell this short story in an attempt to defend the reputation of goats. Goats have been a convenient target of failed judgment from the scripture of the Final Judgment. Both Roman rite and Eastern rite priests have consistantly painted the image of the ornery, smelly, disobedient, and impossible goat. The connection is made that these supposed characteristics of goats, in people, will place you to the left, and doomed. “And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left… ( Matt 25: 32-33).

Instead of Christ actually making a character judgment on goats; could it be, might it be, that all Christ meant, is that there is a difference? As easily, and matter of fact, as a shepherd, or I, can tell the difference between goats and sheep, so to, will Christ be able to tell “the difference” between: those who have lived for Christ, and those who have rejected Him. There is a difference between those who accept Truth, and those who knowingly accept a credible lie. Could it be as simple as, “there is a difference”? God knows!

Implication of Doing Nothing

This past November, I ran for the House of Representative seat of the 7^th district in Maryland. The most common advice I received was, “Start lower on the ladder: dogcatcher, school board, or State office”. This would have made more sense to me, if I had a passion for any of these positions, or if the current incumbent had a serious challenger.

Now that the election is over, we find our country is accelerating into a self-destruct hole of federal interventionism, worthless paper money, and an economy of eugenics. The Union is out of balance, in that the three branches of government are no longer “checks” of each other; they are enablers. The sovereignty of our individual states, may be our only hope of retaining our inalienable rights?

This past Thursday, I ventured down to the General Assembly in hope of affecting some influence, through our State government. I visited some of the offices of our state delegates, to get co-sponsors for a house resolution to resist this national decline. This resolution, introduced by Delegate Rick Impallaria, is titled, Federal Money and Banking. It urges the United States Congress to restore honest money backed by silver and gold in accordance with the requirements of the United States Constitution, phase out Federal Reserve notes, and return to the free market banking practices that the Founding Fathers codified in the United States Constitution. At this writing, we have fourteen co-sponsors. The delegates were friendly, and encouraged my participation. I was surprised though, by some of the reasons the delegates had for not wanting to co-sign on a resolution, that only “urges” a responsible constitutional monetary policy.

I was only a small part of this effort, and found the staff at these delegate offices to be exceptionally helpful. I spoke personally with a half a dozen delegates, but most would not commit. Several of them specifically gave the reason of, "I don't know enough about it." Article 1 section ten of our Federal Constitution states, “No state shall…make any thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender of Payment of Debts,”. One might think that a delegate should realize that our founding fathers were obviously attempting to secure value within the Union. Another conservative delegate, supported the premise, but wanted to know the "implications", if this resolution would pass? He didn't want to be blamed for the collapse of the dollar.

If, and when, the dollar collapses, it certainly won’t be due to the state of Maryland urging the Federal government to restore a value to our currency. The truth is, that the value of the dollar is collapsing as the credibility of paper money collapses. Colorado, Indiana, and New Hampshire also have honest money bills. We, the states, not only need to urge, but we need to tell the Federal government to stop ignoring our Constitution. When our elected officials take office, they swear an oath on the Bible, to protect and defend the Constitution. In their lack of defense of the Constitution, these officials should be concerned with breaking their oath to God, an implication of doing nothing.

Honest Money in Maryland

The Maryland Liberty Republican Caucus is supporting Delegate Rick Impallaria in his effort to pass a resolution for honest money. The first draft of the bill is listed below.

By: Delegate Impallaria

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

Federal Money and Banking

For the purpose of urging the Unites States Congress to restore honest money backed by silver and gold in accordance with the requirements of the United States Constitution, phase out Federal Reserve notes, and return to the free market banking practices that the Founding Fathers codified in the United States Constitution.

WHEREAS, There is a nationwide economic crisis that needs a speedy resolution; and

WHEREAS, Future recurrences of a similar crisis should be prevented; and

WHEREAS, Federal Reserve notes are unconstitutional, inflationary and at the heart of the present economic distress; and

WHEREAS, Free market banking practices are in the best interests of the citizens of the United States; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, That the United States Congress is urged to:

(1) Restore honest money backed by silver and gold in accordance with the requirements of the United States Constitution;

(2) Phase out Federal Reserve notes; and

(3) Return to the free market banking practices that the Founding Fathers codified in the United States Constitution; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be forwarded by the Department of Legislative Services to the Maryland Congressional Delegation: Senators Barbara A. Mikulski and Benjamin L. Cardin, Senate Office Building, Washignton, D.C. 20510; and Representatives Frank M. Kratovil, Jr., C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger III, John P. Sarbanes, Donna Edwards, Steny Hamilton Hoyer, Roscoe G. Bartlett, Elijiah E. Cummings, and Christopher Van Hollen, Jr., House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515.