E-mail from Robert:

First let me say how much I love your show. It is more about facts and less about rhetoric, and I enjoy your banter with your team. I have switched to your show for my AM drive, from that other morning talk show, and I haven’t looked back. I only wish I had more time to devote to your program, but alas, we must make a living. I am just thankful I am not among the massive levels of the un-employed.

A little background about myself, so that you know where I am coming from. I am in my early 60’s, and a Viet Nam veteran (‘70-’71) and a conservative most of my life. I was raised in the mid-west, my parents a product of the depression, so life long democrats. My father was a factory worker (UAW) and while we never went hungry, with my two siblings my family was barely above the poverty level.

Weather it was my upbringing, the influence of my surroundings and environment or a combination of many things, I have a strong and deep love of my country. So when it was my time, I was happy to serve my country and do my small part to keep the forces of tyranny from crushing the people of South Viet Nam. I look back on my time “in-country” as we called it as one of the most valuable life experiences I have ever had.

To this day it is very very difficult for me to visit the Viet Nam War Memorial. An overwhelming sense of loss comes over me as I see the names and the mementos that people have left for my brothers. The sons, the daughters, the husbands, the brothers who gave that ultimate sacrifice so the people of another nation could live in freedom. Even as I write these words, my eyes fill and I am sad beyond words.

But I also and filled with a certain level of anger at that senseless loss. The combination of political constraints and the wailings of a misguided vocal minority did not allow our brave men and women to do their job effectively. And for that I have a great sadness in my heart.

But a fallen brother from another time put down in his writings home to his wife the feelings and dilemma that all those who serve feel at one time or another. I have attached below one of many links to a small segment from Ken Burn’s most excellent documentary of the Civil War. Please take a moment to watch/listen to this:

This is what I would offer as my small tribute to our fallen, so that those who have not served might take notice and support our service members and veterans in every way, and take a minuet as I do to shake their hand, look them in the eye and thank them for their service. I only wish someone had done that for me as I returned from my service.

May God bless the United Stated of America.

Here is the full letter from Major Sullivan Ballou, July 14, 1861:

My very dear Sarah:

The indications are very strong that we shall move in a few days—perhaps tomorrow. Lest I should not be able to write you again, I feel impelled to write lines that may fall under your eye when I shall be no more.

Our movement may be one of a few days duration and full of pleasure—and it may be one of severe conflict and death to me. Not my will, but thine O God, be done. If it is necessary that I should fall on the battlefield for my country, I am ready. I have no misgivings about, or lack of confidence in, the cause in which I am engaged, and my courage does not halt or falter. I know how strongly American Civilization now leans upon the triumph of the Government, and how great a debt we owe to those who went before us through the blood and suffering of the Revolution. And I am willing—perfectly willing—to lay down all my joys in this life, to help maintain this Government, and to pay that debt.

But, my dear wife, when I know that with my own joys I lay down nearly all of yours, and replace them in this life with cares and sorrows—when, after having eaten for long years the bitter fruit of orphanage myself, I must offer it as their only sustenance to my dear little children—is it weak or dishonorable, while the banner of my purpose floats calmly and proudly in the breeze, that my unbounded love for you, my darling wife and children, should struggle in fierce, though useless, contest with my love of country.

Sarah, my love for you is deathless, it seems to bind me to you with mighty cables that nothing but Omnipotence could break; and yet my love of Country comes over me like a strong wind and bears me irresistibly on with all these chains to the battlefield.

The memories of the blissful moments I have spent with you come creeping over me, and I feel most gratified to God and to you that I have enjoyed them so long. And hard it is for me to give them up and burn to ashes the hopes of future years, when God willing, we might still have lived and loved together and seen our sons grow up to honorable manhood around us. I have, I know, but few and small claims upon Divine Providence, but something whispers to me—perhaps it is the wafted prayer of my little Edgar—that I shall return to my loved ones unharmed. If I do not, my dear Sarah, never forget how much I love you, and when my last breath escapes me on the battlefield, it will whisper your name.

Forgive my many faults, and the many pains I have caused you. How thoughtless and foolish I have often been! How gladly would I wash out with my tears every little spot upon your happiness, and struggle with all the misfortune of this world, to shield you and my children from harm. But I cannot. I must watch you from the spirit land and hover near you, while you buffet the storms with your precious little freight, and wait with sad patience till we meet to part no more.

But, O Sarah! If the dead can come back to this earth and flit unseen around those they loved, I shall always be near you; in the brightest day and in the darkest night—amidst your happiest scenes and gloomiest hours—always, always; and if there be a soft breeze upon your cheek, it shall be my breath; or the cool air fans your throbbing temple, it shall be my spirit passing by.

Sarah, do not mourn me dead; think I am gone and wait for me, for we shall meet again.

As for my little boys, they will grow as I have done, and never know a father’s love and care. Little Willie is too young to remember me long, and my blue-eyed Edgar will keep my frolics with him among the dimmest memories of his childhood. Sarah, I have unlimited confidence in your maternal care and your development of their characters. Tell my two mothers his and hers I call God’s blessing upon them. O Sarah, I wait for you there! Come to me, and lead thither my children.

Sullivan

Sullivan was killed a week later in battle.

Senator Chuck Schumer called the GOP “extreme”.

Senator Carl Levin called the GOPs budget cuts, “far too extreme”

Senator Barbara Boxer called on Speaker Boehner to “abandon the extreme right wing.”

You get the idea.

Liberals try to paint us as extremists, as if that’s a bad thing! But the word extreme only described the degree of the departure from the norm. It doesn’t answer the question, “An extremists…for what?”

Yes, you can have extreme amounts of hatred, jealousy, and vice. But you can also have extreme amounts of courage, strength, and virtue.

In our case, we are extremists for LIBERTY! And that’s a good thing!

Here’s Martin Luther King, Jr, in his brilliant work of art “A Letter from a Birmingham Jail”, 1963 (That’s his mugshot in the picture below):

But though I was initially disappointed at being categorized as an extremist, as I continued to think about the matter I gradually gained a measure of satisfaction from the label. Was not Jesus an extremist for love: “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”

Was not Amos an extremist for justice: “Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever flowing stream.” Was not Paul an extremist for the Christian gospel: “I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.” Was not Martin Luther an extremist: “Here I stand; I cannot do otherwise, so help me God.” And John Bunyan: “I will stay in jail to the end of my days before I make a butchery of my conscience.” And Abraham Lincoln: “This nation cannot survive half slave and half free.” And Thomas Jefferson: “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal . . .

So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice or for the extension of justice? In that dramatic scene on Calvary’s hill three men were crucified. We must never forget that all three were crucified for the same crime–the crime of extremism. Two were extremists for immorality, and thus fell below their environment. The other, Jesus Christ, was an extremist for love, truth and goodness, and thereby rose above his environment. Perhaps the South, the nation and the world are in dire need of creative extremists.

Barry Goldwater, Republican presidential nominee acceptance speech, 1964:

I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.

And why is it, when the big spending liberals champion a status quo where in March we spent 8 times as much as we took in – an amount unprecedented in American history – why is THAT not extreme? Why are WE, the people who want to confront “the most predictable economic crisis in history” and solve it, why are WE the extremists?

Senator Rand Paul spoke in Iowa on March 21:

It’s not enough just to be a Republican. It’s not enough just for the Republican parties to exist. Political parties are empty vessels unless we imbue them with values. We have to stand for something, and we have to mean it.

So let’s stand up for freedom and liberty; not moderate amounts of each, but EXTREME amounts of both!

Richard Trumka says our wages haven’t increased in the last 30 years. What?

First, the median income in San Diego county is $22,000. If that’s you, then you’re among the richest 10.72% in the world. If you’re a teacher in California with an income of $59,000, then you’re among the richest .98% of the planet. You’re richer than 99.02% of the world!

You can click here to punch in your income. And here’s some great perspective from the Heritage Foundation on how good the “poor” have it in America.

The brilliant Mark Perry does a great analysis of HOW FAR our wages will go today with this example:

In 1979, the 17-cubic foot Kenmore refrigerator…from a Sears catalog cost $469.95 (on sale at the “lowest price in 1979″), and the average hourly wage then was $6.34, meaning that it would take 74.1 hours of work at the average hourly wage to earn enough income to purchase the refrigerator.

A 17.5 cubic-foot Whirlpool refrigerator…is currently listed on the Sears website for sale at $524.99. At the current average hourly wage of $18.67, it would take the average American today only 28.1 hours of work to buy the refrigerator compared to 74.1 hours in 1979.

Here’s another example from Mark Perry:

In 1949, the minimum wage was $0.40 per hour, and a full-time summer job (40 hours per week for 12 weeks) would have generated $192 in total summer earnings (ignoring taxes). Using a Sears catalog for retail prices, $192 would have only purchased the following 4 items in 1949:

Now contrast that with 2009. At the current minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, a full-time summer job will generate about $3,500 this year, which would be enough to purchase the following list of 28 items (click to enlarge):

But for an even better example, let’s look at how much food costs as a percentage of our disposal income. The average American spends 5.7% on food. The average Mexican spends 24.2% on food. That’s the same that we spent on food…in 1950.

Here is the data for the above graph.

Here is the data for the above graph.

Our wages have gone up and our wages go further than ever. Why? In short, Capitalism.

Please make the blog of Mark Perry “Carpe Diem” a part of your daily reading. The insight he brings to the world everyday is invaluable. And while you’re at it, check out the blog of Don Boudreaux everyday, too. We talked with Professor Boudreaux a few weeks ago.