A letter to Voices, the week of January 7, 2008, expressed that common sense, intelligence and free will are three of the greatest gifts that God gave humanity. Then the writer ended the letter with, “Letter writer Donald Clem from Fairfield Bay is the oxymoron.” Not being sure of the reason for the name, I can only venture a guess about it.

Let’s begin with the three greatest gifts to mankind. It is agreed that the three gifts allow each individual to make choices concerning the situations that confront each person daily. It seems though that many lack common sense and intelligence, but do possess free will as do all humans. I am suspicious that the oxymoron is that the writer believes the items I write to Voices and on this web site don’t show common sense or intelligence since I don’t hue to the liberal line for government.

An oxymoron is the combining of two contradictory terms or ideas together. Many of the letters to Voices contain oxymorons which defy the imagination. The writers want liberty and then complain that the government isn’t doing enough for them. They complain about how Congress behaves and then vote the same people back into office expecting them to do differently the next time. Evidence indicates that certain politicians are corrupt to the core, and yet they vote for them expecting them to be honest in their dealings.

Many of the letter-writers rail and rant against not only God, but against the believers who write letters with belief as the topic. They want freedom of thought and speech and then want religion and such related topics to be banned from the column. It is as though they think they are the only ones who should be able to express ideas and opinions, including time tested facts and principles. Never mind that the same facts, ideas, and principles that those they despise employ, are the same facts, ideas, and principles that allow them to display their lack of common sense and intelligence. In their mind what’s good for the goose isn’t good for the gander. It’s really tough to defend foolishness and deliberate ignorance.

Those writers refuse to understand that the government programs translate to control of daily living. The founders knew that a limited government would stifle liberty to do as God grants to each human. Common sense says that government rules limit freedom from government and as such destroy liberty. Intelligence says that each human recognizes the foregoing fact and chooses to live using his or her free will to do as God instructs.  Edmund Burke said, "Society cannot exist, unless a controlling power upon will and appetite be placed somewhere; and the less of it there is within, the more there must be without.” The letter-writers rant that government is imposing on them and then they complain that any attempt by believers in God to employ time honored principles of the Bible is a violation of their religious freedom; a violation of their civil right: and an attempt to impose a theocracy on the nation. 

The ultimate oxymoron is that of believing that man’s wisdom and false rules for behavior can create a stable society. Which human’s rules will we follow: those of the homosexual, the pedophile, the other ungodly, or the draconian rules that politicians create in their lust for power?  Are we not seeing the clamoring by each group to be the top dog in the quest for superiority? Are we also not seeing the fragmentation of society as God’s rules are ignored? That a stable society can exist without God is a myth and the greatest of all oxymorons.

If my using God given common sense, the possession of a modicum of intelligence which allows me to cherish freedom and liberty, as opposed to the heavy handed tyranny of a big government providing for all the whiners and complainers, then I  plead guilty to being an Oxymoron who uses free will. On a final note, I can’t help but think the last five letters of the word describe each of the government lovers very well. Those with genuine mental deficiencies aren’t included since they can’t help their condition. 

© 01-12-2008 DEC