I've said it before, and I will say it again: unless I am giving the maximum amount I am capable of giving, I have no business criticizing anyone else for what they *don't* give. And even if I am giving all I can, I still have no business criticizing anyone else. So to those busy-bodies who love to point fingers at others, I say "What are you doing to help the poor? Are you giving all you can? Look to yourself before criticizing others."

The fact that Obama and his Democrat colleagues in the House and Senate refer constantly to the so-called "need" for the wealthy to "pay their fair share" speaks volumes about where their hearts really lie: not on the things of God but on the things of men and the power of the state. If the Left spent more time concerned about those who do not have enough and less time worrying about those who, in their estimation, have too much, real progress might be made in fighting poverty. How many of those on the Left actually make real, substantial donations to those in need? How many of them would rather leave it up to government? While the Left is wagging its collective finger at those who live in plenty, what are they doing to alleviate the...

This is why we should have terms limits for members of Congress and of the Senate.

Um, Mike, I'm no fan of Obama, and I realize that you're being sarcastic, but before Hawaii was a state, it was a U.S. territory since 1894 (I think). People who were born there before 1959 were still citizens. If not, then my father, born there in 1925, shouldn't have been subject to the draft in WWII. I just couldn't tell if you were aware of this or if you were just engaging in a little reductio ad absurdum.

As the great-granddaughter of Portuguese immigrants who worked the sugar plantations in Hawaii in the nineteenth century, I find your comments unbelievably arrogant, and I am a conservative. I am broken-hearted at the political situation in Hawaii, which is why I live on the mainlaind,however, it's not as though the islands are the only place in this country where political insanity reigns. You obviously know nothing about Hawaiian culture. If you had bothered to learn while you were there you might have developed a little respect for the traditions of Hawaii; too bad that you missed out its richness. But then I guess you couldn't learn anything from a bunch of pineapples anyway, could you?

I've got news for you; my father was born in Hawaii in1925, when it was still a U.S. territory. I am in possession of a certified copy of his birth certificate, which shows the date of his birth, the location in Honolulu, his name, his gender, and the names of both his parents. If a birth certificate that was issued nearly 86 years ago can be had, why not one that is less than 50 years old?

The policies created by the Democrat majority in the Hawaii legislature have made living there prohibitively expensive for the local population. My father's family, there since the late nineteenth century (Portuguese immigrants who went there to work the plantations), have largely moved to the mainland where the cost of living is lower and opportunity is greater. But with tax rates so high and regulation so restrictive, it's hardly paradise anymore. Although I would much prefer Hawaii's balmy climate to Midwestern winters, the political climate in Indiana is much friendlier.

Jonah makes some good points about the ramifications of the US position on the world geopolitical scene; however, he barely touched on the economic realities that the US is facing vis-a-vis the enormous amount of US debt owned by the Chinese government, and the fact that the Chinese yuan is seriously undervalued, contributing to our huge trade deficit. Our president entertained the Chinese president with an obsequious state dinner, hoping to obtain concessions from him regarding that currency to no avail. While I like to think that the "American Century" is not just a pleasant memory or an illusion, the reality is that American political and economic dominance was at one time genuine and now appears to be fading. Clearly much of the...

How indeed, Jonah? Repetition of the mantra won't make it true, no matter how much we might wish it. One of these days our government will have to face the reality that Islamists wish us *no* peace, *no* good, and seek our destruction. If the government does not, this reality will hit us with nuclear force; anyone who is blind to this is a fool, or worse. Laurie Kokomo, IN

Dr. Sowell is right as usual; people don't think ahead. Just as today's mascots can become tomorrow's scapegoats, yesterday's scapegoats are all too likely to become tomorrow's darlings. Even Jesus Christ went from being lauded by the masses as He entered Jerusalem to being crucified within the matter of a day! Why do minorities today think it should be any different for them? Anyone who puts his faith in government is a fool.