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July 6, 2021
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We hear often these days that society shouldn’t have any absolute moral standards. Imposing standards is oppressive, judgmental and outdated. Like Linus and the Great Pumpkin, it doesn’t matter what we choose to believe, as long as we’re really sincere in believing it. Well, pardon me for pointing it out, but that’s…well, stupid (sorry, Linus!)

There are all sorts of absolute standards to which we adhere. A rock band might be filled with nonconformists, but they can’t each play in whatever key they feel like. You might concede Hannibal Lecter’s sincere belief in cannibalism, but you wouldn’t go to his house for dinner. It seems counter-intuitive, but freedom can’t work unless we all agree to abide by certain basic standards of right and wrong. When we step outside those boundaries, chaos ensues, as we’re seeing right now with blue city officials allowing leftwing extremists to ignore laws, seize public property or smash monuments and statues, just because they feel like it. That can leave a bad taste in your mouth, and I’m not still referring to Hannibal Lecter. I like to illustrate the concept with a story from the days when my own kids were young.

When my son John Mark was only 12, he decided one day to bake a cake. My wife Janet and I returned home and were greeted by our son, proudly offering ol’ dad the first taste. Well, it looked good, and I was already preparing some fatherly praise as I took that first bite. But what came out of my mouth wasn’t words. It was the cake. It was so awful, I had to spit it out. My first thought was that my son was trying to kill me for the insurance.

As soon as my tongue overcame its shock, I asked John Mark if he’d used a recipe. He said he had, and he’d followed it to the letter. Well, except that he didn’t know what a “dash” of salt meant, so he decided a cup of salt should be enough.

Now, my son worked hard on that cake…he had the best of intentions…and he sincerely believed he’d done a good job. But hard work, good intentions and sincere beliefs meant nothing once he decided he could make up his own measurement standards. That’s literally a recipe for disaster.

Freedom can’t exist in a moral vacuum. It makes some people uncomfortable to hear this, but without clear boundaries of right and wrong, the very concept of liberty breaks down. A person might argue that he should be free to look at pictures others find offensive. But if it’s pornography featuring a child who’s being exploited, then there’s more at stake than just the liberty of the viewer. There was a big controversy over separating children from parents who crossed the border illegally, but very few people brought up the facts that the parents chose to bring their children along as they knowingly violated federal immigration law – or that (as a pilot DNA test program proved) in many cases, those weren’t even their parents but people illegally exploiting children they weren’t related to.

Self-government can’t mean each of us lives by our own unique set of rules. If that’s how you define liberty, then you’re just going to get less of it. When people live outside the boundaries of a principled and agreed-upon moral code, it inevitably leads to government that’s bigger and more intrusive (and an avalanche of lawsuits), just to force people to do the right thing. And if it doesn’t, then society quickly spirals into anarchy. Neither prospect is acceptable.

If you think more lawyers and bigger government actually improve society, or that doing away with laws and police is a good idea, then I have a delicious cake recipe I’d like to sell you. Then again, no…selling people a recipe for disaster would definitely be morally wrong.

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Comments 1-20 of 20

  • Dale A Quarles

    07/11/2021 07:45 PM

    Anarchists (to use a blanket term) seek freedom without responsibility-- guess who gets to pick up the 'responsibility slack'?!? The ones who strive to 'follow the recipe' for success and cohesiveness. I am happy to be on Almighty God's side of orderliness but sad for those who love the darkness and confusion.

  • Lynn M. Roberts

    07/07/2021 12:46 PM

    Boy, you have you ever hit the proverbial nail on the head!

  • Arlene Engel

    07/06/2021 08:11 PM

    I enjoy reading your daily newsletter. Your examples are excellent, and I enjoy the touch of humor. My husband, his brother, their uncle and I are all Marines and very proud of our service. The things that are happening in America today are very disheartening. The frightening part is that the schools are teaching that this country is terrible, that we are racists, evil and controlling. How did our ‘educators’ become so socialist? They live in the same country we do, with the opportunity to go to college, find a decent job and have a decent life. No one said life would always be easy, I can attest to that. My one granddaughter in college has fallen for all this bologna. I worry for my younger grandchildren. Thank you for letting me vent a bit.

  • Kevin Cook

    07/06/2021 05:47 PM

    It is hardly too strong to say the constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions there are men in all ages who mean to govern well but they mean to govern they promise to be kind masters but they mean to be masters they think their need be but little restraint upon themselves the love of power and they sing too deep in their hearts. Daniel Websterbster

  • Bella Serenity

    07/06/2021 05:00 PM

    I love reading your common sense articles! It feels like What’s right is wrong and wrong is right when listening to msm news! Thank you for your straight forward teachings!

  • Joanne Avella

    07/06/2021 04:14 PM

    Thank you . I just shared it to my friends and on my Facebook page.

  • Susan Satava

    07/06/2021 04:12 PM

    Profound, as always.

  • Carl T Smith

    07/06/2021 03:17 PM

    Excellent Summation
    BTW-Thanks for breaking out your subjects for comment. Sometimes I just Nod agreement and move on. In Today's society, a LOT of things trigger my HOT Button. I served 8 years in the Service of our Republic (57-65) and until 2009 I would have Gladly Served again. NOW I wonder how we are going to maintain a Volunteer Force when Milley is allowing Hate Programs to be MANDATED!

  • Fonda Downs

    07/06/2021 03:04 PM

    Dear Gov Huckabee:
    Thank you so much for your wonderful website. "More Farmers - Fewer Lawyers" is right-on. We all talk a lot about term limits because the House and Senate have become so "self" serving and corrupt. Everyone fatalistically knows however, that term limits will never come about because it kills the golden goose for the members and they will NEVER let that happen. I truly admire those congressmen and senators who retire after a couple of terms and go back to making an honest living!

    Our founding fathers believed in "short term" service in government, not forty plus years especially with no experience in the private sector or understanding of what it means to be a "common" man.

    We hear rumblings of revolution but the revolution has already started with, the Green New Deal, CRT, BLM and Antifa, it's just not the revolution that will take us back to where our founders started or what they intended. Instead I fear we are headed into a very dark age. I try to keep my faith praying for a new generation of moral leaders. You, Trump, and a hand full of other leaders, are bright beacons in our government, but it gets harder and harder to be optimistic for our nation's survival, our Constitution, and our freedom when we have leaders such as Harris, Biden, Schumer, Nadler, Pelosi, and the Squad, front and center.

    Again, thank you so much for your website Your articles always lift my spirits and your humor gets me through tough days. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. By the way I am praying and sending my support for Sarah. We love her too.

  • Betty Rausch

    07/06/2021 02:27 PM

    Me thinks the Farmers have more Common Sense then a Lawyet

  • Judy Inman

    07/06/2021 01:33 PM

    If only every high school teacher would read this to their students and discuss it with them!!

  • Carol Konits

    07/06/2021 01:24 PM

    Thank you Governor. Without standards we would not have laws… and where would western civilization live? To achieve justice the law should be equally adjudicated.
    You are my model for a great man. Knowledgeable, humble, articulate, kind, and fun ( great sense of humor). Thank you for being the “ North Star “ so that many of us can sail upon the treacherous sea.
    We need your daughter as another great governor. I pray for it.
    Fret less bass

  • Mark Higgs

    07/06/2021 01:16 PM

    Yes we have too many lawyers in Congress!
    Secondly, the poll concerning voting for Michelle Obama must be rigged! Only an idiot would vote for her!

  • Terry Larson

    07/06/2021 01:02 PM

    We the People need to b e better educated on the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution and in that way we can better govern ourselves. A good place to get better educated on these two founding documents are at PatriotAcademy.com and Wallbuilders.com. Both sites are well worth looking at.

  • Bobby james Jarreau

    07/06/2021 12:40 PM

    I was a Democratic for most of my 74 years on this earth before changing to Republican party eight years ago. I recently change to the Independent party a few months ago because of the RINO'S in the party. I feel both major parties are missing the biggest problems facing this country and that's the defect. I think we pay one billion dollars everyday just on the interest how sick is that. I would like to clear up one thing even thou I was a Democratic I voted on how the person running felt on the issues. I feel to many people vote with there feelings about the person running than what he or she will do to solve the problems. I know one thing for sure this country is in big trouble and we need to stop spending MONEY.

    God Bless
    Bobby Jarreau

    Louisiana Cajun

  • Sherry Reimers

    07/06/2021 12:33 PM

    I love the way you think. And the way you put those thoughts into words. Thank you for believing in worthwhile standards. I know our Constitution was divinely inspired and love this land so much, as I know you also do.

  • Linda Mroz

    07/06/2021 11:50 AM

    Absolutely true!

  • Rev. Kevin J. Coward

    07/05/2020 07:57 AM

    Sir, may I ask you a question: What keeps gentlemen like yourself out of the arena? Common sense is lacking! Like yourself and men like John Ashcroft please stand up against this failing liberal ideology. Oh, Lord forgive us for sitting on our hands.

  • Renee Nunamaker

    07/05/2020 03:06 AM

    Very good wish our children were being taught this in school

  • james randolph

    07/04/2020 01:08 PM

    MORALITY - INTERNAL restraints or EXTERNAL restraints ...
    ...
    ...“Men are qualified for civil liberty in exact proportion to their disposition to put moral chains upon their own appetites…in proportion as they are more disposed to listen to the counsels of the wise and good, in preference to the flattery of knaves.

    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. It is ordained in the eternal constitution of things, that men of intemperate minds cannot be free. Their passions forge their fetters.”
    ...
    ? Edmund Burke