VETERANS: Thanks for Keeping Us Free!

There is no way we can repay our veterans, but we can say thank you at every opportunity. We, and free people the world over, owe them an enduring and resounding THANKS on this Veterans Day. Our veterans have not only protected our freedom but have done the same for people all over the world.

This altruism reached new levels when our armies joined England and France to engage in the "war to end all wars." In 1918, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day in the eleventh month, the world rejoiced and celebrated. After four years of bitter war, an armistice was signed. The war was over. America had entered the fray late but was essential to the final Allied victory. It was a costly venture in lives lost, crippling injuries, and through the deadly influenza they brought back with them.

It must be the spark of God within us that enables brave soldiers to be willing to lay down their lives for a people and a cause about which they could rightly say, “we have no dog in that fight.” Unless, of course, it is the wish that all should have access to those “unalienable rights” for which young men fought another costly war—one that established our great country.

We all know the “rest of the story;” one that seems to have no end. America has been so blessed that we cannot resist helping the oppressed of the world. Even between wars, we offered help in rebuilding nations that we had defeated. Along with Great Britain and at the insistence of President Truman, we embarked upon the Berlin airlift to keep Berliners alive when Russia cut off all land routes to them. That, too, was an amazing and seemingly impossible task.

Those who experienced it in Europe and the Pacific knew first-hand the enormity of the personal sacrifice of our people and appreciated greatly all their efforts. Unfortunately, future generations seem to see us as greedy, self-centered, unsophisticated interlopers. Funny, though, they know where to call when in need.

We can’t deny that America has its share of citizens who fit that description. However, our national soul, for the most part, remains centered on Jesus’ command to “do unto others…”

May it never change!

Walking on the Fighting Side of Me

Daily, right here in America, our country is being disparaged—not only by the Michael Moores and other fringe elements—but by our highest leaders. We have come to expect it from vapid television such as The View and most of the mainstream media. But when our president is constantly apologizing for what he perceives as intolerance to anything that moves except pro-life Christians, it reminds me of the lyrics of an old country song: “When you’re runnin’ down my country, you’re walking on the fighting side of me.”

Clearly, these people have no idea of what it means to be an American. They don’t understand that “freedom isn’t free.” Since prayer was removed from the school by a power-grabbing Supreme Court, our history has been rewritten by America haters. They have taken comments by Thomas Jefferson to mean that God should not be mentioned publicly or allowed to affect our conduct. Jefferson had no say in the writing of our Constitution, but he did pen our Declaration of Independence. Most of us (or those who were schooled before all this took place) remember his words, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

The Founding Fathers constantly appealed to God for guidance and guide them He did! How else could we have won the Revolutionary War? Think of all the times George Washington was defeated in battle. Many thought him a poor general but he was a great leader of men. Remember the Crossing of the Delaware, a turning point in the war that resulted in the victory over the Hessians at Trenton? That surprise attack from the frozen river by a bunch of rag, tag—some even shoeless—men whose enlistment would be up by the first of the year, showed the Hand of God was with them. Not one American casualty! Just as the Israelites cried out to God and were heard, so it was with the members of the Constitutional Convention. When an impasse seemed impossible to bridge, Benjamin Franklin (not known for being overly religious) called for seven days of prayer and fasting. Sure enough, when they reconvened after those seven days, an agreement was forged that would ensure our nation of a workable constitution. That same constitution is daily being attacked by ignorant or uncaring politicians who have lost nothing and gained great personal wealth in trashing our country and our constitution.

This is not the first time America has come perilously close to becoming just another nation who would lose its connection with the Almighty God and thereby join the list of former world powers. We are not, nor have we ever been perfect. Our country and our people, like everyone else in the world, still suffer from the sins which resulted in our Fall in Eden. We have endured a devastating civil war and the Trail of Tears made possible by another power-grabbing president, Andrew Jackson, who told the Supreme Court when they ruled on the side of the Cherokees to try to stop him if they could; we have had our share of punishments as a result. Throughout these and other times of our turning away, He allowed us to suffer the consequences but, time after time, has heard our prayers of repentance and once again, turned His face toward us.

Our fight is not one with guns and swords this time, but with voices, votes, and action within our neighborhoods, towns, states, and throughout the nation. As of now, we still have these “unalienable” rights. It’s high time we used them!

Peace Prize No Longer Noble

What was behind this surprising award to President Barak Obama? Could the Europeans have been so crafty as to use this ploy to shame the "peace" recipient in order to keep him from increasing our troops in Afganistan?

In retrospect, when you consider the past recipients, nothing coming out of this no longer noble awards committee is surprising. America produces many people who could be considered for this award but we have seen only the likes of Jimmy Carter and Al Gore as recipients in the last 80 years.

This should convince most Americans that we neither need nor want the approval of these American resenters and haters. Nor should we wish to emulate them. Our country should only consider what is right, honorable, and constitutional in its decisions. We do not wish to be a part of a new world order nor under the laws of the Europeans or the UN.

We, the people, should govern ourselves.

US Must Act Now to Stop Iran

Iran is pulling out all stops in its race to produce and use nuclear weapons to wipe Israel from the face of the earth while our country continues to twiddle its thumbs. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, however, showed no reticence in letting us know how little they feared any action we might take by immediately test firing missiles. Best estimates project that they will achieve nuclear weapon capabilities in less than two years and they will use them. Israel will have to defend itself and a war in the Middle East—no matter who starts it—will not be contained there.

America is no longer a self-sufficient country, especially when it comes to manufacturing and producing the fuel for our everyday needs. If Israel makes the first strike, we can be sure that all the oil we now receive from that area will be cut off. Gas and heating oil will be rationed with prices soaring out of the reach of most of us, making $5 a gallon gas look like a real bargain. Knowing this, we should act swiftly (like we did with the so-called stimulus plan) by drilling ANWR and building more oil refineries here. That really would create jobs!

Are there any other viable options? Without securing the help of Russia and China, trade embargos will be ineffective. Unfortunately, our president gave away one of our best bargaining chips in dealing with Russia by agreeing to discontinue missile defense efforts in Poland, getting nothing in return but a smile of satisfaction from the Russian leaders. They are eager for a return to a top position in world politics and are now renewing their attempts to bring the “Americas” to our south into their socialist circle. China, because they own much of our massive debt, knows we have no intention of pushing them too hard. Having just celebrated the 60th anniversary of their Cultural Revolution, they also dream of world domination. It is apparent to all that we have lost our sense of direction and now even small nations are lining up to take a shot at us.

The worst thing we can do is nothing! That’s why we are in this mess. It started with Jimmy Carter’s bungling of the Iran hostage situation and since that time, we have let our enemies threaten us without any real fear of consequence. We no longer carry a big stick—we still have it but we are simply afraid to use it.

Friendship with USA Doesn’t Pay

The current administration seems determined to undermine those countries that have supported us in our war on terror.

Our president and Secretary of State Clinton have insisted that the leftist president of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya, a Hugo Chavez clone, be reinstated instead of supporting the Honduran court ordered, congress approved, ouster of the failed president. This was not a military coup as the European Union and the Obama administration have labeled it thus following the lead of Chavez. Had it been, Zelaya would likely not be alive today. Now, with their (US president, state department) tacit approval, Zelaya has returned to Honduras necessitating curfews and other stringent means to keep order.

Thinking Honduranians do not wish to go back to the days an oppressive Marxist influence. They’ve had a taste of a democracy that allows ordinary citizens to achieve on a personal level. Most would not want to trade that freedom for a government pandering to the poor for the sake of votes while confiscating any means of individual personal wealth and placing it into the hands of the government. Sound familiar? What about “Change you can believe in” and our president’s vow to fundamentally change the America that was founded on freedom—a freedom sustained only by our willingness to fight and yes, even die for it.

Strike Three for the Mighty U.S.A.

First came TARP (Troubled Assets Relief Program) that was passed in a panic scenario to bail out financial institutions with little or no oversight on how the money would be used. Intended to go only to healthy financial institutions, the bill didn’t get out of the starting gate without Barney Frank (one of many liberals who profited from the financial debacle) writing a provision in the bill specifically for his shaky state bank, OneUnited. Since then we have seen abuse after abuse by the financial institutions we bailed out.

Next, the president, as a payback for his ultra liberal supporters, insisted there wasn’t time to read and debate the outrageous so-called stimulus bill, and the Democrat congress along with pseudo Republicans passed a bill that will result in an insurmountable national debt.

Now, we are being bombarded with a military style assault that the Pentagon might take note of for future use against our enemies. Unfortunately this assault, designed to turn our democratic republic into a socialist state, is directed at the citizens of the United States. The health care bill, just like the stimulus package, was deliberately written to mislead and confuse both the congress and the public.

Our current health care situation certainly has room for improvement. The problems can only be solved when all parties—health care providers, hospitals, and insurers—agree to the give and take needed in order to survive. But a common sense approach was never in the works. The intent is to install a UK type socialist system that will cause our ship of state to flounder and eventually sink under a mountain of debt.

Will the Obama (Chicago) steamroller with passage of its behemoth healthcare bill signal the final strike (#3) that topples our country from its status as a champion of freedom and individual rights?

A New Form of Slavery

Why are we rushing toward a new form of slavery wherein our master is the government? Should we allow this “new master” to make all the decisions on healthcare, employment, schooling, or how we must run our homes and/or businesses? Must we allow our government to tell us we cannot sell our own property without making expensive alterations to assure they meet the government’s “green” expectations? And must we be burdened by an unthinkable, insurmountable national debt to pay for it all? The Obama-Pelosi-Reid-Chicago Czar Machine expects a resounding YES to such questions as these. After all, weren’t they elected to do just that?
But this is a far cry from what most of us grew up expecting in this “land of opportunity.” People around the world have flocked here for a taste of the freedom to direct their own lives. Success may not be immediately attainable but there is always another day, another opportunity—or so we thought!
This uniquely American way of thinking was noted in the December 29, 2004 edition of the prestigious British publication The Economist. The following is a quote:
The United States likes to think of itself as the very embodiment of meritocracy: a country where people are judged on their individual abilities rather than their family connections. The original colonies were settled by refugees from a Europe in which the restrictions on social mobility were woven into the fabric of the state, and the American revolution was partly a revolt against feudalism. From the outset, Americans believed that equality of opportunity gave them an edge over the Old World, freeing them from debilitating snobberies and at the same time enabling everyone to benefit from the abilities of the entire population. They still do.
To be sure, America has often betrayed its fine ideals. The Founding Fathers did not admit women or blacks to their meritocratic republic. The country's elites have repeatedly flirted with the aristocratic principle, whether among the brahmins of Boston or, more flagrantly, the rural ruling class in the South. Yet America has repeatedly succeeded in living up to its best self, and today most Americans believe that their country still does a reasonable job of providing opportunities for everybody, including blacks and women. In Europe, majorities of people in every country except Britain, the Czech Republic and Slovakia believe that forces beyond their personal control determine their success. In America only 32% take such a fatalistic view.…
Shall we give all this up for the “new slavery” or feudalism that is being legislated in Washington? There will always be a certain number of people who would give up freedom to be “taken care of.” But how many of us really want to be vassals of the state?

Tired of “Tune”less Songs?

Is it just me or are you tired of tuneless songs? They run the gamut of music genres but are especially irritating in hymns and songs of praise and worship. I’m not sure how it became so prevalent. It was probably started by people who wanted to be rock stars but couldn’t hit the notes or were simply tone deaf. I’m not going to just attribute it to rap music because no effort is made to make legitimate songs out of their performances. They found a niche and are making plenty of money from doing their particular thing.
Few songs today have a melody that replays itself over and over in your mind. Too bad there’s nothing around like ABBA today.

The mind-numbing sameness is especially disconcerting in music targeted for the church. Often the words are quite moving when read but to try to sing them with their repetitive and monotonous string of notes is extremely difficult and unsatisfying. Sadly, most of the newer contemporary praise songs fit that description. What happened? Not too long ago some really moving contemporary songs were coming out and were welcomed by those who longed for meaningful worship. Is it possible? Can we bring those real songs back to the forefront?

Bush Turns the Other Cheek

Some things haven’t changed. George W, with a strange mixture of Texan confidence, born again Christianity, and an almost imperceptible tinge of his proper New England family background showing, gave his farewell speech last night. The man, blamed by the world for everything imaginable, reminded us that his administration had kept our country safe from terrorist attacks since 9-11. He did this without the least bit of animosity toward the legion of wild-eyed Bush haters who had hounded him by way of the mainstream media, the internet, and in person. He reminded us that there was a war between Good and Evil. And, Evil has used all its subtle and not so subtle arsenal of weapons against him for the past eight years. Yet, Bush followed the words of Jesus and turned the other cheek.

Bush was loyal to those around him and looked for the best in people. Unfortunately, many did not reciprocate or practice that virtue. Most of his family seemed a little ashamed of his unabashed, “born again,” Christianity. He sought God’s help and, for the most part, seemed to listen to His advice. However, he also listened to advice from people who did not have his best interests at heart. There were other turncoats like Scott McClellan around, and even a Brutus or two. But those who remained loyal to him did so because they saw in him a man with a heart.

Bush may or may not be treated well historically. After all, we know how often history is written or rewritten to advance a particular “cause.” I, however, remain convinced that, like George Washington, he was the right man for the job when America came under attack. I believe that God put him there for such a time as this.