A week ago Friday, 17 year old Danny was playing basketball with his dad. For perhaps only the second time in his memory, Danny won. His dad boasted that that would be the last time Danny beat him. It was. The following day, Danny's dad passed away.
A few months shy of graduating from high school, Danny found himself planning and paying for his father's funeral. He chose the music, found a pastor, and made the arrangements. On Saturday, Danny eulogized his dad, referring to him as his best friend.
On Sunday, Danny visited with us in Creedmoor at The Carpenter's Shop, which meets at Jon & Jill's Restaurant on Main Street. He listened to Jimmy talk about using our God-given talents to help others, as Jimmy has been doing for the folks down in New Orleans. Following church, Danny came over to our house for lunch. I'm very impressed with the character of this young man.
Danny recently joined the N.C. National Guard and will ship off to Ft. Benning, Georgia for basic training in June, followed by advanced training in air traffic control at Ft. Rucker, AL. Danny hopes to attend college so he can become an Apache helicopter pilot. He chose the National Guard because he wants to be close to home to help his mom raise his two younger brothers and a sister. Chances are that in a couple of years Danny could find himself serving in Afghanistan or wherever his country needs him.
When he's not in school making good grades, Danny is working sometimes two jobs to help provide for his family. When his father passed, Danny stepped up to the plate in spite of the pain of his dad's loss. Danny is a young man of excellent character and courage. He is already on his way to becoming a good leader.
Danny gives me hope for America's future. He understands sacrifice and duty to family and country. He doesn't demand someone else bear his burdens; he mans-up and does his best. I'm proud to know this young man and I pray for him, that he will realize his potential for making his part of the world better.
I Know Ma Ratts!
Relatively few Americans today devote attention to preserving and protecting the democratic principles we take for granted. Like the frog who's slowly boiled to death in a kettle, Americans are being lulled into accepting more and more government control over their lives. Each successive generation surrenders personal liberties in exchange for not having to preserve them. In my own lifetime, America has gone from the greatest force for good on this planet to a nation of ineffective, lazy socialists. As a result, there is a rise of evil regimes torturing and killing millions of innocents because they no longer fear the United States. We must reclaim our national virtue and morality and lift America back to its place of significance in worldly affairs, but first we need to reeducate our own citizens.
We begin with an understanding of the principles upon which our Founders based their vision. These great men and women rejected the European theories of government and believed that a free citizen could create prosperity for himself and for the nation. In our Declaration of Independence, the Founders declared that "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.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --"
The Founders then went on to identify those rights in the Bill of Rights. It was their intention to provide equal rights for all; but what does it mean when they say that "all men are created equal"?
They understood the difference between equal rights and equality. It was their intention to provide equal opportunity, but not to expect equal results. Take for example our nation's policies on education: We provide, at tax-payer expense, a free secondary education for all (including non-citizens). Granted, there are disparities in the quality of the teachers and the way the school systems divide up the funds, but overall, every child is given the opportunity to learn the basics of what it takes to succeed in life. Because some students do not put forth the same effort, they don't make the same grades as those who put forth more effort. Equal opportunity, but not equal results. Where our school systems fail however is when we lower the standards so that under-achievers can have the appearance of success. In an effort to be sensitive to some, our educational system has stifled the potential of all. America's educational system stacks up poorly behind less affluent nations, and we've lost many high-tech jobs to other countries as a result.
In fact, I believe that failures in our schools can be linked to the quality of the leaders we're raising up. Our Founders were all men who read and studied philosophy, theology, and politics. They were learned men who understood human nature. Our politicians today were taught by the radicals of the 60s and 70s who wanted to trade democracy for an unrealistic utopia. Where our Founders learned from history, our leaders today are taught revisionist history. Our education system has also failed to produce visionaries like our Founding Fathers. Our politicians today spend most of their time blaming the other party and the rest of their time taking more and more taxes to pay for things the government was never intended to be involved in.
The current efforts of the President and Congress to 'stimulate' our economy is another example of where our public servants fail the American people. President Obama believes that it is permissable to take from the more successful citizens and redistribute it to the less productive. Our Founders believed, correctly, that every citizen is entitled to equal rights but not equal possessions. It has been proven over and over that some people can lose fortunes and regain them while others can gain them and turn right around and lose them. What was important to the Founders is that every citizen be afforded the right to pursue prosperity for themselves and their kin. When the government decides to penalize the entrepreneur to subsidize another class of citizen, they violate the law by violating the rights of the affluent. Some may think that's OK, that the wealthy (a subjective term), can afford to lose (have stolen) their possessions and money; but when the government is given that sort of power from the people, they can choose to exercise that power over all citizens. This is why it is important for all citizens to protect and preserve our rights by voting out the greedy and power-hungry politicians.
Alexander Hamilton said that "Inequality would exist as long as liberty existed...It would unavoidably result from that very liberty itself." Our Founders understood that the citizens "cannot delegate to the government the power to do anything except that which they have the lawful right to do themselves". (Dr. Cleon Skousen, The 5000 Year Leap) It is illegal for my neighbor to take something from me simply because he doesn't have it. So too, it is illegal, according to our founding documents, for the people to expect the government to take what is not theirs and give it to someone else. This is communism, and it hasn't worked in other nations - which is why so many foreigners attempt to immigrate to America.
Presidents Hoover, Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson, and now President Obama have advanced the welfare state philosophy in violation of their oaths to protect and defend the Constition of the United States. Our Founders never intended for the government to have power over helping the 'less fortunate'. Responsibility lies with the individual citizen first, then with the family, the neighbor, the church, the county, and then the state. No federal authority to provide for the welfare of our citizens was granted or deemed necessary - yet every four years politicians win elections by promising the people what it does not have the legal right to give; and they deliver by stealing from other citizens.
We begin with an understanding of the principles upon which our Founders based their vision. These great men and women rejected the European theories of government and believed that a free citizen could create prosperity for himself and for the nation. In our Declaration of Independence, the Founders declared that "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.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --"
The Founders then went on to identify those rights in the Bill of Rights. It was their intention to provide equal rights for all; but what does it mean when they say that "all men are created equal"?
They understood the difference between equal rights and equality. It was their intention to provide equal opportunity, but not to expect equal results. Take for example our nation's policies on education: We provide, at tax-payer expense, a free secondary education for all (including non-citizens). Granted, there are disparities in the quality of the teachers and the way the school systems divide up the funds, but overall, every child is given the opportunity to learn the basics of what it takes to succeed in life. Because some students do not put forth the same effort, they don't make the same grades as those who put forth more effort. Equal opportunity, but not equal results. Where our school systems fail however is when we lower the standards so that under-achievers can have the appearance of success. In an effort to be sensitive to some, our educational system has stifled the potential of all. America's educational system stacks up poorly behind less affluent nations, and we've lost many high-tech jobs to other countries as a result.
In fact, I believe that failures in our schools can be linked to the quality of the leaders we're raising up. Our Founders were all men who read and studied philosophy, theology, and politics. They were learned men who understood human nature. Our politicians today were taught by the radicals of the 60s and 70s who wanted to trade democracy for an unrealistic utopia. Where our Founders learned from history, our leaders today are taught revisionist history. Our education system has also failed to produce visionaries like our Founding Fathers. Our politicians today spend most of their time blaming the other party and the rest of their time taking more and more taxes to pay for things the government was never intended to be involved in.
The current efforts of the President and Congress to 'stimulate' our economy is another example of where our public servants fail the American people. President Obama believes that it is permissable to take from the more successful citizens and redistribute it to the less productive. Our Founders believed, correctly, that every citizen is entitled to equal rights but not equal possessions. It has been proven over and over that some people can lose fortunes and regain them while others can gain them and turn right around and lose them. What was important to the Founders is that every citizen be afforded the right to pursue prosperity for themselves and their kin. When the government decides to penalize the entrepreneur to subsidize another class of citizen, they violate the law by violating the rights of the affluent. Some may think that's OK, that the wealthy (a subjective term), can afford to lose (have stolen) their possessions and money; but when the government is given that sort of power from the people, they can choose to exercise that power over all citizens. This is why it is important for all citizens to protect and preserve our rights by voting out the greedy and power-hungry politicians.
Alexander Hamilton said that "Inequality would exist as long as liberty existed...It would unavoidably result from that very liberty itself." Our Founders understood that the citizens "cannot delegate to the government the power to do anything except that which they have the lawful right to do themselves". (Dr. Cleon Skousen, The 5000 Year Leap) It is illegal for my neighbor to take something from me simply because he doesn't have it. So too, it is illegal, according to our founding documents, for the people to expect the government to take what is not theirs and give it to someone else. This is communism, and it hasn't worked in other nations - which is why so many foreigners attempt to immigrate to America.
Presidents Hoover, Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson, and now President Obama have advanced the welfare state philosophy in violation of their oaths to protect and defend the Constition of the United States. Our Founders never intended for the government to have power over helping the 'less fortunate'. Responsibility lies with the individual citizen first, then with the family, the neighbor, the church, the county, and then the state. No federal authority to provide for the welfare of our citizens was granted or deemed necessary - yet every four years politicians win elections by promising the people what it does not have the legal right to give; and they deliver by stealing from other citizens.
Get Into the Pool
The following must be credited to Louie Giglio, associate pastor of North Point Community Church.
In my studies of America's history, I've been introduced to ordinary people who accomplished extraordinary things. Some were unwilling, some believed passionately in a cause, some were in the right place at the right time - or the wrong place at the wrong time. The thing is, that out of hundreds of millions of Americans - citizens of the greatest nation ever on planet Earth, only a tiny fraction have stood out.
We've made heroes of people who've accomplished something in life. Americans used to look up to Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, and Alvin York. Today we look up to entertainers like Mylie Cyrus and Olympic athletes like Michael Phelps. See the difference?
Well, I've heard of someone who gained fame not for being the best athlete, but for being the worst in their sport; but in my view, he's a hero. Eric Moussambani, a native of Equatorial Guinea, was given the opportunity to participate in the 2000 Olympic Games. Only eight months earlier, Eric had never swam. He learned in a 20 foot hotel swimming pool - not the regulation 80 foot pool. On the day he was to compete, Eric found himself in the last heat. There were only two other competitors; one from Niger and the other from Tajikistan. Both of these swimmers were disqualified for false starts. Only Eric stood poised to dive when the buzzer sounded.
At this point, Eric could have looked around at all the fans and tried to explain how he'd just learned how to swim a few months ago. He had seen how fast the swimmers were in the previous heats and knew that he had no chance of beating any of them. He could have made excuses and tried to prepare the fans and judges for what he knew would be an embarrassing performance, but Eric didn't do any of these things. He simply jumped into the pool - he didn't dive like the other athletes, but jumped - and he started dog paddling his way to the other end of the pool. Eric moved his head back and forth as other swimmers had done, although his head remained above water the entire time. When he got down to the end of the pool, he didn't do a nice flip and push off for the return leg, he grabbed onto the edge of the pool, caught his breath, and started swimming slowly back to the finish line.
By the time he was half way back, Eric was struggling. Even members of the media were removing their jackets and preparing to jump in to save him from drowning. But Eric pressed on, paddling his way to the finish line in one minute and fifty three seconds, a minute and four seconds behind the winner. Pieter van den Hoogenband.
When Eric finished his lap, he had the biggest grin on his face. The fans and media were cheering for him. A few laughed at his efforts and remarked that he should never have been there. One reporter wondered if Eric's home town of Malabo even had a pool if this was the best they could send to represent their country. Yet for Eric, he set his own personal best record and the national record for his country. Most importantly, Eric jumped into that pool and finished what he had started. Four years later, Eric had dropped a minute off his time, but was denied entry into the 2004 Olympic games because of a visa mistake. Still, his name will go down in history; not for being the best at what he did, but for doing his best with what he had.
In a culture that is enthralled with celebrity and with being close to exceptional people, how many of us choose to jump into our circumstances and give it our personal best? We are, afterall, human beings, not has-beens.
We were created to be passionate about life. Specifically, we were created to be passionate about God's life and our relationship with Him. The disciple Peter lived, ate, and learned from Jesus, but he's remembered most for walking on water. Sure, Peter sank when he took his eyes off of Jesus, but Peter understood that Jesus had something he wanted. He wanted to experience Christ, so he got out of the boat and into the sea. We should all desire to live above our circumstances and experience life as God created us to share with Him.
We should all be like Enoch of the Old Testament. Enoch was seventh in descendance from Adam and all before him had lived into their sixth, seventh, eighth and even ninth centuries. Enoch's son, Methusulah, lived longer than any other man since Creation. Enoch, however, only lived a little over 300 years - a young man in ancient times. But scripture tells us that Enoch walked with God for three hundred years. Enoch had an intimate relationship with God. He talked to God, walked with God, he spoke to his people for God, and scripture tells us that one day God took Enoch - he didn't die, God just hugged him a little closer and Enoch woke up face to face with his Creator.
Most of us cannot picture ourselves being so devoted to God that He just reaches out and takes us home, body and all. We can't even imagine walking on water like Peter or caring for thousands of lepers like Mother Teresa. We might know a lot of facts about God, but perhaps we've never experienced Him personally.
However, we can do what Eric Moussambani did - jump into the pool and give it our best shot, with the knowledge that at the other end of this life is a reward with a Father who's been waiting for the opportunity to give us a hug and a high-five for finishing our life's race.
In my studies of America's history, I've been introduced to ordinary people who accomplished extraordinary things. Some were unwilling, some believed passionately in a cause, some were in the right place at the right time - or the wrong place at the wrong time. The thing is, that out of hundreds of millions of Americans - citizens of the greatest nation ever on planet Earth, only a tiny fraction have stood out.
We've made heroes of people who've accomplished something in life. Americans used to look up to Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, and Alvin York. Today we look up to entertainers like Mylie Cyrus and Olympic athletes like Michael Phelps. See the difference?
Well, I've heard of someone who gained fame not for being the best athlete, but for being the worst in their sport; but in my view, he's a hero. Eric Moussambani, a native of Equatorial Guinea, was given the opportunity to participate in the 2000 Olympic Games. Only eight months earlier, Eric had never swam. He learned in a 20 foot hotel swimming pool - not the regulation 80 foot pool. On the day he was to compete, Eric found himself in the last heat. There were only two other competitors; one from Niger and the other from Tajikistan. Both of these swimmers were disqualified for false starts. Only Eric stood poised to dive when the buzzer sounded.
At this point, Eric could have looked around at all the fans and tried to explain how he'd just learned how to swim a few months ago. He had seen how fast the swimmers were in the previous heats and knew that he had no chance of beating any of them. He could have made excuses and tried to prepare the fans and judges for what he knew would be an embarrassing performance, but Eric didn't do any of these things. He simply jumped into the pool - he didn't dive like the other athletes, but jumped - and he started dog paddling his way to the other end of the pool. Eric moved his head back and forth as other swimmers had done, although his head remained above water the entire time. When he got down to the end of the pool, he didn't do a nice flip and push off for the return leg, he grabbed onto the edge of the pool, caught his breath, and started swimming slowly back to the finish line.
By the time he was half way back, Eric was struggling. Even members of the media were removing their jackets and preparing to jump in to save him from drowning. But Eric pressed on, paddling his way to the finish line in one minute and fifty three seconds, a minute and four seconds behind the winner. Pieter van den Hoogenband.
When Eric finished his lap, he had the biggest grin on his face. The fans and media were cheering for him. A few laughed at his efforts and remarked that he should never have been there. One reporter wondered if Eric's home town of Malabo even had a pool if this was the best they could send to represent their country. Yet for Eric, he set his own personal best record and the national record for his country. Most importantly, Eric jumped into that pool and finished what he had started. Four years later, Eric had dropped a minute off his time, but was denied entry into the 2004 Olympic games because of a visa mistake. Still, his name will go down in history; not for being the best at what he did, but for doing his best with what he had.
In a culture that is enthralled with celebrity and with being close to exceptional people, how many of us choose to jump into our circumstances and give it our personal best? We are, afterall, human beings, not has-beens.
We were created to be passionate about life. Specifically, we were created to be passionate about God's life and our relationship with Him. The disciple Peter lived, ate, and learned from Jesus, but he's remembered most for walking on water. Sure, Peter sank when he took his eyes off of Jesus, but Peter understood that Jesus had something he wanted. He wanted to experience Christ, so he got out of the boat and into the sea. We should all desire to live above our circumstances and experience life as God created us to share with Him.
We should all be like Enoch of the Old Testament. Enoch was seventh in descendance from Adam and all before him had lived into their sixth, seventh, eighth and even ninth centuries. Enoch's son, Methusulah, lived longer than any other man since Creation. Enoch, however, only lived a little over 300 years - a young man in ancient times. But scripture tells us that Enoch walked with God for three hundred years. Enoch had an intimate relationship with God. He talked to God, walked with God, he spoke to his people for God, and scripture tells us that one day God took Enoch - he didn't die, God just hugged him a little closer and Enoch woke up face to face with his Creator.
Most of us cannot picture ourselves being so devoted to God that He just reaches out and takes us home, body and all. We can't even imagine walking on water like Peter or caring for thousands of lepers like Mother Teresa. We might know a lot of facts about God, but perhaps we've never experienced Him personally.
However, we can do what Eric Moussambani did - jump into the pool and give it our best shot, with the knowledge that at the other end of this life is a reward with a Father who's been waiting for the opportunity to give us a hug and a high-five for finishing our life's race.
Founders
Recently I've been studying our founding fathers; those men who envisioned and equipped America to become the greatest nation on Earth. They were remarkable men, and women; yet at the same time they were ordinary people caught up in extraordinary times. These patriarchs of our nation came from diverse economic and social backgrounds, yet they worked together to create a better world, and there is no doubt that America has been part of the best human experiment man has ever undertaken....despite the apologists who wish to rewrite our history.
I have often imagined living during the formative years of this nation. I envision there was a lot of excitement and passion for the cause of liberty. I ask myself, could I stand steady in battlefield formations as cannon and musketballs shredded the men on either side of me? I can only imagine the agony of marching barefoot along roads that consist of frozen, muddy ruts, or facing starvation and disease as part of an ill-equiped army. What motivated these people to risk everything for something they'd never experienced? What prompted farmers and merchants to set aside their livelihood and follow men like George Washington against a better organized and experienced enemy?
Certainly there have been great Americans since our country was founded, yet their achievements have been individual rather than for the collective good. We've benefitted from Thomas Edison's inventiveness and Henry Ford's business savvy, from the philanthropy of Andrew Carnagie, the invention of powered flight by the Wright brothers, the prose of Emerson and Longfellow...and the list goes on - but none of these risked as much for so many.
Certainly, there are no great visionaries leading our nation at this time. They try to tweak and improve on the foundations laid by others, but the mark they leave in this life will pale in comparison to the likes of our Founding Fathers. There is no shortage of pride and confidence in our public servants today, but what is missing and what the Founding Fathers had, was courage and faith. Courage to do the right thing regardless of the consequences, and faith in the Creator and the wisdom found in His Word.
Many of the things that our founders feared would threaten America's liberties are being borne out today as Americans surrender our freedoms in return for comfort and not having to be responsible for something greater than ourselves. Fortunately, there are a relative handful of Americans who understand and appreciate the sacrifices of our Founders and who themselves are willing to risk it all to preserve the Republic. We are on the brink of the next American Revolution where men and women will debate, exhort, and reason among themselves, and fight - if need be, to reclaim the vision that was America. It is possible that these patriots will be looked upon by their own countrymen as law breakers and extremists, but they must try and restore the principles upon which democracy really works. Otherwise, America's greatness and the good it means to the entire world will soon be a thing of the past.
I have often imagined living during the formative years of this nation. I envision there was a lot of excitement and passion for the cause of liberty. I ask myself, could I stand steady in battlefield formations as cannon and musketballs shredded the men on either side of me? I can only imagine the agony of marching barefoot along roads that consist of frozen, muddy ruts, or facing starvation and disease as part of an ill-equiped army. What motivated these people to risk everything for something they'd never experienced? What prompted farmers and merchants to set aside their livelihood and follow men like George Washington against a better organized and experienced enemy?
Certainly there have been great Americans since our country was founded, yet their achievements have been individual rather than for the collective good. We've benefitted from Thomas Edison's inventiveness and Henry Ford's business savvy, from the philanthropy of Andrew Carnagie, the invention of powered flight by the Wright brothers, the prose of Emerson and Longfellow...and the list goes on - but none of these risked as much for so many.
Certainly, there are no great visionaries leading our nation at this time. They try to tweak and improve on the foundations laid by others, but the mark they leave in this life will pale in comparison to the likes of our Founding Fathers. There is no shortage of pride and confidence in our public servants today, but what is missing and what the Founding Fathers had, was courage and faith. Courage to do the right thing regardless of the consequences, and faith in the Creator and the wisdom found in His Word.
Many of the things that our founders feared would threaten America's liberties are being borne out today as Americans surrender our freedoms in return for comfort and not having to be responsible for something greater than ourselves. Fortunately, there are a relative handful of Americans who understand and appreciate the sacrifices of our Founders and who themselves are willing to risk it all to preserve the Republic. We are on the brink of the next American Revolution where men and women will debate, exhort, and reason among themselves, and fight - if need be, to reclaim the vision that was America. It is possible that these patriots will be looked upon by their own countrymen as law breakers and extremists, but they must try and restore the principles upon which democracy really works. Otherwise, America's greatness and the good it means to the entire world will soon be a thing of the past.
Freedom vs Democracy
"We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." President John Adams, Oct 11, 1798.
"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not." President Thomas Jefferson. "I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."
"There are more instances of the abridgement of the freedom of the of the people by the gradual and silent encroachment of those in power, than by violent an sudden usurpation." President James Madison. "We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We have staked the future of all of our political institutions upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God."
"They that would give up essential liberty for a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." Benjamin Franklin
"Posterity--you will never know how much it has cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it." John Quincy Adams
"If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom -- go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen!" Samuel Adams
"Bad men cannot make good citizens. A vitiated state of morals, a corrupted public conscience are incompatible with freedom." Patrick Henry
"The patriot who feels himself in the service of God, who acknowledges Him in all his ways, has the promise of Almighty direction, and will find His Word in his greatest darkness, a lantern to his feet and a lamp unto his paths.' He will therefore seek to establish for his country in the eyes of the world, such a character as shall make her not unworthy of the name of a Christian nation...." Francis Scott Key
"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it." Thomas Paine
"If thou wouldst rule well, thou must rule for God, and to do that, thou must be ruled by him....Those who will not be governed by God will be ruled by tyrants." William Penn - founder of Pennsylvania
"By removing the Bible from schools we would be wasting so much time and money in punishing criminals and so little pains to prevent crime. Take the Bible out of our schools and there would be an explosion in crime." Benjamin Rush - signer of the Declaration of Independence.
"There is no nation on earth powerful enough to accomplish our overthrow. Our destruction, should it come at all, will be from anothe quarter. From the inattention of the people to the concerns of their government, from their carelessness and negligence. I must confess that I do apprehend some danger. I fear that they may place too implicit a confidence in their public servants and fail properly to scrutinize their conduct; that in this way they may be made the dupes of designing men and become the instruments of their own undoing." Daniel Webster"I shall stand by the Union, and by all who stand by it. I shall do justice to the whole country...in all I say, and act for the good of the whole country in all I do. I mean to stand upon the Constitution. I need no other platform. I shall know but one country. The ends I aim at shall be my country's, my God's, and Truth's. I was born an American; I live an American; I shall die an American; and I intend to perform the duties incumbent upon me in that character to the end of my career. I mean to do this with absolute disregard of personal consequences.What are the personal consequences? What is the individual man, with all the good or evil that may betide him, in comparison with the good or evil which may befall a great country, and in the midst of great transactions which concern that country's fate? Let the consequences be what they will, I am careless. No man can suffer too much, and no man can fall too soon, if he suffer, or if he fall, in the defense of the liberties and constitution of his country."
"The brief exposition of the constitution of the United States, will unfold to young persons the principles of republican government; and it is the sincere desire of the writer that our citizens should early understand that the genuine source of correct republican principles is the Bible, particularly the New Testament or the Christian religion. Noah Webster
Of the 56 men that signed the Declaration of Independence, those closest to the British forces paid the most dearly for signing the treasonous and illegal Declaration of Independence. All 56 signers faced death by hanging.
Francis Lewis had his home and estate plundered. His wife was captured and brutalized, later dying from the effects of bad treatment.
William Floyd and his family were unable to return to their pillaged home for seven years.
Philip Livingston was forced to leave his family and died alone in 1778.
Lewis Morris and family spent the entire war in exile, their vast estate and fortune destroyed.
"Honest John" Hart left his dying wife and 13 children behind, hiding in caves and forests. Years later he returned to find his wife's grave, his 13 children gone. He died alone, a broken man in 1779.
Richard Stockton was brutally beaten upon capture, and mistreated in prison. He died in 1781 a despondent 51 year-old.
Robert Morris lent his vast fortune and credit to the cause. He died broke in 1806.
William Ellery had his home and property looted.
Thomas Lynch Jr. sought vacation to aid his failing health, dying in a shipwreck.
Thomas Heyward, Edward Rutledge and Arthur Middleton lost their vast fortunes while in prison. Mrs. Heyward died while her husband was imprisoned.
Thomas Nelson Jr., despite failing health, served as a commander in the militia, and spent his personal fortune on the cause. At the battle of Yorktown, he ordered his own home destroyed by cannon fire while it was occupied by the British.
Abraham Clark was notified his two sons were captured and being brutally tortured while in prison. The British offered Clark his two sons freedom if he would renounce his signature on the Declaration of Independence. With a heavy heart he answered, "NO."
"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not." President Thomas Jefferson. "I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."
"There are more instances of the abridgement of the freedom of the of the people by the gradual and silent encroachment of those in power, than by violent an sudden usurpation." President James Madison. "We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We have staked the future of all of our political institutions upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God."
"They that would give up essential liberty for a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." Benjamin Franklin
"Posterity--you will never know how much it has cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it." John Quincy Adams
"If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom -- go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen!" Samuel Adams
"Bad men cannot make good citizens. A vitiated state of morals, a corrupted public conscience are incompatible with freedom." Patrick Henry
"The patriot who feels himself in the service of God, who acknowledges Him in all his ways, has the promise of Almighty direction, and will find His Word in his greatest darkness, a lantern to his feet and a lamp unto his paths.' He will therefore seek to establish for his country in the eyes of the world, such a character as shall make her not unworthy of the name of a Christian nation...." Francis Scott Key
"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it." Thomas Paine
"If thou wouldst rule well, thou must rule for God, and to do that, thou must be ruled by him....Those who will not be governed by God will be ruled by tyrants." William Penn - founder of Pennsylvania
"By removing the Bible from schools we would be wasting so much time and money in punishing criminals and so little pains to prevent crime. Take the Bible out of our schools and there would be an explosion in crime." Benjamin Rush - signer of the Declaration of Independence.
"There is no nation on earth powerful enough to accomplish our overthrow. Our destruction, should it come at all, will be from anothe quarter. From the inattention of the people to the concerns of their government, from their carelessness and negligence. I must confess that I do apprehend some danger. I fear that they may place too implicit a confidence in their public servants and fail properly to scrutinize their conduct; that in this way they may be made the dupes of designing men and become the instruments of their own undoing." Daniel Webster"I shall stand by the Union, and by all who stand by it. I shall do justice to the whole country...in all I say, and act for the good of the whole country in all I do. I mean to stand upon the Constitution. I need no other platform. I shall know but one country. The ends I aim at shall be my country's, my God's, and Truth's. I was born an American; I live an American; I shall die an American; and I intend to perform the duties incumbent upon me in that character to the end of my career. I mean to do this with absolute disregard of personal consequences.What are the personal consequences? What is the individual man, with all the good or evil that may betide him, in comparison with the good or evil which may befall a great country, and in the midst of great transactions which concern that country's fate? Let the consequences be what they will, I am careless. No man can suffer too much, and no man can fall too soon, if he suffer, or if he fall, in the defense of the liberties and constitution of his country."
"The brief exposition of the constitution of the United States, will unfold to young persons the principles of republican government; and it is the sincere desire of the writer that our citizens should early understand that the genuine source of correct republican principles is the Bible, particularly the New Testament or the Christian religion. Noah Webster
Of the 56 men that signed the Declaration of Independence, those closest to the British forces paid the most dearly for signing the treasonous and illegal Declaration of Independence. All 56 signers faced death by hanging.
Francis Lewis had his home and estate plundered. His wife was captured and brutalized, later dying from the effects of bad treatment.
William Floyd and his family were unable to return to their pillaged home for seven years.
Philip Livingston was forced to leave his family and died alone in 1778.
Lewis Morris and family spent the entire war in exile, their vast estate and fortune destroyed.
"Honest John" Hart left his dying wife and 13 children behind, hiding in caves and forests. Years later he returned to find his wife's grave, his 13 children gone. He died alone, a broken man in 1779.
Richard Stockton was brutally beaten upon capture, and mistreated in prison. He died in 1781 a despondent 51 year-old.
Robert Morris lent his vast fortune and credit to the cause. He died broke in 1806.
William Ellery had his home and property looted.
Thomas Lynch Jr. sought vacation to aid his failing health, dying in a shipwreck.
Thomas Heyward, Edward Rutledge and Arthur Middleton lost their vast fortunes while in prison. Mrs. Heyward died while her husband was imprisoned.
Thomas Nelson Jr., despite failing health, served as a commander in the militia, and spent his personal fortune on the cause. At the battle of Yorktown, he ordered his own home destroyed by cannon fire while it was occupied by the British.
Abraham Clark was notified his two sons were captured and being brutally tortured while in prison. The British offered Clark his two sons freedom if he would renounce his signature on the Declaration of Independence. With a heavy heart he answered, "NO."
A Life of Significance
My friend and best selling author, James Pratt, has a great post on his blog where he relates the story of a homeless man he met and befriended. Go to the link above or to www.jmprattcom.blogspot.com and read 'About Life and Camelot, Cory and You'.
Then, go to my pastor and friend, Jimmy Chalmers' blog and read about his experiences as he helps families in New Orleans. Jimmy chronicles a month out of his life that he's devoted to helping victims of Katrina. www.jchalmers.blogspot.com.
Both James Pratt and James Chalmers lead lives of significance, and the world is a better place because of them. These men are the sort of citizens our Founding Fathers envisioned Americans would be.
Then, go to my pastor and friend, Jimmy Chalmers' blog and read about his experiences as he helps families in New Orleans. Jimmy chronicles a month out of his life that he's devoted to helping victims of Katrina. www.jchalmers.blogspot.com.
Both James Pratt and James Chalmers lead lives of significance, and the world is a better place because of them. These men are the sort of citizens our Founding Fathers envisioned Americans would be.
Born Again American
Here's where I am politically right now. Click on the link above to hear the song and make the pledge.
Just a workin’ man without a job
It got shipped off to China via Washington, D.C.
And I know I’m nothin’ special, there are plenty more like me
Just the same
I thought I knew the rules of the game
I stood up for this country that I love
I came back from the desert to a wife and kids to feed
I’m not sayin’ Uncle Sam should give me what I need
My offer stands
I’ll pull my weight you give me half a chance
I went up to a congressman and said to him “you know
Our government is letting people down”
He said he’d need a lot of help to buck the status-quo
I said there was a bunch of us around
I’m a Born Again American, conceived in Liberty
My Bible and the Bill of Rights, my creed’s equality
I’m a Born Again American, my country ‘tis of me
And everyone who shares the dream from sea to shining sea
My brother’s welding chassis at the plant
He’s earning what our granddad did in 1948
While CEOs count bonuses behind the castle gates
How can they see
When all they care about’s the do re mi
It’s getting where there’s nowhere left to turn
Not since the crash of twenty-nine have things been so unfair
So many of our citizens are living in despair
The time has come
To reaffirm that hope’s not just for some
The promise of America’s surrendering to greed
The rule is just look out for number one
But brace yourself ‘cause some of us have sown a different seed
A harvest of the spirit has begun
I’m a Born Again American conceived in liberty
My Bible and The Bill Of Rights
My creed’s equality
A Born Again American, my country ‘tis of me
And everyone who shares the dream from sea to shining sea
It’s clear my country’s soul is on the line
She’s hungering for something that she lost along the way
The principle the framers called upon us to obey
That in this land
The people’s will must have the upper hand
I felt the calling once before and took a sacred vow
And faithful to that vow I have remained
I hear the calling once again, my country needs me now
And to her cause I have been re-ordained
I’m a Born Again American conceived in liberty
My Bible and the Bill Of Rights, all people living free
A Born Again American, my country ‘tis of me
And everyone who shares the dream
From sea to shining sea
And everyone who shares the dream
From sea to shining sea
A M E R I C A
Just a workin’ man without a job
It got shipped off to China via Washington, D.C.
And I know I’m nothin’ special, there are plenty more like me
Just the same
I thought I knew the rules of the game
I stood up for this country that I love
I came back from the desert to a wife and kids to feed
I’m not sayin’ Uncle Sam should give me what I need
My offer stands
I’ll pull my weight you give me half a chance
I went up to a congressman and said to him “you know
Our government is letting people down”
He said he’d need a lot of help to buck the status-quo
I said there was a bunch of us around
I’m a Born Again American, conceived in Liberty
My Bible and the Bill of Rights, my creed’s equality
I’m a Born Again American, my country ‘tis of me
And everyone who shares the dream from sea to shining sea
My brother’s welding chassis at the plant
He’s earning what our granddad did in 1948
While CEOs count bonuses behind the castle gates
How can they see
When all they care about’s the do re mi
It’s getting where there’s nowhere left to turn
Not since the crash of twenty-nine have things been so unfair
So many of our citizens are living in despair
The time has come
To reaffirm that hope’s not just for some
The promise of America’s surrendering to greed
The rule is just look out for number one
But brace yourself ‘cause some of us have sown a different seed
A harvest of the spirit has begun
I’m a Born Again American conceived in liberty
My Bible and The Bill Of Rights
My creed’s equality
A Born Again American, my country ‘tis of me
And everyone who shares the dream from sea to shining sea
It’s clear my country’s soul is on the line
She’s hungering for something that she lost along the way
The principle the framers called upon us to obey
That in this land
The people’s will must have the upper hand
I felt the calling once before and took a sacred vow
And faithful to that vow I have remained
I hear the calling once again, my country needs me now
And to her cause I have been re-ordained
I’m a Born Again American conceived in liberty
My Bible and the Bill Of Rights, all people living free
A Born Again American, my country ‘tis of me
And everyone who shares the dream
From sea to shining sea
And everyone who shares the dream
From sea to shining sea
A M E R I C A
My Grandson
That cute baby in the photo on the right is my 9 month old grandson Mikil Lucus McGarr. (Don't blame me for the spelling of his name - it sounds like some sort of disease if spoken quickly). He's the son of my daughter who is battling cancer.
Mikil is what we consider a miracle baby. Perhaps a more appropriate name would have been Miracle...but I got no sayso in the naming department. Mikil is a miracle baby because he endured nine months of chemo and radiation treatments. Two injections intended to cause a miscarriage failed as the doctors tried to protect my daughter's life. On top of all that, his mom smoked the entire pregnancy - for her nerves. He wasn't given much of a chance by the doctors; and those who thought he could make it to full term suspected that he would be born retarded (such a nasty word - only fit for liberals).
Mikil was born with jaundice and with undeveloped lungs. He stayed at the Duke neonatal ICU for two weeks before they could take him off oxygen and allow him to go home. He's a fighter though and is doing extremely well now. He wants to be held by his mom most of the time, and he's not too thrilled around males, but the family is very happy he's made it into our world. God has plans for little Mikil and we're blessed to have such a beautiful child in our lives.
Mikil is what we consider a miracle baby. Perhaps a more appropriate name would have been Miracle...but I got no sayso in the naming department. Mikil is a miracle baby because he endured nine months of chemo and radiation treatments. Two injections intended to cause a miscarriage failed as the doctors tried to protect my daughter's life. On top of all that, his mom smoked the entire pregnancy - for her nerves. He wasn't given much of a chance by the doctors; and those who thought he could make it to full term suspected that he would be born retarded (such a nasty word - only fit for liberals).
Mikil was born with jaundice and with undeveloped lungs. He stayed at the Duke neonatal ICU for two weeks before they could take him off oxygen and allow him to go home. He's a fighter though and is doing extremely well now. He wants to be held by his mom most of the time, and he's not too thrilled around males, but the family is very happy he's made it into our world. God has plans for little Mikil and we're blessed to have such a beautiful child in our lives.
News To Kick off the New Year
The year is young and most of the news is about the poor economy, failing automakers, the uproar over "Barack the Magic Negro" song, and Al Franken becoming a Senator. You know our country is messed up when people like Franken are in office.
In the past couple of days I've learned that the same people who predicted in June that the ice caps in the North Pole would melt are now startled that the ice there is thicker now than it was in the 1970s - just six months later. After visiting Nebraska at Christmas, I can tell you first hand that there's no global warming there.
The state of Washington is having a hard time clearing snow from the roads because they've decided that salt and brine are too corrosive and might endanger the Pugeot Sound. Meanwhile, police cars and garbage trucks are having a hard time climbing the hills - so much so that the trash sitting on the curbs and sides of the roads now makes parts of Washington state look like our third-world neighbors to the south.
A bit of funny news today comes from Wicomico Church, Virginia, where a six year old boy who missed his school bus went back inside the house and grabbed the keys to the family's 2005 Taurus. He drove about six miles, passing cars and making a couple of 90 degree turns before running off the road and hitting a light pole. Rather than cry about his boo-boos, the boy got out of the car and started walking to school - he didn't want to miss breakfast and PE. Police report that the boy learned to drive by playing Grand Theft Auto and Monster Truck Jam. Now that's funny. Perhaps not to the parents who were charged with child endangerment, but compared to the stupidity of our government, it's down right patriotic. The boy took responsibility for himself; he didn't call the school and demand the bus turn around to pick him up; nor did he expect someone from the school to bring him his breakfast that his parents had already paid for. Who says kids can't benefit from video games?
A couple of weeks ago, WPTF talk show host Bill Lumaye reported that North Carolina is considering using GPS devices in automobiles to track our mileage so they can tax us at the end of the year for the use of our roads....as if we didn't already contribute when we bought gas at the pumps and paid for our license tags. Not only would these GPS devices keep track of our miles, but if we were to speed a little bit, the person monitoring the GPS system could send us a speeding ticket in the mail. Talk about Big Brother! The other alternative being kicked around is to use the mileage from the previous year's inspection to the new year's inspection and tax us on that. How many of us drive out of state sometime during the year? Should we pay for the miles we drive on somebody else's roads?...or don't North Carolinians already pay more than most other states when it comes to gas taxes? I'm liking that kid's spunk more and more. He'll make a great governor some day.
I think I'm going to start collecting all the stupid news and put them in my book. I should have enough material by February at this rate.
In the past couple of days I've learned that the same people who predicted in June that the ice caps in the North Pole would melt are now startled that the ice there is thicker now than it was in the 1970s - just six months later. After visiting Nebraska at Christmas, I can tell you first hand that there's no global warming there.
The state of Washington is having a hard time clearing snow from the roads because they've decided that salt and brine are too corrosive and might endanger the Pugeot Sound. Meanwhile, police cars and garbage trucks are having a hard time climbing the hills - so much so that the trash sitting on the curbs and sides of the roads now makes parts of Washington state look like our third-world neighbors to the south.
A bit of funny news today comes from Wicomico Church, Virginia, where a six year old boy who missed his school bus went back inside the house and grabbed the keys to the family's 2005 Taurus. He drove about six miles, passing cars and making a couple of 90 degree turns before running off the road and hitting a light pole. Rather than cry about his boo-boos, the boy got out of the car and started walking to school - he didn't want to miss breakfast and PE. Police report that the boy learned to drive by playing Grand Theft Auto and Monster Truck Jam. Now that's funny. Perhaps not to the parents who were charged with child endangerment, but compared to the stupidity of our government, it's down right patriotic. The boy took responsibility for himself; he didn't call the school and demand the bus turn around to pick him up; nor did he expect someone from the school to bring him his breakfast that his parents had already paid for. Who says kids can't benefit from video games?
A couple of weeks ago, WPTF talk show host Bill Lumaye reported that North Carolina is considering using GPS devices in automobiles to track our mileage so they can tax us at the end of the year for the use of our roads....as if we didn't already contribute when we bought gas at the pumps and paid for our license tags. Not only would these GPS devices keep track of our miles, but if we were to speed a little bit, the person monitoring the GPS system could send us a speeding ticket in the mail. Talk about Big Brother! The other alternative being kicked around is to use the mileage from the previous year's inspection to the new year's inspection and tax us on that. How many of us drive out of state sometime during the year? Should we pay for the miles we drive on somebody else's roads?...or don't North Carolinians already pay more than most other states when it comes to gas taxes? I'm liking that kid's spunk more and more. He'll make a great governor some day.
I think I'm going to start collecting all the stupid news and put them in my book. I should have enough material by February at this rate.
PowerThink
My friend James Pratt is a best-selling author who has written several novels as well as some nonfiction. James is also very passionate about America's history and its future. Recently James launched PowerThink.com with his friend Mark Kastleman, author of "Success Through Power Thinking". Their goal is to empower their readers with access to some of the world's greatest collected works.
I ordered "American Freedom Collection" recently and was overwhelmed by the inclusion of so much historical fact in one place. Here's a sample of what I received in the American Freedom Collection: Over 60,000 works including:
Presidential Papers (120,000+ pages, Over 100 Volumes) Supreme Court Collection, 1000 decisions (1793 - 1997) U.S. Congress Collection (17 works) Documents and Histories (42 volumes - 16,000 pages) National Party Platforms (1840 - 1996) Constitution Reference (19 works) Western Civilization (11 works) Founding Fathers (12 volumes) Quotes Collection (12,000 quotations).
James and I both share a love of our country and we want to preserve our freedoms for our children and grandchildren. The best way to preserve our freedoms is to be educated about what our founding fathers intended for America. You're not going to find this information in public school today. Our kids are being taught revisionist history that leaves out much of the information included in the American Freedom Collection. Unless we teach them the way our government is supposed to work for us, they are going to grow up thinking it's wise to exchange freedom for government control over their lives.
Every parent, college student - every American citizen - should have access to the information in the American Freedom Collection. James has put it together on CD for only $15.95 - less than a third the cost of a text book. Scripture says that 'My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge'. The same could be said of our democracy unless people become knowledgeable and act responsibly for America's future.
Check out the "American Freedom Collection" and other works at James' website: http://PowerThink.com. Parents and students may also want to purchase "The World's Definitive eBook Collection" or the "Absolute Principles for Raising Successful Children" series.
I ordered "American Freedom Collection" recently and was overwhelmed by the inclusion of so much historical fact in one place. Here's a sample of what I received in the American Freedom Collection: Over 60,000 works including:
Presidential Papers (120,000+ pages, Over 100 Volumes) Supreme Court Collection, 1000 decisions (1793 - 1997) U.S. Congress Collection (17 works) Documents and Histories (42 volumes - 16,000 pages) National Party Platforms (1840 - 1996) Constitution Reference (19 works) Western Civilization (11 works) Founding Fathers (12 volumes) Quotes Collection (12,000 quotations).
James and I both share a love of our country and we want to preserve our freedoms for our children and grandchildren. The best way to preserve our freedoms is to be educated about what our founding fathers intended for America. You're not going to find this information in public school today. Our kids are being taught revisionist history that leaves out much of the information included in the American Freedom Collection. Unless we teach them the way our government is supposed to work for us, they are going to grow up thinking it's wise to exchange freedom for government control over their lives.
Every parent, college student - every American citizen - should have access to the information in the American Freedom Collection. James has put it together on CD for only $15.95 - less than a third the cost of a text book. Scripture says that 'My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge'. The same could be said of our democracy unless people become knowledgeable and act responsibly for America's future.
Check out the "American Freedom Collection" and other works at James' website: http://PowerThink.com. Parents and students may also want to purchase "The World's Definitive eBook Collection" or the "Absolute Principles for Raising Successful Children" series.
I Hate Haters of Hate Speech
The recent flap at NCSU over 'hate-speech' graffitti on the Freedom of Expression Wall is causing me to put on my bigot hat...again. And that's OK, I'm comfortable as a bigot. It's a lot less stressful than pretending to like or care about miserable people with fragile egos.
Sure, what the students wrote on the wall on election night is hate speech. But so is Jeremiah Wright's sermons for the past twenty years. If anyone hates, he does. I'm just as bothered over his 'Not God bless America - God damn America' remarks. The Reverend William Barber, the state's NAACP president, wants the students expelled from school and charged with hate crimes. What crime? Are our thoughts now illegal - whether they're spoken or written?
The only difference between the NAACP and the KKK is that the former wear suits, the latter wear sheets. The NAACP is led by hateful, past-dwelling ministers and the KKK is led by Democratic Senators and Congressmen. There is more racism today that there was in the 50's when I was growing up. The reason is that black 'leaders' keep their citizens focussed on the past and coming up with excuses for their failures; and the government wants to keep an entire segment of our citizens in poverty so they can stay in power.
A recent episode on TV focused on the difficulties that a trans-gender female-to-male had finding acceptance in his community. Why do we have to accept people simply because they are different from us? Does a parent in that (wo)man's community have to teach her kids that it's OK to hang out with someone who doesn't know who he/she is, simply because the law says we can't discrimiate against she/he?
Can any hate speech, non-discrimination, equal rights law override my feelings of discomfort and distrust when I have to sit beside a Koran-toting Middle Easterner on the airplane or ride the subway with a gang of Bloods or Crips in my car? At what point do I stop trusting my instincts and give anyone who has ever been victimized by someone else the right to blow me up, shoot me, stab me, rob me and threaten my family and my country?
Common sense and reason are fast becoming a thing of the past; as is our freedoms. The next generations are being brainwashed into believing wrong is right, good is bad, truth is irelevant and justice is only for the whiners and losers?
For examply, did you know that the dictionary has changed the definition of n****r? It used to be someone who was shiftless and lazy, mean and stingy. Now the word means: Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. a. a black person.
b. a member of any dark-skinned people.
2. Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. a person of any race or origin regarded as contemptible, inferior, ignorant, etc.
3. a victim of prejudice similar to that suffered by blacks; a person who is economically, politically, or socially disenfranchised."
Excuses, excuses, excuses. I long for the day when people said what they meant, even if it meant a fist in the face for your remark. Today they want to destroy you for exercising your freedom of speech.
Sure, what the students wrote on the wall on election night is hate speech. But so is Jeremiah Wright's sermons for the past twenty years. If anyone hates, he does. I'm just as bothered over his 'Not God bless America - God damn America' remarks. The Reverend William Barber, the state's NAACP president, wants the students expelled from school and charged with hate crimes. What crime? Are our thoughts now illegal - whether they're spoken or written?
The only difference between the NAACP and the KKK is that the former wear suits, the latter wear sheets. The NAACP is led by hateful, past-dwelling ministers and the KKK is led by Democratic Senators and Congressmen. There is more racism today that there was in the 50's when I was growing up. The reason is that black 'leaders' keep their citizens focussed on the past and coming up with excuses for their failures; and the government wants to keep an entire segment of our citizens in poverty so they can stay in power.
A recent episode on TV focused on the difficulties that a trans-gender female-to-male had finding acceptance in his community. Why do we have to accept people simply because they are different from us? Does a parent in that (wo)man's community have to teach her kids that it's OK to hang out with someone who doesn't know who he/she is, simply because the law says we can't discrimiate against she/he?
Can any hate speech, non-discrimination, equal rights law override my feelings of discomfort and distrust when I have to sit beside a Koran-toting Middle Easterner on the airplane or ride the subway with a gang of Bloods or Crips in my car? At what point do I stop trusting my instincts and give anyone who has ever been victimized by someone else the right to blow me up, shoot me, stab me, rob me and threaten my family and my country?
Common sense and reason are fast becoming a thing of the past; as is our freedoms. The next generations are being brainwashed into believing wrong is right, good is bad, truth is irelevant and justice is only for the whiners and losers?
For examply, did you know that the dictionary has changed the definition of n****r? It used to be someone who was shiftless and lazy, mean and stingy. Now the word means: Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. a. a black person.
b. a member of any dark-skinned people.
2. Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. a person of any race or origin regarded as contemptible, inferior, ignorant, etc.
3. a victim of prejudice similar to that suffered by blacks; a person who is economically, politically, or socially disenfranchised."
Excuses, excuses, excuses. I long for the day when people said what they meant, even if it meant a fist in the face for your remark. Today they want to destroy you for exercising your freedom of speech.
Now on Facebook
OK, I'm now on Facebook. Maybe I'll get on Twitter once I figure this one out.
Been married about two and a half weeks and still happily married!!
The Honeymoon In a Nutshell
Pam and I were married on Sunday, November 2nd, 2008. We spent the night at the Crystal Key B&B in Newman Grove, Nebraska. On Monday morning, we got up early, packed the car and met Bernice (I love this lady) at the bowling alley for breakfast. After breakfast, we went by Pam's house to clean it before leaving. The plumber came by to winterize the pipes while we wait for the house to sell.
I was sad as we drove out of Newman Grove. The people there are really special. They had done so much for us preparing for the wedding and wishing us well. I'll especially miss Bernice and Alta. As hard as it was for me, I can only imagine what leaving was like for Pam. Her family, everyone she knows and loves is in Nebraska.
Most of the day was spent driving to Hannibal, Missouri. We stayed downtown in an old brothel - the Lula Belle B&B, right next to the Mississippi River and a train track where every hour a train would pass and blow it's whistle outside our room. I'm sure they thought it was funny, but we were not amused. Our room was above a restaurant and boasted a heart-shaped jaccuzzi tub and a toilet separated from the bed by one narrow partition. We had to turn up the TV volume when we had to use the toilet - but we did have a good view of the train track from the window next to the toilet...and the tub was nice, if loud and powerful. It shot jets of water two feet higher than the tub.
On Tuesday morning we toured the town, climbing to the top of the hill Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer played on in Mark Twain's stories about the Mississippi River. We also visited Molly Brown's birthplace (closed). She was the feisty millionaire aboard the Titanic when it went down (played by Kathy Bates in one movie).
The weather was perfect our entire honeymoon. After leaving Hannibal, we drove south to St. Louis where we toured the St. Louis Arch and the museum under the arch, Gateway to the West. Around dusk we headed out of town and stopped at a Best Western - the nicest motel we stayed at on our trip. That night we talked and decided that it was too ambitious to try to include Memphis, TN in our trip. The next morning we woke up and ate breakfast at Crackle Barrel (for the second time), consulted our atlas, and chose a route southest towards Nashville. Little did we know it would take most of the day to get there.
We drove through Missouri and entered the lower part of Illinois in the town of Chester. Chester is known as the home town of Popeye the Sailor Man. It was a cute town. Being the home state of our new President-elect, we were surprised to see a lot of McCain/Palin signs in yards. A tiny building in downtown Chester was the local Republican headquarters...a sad place the day after the election.
From Chester we drove further into Illinois and came to Metropolis - home town to SuperMan. A giant steel replica of Superman stood at the back of the courthouse, so Pam and I paused for pictures and to visit the Superman museum/souvenir shop. After leaving Metropolis, we passed through Kentucky and made it just outside of Nashville after dark.
Thursday morning we visited the Opryland Hotel and Conference Center in Nashville. It was decorated for Christmas and looked beautiful. The place is huge! Opryland Hotel is the largest non-casino hotel in the world. We're going back to stay at the hotel at our first opportunity. Lunch was at Finney's Pub, an Irish pub inside the convention center. We also took the riverboat tour of the hotel and learned about the Presidential suite where Dolly Parton likes to plop down $3,500 a night to stay there.
We wanted to see the Grand Ole Opry auditorium and museum, but it was closed. So was the General Jackson paddlewheel boat. Just our luck. We got married at the wrong time...
We did visit the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rhyman Auditorium where the Grand Ole Opry got it's start. I wasn't too impressed with the Hall of Fame, but the Rhyman was great. We had our picture taken at the microphone where Minnie Pearl and Johnny Cash once stood. After touring the Rhyman, we had ice cream in a downtown Nashville store and walked past dozens of bars with loud bands and the occasional street performer.
We left Nashville around dusk and drove to Sevierville before stopping for the night at another Best Western. The following day we drove out to the Odom farm - original settlers in the Gatlinburg area. We spent most of the day walking up and down Gatlinburg streets, enjoying lunch at an Italian restaurant and fudge from one of the many fudge shops in town. We also visited two Thomas Kinkaid galleries. After that we drove back to Pigeon Forge and located Dollywood after driving around forever looking for it. Dollywood was closed - no surprise - but we drove around the ticket booth and followed the road to the front gate where employees were decorating the park for Christmas. Pam and I snuck in and took photos. It would be nice to go back and see the Christmas shows, including a 4D version of Polar Express.
Late Friday afternoon we drove up on the Gatlinburg bypass and took photos of Mt. Leconte rising above the town. Then we drove the scenic route from Gatlinburg to Cherokee. Clouds were low by the time we reached Newfound Gap and we drove down the back side of the mountains in a cold drizzle.
Cherokee was dead. We stopped at one of the cheezy souvenier shops and I wondered what my parents thought when they brought my brother and I there when we were kids. Cherokee is a fairly depressing tourist trap, surviving mostly on Harrah's casino on the east side of town.
We continued on Friday night to Maggie Valley. I had hoped to stay at the Heart of the Valley motel, but it was - you guessed it, closed. My dad had intended to buy the motel when I was about 10 years old, but someone got there first with a down payment. It was a dream of mine to grow up in the mountains, playing in the streams and exploring caves. Heart of the Valley was a cool place to have grown up. Instead we stayed at some place I forget and had dinner at Logan's Bar next door. The 12 oz ribeye steaks were good and they were only $9.99.
Saturday morning we rose early and headed to Asheville to visit the Biltmore. The place was already crowded and we had a timed entry into the house of 10:45, an hour wait. We took photos outside and then spent the next two hours tourning the house. It was just decorated for Christmas and there were probably about 30 Christmas trees scattered throughout the house. Down in the old kitchen area, the staff had built a cale model gingerbread Biltmore. The windows were opened, allowing the delicious smell of the gingerbread to filter throughout the basement. I've always liked the staff quarters and kitchen/laundry areas best.
We had lunch at the stables next to the mansion and later visited the winery for a wine tasting. Actually we stood in line for an hour, took one sip of wine from the first glass, and decided to leave. The line waiting outside the winery was probably three hours long by then. I'm conservatively estimating that the Biltmore took in over a million dollars last Saturday. The staff is very efficient, passing 180 visitors through the front doors every 15 minutes at $54 a pop for adults.
We left Asheville and headed east for home. It took us six days to cover the 1400 miles from Newman Grove, Nebraska to Creedmoor, NC. The weather was perfect, the country in between is beautiful, and now we're trying to settle two households into one home; making adjustments for my kids and for Pam's furniture due to arrive tomorrow.
I'll find a way to post more pictures online. You have to see to appreciate how wonderful our honeymoon was. Pray for us as we start our lives and build our dreams together. It's going to be a wonderful journey.
I was sad as we drove out of Newman Grove. The people there are really special. They had done so much for us preparing for the wedding and wishing us well. I'll especially miss Bernice and Alta. As hard as it was for me, I can only imagine what leaving was like for Pam. Her family, everyone she knows and loves is in Nebraska.
Most of the day was spent driving to Hannibal, Missouri. We stayed downtown in an old brothel - the Lula Belle B&B, right next to the Mississippi River and a train track where every hour a train would pass and blow it's whistle outside our room. I'm sure they thought it was funny, but we were not amused. Our room was above a restaurant and boasted a heart-shaped jaccuzzi tub and a toilet separated from the bed by one narrow partition. We had to turn up the TV volume when we had to use the toilet - but we did have a good view of the train track from the window next to the toilet...and the tub was nice, if loud and powerful. It shot jets of water two feet higher than the tub.
On Tuesday morning we toured the town, climbing to the top of the hill Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer played on in Mark Twain's stories about the Mississippi River. We also visited Molly Brown's birthplace (closed). She was the feisty millionaire aboard the Titanic when it went down (played by Kathy Bates in one movie).
The weather was perfect our entire honeymoon. After leaving Hannibal, we drove south to St. Louis where we toured the St. Louis Arch and the museum under the arch, Gateway to the West. Around dusk we headed out of town and stopped at a Best Western - the nicest motel we stayed at on our trip. That night we talked and decided that it was too ambitious to try to include Memphis, TN in our trip. The next morning we woke up and ate breakfast at Crackle Barrel (for the second time), consulted our atlas, and chose a route southest towards Nashville. Little did we know it would take most of the day to get there.
We drove through Missouri and entered the lower part of Illinois in the town of Chester. Chester is known as the home town of Popeye the Sailor Man. It was a cute town. Being the home state of our new President-elect, we were surprised to see a lot of McCain/Palin signs in yards. A tiny building in downtown Chester was the local Republican headquarters...a sad place the day after the election.
From Chester we drove further into Illinois and came to Metropolis - home town to SuperMan. A giant steel replica of Superman stood at the back of the courthouse, so Pam and I paused for pictures and to visit the Superman museum/souvenir shop. After leaving Metropolis, we passed through Kentucky and made it just outside of Nashville after dark.
Thursday morning we visited the Opryland Hotel and Conference Center in Nashville. It was decorated for Christmas and looked beautiful. The place is huge! Opryland Hotel is the largest non-casino hotel in the world. We're going back to stay at the hotel at our first opportunity. Lunch was at Finney's Pub, an Irish pub inside the convention center. We also took the riverboat tour of the hotel and learned about the Presidential suite where Dolly Parton likes to plop down $3,500 a night to stay there.
We wanted to see the Grand Ole Opry auditorium and museum, but it was closed. So was the General Jackson paddlewheel boat. Just our luck. We got married at the wrong time...
We did visit the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rhyman Auditorium where the Grand Ole Opry got it's start. I wasn't too impressed with the Hall of Fame, but the Rhyman was great. We had our picture taken at the microphone where Minnie Pearl and Johnny Cash once stood. After touring the Rhyman, we had ice cream in a downtown Nashville store and walked past dozens of bars with loud bands and the occasional street performer.
We left Nashville around dusk and drove to Sevierville before stopping for the night at another Best Western. The following day we drove out to the Odom farm - original settlers in the Gatlinburg area. We spent most of the day walking up and down Gatlinburg streets, enjoying lunch at an Italian restaurant and fudge from one of the many fudge shops in town. We also visited two Thomas Kinkaid galleries. After that we drove back to Pigeon Forge and located Dollywood after driving around forever looking for it. Dollywood was closed - no surprise - but we drove around the ticket booth and followed the road to the front gate where employees were decorating the park for Christmas. Pam and I snuck in and took photos. It would be nice to go back and see the Christmas shows, including a 4D version of Polar Express.
Late Friday afternoon we drove up on the Gatlinburg bypass and took photos of Mt. Leconte rising above the town. Then we drove the scenic route from Gatlinburg to Cherokee. Clouds were low by the time we reached Newfound Gap and we drove down the back side of the mountains in a cold drizzle.
Cherokee was dead. We stopped at one of the cheezy souvenier shops and I wondered what my parents thought when they brought my brother and I there when we were kids. Cherokee is a fairly depressing tourist trap, surviving mostly on Harrah's casino on the east side of town.
We continued on Friday night to Maggie Valley. I had hoped to stay at the Heart of the Valley motel, but it was - you guessed it, closed. My dad had intended to buy the motel when I was about 10 years old, but someone got there first with a down payment. It was a dream of mine to grow up in the mountains, playing in the streams and exploring caves. Heart of the Valley was a cool place to have grown up. Instead we stayed at some place I forget and had dinner at Logan's Bar next door. The 12 oz ribeye steaks were good and they were only $9.99.
Saturday morning we rose early and headed to Asheville to visit the Biltmore. The place was already crowded and we had a timed entry into the house of 10:45, an hour wait. We took photos outside and then spent the next two hours tourning the house. It was just decorated for Christmas and there were probably about 30 Christmas trees scattered throughout the house. Down in the old kitchen area, the staff had built a cale model gingerbread Biltmore. The windows were opened, allowing the delicious smell of the gingerbread to filter throughout the basement. I've always liked the staff quarters and kitchen/laundry areas best.
We had lunch at the stables next to the mansion and later visited the winery for a wine tasting. Actually we stood in line for an hour, took one sip of wine from the first glass, and decided to leave. The line waiting outside the winery was probably three hours long by then. I'm conservatively estimating that the Biltmore took in over a million dollars last Saturday. The staff is very efficient, passing 180 visitors through the front doors every 15 minutes at $54 a pop for adults.
We left Asheville and headed east for home. It took us six days to cover the 1400 miles from Newman Grove, Nebraska to Creedmoor, NC. The weather was perfect, the country in between is beautiful, and now we're trying to settle two households into one home; making adjustments for my kids and for Pam's furniture due to arrive tomorrow.
I'll find a way to post more pictures online. You have to see to appreciate how wonderful our honeymoon was. Pray for us as we start our lives and build our dreams together. It's going to be a wonderful journey.
It's Official
Our wedding cake! 11/2/2008
Friends in Nebraska
No rice...but plenty of leaves!
Bed & Breakfast in Newman Grove, Nebraska
The happy couple - appearing live on stage at Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN.
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