From My Perspective – - –

Calibration is a word that has been in the news recently. It means: 1) to determine, check, or rectify the graduation of (any instrument giving quantitative measurements); 2) to divide or mark with gradations, graduations, or other indexes of degree, quantity, etc., as on a thermometer, measuring cup, or the like; 3) to determine the correct range for (an artillery gun, mortar, etc.) by observing where the fired projectile hits; 4) to plan or devise (something) carefully so as to have a precise use, application, appeal, etc.: a sales strategy calibrated to rich investors. When the President chose comment on the arrest of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., this well-scripted man departed from his use of a teleprompter to draw a conclusion that was lacking in detail and fact. By saying the Cambridge Police “acted stupidly” when they arrested his Professor friend, he needlessly inflamed the incident. In his attempt to back-track from what he had said, the President commented: “I should have calibrated my words differently.” Once again we are privy to the nuanced world of government-speak (Nuanced means: a subtle or slight degree of difference, as in meaning, feeling, or tone; a gradation; expression or appreciation of subtle shades of meaning, feeling, or tone). To ameliorate this situation, the President has invited the Policeman and the Professor to the White House for a Beer. Is that transferable as a solution for the tensions in the world – Drink More Beer? I doubt it!

The United States General Services Administration maintains a Bureau of Standards and Measurements. It is the place where The Standard is maintained for everything measurable – screw threads, rulers, yarn, resistance of grease to water, polyester fiber content, Opacity of Textile Materials to Light of Visible Wavelengths, and the list goes on almost endlessly. The point is – there is a standard that is inviolate and non-amendable. It is the absolute standard by which everything else is measured. If for some reason The Standard becomes compromised, then subjectivism enters and we no longer know or have an Absolute Standard. Ultimately, chaos would ensue. We have an expression “moving the goal-posts” that simply means: “The figurative use that alludes to the perceived unfairness in changing the goal one is trying to achieve after the process one is engaged in has already started.” In practical terms, it makes it more difficult to achieve the goal, or speak definitively, or function purposefully.

In May 2004, Cal Thomas posted a column in the Jewish World Review commenting an the changing standard for marriage in our nation. He wrote: “The Book of Judges…said it best: In those days there were no kings and everyone did what was right in his own eyes. Once that shift has taken place in sufficient numbers, once we become indifferent to immutable truths, the floodtide is not a matter of if but when. Legally, the shift began in 1993 when the Hawaii Supreme Court ruled that barring same-sex couples from marrying might violate the state constitution’s prohibition on sexual discrimination and must be justified by a compelling reason. Morally, the earthquake occurred much earlier. The shift from personal responsibility, accountability, putting the greater good before personal pleasure, affluence and feelings, and what once was known as the fear of God began following World War II. Consumption and pleasure replaced self-control and acting on behalf of the general welfare. Trying to remind us of the benefits of restraint in 1979…late Bishop Fulton J. Sheen delivered an address in Washington in which he asked how a football field is defined. By its boundaries, he said. There are now no boundaries in America. Any rule is potentially viewed as oppressive and any law – whether legal or moral – is up for debate, negotiation and overturning if it impedes a single individual from fulfilling his or her desire.”

In Deuteronomy 5:1-6, there is a clear declaration: “Moses summoned all Israel and said: Hear, O Israel, the decrees and laws I declare in your hearing today. Learn them and be sure to follow them. The Lord our God made a covenant with us…with all of us who are alive here today. The Lord spoke to you…And He said: I am the Lord your God…” Following these words are the reiteration of the Ten Commandments – God’s Standard for what we are to believe about God, and what duties God requires of man. If one chooses to ignore God’s Standards, he does so to his own peril, and chaos results. Consider these things with me.

The Final Exit

From My Perspective – - -

Death can many times be gruesome but always a reminder to all of the temporary characteristic of life. Death is the common denominator for all. A word that has been used in news items recently is “pandemic” when the prospect of Swine Flu is being discussed. A “pandemic” is: “An epidemic that spreads over a very wide area, such as an entire country or continent.” Examples are: “The deathly horrors of the 14th century such as recurring famines; the Hundred Years’ War in France; and, most of all, the Black Death, were culturally digested throughout Europe. The omnipresent possibility of sudden and painful death increased the religious desire for penitence…”

“The Black Death was one of the deadliest “pandemics” in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. It is widely thought to have been an outbreak of bubonic plague… The Black Death was, according to chronicles, characterized by buboes (swellings in lymph nodes), like the late eighteenth-century Asian bubonic plague. Usually thought to have started in Central Asia, it had reached the Crimea by 1346 and from there…it spread throughout the Mediterranean and Europe. The Black Death is estimated to have killed 30% to 60% of Europe’s population, reducing the world’s population from an estimated 450 million to between 350 and 375 million in 1400…The plague returned at various times, resulting in a larger number of deaths, until it left Europe in the nineteenth century.”

Some music that was evoked in The Black Death period is similar to the Danse Macabre (Dance of Death) – a Symphonic Poem by Saint-Saëns (1874). “It is based on a poem by Henri Cazalis in which Death the Fiddler summons skeletons from their graves at midnight to dance…It consists of the personified death leading a row of dancing figures from all walks of life to the grave, typically with an emperor, king, youngster, and beautiful girl—all skeletal. They were produced to remind people of how fragile their lives and how vain the glories of earthly life were. The dance-with-death allegory was originally a didactic play to remind people of the inevitability of death and to advise them strongly to be prepared all times for death.”

A grim reminder of The Black Death “pandemic” is a Rhyme often sung by children: “Ring around the rosy; A pocketful of posies’; Ashes, Ashes’; We all fall down!” Historically, “The words to the Ring Around The Rosy children’s ring game have their origin in English history. The historical period dates back to the Great Plague of London in 1665 (bubonic plague) or even before when the first outbreak of the Plague hit England in the 1300’s. The symptoms of the plague included a rosy red rash in the shape of a ring on the skin (Ring around the rosy). Pockets and pouches were filled with sweet smelling herbs (or posies) which were carried due to the belief that the disease was transmitted by bad smells. The term “Ashes Ashes” refers to the cremation of the dead bodies! The plague was only halted by the Great Fire of London in 1666 which killed the rats which carried the disease which was transmitted via water sources…or violent sneezing…”

In the news today, we read about the loneliness of death, and the concern about a new “pandemic” possibility: (1) “The poor economy is taking a toll even on the dead, with an increasing number of bodies in Los Angeles County going unclaimed by families who cannot afford to bury or cremate their loved ones. At the county coroner’s office…36% more cremations were done at taxpayers’ expense in the last fiscal year over the previous year, from 525 to 712″, and (2) “Swine flu has spurred the Church of England to revive a rule drawn up more than 450 years ago when bubonic plague swept the land. As concern mounts about the spread of the virus…some Anglican churches have begun to allow “intinction” or dipping bread in communion wine rather than sharing the chalice, while others have stopped offering wine…” An obvious conclusion is: Life is temporary – Death is a certainty. In James 4:14 the question is posed: “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” And in Psalm 90:10-12, “The length of our days is seventy years, or eighty, if we have the strength…Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Are you prepared for Death and Eternity? Consider these things with me.

Options Or Principles – The Political Calculus

From My Perspective – - -

In life, one’s Core Values should govern one’s actions. If one is motivated by Principle, decision-making should be fixed and clear. A Person of Principle does not allow other factors to interfere with decisions where right or wrong are at issue. A clear definition of events, circumstances and assessment should occur based upon the Core Values – and – no other calculation or consideration. One must see things clearly for what they are and not some redefined interpretation based upon imagination rather than reality.

An interesting idea in this regard is the phrase: “Tilting At Windmills” that is based on Cervantes’ Don Quixote – first published in 1604, under the title The Ingenious Knight of La Mancha. A summary of this tome explains a difference between what is imagined and what is reality. “The novel recounts the exploits of would-be knight ‘Don Quixote’ and his loyal servant Sancho Panza who propose to fight injustice through chivalry. In the book, which also gives us the adjective quixotic (striving for visionary ideals), the hero imagines himself to be fighting giants when he attacks windmills. Just then they came in sight of thirty or forty windmills that rise from that plain. And no sooner did Don Quixote see them that he said to his squire, ‘Fortune is guiding our affairs better than we ourselves could have wished. Do you see over yonder, friend Sancho, thirty or forty hulking giants? I intend to do battle with them and slay them. With their spoils we shall begin to be rich for this is a righteous war and the removal of so foul a brood from off the face of the earth is a service God will bless.’ What giants? asked Sancho Panza. ‘Those you see over there with their long arms,’ replied his master. ‘Some of them have arms well nigh two leagues in length.’ Take care, sir, cried Sancho. Those over there are not giants but windmills. Those things that seem to be their arms are sails which, when they are whirled around by the wind, turn the millstone.” And so, the phrase: “Tilting At Windmills” would soon be born.

As one looks at the debates and actions of both the US Congress and US Senate, one truism that becomes obvious is that too many are “Tilting At Windmills” in the decisions being reached that will impact a Nation for years and generations to come. Imagination is often allowed to supersede Reality! An illustration of Options Versus Principles appears in an Associated Press Release today, headlined: GOP SENATORS WEIGH OPTIONS IN SOTOMAYOR’S WAKE – By Jesse J. Holland. The crux of the issue is summed up in these words: “Sonia Sotomayor’s success at her Supreme Court confirmation hearing has some Republicans in a tight spot, with conservative senators forced to weigh the political calculus of voting on the court’s first Latina nominee, who also is the first liberal nominee in 15 years. With Democrats solidly behind the 55-year-old Sotomayor, three days of grueling questioning before the Senate Judiciary Committee gave Republicans no new or damaging ammunition to use against President Barack Obama’s first high-court nominee…The underlying politics are dicey for Republicans. They must be careful to keep faith with constituents like National Rifle Association members who oppose her, yet avoid offending the Hispanic voters who represent the fastest-growing segment of the electorate…”

The crucial words in terms of “Options Or Principles” are: “…some Republicans (are) in a tight spot, with conservative Senators forced to weigh the political calculus…” And, “They must be careful to keep faith with constituents like National Rifle Association members who oppose her, yet avoid offending the Hispanic voters who represent the fastest-growing segment of the electorate…” The Bible states in James 5:11-12 (The Message Translation) that which should govern deliberations and actions: “God cares, cares right down to the last detail. And since you know that he cares, let your language show it. Don’t add words like ‘I swear to God’ to your own words. Don’t show your impatience by concocting oaths to hurry up God. Just say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. Just say what is true. That way, your language can’t be used against you.” One’s quandary occurs when there is vacillation between right and wrong – yes or no issues. Consider these things with me!

Shrub-Drubbing

From My Perspective – - -

What should one do when surrounded by the consequences of one’s own actions? Is there ever a time for reality to set and responsibility to be accepted? When trying to avoid responsibility, what is the response in terms of the calamity at hand? In the area of politics, one resorts to “Shrub-Drubbing” (or “Bush-Bashing”)! For the next four or eight years, every negative experience imaginable is not the fault of the current office holders – it is because of the ineptness and incompetence of the previous administration. This becomes an interesting rallying cry even though there is diminishing evidence to that effect – factualness matters little in the “blame-game”!

Mortimer Zuckerman, chairman and editor in chief of U.S. News & World Report has an article in the Wall Street Journal today. In it, he allows: “The recent unemployment numbers have undermined confidence that we might be nearing the bottom of the recession. What we can see on the surface is disconcerting enough, but the inside numbers are just as bad. The Bureau of Labor Statistics preliminary estimate for job losses for June is 467,000, which means 7.2 million people have lost their jobs since the start of the recession. The cumulative job losses over the last six months have been greater than for any other half year period since World War II, including the military demobilization after the war… Here are 10 reasons we are in even more trouble than the 9.5% unemployment rate indicates: (1) June’s total assumed 185,000 people at work who probably were not. The government could not identify them; it made an assumption about trends…(2) More companies are asking employees to take unpaid leave. These people don’t count on the unemployment roll. (3) No fewer than 1.4 million people wanted or were available for work in the last 12 months but were not counted. Why? Because they hadn’t searched for work in the four weeks preceding the survey. (4) The number of workers taking part-time jobs due to the slack economy, a kind of stealth underemployment, has doubled in this recession to about nine million…Add those whose hours have been cut to those who cannot find a full-time job and the total unemployed rises to 16.5%, putting the number of involuntarily idle in the range of 25 million. (5) The average work week for rank-and-file employees in the private sector, roughly 80% of the work force, slipped to 33 hours…and factories are operating at only 65% of capacity. (6) The average length of official unemployment increased to 24.5 weeks…(7) The average worker saw no wage gains in June, with average compensation running flat at $18.53 an hour. (8) The goods producing sector is losing the most jobs…(9) The prospects for job creation are equally distressing. The likelihood is that when economic activity picks up, employers will first choose to increase hours for existing workers and bring part-time workers back to full time. Many unemployed workers looking for jobs once the recovery begins will discover that jobs as good as the ones they lost are almost impossible to find because many layoffs have been permanent. (10) Job losses may last well into 2010 to hit an unemployment peak close to 11%. That unemployment rate may be sustained for an extended period. No wonder poll after poll shows a steady erosion of confidence in the stimulus. So what kind of second-act stimulus should we look for? Something that might have a real multiplier effect, not a congressional wish list of pet programs. It is critical that the Obama administration not play politics with the issue. The time to get ready for a serious infrastructure program is now. It’s a shame Washington didn’t get it right the first time…”

In Matthew 7:24-29, Jesus addresses the subject of “Foundations” – the difference it makes if one wisely builds on rock versus the one who persists and foolishly chooses to build on sand. Regrettably, as our nation’s infra-structure continues to erode and crumble, we have those who choosing sand foundations rather than rock. In Psalm 11:3, a question is posed: “When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?” In the political arena, it is blame, bash and spend some more! In the spiritual arena, it is to pray, encourage and to be as charitable as possible. Some can choose to ignore and disbelieve that in the midst of our inadequacy, we can seek the Lord and bask in His all-sufficiency! Consider these things with me!

Malady and Malaise

From My Perspective – - -

In several areas of our culture, there appears to be a departure from a sense of appreciation for others and their achievements; a readiness to embrace ridicule and demeaning of fellow human beings; a willingness to caricature certain strata of our society (ethnic and gender groups, occupations, nations, etc.). It’s easy to detect in current examples when news reports speak of the adulation of and for Michael Jackson on the one hand, and the ridicule and demeaning of Sarah Palin (and her children) on the other hand. Somewhere along the way, misdirection has allowed for the diminution of respect, fairness and acceptance of each other. There may be merit – if understood and applied appropriately – in the adage “live and let live” that would be helpful in our world today.

There’s a story of the old preacher who announced to his parish overseers that he would have to leave his congregation due to a widespread Malady and Malaise. When pressed to amplify, he was forced to admit and state – actually – they were Sick and Tired of him and no longer wanted him to continue. While that is meant as humor, in the area of spiritual impact in our culture, the overall Malady and Malaise prevails. The role and place of religion is diminishing more and more in our nation and culture. Several examples come to mind from recent days: (1) The President of the United States serves, in a sense, as a role model. However, he cannot find a church where he and his family can attend for regular worship; (2) The National Day of Prayer came and went with very little attention given to it by our political leaders; (3) The God and Country Family Festival in Nampa, Idaho, applied to the Pentagon for the flyover but was denied because the Pentagon prohibited support of special interest groups. The official statement was: “it violates a Pentagon policy against supporting any event that provides a selective benefit to any individual, group, or organization, including any religious or sectarian organization, ideological movement, political campaign or organization, or commercial enterprise, to include a shopping mall or motion picture promotion.” However, the Flyovers have taken place at this festival for the past 42 years.

In thinking about spiritual impact, the drift away from the foundations and moorings of national focus on The Eternal God is no recent phenomenon. There is an interesting observation in Jeremiah 5:30-31, “A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land: The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?” There are three observations being made: (1) there is Deception; (2) there is usurpation of authority; (3) the people demonstrate naiveté and/or gullibility and embrace this departure wholeheartedly. Proper Assessment and drastic action are called for in Deuteronomy 13:1-5, “Suppose there are prophets among you, or those who have dreams about the future, and they promise you signs or miracles, and the predicted signs or miracles take place. If the prophets then say, Come, let us worship the gods of foreign nations, do not listen to them. The LORD your God is testing you to see if you love him with all your heart and soul. Serve only the LORD your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him. The false prophets or dreamers who try to lead you astray must be put to death, for they encourage rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of slavery in the land of Egypt. Since they try to keep you from following the LORD your God, you must execute them to remove the evil from among you.” Execution is not the suggestion for today, but realistic assessment should be our national concern.

Many people suggest their sense of a national Malady and Malaise. They are becoming sick and tired in terms of the culture and national direction. The point is – What Will YOU Do About It? Will you remain silent, or merely complain to your peer group – or – will you become engaged and involved in helping this nation and culture become re-focused? Or, have you become lulled like the people of Jeremiah’s day allowing yourself to become numbered with – “…my people love it this way…”? Consider these things with me!

Dollars Making No-Cents/Some-Sense

From My Perspective – - –

Stimulus #1: $787 Billion. Needed – Stimulus #2 (the President hasn’t said how much it should be – just that we need more spending)! Problem – Senator Harry Reed stated we have yet to spend almost 90% of Stimulus #1. Stimulus #1 was supposed to fund “shovel-ready” infra-structure projects. This sounded logical and workable – but – it really hasn’t happened. Texas congressman Louis Gohmert (R 1st Dist.) offered a novel approach last year. He floated an idea of allowing the American people to go one full month without paying any federal income or payroll taxes. The idea was that they would then spend this money and stimulate the economy. When President Obama started talking about the $787 billion dollar stimulus the following could’ve been factored in. It seems that $787 billion is almost exactly equal to the amount of federal income, Social Security and Medicare taxes withheld from American paychecks over a six-month period. What if we had not a one-month tax holiday, but a six month tax holiday? How about letting people keep almost their entire paychecks for one-half of a year?

A co-author of the book on: Fair Tax suggests “…two possible scenarios our politicians had to work with: (1) Borrow the $787 billion and let the politicians decide how it is going to be spent to stimulate our economy, or (2) Give the producers (tax-payers) a six month period in which they owe no federal income or payroll taxes. For these six months they get to keep their checks. This puts $787 billion into the hands of American workers – American producers – to spend and invest. There is one huge difference between the two plans. Under the government spending scenario the politicians get to decide how the money is spent. In other words, they get the power. Remember…power is the goal. Politicians want to decide which road is built, which park is refurbished, and which research project gets additional funding. Every one of these decisions would be made based on the political capital it will generate. Under the tax holiday plan the people, not the politicians, get to cast the ballots/dollars. Spending choices would not be made on the basis of political expediency, but on the free choices of the people. Businesses that delivered a good product and good customer service would get the votes, not politicians who delivered a pork project to their districts…”

The choices for our Congress and nation should be obvious: (1) Fiscal Discipline even when Restraints have been removed; (2) Stability even when Recklessness is the order of the day; (3) Frugalness even when the Vault is left open and the Treasury Printing Presses are running 24/7. The last six months of the previous administration and the first six months of the present administration has moved us to being a debtor nation. We are moving from strength to weakness. We are moving from being a respected nation to one that is being ridiculed. Dr. Anne Wortham is the black author of “The Other Side of Racism: A Philosophical Study of Black Race Consciousness”. She is Associate Professor of Sociology at Illinois State University and continuing Visiting Scholar at Stanford University ’s Hoover Institution. On November 6, 2008 she wrote: “…So you have made history, Americans. You and your children have elected a black man to the office of the president of the United States, the wounded giant of the world…The self-righteous welfare statists in the suburbs can feel warm moments of satisfaction for having elected a black person. So, toast yourselves: 60s countercultural radicals, 80s yuppies and 90s bourgeois bohemians. Toast yourselves, Black America. Shout your glee Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Duke, Stanford, and Berkeley. You have elected not an individual who is qualified to be president, but a black man who, like the pragmatist Franklin Roosevelt, promises to – Do Something! You now have someone who has picked up the baton of Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society. But you have also foolishly traded your freedom and mine – what little there is left – for the chance to feel good. There is nothing in me that can share your happy obliviousness…”

All of this reminds one of the indicting words to a Church in Revelation 3:17,22 – “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” The appeal is: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” The Nation needs to listen and hear as well. Consider these things with me!

Leadership Lunacy

From My Perspective – - -

Royalty always presents one with considerable intrigue and many more questions than there are answers. A case in point is King Ludwig II of Bavaria. It was said, “King Ludwig II (1845-86) lived a mysterious life and died young, tragically and misunderstood. He loved beauty in all its forms, especially, nature, art and music. Ludwig, a pacifist, was forced to declare war on Prussia and soon after became a recluse in his dream world and used the royal fortune to build one castle after another and indulged his favorite composer, Wagner, with a huge allowance, until he was declared insane by his own family and ministers. He was taken away in a straitjacket in the middle of the night from his greatest achievement, Neuschwanstein castle, and locked up in Berg castle on Lake Starnberg. Soon after, he was found dead, supposedly drowned in knee-deep water together with his doctor. The real cause of King Ludwig’s death has been a mystery ever since his body, together with that of his psychiatrist, was dragged from Lake Starnberg on 13 June, 1886.”

Part of the frustration with the King was his propensity to spend huge sums of money (that Bavaria did not have) on projects that were impractical or not needed. “The official version holds that the Bavarian government was driven to depose the reclusive Ludwig because he was squandering vast sums of money on bizarre building projects that were driving his kingdom to ruin.” Bernhard von Gudden, his psychiatrist, diagnosed him as suffering from paranoia, a condition which today would be classified as schizophrenia. Ludwig was deprived of his crown and, according to the official version, he reacted by drowning himself in Lake Starnberg in a fit of paranoid pique (a state of vexation caused by a perceived slight or indignity; a feeling of wounded pride).” “Murder theorists counter with recent medical evidence which suggests that the king was, in fact, suffering from a form of meningitis and was far from insane. They say fishermen reported hearing shots at the time of Ludwig’s death and claim that his opponents in the Bavarian government hired assassins to kill him as he was trying to flee across the lake. They say that Von Gudden, who was also found dead in the lake, was shot because he was a witness. To date, the Wittelsbach family has dismissed all murder theories and refused point blank to have the king’s body exhumed. The latest attempt to persuade them to change their minds comes from the Berlin historian and author, Peter Glowasz, who wants to employ Swiss scientists to examine the corpse by giving it a computer tomography. He insists that while the procedure would not touch the body, it would show up any gunshot wounds.” Ah, the intrigue!

This can cause one to wonder whether or not the Congress of the United States is of sound mind when they recklessly approve (without reading the proposed legislation) expenditures on things we cannot afford and do not need. This is not to suggest that politicians need to be removed from office in a straightjacket – but – there is room for pause regarding the soundness of their acumen (quickness, accuracy, and keenness of judgment or insight) based on their recent actions and majority vote! One inwardly wishes there was an adult somewhere in our government that would effect restraint. The populace was mesmerized by rhetoric and promise for change. However, few considered the ramifications of lofty rhetoric or the inexperienced making the changes. The idea of the Chief of Staff and his: “Never let a good crisis go to waste!” is impulse at best and irresponsible at worst. The Vice-President, in an idle moment of an interview, allowed they had miscalculated in terms of the financial plight of the nation!

A Biblical Principle is given in Luke 14:28-30, “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.” Bloviating and bluffing with rhetoric won’t get the job done. It’s time to begin praying towards the deposing of the current crew of nabobs in the next election and find people of sound mind and judgment who may be able to lead us our of the present morass – people less interested in themselves and their vested interests and more concerned for their constituents. Consider these things with me.

Independent Of Independence?

From My Perspective – - -

The Patriot Post shares with us: Independence Day 2009: We still hold these truths…and begins with a Prayer by Patrick Henry: “Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God. I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” With that foundation, core value, inspiration, courage and commitment, our nation was born!

The Patriot Post includes Background History: On July 4th, 1776, our Founders, assembled as representatives to the Second Continental Congress, issued a declaration stating most notably: “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 whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government…” In other words, our Founders affirmed that our rights, which are inherent by Natural Law as provided by our Creator, can’t be arbitrarily alienated by men like England’s King George III, who believed that the rights of men are the gifts of government. Our Founders publicly declared their intentions to defend these rights by attaching their signatures between July 4th and August 2nd of 1776 to the Declaration. They and their fellow Patriots pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor as they set about to defend the Natural Rights of man. At the conclusion of the American War for Independence in 1783, our Founders determined the new nation needed a more suitable alliance among the states than the Articles of Confederation. After much deliberation, they proposed the U.S. Constitution, adopted in 1787, ratified in 1788 and implemented in 1789 as subordinate guidance to our Declaration of Independence. Since that time, generations of American Patriots have laid down their lives “to support and defend” our Constitution…

Some lessons are difficult to remember, and many benefits of freedom suffer from neglect or disregard. The Founding Fathers knew this all too well and anticipated such behavior, movement and acceptance of loss of freedom. Our Declaration’s author, Thomas Jefferson, understood the odds. He wrote, “The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground,” and he concluded, “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.” Accordingly, George Washington advised, “We should never despair, our Situation before has been unpromising and has changed for the better, so I trust, it will again. If new difficulties arise, we must only put forth new Exertions and proportion our Efforts to the exigency of the times.” A focus and prayer on this Independence Day might well be from two of the stanzas in America, The Beautiful:

O beautiful for pilgrim feet Whose stern impassioned stress
A thoroughfare of freedom beat Across the wilderness!
America! America! God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control, Thy liberty in law!

O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife.
Who more than self their country loved And mercy more than life!
America! America! May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness And every gain divine!

An outstanding King of Israel prayed – I Chronicles 29:10-12, “David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, Praise be to you, O Lord, God of our fathers, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.” We would do well to remember these truths. Consider these things with me!

Language Weaponry

From My Perspective – - -

Language serves a very useful purpose. How it is used can either clarify or obscure; compliment or insult; amplify or cause ambiguity. Google News has a lead article today by Christopher Hawthorne, Architecture Critic who is commenting about Michael Jackson and Neverland. It is clever and skillful writing but not without the caustic and biting comment. He writes: “It was while I was bumpily making my way across a rope bridge in a quiet corner of Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch on Thursday morning, next to an elaborate tree-house crowned with a ship’s wheel, and overlooking a bronze sculpture of smiling children, that I finally figured out what the late entertainer’s compound represents from an architectural point of view. Jackson didn’t commission Neverland’s Tudor-style main house…But the changes Jackson made to the 2,600-acre property over the years, notably adding a slew of kid-friendly attractions, markedly changed the place,…At the height of his popularity, Jackson bent the music industry toward an androgynous, perpetually childlike model of superstardom. He managed a similar trick in transforming the architecture of this classic Santa Barbara County ranch property…” Key to this paragraph is the use of the word “androgynous”! Is it a compliment or an insult? Does it define the person and place or accuse? “ANDROGYNOUS” means: “Biology: Having both female and male characteristics; Being neither distinguishably masculine nor feminine, as in dress, appearance, or behavior.”

Herman Cain, WSB Radio in Atlanta, GA is attempting to either excite or incite the citizenry of this country to become part of the “INTELLIGENT THINKERS MOVEMENT”! The summary objective is: “When They Feel the Heat, They Will See the Light”! His purpose is stated as: “The voice of ‘we the people’ has been hijacked by partisan politics, government bureaucrats, and the influence of money on elections and legislation. To take back our government, we must be able to un-elect members of Congress on a timely basis, and dramatically influence their decisions while they are in office. Because of the proliferation of biased media reporting, gullible voters, and too many in Congress who willingly and intentionally make deceptive and misleading statements about proposed legislation, “we the people” must be able to provide succinct and intelligent feedback to Congress frequently and persistently. We can then hold them accountable intelligently at election time, which is our only leverage for holding their feet to the fire. We don’t need all 306 million citizens to be successful. We only need 100,000 voters per Congressional district for them to ‘see the light’. ‘We The People’ can and will take back our government and the strategic direction of this Nation. It is our right and responsibility. This is NOT a republican, democrat, libertarian, conservative, liberal, or progressives movement. This is a ‘We The People’ movement.”

Tomorrow, we celebrate the 233rd Anniversary of the Birth of this nation. Many believe the nation is in rapid decline and is being euthanized by socialist-minded politicians and organizations. To say our liberties are being rapidly eroded is an understatement. The “change” people thought they were voting for has become an onslaught on the life, liberty and pursuit of happiness that was part of the genius at the birth of this nation. Someone has described it like watching in slow-motion a tsunami approaching; a nuclear bomb in descent and timed to detonate; a volcano erupting; a tornado approaching… There can be little room to doubt that we are standing on a precipice and the ground beneath our feet is starting to crumble. A Preacher from another day stated: “My subject deals with time and eternity, and the preparation we must make in time for eternity – based on a text in Amos 4:12: “Prepare to meet thy God.” The Patriots of old championed Liberty for all! The Civil Rights Movement championed Freedom for all! The current wars in which we are engaged champions Democracy for all. Galatians 5:1 states the spiritual heart-cry for us as we approach our “independence Day”, namely: “It is for freedom/liberty that Christ has set us free. Stand firm…and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Consider these things with me!