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SUNDAY MORNING COMING DOWN: The Lesson from Suffering

4/29/2017

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PictureThe Stoning of Stephen
For his eyes are on the ways of a man, and he sees all his steps.  There is no gloom or deep darkness where evildoers may hide themselves.
For God has no need to consider a man further, that he should go before God in judgment.
                                            - Job 34:21-23


Suffering. It's not a word we look at in a positive light. It conjures up pain, torment, mental anguish and other negative thoughts which we wish to avoid. Yet like it or not, suffering is a very important part of our faith as Christians.  Our Savior suffered horribly before and during His time on the Cross awaiting earthly death, and He tells us in the Scripture that following Him will result in us having to suffer as well. Of course, people who don't follow Him suffer also and often we believe it is a punishment for what they have done. But in the case of true Christian believers, suffering is not just associated with sin, sometimes it is foisted upon us as a test of our faithfulness and willingness to suffer for Him.  After all, if the gift of Eternal Life is available for our belief, should we expect life to be easy since He suffered so much for us?
 
When it comes to suffering as discussed in the Bible, no case is more demonstrative than the life of a man who lived before Jesus' time, Job.  Job was a godly man, a man who was wealthy and used his money and riches for good, helping the poor and widows at every turn, sharing his bounty and trying to live his life in total consonance with God's wishes. 

But when satan (I never recognize him with capitalization of his name) told God that he could torment him into blaspheming God, God allowed him to work his way, but not to the point of death.  So Job lost his riches, his home, his huge flocks of animals and all of his children and even his wife told him to curse God and die.  And his health deteriorated as he was covered from head to toe with painful lesions and sores that put him in total agony.

While Job was angry, asking God to explain why he allowed this to happen and his friends told him he must have committed major sins, Job stuck to his guns, never hardening his heart to God, just frustrated because he wanted answers.  All turned out well for him in the end as his wealth was restored and he began a new family. But it could just as well have ended up not so, yet it wouldn't mean that God had banished him.  Like it or not, God will work His will as He wishes, we don't have to know the answers we are just expected to trust Him.

And many generations later, after Jesus' life, resurrection and return to heaven, suffering continued.  The case of Stephen in the picture above, a young missionary who went about spreading the Word of the Good News, is another example of where a believer, a young man with a full life ahead of him, chose to die for the Savior rather than give up his belief and his cause.  And even today, it is what He expects of us if He call us to do so.

Are there positive aspects to a suffering experience which can be helpful in making our relationship with the Living God more personal and real?  There absolutely are, especially when we turn to God for understanding, when we are open to God for help, when we ask him questions, when we are preparing to help others who are suffering and when we are ready to learn from Him.  Suffering develops perseverance and perseverance develops patience and patience is critical to having a solid relationship with God for remember, He works according to His own timetable, not ours. But he is always working and the more you work to connect to Him in a way where you truly understand what the Lord Jesus went through for us, the stronger that connection will be.  Open your hearts and let the Holy Spirit infect you with God's love and accept His grace. You'll be glad you did and you'll never forget it. It will be an everlasting experience.



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Book Character Teasers: Meet the Argyles, Father and Son

4/29/2017

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BOOK CHARACTERS (POST NUMBER ONE) THOU SHALL NOT TAKE OUR LAND. THE ARGYLES (BOOK ONE OF A SERIES)

I want to share a few comments on the major characters in my new book, Thou Shall Not Take Our Land. We'll start with the character who really kicks the entire book off, Angus Argyle as well as his son, John, a retired Marine and remember, this political fiction book takes places in the future, 2033, in North Florida.

Angus is the descendant of Scotsmen. His dad came to America looking for work in the late 1900s, a shipbuilder, but his father changed his occupation later and started a hardware store. When he died, it was suddenly and Angus, who had learned the trade, then became a major representative for a national building supply company. He spent a long career in that business before moving to Florida before retirement.

In retirement, he enjoys North Florida with his wife, but when she dies suddenly, he feels alone and it isn't long before he has a stroke in the 2020s. He was a stranger to his only son, John, who joined the Marines and made a career of military service before retiring and working for a defense contractor in California. The sudden illness of Angus hit his son like a "ton of bricks", bringing them together when son realized father needed someone to help him regain his health.

John, once married and now single, gave up his job and came to Florida to be with his father. The two reconnected and it was perfect timing, because each had talents that would be needed to deal with the future that was unfolding.

Moving forward to the early 2030s, Angus uncovers a scheme by regional governance to take the power away from local communities on the important issues of land use planning and development. The more he digs, the worse it gets and father and son join together to really find out what is going and the deeper they dig, the worse it gets. So they decide to do something about it and begin to organize the community.

As the book unfolds, it becomes obvious that drastic measures will be needed to stop the tyranny facing them, and there is unanimous agreement that it can be done.

NEXT TIME: CONNIE MCCUBBIN

 


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Trump on Taxes: The Proposed Plan (Part 2)

4/28/2017

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Yesterday in part 1 of Trump on Taxes, we talked about the proposed impact his proposed plan will have on corporate taxes. Today's finale will discuss what it means to individual taxpayers. Some of the pundits are already saying that it will be a problem for most, but from what is out so far, it actually looks reasonably good. Remember, I said from the outset that I would prefer the Fair Tax, since it would give us the maximum in freedom of decision making on how we can determine our tax "destiny" by the way we spend our money.

The primary complaints comes once again from the liberal left which, as seen in today's New York Times, says that billions of tax dollars will be shifted to the rich.  Really? And just how did those billions of dollars get in the federal coffers in the first place? Well, with one percent of Americans paying forty percent of the personal taxes, the answer is easy.  But, of course, if your goal is to punish those who make money while adding huge volumes of freebies in cash and benefits to those who have contributed nothing, then I guess you can come up with that conclusion.  If you really think about it, however, openly and honestly, you won't come to that conclusion.

So lets look at individual income taxes in the proposal as they relate to the middle class American.  The truth is that the proposal offers much more simplicity while also closing the wide number of tax brackets that are in the current system. Instead of seven brackets, the proposal calls for three, 10%, 25% and 35%.  It also calls for an approximate doubling of the standard deduction, but there is still confusion regarding whether or not personal exemptions will remain. The death tax (inheritance tax) would be eliminated as would  the hated alternative minimum tax and the 3.8% Obama surcharge. 

Now many say that the inheritance tax has no bearing on middle class taxpayers, but tell that to the farmer who has seen his land jump dramatically in value as the urban landscape pushes farther into rural America.  Should a farmer who has paid taxes all his life not be allowed to pass his property to his heirs?  Well, when the price goes up that is often the end result when the children have to sell the land just to pay the tax bill.  I for one am absolutely opposed to the idea that everyone needs to be equal in outcome. Outcome is determined by how hard you work and strive. It's never guaranteed in a free society.

And here's the final point.  The proposal is just that, a proposal by the President to get Congress moving. We've talked about tax simplification forever and yet we only make it worse. Why? Because Congress likes the power of putting special favors in place for donors, a fact of political life which has grown the tax code to the point where no two accountants can come to the same exact figure when determining client liabilities.  There is something dreadfully wrong with such a program and it's time to end this Congressional charade.

Just think, wouldn't it be nice to sit down one afternoon during tax season with little more than your W-2 forms and fill out a postage card sized return and get it in the mail pronto? That should be the goal of any tax reform.  Tweak it, adjust where we must, but let's do this thing. Talk is cheap and we've been talking way too long. Let's just do it, America.


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Trump on Taxes: The Proposed Plan (Part 1)

4/27/2017

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President Trump unveiled his tax proposal yesterday in a discussion presented by Gary Cohn, the President's principal economic adviser and Steve Mnuchin, the Secretary of the Treasury.  Now Cohn and Mnuchin  are both Democrats and  Goldman Sachs guys who have taken a lot of flack from Conservatives and now also Democrats, but they are both brilliant men when it comes to accounting and budgets and the plan is one that, with a few empty blocks filled in, can offer solid and significant relief to both business and individual taxpayers.  Today I'll make a few comments about the business side of the proposal since it is the one which gets the Democrats "foaming at the mouth about the rich" the most, which means they are hypocrites.  After all, if you look at a breakdown on politicians and wealth, you'll find that the leading Democrats are generally much better financially endowed than the "mean" Republicans (in their words).

The tax plan cuts the business tax rates and simplifies the process of filing, meaning that companies can devote more time and effort to their business and less to finding or lobbying for and creating tax avoidance loopholes. It doesn't just apply to the largest of corporations, small business will be able to take advantage of them to, meaning that the chief driver of new jobs in America will be getting a boost.

Today, America has the highest corporate tax rate in the Free World, currently taxing at a rate of 35%.  And we find ourselves competing with other nations with rates as low as 15% while we wonder why American business likes to outsource and move corporate headquarters out of the country.  It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize what the problem is, but of course, when you are looking for a witch behind every tree you can never focus on the real problem.  Who wants to talk about something important like taxes when you can divert attention to Michael Flynn?

And then, of course, there is the question of who pays the taxes, the corporate entities or the people who buy their goods and services.  Well, they do write a check but it's a pass through.  They merely add the tax bill on to the cost of the products and services they sell and that means you and I pay those taxes.  No matter how much you might despise them, the only way a business stays in business is to turn a profit, and a profit is what they are going to do.  And if you think running them out of business is the answer, try turning the goods and services business over to the government and see what happens.  Visions of the old Russian GUM Department Store dance through my head with throngs of people going through empty shelves looking for something to buy.  Or if you want a closer example, both in terms of time and location, take a look to the south at Maduro's Venezuela where people initially couldn't get toilet paper but now are literally starving to death.  When there is no incentive to work and produce, no one works, which means goods and services are no longer available.

But for those of you who oppose the plan, you may not have to worry, for by the time Congress gets through with it you may not recognize it. Why?  Because Congress is a creature which represents the two extremes plus everything in between.  It all depends on who you think really is entitled to the money.

If you are a Conservative, you believe that the fruits of your labor are yours and that taxes should be limited to the specific things that the Constitution allows the central government to do and even then only after finding the most cost effective way to do so.  If you are a liberal, you believe that the fruits of your labor really aren't yours, that they belong to the state and it is for the state to allow you the privilege of keeping a small portion of it after they've allocated most of it.  And even most liberals, privately, really don't buy that argument with their own money but they certainly will apply that argument to yours.  If you don't think that's accurate, think about the Great Society, not long ago celebrating its 50th anniversary.  And what does it have to show for itself after all those years.  The answer is very little, for after spending over $23 trillion dollars of our money, much of it going for overhead and handling, we find our welfare society growing and growing and individual freedoms disintegrating.   You can agree or disagree and that's fine, but if you dig deep you'll know that it is true.

Tomorrow we'll look at individual tax cuts and what they mean to all of us. I'm cautiously hopeful, but also pessimistic about what will come out of the plan. But at least Trump is trying, that's more than I can say for our recent past attempts to tame the beast of power. See you then.


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Let the Dems Shut it Down, Mr. President, They'll Own It

4/26/2017

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Once again America finds herself at a supposed financial crisis point, with the government shut down scheduled for Friday night at midnight.  And Chuck Schumer, the Democratic Senate Minority Leader, a clone for a greasy used car salesman if ever I saw one, says President Trump doesn't have to shut the government down if only he'll cooperate and be reasonable.  Really?

It's time to get real, folks, both in terms of what we are talking about by a government shutdown and who is responsible for the shutdown if it occurs. Both points are scare tactics and in the case of responsibility, Schumer's words are a total distortion of the truth. Let's break it down to eliminate both the hype and the falsehood.

With regard to the shutdown, in reality it is a mere partial closure and most people won't even notice it.  Only about seventeen percent of government operations are shut down and they are not critical in the short term. Most are of the nice to have variety. Taxes that are due are still paid so money continues to come in, and the critically essential components continue to operate.  The military stays operational, so does the VA and border services and even those who are temporarily furloughed have traditionally been reimbursed once the problem is solved. Despite what the media tell you, we've had lots of shutdowns and except for the hyped up sad stories all returns to normal quickly.  But, of course, the media, always tries to make a crisis out of anything by playing it beyond reason, and manufactures what they call hardship as in the case of the  family that came all the way to Washington to see the sights and was disappointed by the shutdown.  That, my friends, is not a hardship, it is an inconvenience.  Social security checks are still issued, welfare doesn't dry  up and life goes on.

And then there's the case of who is at fault, with the Democrats always saying the Republicans are responsible.  Well, the truth is, there is a bill on the table that will keep things going and the big sticking point is a small inclusion, less than two billion dollars, to start the additions to the border wall.  It is there because it is one of the key points that the American people want by a large majority and was a key factor in the President's election results.  But it is the Democrats, led by Schumer, saying that if Trump doesn't take it out the government will be shut down.  It's not being done by Mr. Trump, it's being done by Mr. Schumer and his band of miscreants who have no interest in keeping our borders safe, only in gaining more future Democratic voters. 

This type of problem could be eliminated every year if only Congress would do its job. Instead of having been on another extensive vacation recently, they should have been hard at work ironing things out and getting it done before it got to another impasse when the money runs out without Congressional action.  I blame that on the leadership of both parties, the majority and minority, since they have little interest in doing what needs to be done and only fully engage when it's in their personal interest. The President shouldn't compromise with those who would sabotage his agenda. Instead, he should take both Speaker Ryan and Majority Leader McConnell to the woodshed and go straight to the people with the truth.  That's what Reagan would have done and he was successful with it. You can't practice the art of the deal with those who won't negotiate.

So what should Donald Trump do? Well, instead of negotiating away one of his key points, he should merely tell them that if there is no funding for the wall it is up to them and then hold them accountable.  And despite all the hooey that Republicans will be blamed which is constantly hyped by the likes of squishes like Ryan and McConnell, the most successful Republican President in modern history was Ronald Reagan who let a shutdown take place on numerous occasions.  As a result, he won reelection by a landslide.

Even the last shutdown, led by a courageous Ted Cruz of Texas, was ultimately a success. Despite the pundits and the pathetic leadership saying it would cost the Republicans dearly, they won the off term elections with solid gains.  They will this time as well, if only the President will listen to the people who brought him here instead of some of his New York-bred advisors and the pundits who don't have a clue what's going on out here in the real America.

Let Chuck Schumer shut it down, Mr. President, the Democrats will own it, and you can say that after one hundred days you've finally turned the tide for the people, not for the political class that just see the people as an obstacle to their undesirable plans.  Be the Donald you were elected to be, the Establishment will either get over it or finally go silent. Steve Bannon is right.


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I'm Making Today Readjustment Tuesday

4/25/2017

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We humans are very frail and it's easy to forget all the good things and dwell on the bad.  But our mind is just like our spine when we don't treat it right, it gets a little out of  line and needs an adjustment.  The transition from Sunday, the Day of Rest and The Lord's Day, which provides spiritual uplifting and words to brighten the soul, transitions every so quickly to Monday, where the problems and issues of the world are ever present.  So, since we went from a glorious day and made it through Monday, I'm going to declare today Readjustment Tuesday.

I look at it this way. We go through cycles of high and low.  They can be caused by physical and psychological reasons, the things we focus on and what we spend our time on as well as our spiritual outlook.  All of us, even the best of us, have moments when we waste time on things that we shouldn't and we worry about things we can do nothing about. It's kind of like the news.  Bad stories sell, good stories get put on the back page and try as we might, sensationalism usually affects our senses.  So what to do?

Well, realize that we are frail and faulty beings and that we need constant reinforcement of "the right stuff" to keep us upbeat and cheerful.  I can't answer for anyone else, but for me that means remembering the One who brought me into this world through the gift of life, the love that He has for me and all of us and the gift of Etrnity that He has promised if only I believe in Him.  I leave church every Sunday upbeat and glowing, allow some of the glow to disappear in some of the things that I witness on Monday, but see Tuesday as a day for a quick recharge, a time to readjust my senses and use the knowledge gained through this awareness to carry me through the rest of the week.

Maybe this sounds weird to some of you, but it makes all the sense in the world since we are mere mortals and not perfect.  So how do you try and reach perfection?  That's easy.  You pay attention to the One who was perfect on earth and follow His guidance.  It will never serve you wrong.

There, just like how I feel when I leave my monthly chiropractor visit, my mind has now rid itself of that awful kink.  Have a great day.


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Will it Be "Viva la France" or "Europa Rules" on May 7th?

4/24/2017

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French voters went to the polls in large numbers Sunday to eliminate nine of eleven candidates from the battle for President of the nation. Approximately 36.7 million citizens, or 78.2% of the eligible voters, determined that Marine Le Pen would face off against Emmanuel Macron in the second round on May 7th, the vote that will determine who will be replacing the unelected Francois Hollande.

Le Pen is the firebrand nationalist who supports strong national sovereignty and an end to unlimited immigration of persons who want to change the culture, not assimilate into the French social order. She seeks a referendum on continued membership in the European Union, an organization which is run by unelected bureaucrats, yet routinely orders nations to submit to its judgements or else.  Le Pen represents the "or else" populace of France, which has been rapidly growing due to the increased violence, chaos and destruction of French society that has literally become commonplace.

And then there's Macron, a man who has never run for office, claims to be a centrist yet has a socialist background, and served as a government minister under the hapless Hollande, himself an unelected bureaucrat who sees government as the answer to all things as his tax policies nearly destroyed his country.  Hollande didn't choose to run himself because he knew just how unpopular his governance was.  And now the best way to describe the 39 year old Macron is to say he strongly supports the EU and he seems more than willing to accept the ongoing violence that has beset France as a necessary aspect of continued globalization.  Just like we saw both in Britain (during the Brexit battle) and in the United States (during the Trump election), the French Establishment will pull out all the stops against Le Pen, someone who is likely to "shake the trees and clean the woodwork" in her efforts to maintain France as a sovereign nation with a distinct culture.

All of the mainstream pundits are counting her out, just as they did on the matters concerning Brexit and the American election, but as we've often seen, events frequently have a way of changing things when they are least expected.  While Macron will hammer the economy under the status quo, frankly nothing to brag about, Le Pen will push for French nationalism and control of France's destiny, something most popular with those living outside of the major cities.

Will it be enough? Well, we won't know until May 7th and we don't know what level of violence will take place during the two week run up to the campaign.  We do know that the two traditional parties are out of the running for the first time in many generations and endorsements by former leaders may not be sufficient to drive the outcome.  So that leaves us with the question posed at the outset.  Will it be "Viva la France" or Europa Rules.

We'll know soon enough but, either way, don't expect Marine Le Pen to disappear from the stage.  In a parliamentary system such as France, she can be a thorn in the side of anyone if they don't pay attention to her recommendations.  And that, my friends, is healthy for France.


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SUNDAY MORNING COMING DOWN: From Resurrection to Ascension

4/22/2017

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PictureJesus on the road to Emmaus
He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.                 - Acts 1:3 ESV

Following Jesus' Resurrection, His pain and suffering were over and many think of His arising from the dead as the end of the story.  But the story of Easter doesn't end there, for he still had an important component of His mission to complete before His time on earth was over.

God wanted Him to be seen, seen in various places and at various times. A number of instances are recorded in the Bible, including at the tomb, on the road to Emmaus, in person before the Disciples gathered in Jerusalem and, of course, talking to the Disciples at the time of His Ascension and there was an overriding reason for these appearances taking place.   They offered solid evidence of the reality of the story for all time.  Often He wasn't initially recognized during these events until the darkness was removed from their eyes, but then all in His presence realized it was truly Jesus.  The Disciple Thomas went so far as to still doubt Him until He was allowed to touch Him and examine His hands with the scars from the nails. 

The story of who He was and what He did formed the basis for faith which allowed for belief among his followers and millions to come in later generations on earth.  Just like the miracles during His human phase, the forty days before His Ascension were used to accentuate the reality of His life and purpose. It wasn't scientific proof, but it was enough evidence to make it believable to mankind through faith, and that's as God intended.

What an amazing plan that God laid out and how wonderful that whether one believes the story or not is up to each individual. It is a free will choice and we are able to make our own decision on the matter.  But remember, the choice we make has consequences and we each live or die by that choice.  Choose wisely, my friends, choose wisely.

Dear Lord,  We thank you for the wonderful plan that you created for us and for your patience and love for all through the opportunity to freely choose what type of future we want.  Free choice makes us appreciate the right choice if we make it and we pray that you help each of us to fully open our hearts to the Holy Spirit, that we might understand, gain faith and believe.  We ask in Jesus' name, Amen.


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Early Superstars in the Trump Administration: Sessions and Kelly

4/22/2017

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PictureSessions and Kelly: Clear, decisive and dedicated.
We are now just past the ninety day mark in the first term of President Trump's Administration and we are starting to see which leaders are really pushing hard to carry out the President's campaign promises.  At this early point in his term, two Cabinet-level appointees clearly lead the way in returning the rule of law to the American government: Attorney General Jeff Session and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly. Oh, there are others doing a great job, but in this humble writer's opinion, none come close to these two patriots, at least not in the case of the swiftness and decisiveness with which they set the standard for their respective departments under the law.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions showed his flair for leadership as a youth.  He was an Eagle Scout, a leader on the field in football and in high school life as President of his senior class.  He attended college in his home state, first receiving his undergraduate degree from Huntingdon College in Montgomery before matriculating at the University of Alabama Law School where he received his law degree.

A tireless advocate for a government of laws not men, Sessions is a seasoned lawyer and practitioner of Constitutional law, having served as a United States Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama and later as Alabama Attorney General.  Contrary to what the Left would have us believe, Sessions had a stellar record of enforcing civil rights law in his duties and was endorsed by many leaders of the black church community in his nomination for the federal Attorney General spot.  From 1996 until late last year, he served as a United States Senator from Alabama, championing national sovereignty and the rule of law.  He has been a strong advocate for immigration by legal means only, vigorously opposing the open borders policy of the previous administration.

Right out of the starting blocks, General Sessions has shown his no nonsense approach to managing the Department of Justice.  His early focus has been on the nation's horrific illegal immigration problem and ridding the nation of the MS-13 gang members who were ushered into the country, a group which has shown to be ruthless wherever they go. He has also warned states that support the sanctuary city nonsense that there will be consequences for their continued breaking of the law.  Additionally, Sessions has closely aligned his department with his counterpart in Homeland Security, Secretary John Kelly, to mount a strong force to clean up the mess that they inherited on the border and in cities and towns all across the fruited plain. The two toured the Southern border this past week and showed a strong team willing to go the extra mile to insure that America remains America, not a third world nation bankrupted by programs that do nothing for citizens.

And that brings us to Secretary Kelly, a retired Marine Corps General and highly regarded leader who speaks clearly, forcefully and decisively.  During this past week Secretary Kelly made it clear how he would run the Department of Homeland Security; it will be an agency that insures that laws of the nation with regard to his duties are carried out clearly and effectively.  And he has even fired a shot across the bow at Congress, stating that if they don't like what he is doing, they should change the laws.  And that's exactly the point of men like both Kelly and Sessions, their duties are to follow the law, not create or ignore them, and that's why I see them as the early superstars in the Trump Administration.  It's refreshing after so many years of chaos to have these two important departments conducting the mission which they swore to uphold: the lawful administration of government.

Now I get it that my liberal friends don't like it; they've been allowed to run amok for the last eight  years and even in years previous, including Republican administrations as many in government have looked the other way. But leadership has changed and America is trying to get back to governing, not ruling by tyranny. And if the best the Democrats can do is appoint a radical Democratic National Committee  chair who has said that Republicans aren't worth a sh%#,  a comment which they have turned into a DNC -supported T-shirt,  then their star in politics will continue to burn out.  This is America, a nation created under God and operated under the law; all others need not apply.


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If We Love Freedom, We Better Stand Strongly for FREE SPEECH

4/20/2017

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It's truly amazing how America has allowed the Left to infect our American Way of Life with political correctness, a scourge on freedom and especially on free speech. The cries that "We want to be inclusive" and "We don't want to hurt anyone's feelings" and "We have to silence those who don't agree" are ringing throughout the land, supported by the media, as the average American shrugs and stays silent. It's been a big problem for quite a while but last night I listened to a program that brought the danger right home to me.

So, what did I hear last night that brought the problem that we all know exists to the front of my mind?  Well, it was a discussion by Mark Levin on his evening radio program about the events that have recently been happening at the University of California, Berkeley, the school that used to be recognized as the educational free speech capital of American colleges and universities.  That title originated in the midst of the anti-Vietnam War protests and the free love era when so many young people threw reality to the wind under a haze of pot and drugs and dreamed of a future that they thought would be nirvana.  "If it feels good do it" was clearly the order of the day. 

But sadly in Berkeley, the free speech movement became totally subordinated to political correctness with the result being free speech alright, but only if you have a viewpoint on the Left. Today, any Leftist of any degree is free to spout their jargon across campus and in front of large audiences, just as professors can punish real free thinkers by banning them from class and grading them based on ideology, not logical thought.  And while it's not just limited to Berkeley but has, in fact, run rampant across American universities in general, Berkeley has been the trendsetter for the destruction of free speech. And nothing shows the negative impact therein like the recent riots, both in the last few days as well as months, that have resulted in physical plant damage, injury to innocent people, and all because of the intolerance toward freedom of thought.

And now Levin, dubbed by his followers as "The Great One", a true constitutional expert with extensive experience in the field and a group of best selling books to his credit, has called out the Left.  Last night he suggested that the President should use Berkeley as an example and stop the violence and free speech travesties of the Left with a bold step.  He says the President should be called upon to nationalize the California National Guard, an action in his purview, and use it to put the campus back in order. How? By arresting rioters, opening up the campus to free speech initiated by a speech from Attorney General Sessions on the subject, and taking the masks from the black clad cowards who are fomenting physical destruction.  After thinking about it, I must concur. Any college student on any campus, be he or she of the Left of Right persuasion, has the constitutional right to voice opinions and that right should never be abridged by tyranny.

Don't think this kind of policy will work?  Well, look no further than an old Southern institution of higher learning for a great example of how it works.  The place was Auburn University in Alabama and the action took place over this past weekend. When  a small outbreak began on campus over a conservative speaker and the protestors showed up in their black attire, the police showed up and stopped their action and removed their masks.  The protestors would be allowed to peacefully protest but, after being identified, most of them chose to leave. Cowards all, right to the end.

Freedom of speech is a central theme of what America is all about and it is clearly under siege everywhere.  I don't care if you are of the Left or the Right or anywhere in between, if you want to express your views, you are entitled to do so provided that you don't create violence and mischief and you don't violate the personal rights of others.  Disagreeing with them on a political issue is not a violation of those rights and this should be something that we should all be able to agree with.  Those who don't obviously have some ulterior motive in mind; don't let them control the narrative.  If we don't stand for the Constitution upon which this great land was created, we won't have it much longer.

 


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    ABOUT ME

    Hi, I'm James, a writer who studies nature,  animals and all things created by God. I also write from time to time about what I think God expects of us.  I would love to hear your thoughts on these subjects. I hope you enjoy my comments.

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