It's Just Another House Divided Thing

Dear America,

so awhile back, I was viciously attacked -- by someone within my own family circle, by the way -- for having and holding deep seated, fundamentally, diametrically, different beliefs than theirs.  Just for having the different point of view was reason alone for being the target of unhinged, and totally unsolicited, remarks.


I responded in the best way I know how -- and spoke up.  I didn't fall into the despair; I didn't shudder in the smacks of criticism across the proverbial face.

But make no mistake, in the privacy of my own home, I did cry.

I cried and cried and cried.

And then I spoke up.

I wrote back; directly and privately, I responded with my whole heart, thoughtfully and determined to stand up for myself and my beliefs.

I wrote back.

But, lo and behold, communicating didn't make it stop, while my feelings were ignored, ridiculed, or dismissed altogether; and only then did I take it to the next level, resorting to feeding my bare naked thoughts to the  blogosphere...albeit metaphorically, but wide open to the public none the less.

And only once; but let me tell you, once was enough.

Let's just say, making it public opened the flood gates (but let me also say, that this isn't about that.  I'm over it already.)

Overall, our public arena has grown even more public -- if you can imagine that!  Everything is out in the open; conversation and commentary that is made hundreds of miles away are visible within mere minutes upon facebook, Twitter, even mass media like Yahoo! and cable news outlets, while the mainstream media keeps up with the tags, links, syndication, and rss feeds automatically, each lining up like little soldiers to get the news out and about as fast they possibly can.  (what a job to keep up with it all, no?)

From the large scene to the itty bitty lives of people like you and me, we live these days totally exposed in every way.  And from a wider angle -- if we have one bad date, perhaps one uncomfortable rift with a girl friend, or make one mistake, it is on.   Online and made note -- and in turn, made everlasting, along with an immediate trail of responses and anonymous commentary to boot.

Basically -- strangely -- nearly everything we do is subject for exposure -- whether we agree with it, are aware of it, want it, or ask for it.

BUT the thing is, if we do it -- if we act, say, think out loud about anything!  -- it becomes fair game.  But more than that, if you invite response in any way, you are culpable.  Whether you thought about it well in advance or not; whether you thought about how it would be received, or not; whether you are open to opposition in any way, or not.

Whether in the micro or the macro, our words are powerful.

Our words are like a boomerang and carry the capacity to bounce right back to us; our words can care, or can hurt; our words can love, or can hate. They hold the power to unite or divide, destroy or create, at any given moment.

Is it enough to recognize that a house divided against itself cannot stand -- or do we actually need to know where these words come?

Abraham Lincoln quoted Jesus -- against the advice of his own good council, by the way -- when addressing the Republican delegates for U.S. Senate (yes, indicating we were also still living in the age when the state legislature decided who would be seated as state representation in the U.S. Senate). But consider this, it was 1858 -- and even then, dropping the 'yea, Jesus' as moral authority to get a message across was highly frowned upon.  For a quick background check and transcript of the "House Divided" speech, go here.

But needless to say, this moment marked only the beginning of a long, hard fight (for both the country and Lincoln); it was merely the precursor before leading us down a weary history of a war of words and ultimately, to a real, live, civil war.  But it was the right thing to do, wasn't it.  Nobody questions the wisdom of a Lincoln standing firm to his beliefs, his faith, and eventually, his call to arms within the full context of good reason.  Nobody.

How do we know what is right and wrong anymore?  What drives our personal authority, within ourselves and in communion with each other, to do the right thing anymore?

The faction of secular progressives would have us all believe that all we need to do is trust our feelings.

Ah, wouldn't that be nice.

And yet, some of us feel more for dolphins, then for the unborn child; some of us feel more for the planet, then fueling the free market with fair and balanced energy and regulation; some of us feel more for radical agendas, then fundamental principles and values this country was made.  We could go all the live long day about how much we feel and find a counter feeling just the same.

But what makes us truly moral, or not?  What is the code, the example, the method of recognizing what is morally the right thing to do -- just where does this kind of conviction come?  Hollywood?  Government?  School?

I have stumbled in the last week; found myself running into obstacles of faith and questioning nearly  everything possible -- as things normally moving forward are now sliding backward --  things usually right side up are now upside down.  Christians, more than any other group in America, are being attacked -- sometimes right out in the open, and at other times, hidden deep into legislation:

Let's quickly link to a few standouts:

The San Juan Capistrano Home Bible Study Police.

Vanderbuilt against Christian Liberty

Catholic Bishops confronting Obamacare

and then I found this, something that just might explain everything.

"Secularism is good for government. But it is terrible for society (though still preferable to bad religion) and for the individual.

One key reason is what secularism does to moral standards. If moral standards are not rooted in God, they do not objectively exist. Good and evil are no more real than "yummy" and "yucky." They are simply a matter of personal preference.

...The heart has replaced God and the Bible as a moral guide.

And now, as Brooks points out, we see the results. A vast number of American young people do not even ask whether an action is right or wrong. The question would strike them as foreign. Why? Because the question suggests that there is a right and wrong outside of themselves. And just as there is no God higher than them, there is no morality higher than them, either."

"Why Young Americans Can't Think Morally", syndicated columnist Dennis Prager, as featured on The Patriot Post.

Don't you love that:  "Good and evil are no more real than 'yummy' and 'yucky'."

The thing is, both in my personal experience and according to the greater community I share, the more The Left insists on burying our freedom of religion, and the free exercise thereof, the more it inspires me to speak up.

Just how in the world can this ONE NATION under GOD, protector of the "free exercise thereof," be here now -- knee deep in religious persecution?

Just how can this land -- creator of Lincoln and Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness for all -- become so consumed in the every day by the growing number of religious descent,  growing more and more visceral, if not totally vitriolic in nature, creating the very conditions for making the house divided?

When it comes to truly living by our faith -- by Divine Providence, if  you will -- what troubles me is that it seems no longer good enough to simply coexist and thereby agree to disagree with each other, and live and let live.  We have somehow ushered in a new era that allows for our differences of religion to be used against us; we have allowed to let in the unimaginable, writing into the unspoken behavioral rules permission to disgrace, ridicule, discredit and destroy anything that still lives and breathes a symbol of faith (but mostly, our Judeo-Christian history).

The house divided is here again.

But put into words we might all understand, it seems to be a pretty 'yucky' time in history.

"It does me no injury 

for my neighbors to say 

there are twenty Gods or no God; 

it neither picks my pocket 

nor breaks my leg."  

Thomas Jefferson

Make it a Good Day, G

It's a Two Faces of a President Thing

Dear America,

Abraham Lincoln supposedly said, "if I were two-faced, would I be wearing this one?"

which, clearly, shows a keen sense of humor, coupled with his natural, and charming, and thoroughly disarming ability to poke fun at even himself and bring people in...

...but then, he is also quoted as saying, "I hope to stand firm enough to not go backward, and yet not go forward fast enough to wreck the country's cause."

In any event, they detail two faces--  perhaps two cases -- presumably two traces of the very same man.

I have been walking down memory lane these past few days; and it is funny, hindsight being what it is -- if we are truly open to the full extent of it's offerings, we can learn so much about ourselves.  Of course, whether or not we allow ourselves to tap into a greater understanding -- through an honest to goodness look back of both our faults and our successes -- it always comes down to one of civilization's most prized possessions.   And, to be sure, you can never tell just by looking at it from the outside, or by appearances... as it comes from something magically delicious from the inside -- our character.

So, whether our experiences build character, or wither it away,  it is up to us.

This morning, I just have this sharp memory of a man swirling through my mind -- who upon his inaugural day, came before the American people with his prepared remarks, mindful of the moment, and graciously accepted the duties of president of the United States of America.

President Obama used the Lincoln Bible when he was sworn in.

President Obama, at about two minutes into his address, noted:

"...America has carried on not simply 

because of the skill or vision 

of those in high office, 

but because We the People have remained 

faithful to the ideals of our fore-bearers, 

and true to our founding documents."

really now?

He then immediately proceeded to name all the things that appear to be going wrong --

"Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred [already couldn't call it what it was]. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age.  Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered.  Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet."

"These are indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics.  Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land -- a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights."

wow. when you put it like that...and that was in reference to the economy January 2009; but let us not get stuck on that side of the equation, let us take proper consideration that he knew all too well what he was getting into on this day in January, 2009.

Which makes me wonder, what do have to say now, with it being two point six years later -- you know, subject to data and statistics?  Of course, some stats more measurable than others.

Then, as quickly as he brought us all down, he masterfully began our ascent over to the other side:

"Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real.  They are serious and they are many.  they will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America: They will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things.  The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming our greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given.  It must be earned."

have we, Mr. President?

have we put "an end to petty grievances and false promises?"

have we let go of "recriminations?" ...and tell me, just which "worn out dogma" are you referring to?

are we choosing "hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord?"

did you change all that?


Or have you just become the Commander in Chief in charge of all of it -- choosing what is petty, from what is not; proposing left-wing promises to prevail over right; uniting in conflict, and organizing against those who simply disagree with you.  And is your idea of "setting aside childish things"  --- "because you became man," as the verse according to Scripture further declares -- your way of saying you know better...you can choose a "better history" for us, remake the noble gift our founders gave, and fundamentally transform America, including the worn out dogmas and all,  of which you do not prescribe?

In other words, was this all code or just plain double talk?

"Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less.  It has not been the path for the fainthearted -- for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things -- some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor -- who have carried us up the long, rugged path toward prosperity and freedom."   

Now the entire transcript can be found, and read at your leisure, in multiple locations on the web.  I have only picked apart the first half page.  The truth is, I simply can't stomach any more of it.  Not after watching how the last two years have gone down -- considering the rhetoric, the ridicule, the divisiveness, the class warfare, the attacks upon the free market, all that along with the total "collective failure to make hard choices and prepare a nation."  Just where did the first impression of a president wander off?

They say that China is becoming more like US, while we, oddly, are morphing into something more like, what, Venezuela? (That last part I just made up, just a gut feeling)

Just note that the president "celebrated" the "risk-takers" (those who create the opportunity, absorbing all liability and making the investment) only for a nano-second before marching right into his true feelings: glorifying the "more often men and women obscure in their labor" -- who really make it all happen.

And speaking of hard labor, from a recent article published for the WSJ online, Ancient Roots of Chinese Liberalism, by  Liu Junning, we may very well be misunderstanding what in fact is happening inside the Great Wall, and beyond:

"China has indeed made great strides since 1978's "Reform and Opening" in alleviating poverty, opening up to the world, and making slow steps down the road of legal reform. Yet on closer inspection, the most significant transformations from the perspective of boosting prosperity have involved loosening of control over the people, not some alchemy of power and Marxism."   

Of course, China has issues; but still.  Think about this.

China is leaning forward, into the new age, by choosing to go the way of loosening control, while we seem to be slipping into steeper regulations,  with clear intent of strangulation of the free market, a deterioration of the private sector, while withering away at our mainstay -- the middle class; and all this, while creating cultural divides so deep -- partitioning the populace by creed, race, language, religion, sexuality, you name it.  All things we said we would never do in America.

Clearly, it is with great ease to talk about making hard choices; but it takes a real leader -- one who actually respects the fundamentals of the American economic system  -- to stand up with courage, conviction, and an unwavering belief,  when times are tough.  It takes a leader to transcend the politics of the moment, and make decisions for the betterment of the whole, for all future generations to come.  It takes a leader who recognizes that doing the right thing always prevails in the end, even if it were to cost his re-election.

But this leader of ours, is acting more like a Chairman, as in, Mao, than any American president we have seen -- this whole shared sacrifice thing he keeps layin' down; this whole redistribution of wealth thing [when already the top 10% wage earners pay 70% of the tax revenues, while the bottom 40% pay absolutely nothing, and knowing he wants to take even more from the top, i.e. the "risk takers"]; this whole climate of restricting prosperity thing, penalizing wealth building thing, limiting growth thing, punishing the entrepreneurial spirit thing-- these are all anti- American things.[based purely on the ACTIONS of a president, nothing more]

Just before Obama closed his inaugural address, he gave us this:

"...But those values upon which our success depends -- hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old.  These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history.  What is demanded is a return to these truths.  What is required of us is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world; duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying  to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task."

 -- he said, "what is demanded is a return to these truths"  -- and amen to that.

and then realize, this is from the mouth of the president we have in office right now, as we speak, and then say to yourself, say what?   It wasn't spoken by a Tea Party favorite; it wasn't from Sarah Palin; it wasn't from any one of the fine GOP candidates in the running for the 2012 election; it was from the liberal -   progressive - no, the Chairman sitting in the Oval Office. 


ah little one...do as I say, not as I do, let alone believe...... time to grow up, to set aside childish things.

And full circle indeed; we are back to our opening chatter of two faces, two cases, two traces of a president, past and present.   We arrive full stop on a prized possession -- something that no one can ever take away or redistribute, our character.   Just as the simple man (or girl), a president's character is earned; it is something that develops from the inside out, over time -- through adversity -- after failures and successes have been allowed to marinate within the psyche -- giving way to that one true spirit, flavoring our "better history" for all of time.

Perhaps as we come full circle, what we come to realize has nothing to do with the shape of the circle at all, but more about what we see inside.   For there, we find a Yin and Yang Thing going on; opposite forces are demanding a president's thoughtful consideration [wow, and isn't the G thing being just so sweet about it].

Now, most Americans believe -- including many presidents -- that it REALLY would be wise beyond measure [subject to date and statistics], sticking with the foundation that works, to the Truths we hold dear; some might even say, returning to the silly childish things we come across along that path looking a lot like the nation's steadfast values and proven ideals, appearing much like the building blocks of Divine Providence....some of us really do believe in that (still).

But before I go -- let us consider that, because he is so cute and all -- Obama would never utter a humorous self-deprecating barb at himself by saying something like Lincoln's first quote on the day; and in the second, "I hope to stand firm enough to not go backward, and yet not go forward fast enough to wreck the country's cause" -- something tells me it is a wee bit too late to even hope for this.

Make it a Good Day, G

And speaking of Childish Things: "Pull off the Band-Aid. Eat our peas. Now's the time to do it," the president said -- sometime around eleven, eastern time, in a press conference -- while pointing his little finger at the sissy's sitting next to him, the Republicans...of course, in the back seat of the car already run into a ditch -- if, in fact, the Debt Ceiling is not raised.  Do we need to remind you, Mr. President, what a certain Senator declared about raising the debt ceiling back in 2006?  Look it up.

And another thing, you think things are bad now, Mr. President, just wait until Christmas, when everybody who received a 99 week extension of their Unemployment Benefits get kicked off the rolls, and when Payroll taxes kick back in...  But who's really looking ahead with both eyes open anymore?

Dear America,

Happy Wednesday.

and can we just say 'wow' -- you leftists seem a bit out of sorts, generally speaking.

What I find amusing, given time and time again, the great Obama-san has said he doesn't care about the polls (championing his own goals often times in spite of what the polls say) -- how could he have spent so much time yesterday reciting just what the polls say. funny.

"there are polls right now that say its a bad idea right now to give the wealthy tax cuts...I need to do what's right for the American people...this isn't an abstract debate...  this is real money for real people...I know the polls, and they are on our side on this...this is not a position where I have failed to convince the American people..."

insinuating polls never lie, and that he, oh honorable one, is fully aligned with the wisdom back behind the numbers.

This was his effort in day two of being in charge since day one, in making his feeble attempt to "convince" the American people to stand by him -- or was it?  Maybe, it was more to corner and convince his own party to follow him.  Trust me  Trust me  TRRRRRRRussssssssssssst me.  smirking into the teleprompter.

Some might have called his day two in front of the press, making an extra effort to capitalize on his natural, super fly ability to persuade, a wee bit sthuperfhhpluous... "you try saying it after you had twelve stitches"...superfluous.

Yes, you got me, that was a different day, and a different audience -- but we hadn't mentioned this little blooper yet; and actually, I thought Obama-san was just so cute about the whole thing, I didn't want to ignore it -- it was a fleeting moment that reminded me of his old ways...charming, flashing that gorgeous smile, laughing at himself (if only a tiny bit) and making people fall all over themselves spellbound and adoringly. good stuff, but let's get back on point.

So there he was, at the podium again -- and if we thought he was frustrated on Monday, not sure what you would call yesterday.   THAT was soooooooo, like, uncomfortable..

More unnerving, was the notion that he never had the backing of his people before making his every intention known, that being to cave to the GOP just in time for the holidays; how awkward is that?  Or was it?

I didn't hear but two minutes of GB yesterday before having to leave, but what I did make note of was a certain curiosity -- what is it about this scenario that we don't know, don't see, and are not privy to, according to the underworld of the alleged compromise?  And why oh why,  did we have to arrest Julian Assange now, just when we need a guy like this the most?

I say "alleged compromise", as the actual legislation has yet to come to fruition; while as a matter of record, and by the chilling response the president has received, to date, that prospect has a long way to go -- if the reactions on the hill are any true sign.

His party, apparently, didn't see this coming (even after intimate meetings of the upper democratic echelon with the president, and in spite of a congressional 'holiday' party going on at the very time Obama-san made the announcement).  hmmmm .....strange.....

Something sounds fishy...bring me the fruitcake as something is not quite right.

Now we could argue, this "compromise," which is yet to be signed, sealed and delivered to the American people, is yet another play toy from the universe in the making; while the tarot cards can say something different to everyone.

Obama-san is using it for his own liking, with eyes on the prize for 2012.

The GOP is using it for their own liking, with eyes on just getting to the first of the year, when all else shall be added unto thee.

While the democrats, stuck in lameduck, are using it as the itty bitty leverage they've got left -- in order to quite possibly pass legislation that doesn't have a snowballs chance in otherwise getting along, like DADT, or the Dream Act...but the truth is, when push comes to shove, they don't care if they have to fight for their right to party and speak freely; they dig this class warfare stuff, and will run with that all the way to the moon, around the milky way, and back (even if that program's been canceled).

But make no mistake, the president wins all the way around, the stars are shining upon his lucky little sweet a**.

The polls -- you know, the ones he never pays any mind to -- tell him to go ahead, blast the republicans for forcing him to cave on something he never wanted, and something he promised he would change if he were elected over and over and over again in the campaign.

He is ready for that fight later, in two years, when he can use this "compromise" to feed the frenzy of his re-election; in two years, by heeding the wishes of the right, he will reap huge rewards; if the economy snaps out of it, it will be to his favor; if the economy continues to lag, he can use it against the GOP; on the inside Obama-san is smiling all the way to the bank, that would be the First Republic of China, of course.

He sees his future, he is reading the tea leaves, and realizes one very important thing -- he doesn't really need the lameduck congress to have his back.  As usual, he will do what he wants, what he thinks "is best for the American people" and come out smelling like a rose, or better yet, more like jasmine.  But will this really be for the betterment of America, and Americans?  Is his heart in the right place?  Is this really about promoting the general welfare with respect to the finer principles of America's foundation, or is this just more a mistake in the making bearing false witness to the stars that bind?

But like everything else, a universal give and take is at play; and sometimes just doing the right thing in the moment is enough to carry you into a future all shiny and bright -- good karma can be made and distributed equally and fairly under the rule of law every time; though nothing is in stone, and even the stars could be all wrong, the very intention back behind an action can affect the outcome in extraordinary ways (having said that, only God truly knows).

What it takes, day in and day out, is the honest to goodness effort to truly do the right thing for the right reasons; with that, everybody wins, without fail.  It is the golden rule and silky  red thread that maintains all civility, that honors and rewards hard work and a job well done, and elevates society to levels of lasting peace, prosperity, and justice for all.

What the polls should say to everyone, is that the status quo of uncontrollable spending, wanton taxation, and an overzealous regulatory government is NOT what the people really, really want; nor is it something we can even afford!

And it took the wayward leftist leanings of this presidency to get us here.  IF this president thinks for one minute that the polls are saying to stick it to the rich, as the ignorant ingrates that we are, just to satisfy the prevailing winds of a growing entitlement populace or the left-wing elitists who only want to control the world, then I would say, this president needs to look again.

Those who know anything, recognize this:  those who make the corporate world -- those who do, create, invest, build, shoulder, elevate, the private industry in this country -- make US.  yes, let's give a jolly shout out to GM and expressly to Jeep, for stealing their slogan, in part...

IF we the people can be honest for just a moment, the ways of the world and all that comes with it, carries a great responsibility; and it all comes from individuals -- and really good ones, at that; our jobs, our livelihoods, come from those who can; they come from the bounty of wealth and good fortune of generations of hard work, not taking anything for granted, being inherently grateful for it all -- that is if fortunate enough to be coming from the right place.

This "compromise" over taxation comes from dueling views -- and it is simply a fight that, ideologically, we will never transcend; the fair distribution of other people's money, the justification of giving the fruits of ones labor to another without warrant, is not an American argument easily supported, by precedence.  This argument, this "compromise", actually defines what the making of this beautiful country was all about.


From Dr. Adrian Rogers, 1931:

"You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy our of freedom.  What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.  The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government has not first taken from somebody else.  When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of the nation...you cannot multiply wealth by dividing it."

From Abraham Lincoln:

"You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.  You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.  You cannot help the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.  You cannot further the brotherhood of man by encouraging class hatred.  You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.  You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn.  You cannot build character and courage by taking every man's initiative and independence.  You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves."

You know what the polls are telling me?

Strike up the old bamboo, less talking, more doing is in order (weird, I believe that is Home Depot in my ear).

Make it a Good Day, G

Kool and the Gang, playing two days in a row on Dear America, click it, and get your back up off the wall, get down on it...whatcha gonna do...you gonna get down...LOVE LOVE LOVE these guys...

Dear America,

"You cannot legislate the poor into freedom

 by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. 

What one person receives without working for,

another person must work for without receiving. 

The government cannot give to anybody anything

 that the government has not first taken from somebody else. 

When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work

 because the other half is going to take care of them,

 and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work

because somebody else is going to get what they work for,

that my dear friend,

 is about the end of any nation...

YOU CANNOT MULTIPLY WEALTH

 by DIVIDING IT!"  

 Dr. Adrian Rogers, 1931

And this principle pretty much works with anything.

Take for example, we cannot increase our unity by dividing it.

We keep going round and round on this one; while if we continue to fail, all of us will fall down dizzy and go boom.

"You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. 

You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. 

You cannot help the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer. 

You cannot further brotherhood of man by encouraging class hatred. 

You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. 

You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn. 

You cannot build character and courage

 by taking away man's initiative and independence. 

You cannot help men permanently by doing for them

what they could and should do for themselves." 

Abraham Lincoln

Once a sound principal -- whether for economics or the brotherhood of man -- is always a sound principal; the only variant is our ability to stay clear and true to it's value, and remain responsible in our ability to understand it, respect it, and most definitely, uphold it, teach it, and of course then, multiply it.

"And so, my fellow Americans,

ask not what your country can do for you;

ask what you can do for your country." 

John F. Kennedy

It doesn't get much easier to understand than this.

"Ask nothing of men, and in the endless mutation, thou only firm column must presently appear the upholder of all that surrounds thee.  He who knows that power is inborn, that he is weak because he has looked for good out of him and elsewhere, and so perceiving, throws himself unhesitatingly on his thought, instantly rights himself, stands in the erect position, commands his limbs, works miracles; just as a man who stands on his feet is stronger than a man who stands on his head...

So use all that is called Fortune.  Most men gamble with her, and gain all, and lose all, as her wheel rolls.  But do thou leave as unlawful these winnings, and deal with Cause and Effect, the chancellors of God.  In the Will work and acquire, and thou hast chained the wheel of Chance, and shalt sit hereafter out of fear from her rotations.  A political victory, a rise of rents, the recovery of your sick, or the return of your absent friend, or some other favorable event, raises your spirits, and you think good days are preparing you.  Do not believe it.  Nothing can bring you peace but yourself.  Nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of principles."  

                                                                Ralph Waldo Emerson

In the good ole days, we taught our children, and welcomed our immigrants to our shores, on the very principle of multiplying our wealth; our country's foundation grew stronger; while even though our prosperity ebbed and flowed, we remained steadfast to the principles in which we were made and it worked, triumphantly. Our own self-reliance was the key from which all American doors entered or closed.

Our abundance never truly faltered, as our true wealth was never really in question, for it rests intangible within the hearts and minds of all of us; sure, we could catch glimpses of it as it materialized on Wall Street, or made manifest in a bevy of things we choose to surround our self with -- but that's really not it, is it? 

Our true wealth has always been found deep within the finer, more ethereal dimension of ourselves, keeping a constant and dynamic companion with us at all times, and recognized as none other that the absolute and indelible individual spirit.  This spirit is pure Americana working at it's best; it is a life force in of itself, in God's image (or not), with all the character and will back behind it to prove it.   It has been this spirit, unwavering and multiplying, in good times and bad, that has made America -- and has made America pretty great.

It saddens me, this unrecognizable spirit of discontent permeating throughout our lives and within the sanctity of our homes and the security of our children, as if something so profound is really lost for good.

It saddens me, in this toxic partisan environment, that the principles we have long welcomed and understood, as a whole are somehow under attack; while the idea of melting into one, firm and unified body of Americans seems so far gone and out of reach.

Creating division on purpose?  Not recognizing what is best for the whole over the demands of a few, ignorant to the principles from which we were made, and jeopardizing any chance of peaceful coexistence in our future?

President Obama boldly drew the line in the sand from which he now stands.  He has called out to his people, "young people, african-americans, latinos, and women" recently, as if the respect for the whole of America is none existent, respect for the foundation unwarranted.  That not only sends us back a hundred years, ceasing to move us forward by reaching for commonalities first, searching for the values that bind second, it is purely un-American.

It saddens me, this government shape-shifting the very foundation from which we stand. I refuse to let the values of America's melting pot molt into vulgar protests, and rampant disrespect of the very thing we all strive to uphold and honor -- ONE NATION UNDER GOD (no, I'm not ashamed,org)-- unified in our differences, compassionately listening to one another and supporting open dialogue, standing together firmly to protect everyone who can proudly call themselves American.



It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; the duality of everything under the sun haunts us and favors us within every moment of the day.

"it [the border] is as secure as it's ever been"

Janet Napolitano, said yesterday

Current Director of Homeland Security

Former Governor of Arizona,

the same governor who asked for national guard troops in 2006,

as times were so good,

right...

Hispanics -- along with everybody else -- have come to this country legally for centuries.

Like everybody else, they have come for the opportunity to make something of themselves and to provide for their family under the rule of law -- a law that protects all citizens, equally and fairly, allowing for each individual to prosper, in direct proportion as to what you do for this country.  We reap what we sow; the principle works every time -- and don't even get me started on the loaves and the fishes...there is more than enough for everybody...but I digress...or is it progress...hmmmm

Some people choose to come here illegally.
The Fed says it is against the law.
Now Arizona, says it is against the law -- conforming to the direct language of the Federal Statute, fair and square, and under the law.

You would think all Americans, and especially those who fought tooth and nail to get here -- applying for citizenship, waiting their turn, taking the test, and holding their right hand over their heart reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to which it stands, would be a bit upset, too. 

For if in fact, there are those not only here illegally, but also unfortunately for them, in the midst of breaking any one of our fine laws -- as only that would predicate ample information for which to stop and ask for I.D. in the first place -- creating an opportunity to arrest them -- what part of that seems unreasonable?

And with all that being understood, since when is that a crime?

The true high crimes and punishment happening here, is the unmistakable lack of reverence to this country's founding principles. 

We've stopped teaching it. 
We've stopped doing it.
We've stopped keeping to our individual responsibility to make it, day in and day out;
for if we did, all that would surround us would be peace -- making it possible for the only thing that really matters to be equally distributed amongst us all.

Make it a Good Day, G

Dear America,

TGIF

Thank GOD it's Friday x

I guess we can still say this out loud?
Nobody is telling me that I can't... yet.

Such is the case until that one     fine     day...
 when a judge deems it harassment against the atheists...

Here's interesting Jeffersonian commentary to sink your teeth into this morning,

"In our village of Charlottesville, there is a good degree of religion, with a small spice only of fanaticsm [love that].  We have four sects, but without either church or meeting-house.  The court-house is the common temple, one Sunday in the month to each.  Here, Episcopalian and Presbyterian, Methodist and Baptist, meet together, join in hymning their Maker, listen with attention and devotion to each others' preachers, and all mix in society with perfect harmony."                  

Thomas Jefferson, from The 5000 Year Leap, by C.W. Skousen

The Freedom From Religion Foundation out of Wisconsin, founded '76 -- Nineteen 76, is responsible for initiating lawsuits throughout the country on behalf of the separation of church and state; and recently, as in yesterday, has nationalized a real doozy of a decision.

Now we can preserve April 15th, in the year of our Lord Twenty Ten, as a day of infamy in judicial legislation in accordance with the general rule of law, the order of the day, the safe keeping of our nation's glory -- otherwise recognized under the simplicity and sanctity and founders intentions back behind America's Constitution. For on this day, the order of the day has been fully upturned and publicly disgraced in the town square. 

Sweet liberty maiden, Jurisprudence, has sunk to a whole new low.

First of all, let me offer Judge Barbara Crabb my sincere condolences -- I can't help myself, as I sit here caught up in the moment, now glaring at your last name, from not imagining the reflection of an empty vessel, drowned at sea, sitting as a host to various lower lifeforms, dark, alone, and without a remote chance for survival.

And second, just by language alone, the Freedom FROM Religion Followers (some might say Cult) should have made your response an easy one, and that being a simple no.  In this country, we live by Freedom OF Religion; It is there.  It lives with us part and parcel to everything there is and everything that shall be.

It's Essence is within us, It surrounds us, and is collectively within the body Of the Whole -- It already exists and we are well endowed with It -- we already possess the very nature of It's cause, for WE ARE the effect; and by all means, It is OF significance, hardly the reverse.  And certainly, by their own admission, they are seeking to move away FROM something (religion), making clearly evident the belief that It already Is.

The only argument with bountiful Precedence, made Manifest everyday, is the argument for the Of's of this magnificent world, so heaven help the From's.

Her ruling states:

"A determination that the government may not endorse a religious message is not a determination that the message itself is harmful, unimportant, or undeserving of dissemination. Rather it is part of the effort to carry out the Founders' plan of preserving religious liberty to the fullest extent possible in a pluralistic society [virtue giving way to secular pluralism, interesting]..."

Founders plan?  Seriously?  Me thinks you know noTHING about the founders, let alone their "plan" -- and besides, you would be more correct in calling it what it is, a Constitution, but I digress.

But even more than that, perhaps the political activism of the Honorable Crabb is a misguided jurisdiction suspending the free exercise of Christianity in particular?

"...Recognizing the importance of prayer to many people does not mean the government may enact a statute in support of it, any more than the government may encourage citizens to fast during the month of Ramadan, attend a synagogue, purify themselves in a sweat lodge, or practice rune magic."

Can you even believe it, she compromised her own ruling!  There it is...in her own words.

She painstakingly, and most likely begrudgingly, went out of her way to illuminate all the ways Americans pray; she characterized each of the pillars of  theology, lined them up side by side in the light of day, gushing over the very Thing that not only makes America exceptional, but unmistakably mitigates the damages of this complaint right before our very eyes -- purely by outlining the Divine diversity in which we all share!

There are sooooooooo many ways we pray.

The "National Day of Prayer" has no religion in mind, for God's sakes; there is no endorsement of a particular prayer, nor way to pray, nor if you must.  It is a non-threatening, non-binding thought for the day or moment in silence -- that's all it is.

We are a nation of one God, many Gods, or no Gods, depending on whichever way you look at it (if only the porcelain god after a night foolishly sauced by the reckless or recluse); even atheism is a theology -- it is belief system based on discussions of God, or any other religious truths, and deciding you will have none! 

This whole thing is just absurd.

The rituals and practices surrounding their NoGod, the NoOneGod but themselves, somehow gives reason to litigate their way through the courts in order to crucify a harmless day of prayer, and the believers who wish to partake.  While the Honorable Crabb sits upon high ground making herself an accomplice to such fraud -- allowing the non-believers to take precedence, overriding all logic, making the entire process suspect and unbelievable.

But it doesn't really matter anyway.
We've got Obama-Rama to lead us out of the darkness...have you heard about this? 
When in Rome, when President of the Free World...
 f*** the court [oh you naughty girl],
just make a proclamation, write an Executive Order, do whatever it takes and just cancel it altogether.

For whatever reason,

whatever shall Obama make true

 today and forever more,  

let it be.

And it was good.

And so it is,

amen.

So let's talk about these National Days...what about National Day of Service...there's a couple of different versions out there...like the one proclaimed after 9/11 -- on 9/11 each year, and then there is another, named after Martin Luther King on January 18th every year...what about service? 

Not everyone prescribes to that. 

Not everyone believes in that. 

Doesn't a National Day of Service go against the selfish, narcissistic ingrates of this great nation?  And surely there must be some scuttlebutt surrounding the 9/11 proclamation, American Muslims must cringe at the annual reminder of that every year.

And what about Abraham Lincoln's National Day of Fasting...I can only imagine!  That went a bit too far, didn't it, asking of the people to stop eating of all things, crazy nut case of a President he was, throwing his agenda around like he runs the place?  And messing with our food, oi vey! (For cultural and spiritual perspective, fasting was commonplace as a way of purifying our body and soul -- turning our self over to God as an empty vessel, to fill and make whole, with humility, in service, with thanksgiving and praise.)

But what on earth could have been going on --- to have propelled Lincoln into making such a big f**** deal over it? (forgive me Father, for I have sinned, again...I promise to pray about it later)

"And, insomuch as we know that, by His divine law, nations like individuals are subjected to punishments and chastisements in this world, may we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war, which now desolates the land, may be but a punishment, inflicted upon us, for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole People? We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!"

The way it was, on March 30th (aka National Doctor's Day today), in the year of our Lord, Eighteen Sixty Three, as written one month before the National Day of Fasting to take place, April 30th; bare in mind, this was the age of the Civil War, not everybody wanted it, and we lost 600,000 men fighting for the rights of all men, endowed by our Creator -- from which all unalienable rights come.

At times like these, a President prayed for guidance, a nation prayed for consolation, soldiers prayed for their lives -- while those in the bonds of slavery prayed for the freedom to pray, and live,  like everybody else.

"Ineffable is the union of man and God in every act of the soul.  The simplest person who in his integrity worships God, becomes God; yet for ever and ever the influx of this better and universal self is new and unsearchable.  Ever it inspires awe and astonishment.  How dear, how soothing to man, arises the idea of God, peopling the lonely place, effacing the scars of our mistakes and disappointments!  When we have broken our god of tradition and ceased from our god of rhetoric, then may God fire the heart with his presence."       

Found in The Over-Soul, by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Omniscience flows throughout the world in each and every one of us; and no matter what people say or do or proclaim, Truth lives and reigns. We the People who believe in a Higher Power, a Supreme Being, Allah, Creative Genius, a Spirit Everlasting and Evermore, a loving Almighty God of all faiths and humble students, stand firm in foundation -- built upon rock no less -- undaunted by the show of ignorance or persecution of the Knowledge and Genius back behind all of life. 

"As a being of Power, Intelligence, and Love, and the lord of his own thoughts, man holds the key to every situation, and contains within himself that transforming and regenerative agency by which he may make himself what he wills."  As a Man Thinketh, by James Allen

Going back to the Honorable Crabb on the bench, all she really ever needed to do was make one small change:
 
"National Day of Prayer" has been modified;  the new day, continuing now without prejudice, beginning with the first week, upon the first Thursday in May, from this day forward, is now rightfully designated the: 
 
"National Day of Prayer, or not" 
 
The freedom to do so with a kind and loving heart, or not, is at your whim... your price or peril.
 
Rest assured, those who do will pray for you.
 
Make it a Good Day, G

Dear America,

"Giving money and power to government

is like giving whiskey and car keys

to teenage boys."

P.J. O'Rourke

Just a wee bit of the Irish philosophy on the eve before ye old leprechauns do their mischief.

I'm only guessing about the 'wee bit Irish', but with a name like Patrick Jake O'Rourke, I think I'd put money on it.

I love the use of humor with politics -- with a fair amount of luck and most likely alot of work, O'Rourke has made a living out of it.  America is famous for continuing to churn out the Art Buchwalds, Paul Harveys, Will Rogers, Mark Twains, Bob Hopes, just to name a few funny guys reporting on the times.

As Will Rogers once said,

"All I know is just what I read in the papers,

and that's an alibi for my ignorance." 

or how about this,

 "Be thankful we're not getting all the government we're paying for."

or,

"About all I can say for the United States Senate

 is that it opens with a prayer and closes with an investigation." 

From Art Buchwald,

"You can't make anything up anymore. 

The world itself is a satire. 

All your doing is recording it."

And isn't what is going on right now in Washington all of that, and more.

But here's the thing -- and it comes from the wisdom of Abraham Lincoln:

"the philosophy of the school room in one generation

 will be the philosophy of government in the next."

Of course, here he is being totally serious -- and how.

In spite of his lack of early education, he grew to become one of  our most beloved American Presidents, renowned for his use of humor and real life experiences to connect with people and move beyond the usual capabilities of an ordinary man, becoming the iconic symbol of freedom and liberty and justice for all.

I have been really troubled in the last few days, watching the politics as usual succumb to the provocation of money and whisky and power and mayhem.  Lord knows what Lincoln would have say to this sorry lot we have before us and running amok, in the house America built.

The house. 
Our home. 
Your house. 
My home.

I am struck by the overwhelming destruction of the Big House and our Humble Homes, tumbling down more and more each day; I believe this warrants a wee bit of advice from Carl Sandburg, "in these times you have to be an optimist to open your eyes when you awake in the morning."

It all goes together -- government hanging from the capital chandeliers, hootin' and hollerin' the days away -- our children without supervision and left home alone with the whiskey cabinet, or worse -- competing with  the wild and reckless behavior of their own parents.

What the heck are we doing?

It's as if every single one of us needs to go on restriction.

But noooo, we've got parents like Rielle and "Johnny", out there and front and center. (yes, Rielle, like you didn't know you were sitting there half dressed, having pictures taken, in order to have them plastered across the pages of GQ -- come on!)

But noooo, we've got the DIShonorable Rep. Eric Massa returning to what he has left at home -- I suppose with his tail between his legs -- but I'm guessing again, now aren't I?

But noooo, we've got a woman in Jersey, parenting two children while filming her search for the thousandth pound over the wide world web for all the world to see -- send money, cakes, baklava -- feed my obsession and my perversion, while my very own babies are afoot and dependent upon my means to make a quick buck... all the while destroying my own health, my body and anything and everyone in my wake...

Or how about the children that never really had a chance -- like the ten month old sitting in the backseat while his parents were gunned down on the streets of Ciudad Juarez, capping off the weekend's murder rate of at least sixty people in this border town, snuffing out the lives of two vibrant, loving American parents (along with a second child on the way). With gang warfare and drugs out of control, the issue is now hitting home everywhere -- especially in neighboring cities like mine, living along the 2000 mile border of California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

My girl was in Vegas over the weekend for a softball tournament. She returned home without a trophy yesterday, but with wide open arms waiting for her.  We hunkered down last night eating one of our favorite meals, just picking off the meat of a rotisserie chicken with a side of mashed potatoes.

I didn't even want a nip of the Jack Daniels sitting atop the fridge, I was brimming over with happiness just to have her home, to forget the world, and batten down the hatches with my baby girl by my side.  She had no idea why I couldn't take my eyes off her -- it was all a could do to keep from crying.

Beware the Ides of March, yes, as Caesar didn't see it coming, did he; but the good news is, we do!

With a wee bit of luck and a lot of work, perhaps some well timed humor and a leprechaun or two, we may be rounding the corner; paying attention to the right things may very well be, not only in the neighborhood, but under our roof and wrapped around our arms...as it is within our school houses the next generation of government is made.

It may take everything we've got to flip priorities, restrain government shenanigans, the tom foolery and chicanery; but restoring our civil liberties -- all the while reinforcing true discipline and building up the extraordinary, instead of stooping to the lowest common denominator, above all things -- our children may still have half a chance.

Make it a Good Day, G