Somewhare in all these dusty law books...

Remember the ads for Hyatt Legal Services? " Somewhere, in all these dusty law books a great idea got lost. The idea that law is for people." Well, somewhere in 3 pages of proposed legislation and the din of noise from media outlets and partisan hacks, a great idea got lost. The idea that our freedom to practice religion (or not practice it at all) was a fundamental cornerstone of this nation. SB 1062 was not about gay rights or business rights. It was not about hate speech or discrimination. It was not about the rights of a religion over the rights of a protected class. It was not about gay marriage (or gay anything for that matter) or Christian bigotry. SB 1062 was about the right of redress. Our ancestors fled England because the government was setting the parameters of their faith and it's free practice, not the people. In our founding documents, in order to protect that right in a new nation, laws were set forth so that when those freedoms were breached, the oppressed would have the right to challenge the oppressor. That simple principle applies throughout or laws both criminal and civil. SB 1062 simply ensured that a person or group who could establish "unreasonable burden" had the opportunity to seek redress. It didn't mean that we had to agree or disagree with that person or group, it just meant that they had the right to petition the courts and let the merits of their individual situation decide the outcome. Isn't that what we all desire? What is offensive to some is acceptable to others and what is permissible in some faiths is strictly prohibited in others. Since we are a nation that respects ALL faiths, then we should stand equally for the protections of each one. This was a sad display of our legislative system at work. A simple bill that at it's core protected all of us regardless of our faith of lack thereof, was hijacked and propelled to the point of being tried in the court of partisan hackery, not on it's merit, but on the agendas of both sides. When state legislation is held hostage by the threat of the removal of a Super Bowl, hope is lost. Three simple pages when read over and over, reveal an idea we should all have been behind...but somewhere in all those dusty law books...

The unmistakable hand of God

It has been some time since I last posted on my blog. 2012 has been a tumultuous year to say the least. Dad passed away just 4 short months ago and Moms dementia gave us little choice but to entrust her care to the professionals in a nursing home dementia unit. She received wonderful care but with dad being gone mom missed her love of 50 years greatly. Even though we had to remind her that dad had died when she asked why he wasn't visiting her, the loss taxed her heart. We were called to the nursing home yesterday morning with the news that she had taken a significant turn for the worse. Darla and I went immediately. It was a long day of taking turns holding her hand, playing hymns for her and just trying to be of comfort. At around 11:30 that night, Darla asked if I was going to pray with mom. As the three of us joined hands I prayed that God would lovingly accept her into His arms, join her once again with dad, and restore her anew. As I said "Amen" she literally took her last breath. There was silence, the rattling of the fluid in her lungs ceased and there was a peace and calm. I looked up at Darla and she looked at me. We were stunned at first but quickly realized that God had given us the blessing of praying my mom into eternity. God answers every prayer, sometimes yes, sometimes no, sometimes wait. That moment He said yes followed by welcome home. Mom now enjoys her renewed boy, and especially her renewed mind that no longer betrays her but allows her to bask in the presence of a loving God.

Character no longer counts

As I watch the Republican Presidential primaries play out I can't help but be disturbed by it's course. At the time of this writing, Newt Gingrich pulled a rather surprising upset in South Carolina and now stands to gain more momentum towards the nomination. He is not only surging in most polls, he is surging among evangelicals. This is where it gets puzzling. The mainstream media has successfully convinced America and now apparently Americans of faith, that the personal lives of our leaders are inconsequential to their overall ability to lead.
I am of course speaking of Gingrich's marital past. Are we now saying that marital infidelity and political fidelity are mutually exclusive? I don't buy it and here is why. Marriage is a contract and more importantly, a covenant made with another person before God. In the covenant of marriage, you make a commitment to a person that you esteem above all others, that you put before yourself in all matters, and that when the time comes to choose between him or her and personal gain, you forsake the personal gain. That is the marriage covenant. To treat that covenant so lightly that on TWO occasions, with TWO different spouses, you choose the pleasures of adultery over the commitment to your wife speaks greatly of ones character.
Now apply that same thought process to political decisions. When elected to office, you enter in to a contract with your constituents. It is not a lifetime commitment and the only "skin" you have in the game is that of getting re-elected. If you have treated the covenant to a spouse made before God with such glib disdain, then what loyalty to a mere voter will you have when the tough decisions place you between your constituent and personal gain?
The mainstream media has convinced America that we all make mistakes and that we can all relate to the shortcomings of a Newt Gingrich. I'm sorry, I cannot relate to tossing aside the commitment that I have made to my wife for the pleasures of another woman. I don't think that most Americans can either.
We are at a crossroads in American values. President Obama has damaged this country and if re-elected will release Obama 2.0 and an aggressive version of left wing politics the likes of which our country has not seen. As evidenced in 2008, after the nomination of John McCain, American conservatives seem ready to accept the lesser candidate either in conservative credentials or character in order to secure the election. They appear poised to do so again with either Gingrich or Romney. I for one am not willing to, and American conservatives should not be willing to either. I am all for forgiving repentant people for their transgressions, that does not mean I want them as my President.
Character no longer counts and we as a nation continue our downward moral spiral. Unfortunately, good people are being dragged down the abyss by perpetuating the myth that we have to choose between the lesser of two evils.

Sacrifice that crosses the generations

As I sat and watched the National Memorial Day Concert from Washington D.C., the images were stirring. It reminded me of an image that will stay with me forever. When visiting our Capitol a few years back our tour took us to the Vietnam Memorial Wall. As I was reading some of the names, I looked over and saw what I assumed was a Vietnam Veteran attempting to get a pencil rubbing of one of the names off the wall. He was dressed in a tattered Army coat, a baseball cap adorned with patches, and blue jeans that definately had seen better days. His hair was grey, long, and gathered into a ponytail. As his shaking hands struggled to accomplish the task which was so important to him, a young soldier approached. He stood in stark contrast to the Vietnam Vet with his hair "high and tight", camos neat and proper. Without a word between the them, the young soldier reached in and held the paper against the wall as the haggered vet rubbed his pencil over that unknown name. There was an unspoken bond between the two that needed no explanation.
The sacrifice that our men of uniform make on our behalf is inexplicable, no matter in what generation they served.

Thank you to those who laid down their lives so that we could enjoy freedoms we don't deserve.

The Yoke of Entitlement

Since the terrible tragedy of the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan, our American media has universally taken note of a strange phenomenon being displayed by the Japanese people…civility. Mainstream media outlets both left and right have commented on the amazing calm, resolute demeanor displayed by victims as they wait in long lines for food, water, and supplies that come at a painfully slow pace. These images stand in stark contrast to those we witnessed in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. They are not new, as looting and chaos have become commonplace reactions to incidents both natural and man-made. Liberal radio talk show host Bill Press shared his concern at the cultural differences that leave our country looking like barbarians in the wake of hardship. He recounted his living in California at the time of the Rodney King inspired riots, lootings and violence. He posed the question to his listeners, “Japanese Civility: Why don’t Americans have it?”
It is interesting that the question being posed on a liberal talk show has it’s answer in part in liberal social policies of our recent history. After the Great Depression, FDR introduced American citizens to the modern age of the massive government program. The stage had been set for decades of “I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.” While these programs may have been well meaning given the outset of the depression and necessary for many Americans to even survive, they were meant to be short term aids not generational replacements for actual work. Roosevelt himself in the midst of the depression stated “Continued dependence on relief induces a spiritual and moral disintegration fundamentally destructive to the national fiber. To dole out relief in this way is to administer a narcotic, a subtle destroyer of the human spirit.” Yes Mr. President, your words were prophetic and millions are now incurable addicts.
A maze of programs have been enacted since. The odd statistic that resulted from all the aid available is that no matter what has occurred in the economy, the welfare rolls have increased. Whether the unemployment rate was 10% or 3%, more people are added to the public dole each year. During the Great Depression, easily our country’s darkest fiscal time, welfare recipients comprised 1% of the population. In the mid-nineties, one of our strongest economies, 15% of Americans were on welfare. Liberal programs have managed to get nearly 1 in 6 of our citizens on some form of the narcotic that FDR warned us about. The reactions of the poor of our country to incidents that threaten their supply chain speak volumes to entitlement priorities. As we watch the victims in Japan wait patiently for life saving staples, we remember pictures of our own smashing storefronts to extract the staples of American life…TV’s, DVD Players, computers, etc.
In Japan, a culture that depends far more on family and neighbor in time of need, the fruits of that dependence are obvious in their civility. In a nation where welfare recipients comprise .07% of the population, the narcotic has no grip on the poor. They have a yoke to be sure, but it is one that will be unshackled by hard work, resilience, and yes, the government. But when recovery has taken place, they will likely stand on their own feet, not on those of their fellow citizens.

Perspective

It has been a while since I have posted on here, but this just boils my blood.
Perspective...President Bush played 24 rounds of golf in the 8 years he was in office. He was pounded by the media since we were at war and young men were dying. He played his last round of golf in October 2003 out of respect for military families.
Fast forward to today, we are still in the same two wars, young men are still dying, the economy is in the tank, the fifth largest earthquake in history just devastated one of our allies with an impending nuclear crisis, New Jersey is underwater, unemployment is at unsustainable levels, oil prices are soaring, Quaddafi is mowing down civilians with his Air Force jets, and Obama just took his 10 vehicle motorcade to go play his 60th round of golf. What is the media saying? That's the sound of crickets. I guess I should look at the bright side, maybe he can find the real killer since O.J. can't be out there.

Great American Priorities

This year is the 100th Anniversary of The Boy Scouts of America. The traditions of the organization run deep and true to the American spirit. The list of famous former scouts is an impressive one.
The following men acheived the level of Eagle Scout:
•Bill Alexander, U.S. Representative from Arkansas
•Gary Anderson, U.S. Representative from New York
•Charles Bennett, U.S. Representative from Florida
•William Bennett, Former Secretary of Education
•Bill Bradley, Pro basketball star and U.S. Sneator from New Jersey
•Milton Caniff, Comic Strip Artist "Steve Canyon"
•Willaim Dannemeyer, U.S. Representative from California
•Arthur Eldred, (First Eagle Scout)
•Gerald Ford, 38th President of the U.S.
•Murphy J. "Mike" Foster, Governor of Louisiana
•James Lovell - Astronaut
•Richard Lugar, U.S. Senator from Indiana
•Sam Nunn, U.S. Senator from Georgia
•Ellison Onizuka, Challenger Astronaut
•J.J. Pickle, U.S. Representative from Texas
•Samuel Pierce, Former Secreatry of HUD
•Harrison Salisbury, Pulitzer Prize winning Author
•Willaim Sessions, Former FBI Director
•Steven Spielberg, Film Director/Producer
•Wallace Stegner, Pulitzer Prize winning Author
•Percy Sutton, Chairman of CBS John Tesh, TV Celebrity
•James Stewart - Actor
•James Brady, Former Press Secretary to President Reagan
•William C. DeVries, M.D., Transplanted first artificial heart
•Walter Cronkite - Journalist, T.V. commentator
•J. Willard Marriott, Jr., President, Marriott Corporation
•H. Ross Perot, Chairman, EDS Corp.
•Daniel J. Evans, Former US Senator and Governor of Washington state

The rest of these men were also scouts:
•David Hartman, Actor (Life Scout)
•Henry "Hank" Aaron, Baseball Superstar (Boy Scout)
•Richard Gere - Actor
•Bruce Jenner - Olympic Gold Medal Decathlon (Cub Scout)
•Jim Morrison - Rock Legend (Boy Scout)
•Merlin Olsen, Actor, Sportscaster (Boy Scout)
•Eddie Rabbitt, Country/Western singer (Boy Scout)
•Richard Roundtree, Actor (Boy Scout)
•Alberto Salazar, 3-time winner, NYC Marathon (Life Scout)
•John Schneider, Actor/Singer (Cub Scout)
•Howard K. Smith, Former ABC-TV commentator (Boy Scout)
•Mark Spitz - Olympic Gold Medal Swimmer (Cub Scout)
•George Strait - Country/Western Singer (Cub Scout)
•Joe Theisman, Sportscaster, former NFL player (Life Scout)
•Peter Ueberroth, Former Commissioner of Baseball (Cub Scout)
•Paul Winfield, Actor (Cub Scout)
•Steve Young, NFL Quarterback
Why do I bring this up? Being the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts and the scouts made President Obama honorary chairman. The President was scheduled to speak to more than 45,000 scouts at their jamboree that occurs every four years. Unfortunately, the White House informed the scouts two days before his appearance that the President would deliver a taped message instead due to a scheduling conflict. What was the scheduling conflict? The President taping his appearance on "The View".
Given the list of distinguished former scouts, what has "The View" produced in comparison to the scouts besides higher viewer ratings and more TV exposure for an already over-exposed president.