Our soon to be effective, socialized health care, has some interested features. We keep being told that it is all about providing health care for the "uninsured" and that the government is concerned about bringing down the cost of health care and that it is about improving the quality of health care.
To address those three issues, I offer:
If it is about covering the uninsured, why does it include a section dealing with charging a fine to those individuals who prefer to keep their private insurance plan. You would think that they would encourage us to keep what we already have and maybe even reward us for being covered without their help. But no, you will be fined 2.5% of your income, up to $2,500 if you do not sign up for a "qualified plan". Of course, they decide what is a qualified plan for you.
They are admitting that the initial plan would only cover 1/3 of the uninsured.
As the bringing down the cost of health care, one of the best ways to accomplish this would be to pass tort reform and put some limits on malpractice claims. But, BO has made it clear that he does not support this cost saving feature. Could it have anything to do with politician attorneys protecting ambulance-chasing attorneys? We were told that the initial plan will cost $1.6 trillion (1,600,000 x 1,000,000). Since they claim it will cover about 15,000,000 uninsured over ten years, that works out to over $1,000 per person per month. How is that bringing down cost?
As to improving the quality of health care, we already have the best system in the world. Explain to me how having a clerk on the government payroll making medical decisions for your care is supposed to get higher quality results than what your doctor and you would decide.
Do not think for a minute that the real motivation for passing this plan has anything to do with any of the above reasons. This, as with most everything else this administration has done, is about MONEY (your money going to them), CONTROL (them controlling every aspect of your life) and POWER (their ego makes them think they are better equipped to run your life than you are and they want the power to dictate).
Remember, they were at war with us but we were not at war with them!
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
A Holy Trembling Fear
I do not know if this is a "guy" thing, or not; but it seems that I have always had a desire to have my doctrine right. I do not like it when I feel like I do not understand, or at least have a basic grasp on doctrinal issues. I want to have it right! I want to have an assurance that what I believe is correct. I want to understand an issue enough to be able to defend and support what I believe and why.
I have spent hours and sometimes days pouring over verses, looking in the concordance, and pondering what I am finding about various doctrines, such as: baptism, communion, spirit and soul, being born again, being saved, apostasy, etc. I usually stay with one until I feel like I have an understanding of what it means and how it "fits".
When it does not fit any better than the glass slipper on the foot of Cinderella, it is not a fit at all. The "fits" part is what can cause fits. You can spend a lot of time and think you are getting it and then read the next verse that blows it out of the water. When it does not "fit" something in your belief system still needs to be tweaked. The doctrine lies in the details of the fine-tuning.
I not only want my doctrine to be correct, but I enjoy the fine-tuning challenge. I acknowledge that on my own, I would get nothing and none of these would fit at all. But, scripture tells us the Holy Spirit will teach us and I rely upon that truth to reveal what needs to be changed in my belief system so that the various parts fit together.
I am also challenged on another level. I have a "seminary kid". Before you jump on me for that term, it is a label that Wayne used about himself. Wayne and I have had several long discussions about various doctrines. What he has learned - most understandably - puts me at a considerable disadvantage when we do not see the same issue, eye-to-eye. For some reason, he seems to have an answer to just about everything. When we come to a teaching that he explains in a way I have never heard of before, it makes it a little hard to abandon what I have always believed and I want clear evidence of him being right and me being w----. He does his best to show me what is clear in his understanding but sometimes I either have trouble seeing it or maybe I am too stubborn to admit that I may be w----. As you can see, the "w" word is not easy for me to use - probably because God made me too humble.
I am at a point where I need to spend time in the Bible, just reading - especially the New Testament, again. I pretty much know what I have believed and I have a basic understanding of what the issues are that I may have w----. Now, I want to basically start from scratch and let scripture speak for itself. With an open mind and heart, the Word will open and I believe that I will be able to see it clearly. Wherever I am... slightly "off", I want to get completely "on". Where I find that scripture supports what I have believed, I will be secure in my understanding. When the process is well along, I believe that God will fit the pieces together so that I can understand His truth.
There is another aspect of this equation. It is the area of relationship. When my relationship with God is not what it should be, I cannot expect Him to open His Word to me. That would make a long study, fruitless and frustrating. Sometimes I find myself resting in an old relationship. I recognize that my communion with God is stale or almost non-existent. I somehow seem to believe that a close relationship from a prior time is sufficient for now. When I do an honest evaluation, I find myself severely lacking and falling far short of where I should be and want to dwell.
I did an earlier post on being easily distracted. That not only applied to my work but also to my spiritual relationship with God. Presently, the task set before me seems daunting - overwhelming and getting started and knowing where to start has been difficult - so I have let myself be distracted and continue to put it off.
I just read a post on Anne's blog and a response from Jenae. They, without knowing it, have encouraged me to act. First by being honest here. They shared about the importance of keeping our relationship fresh and how to do that. Jenae ended her response with this statement, "...its about our hearts being soft and aware to whatever in our lives is offending the Holy Spirit. Because if I keep overlooking the little things that He's speaking to me, before long it will be a big thing and before long I can't hear Him at all... and that puts a holy trembling fear in me!"
That is exactly what I have let slip away. The little things mount and as she said, turn into big things. It seems that I have grown numb to the "holy trembling fear" and no longer feel that. Upon realizing that, that puts a different fear in me! Anne wrote about confession, well here was mine.
Now I ask for your prayers that as I go before God, He will be gracious and hear my voice. It is time to get back on track and re-establish what I have missed for some time. When I stop making excuses, the how to and where to start are really pretty basic - on my knees.
I have spent hours and sometimes days pouring over verses, looking in the concordance, and pondering what I am finding about various doctrines, such as: baptism, communion, spirit and soul, being born again, being saved, apostasy, etc. I usually stay with one until I feel like I have an understanding of what it means and how it "fits".
When it does not fit any better than the glass slipper on the foot of Cinderella, it is not a fit at all. The "fits" part is what can cause fits. You can spend a lot of time and think you are getting it and then read the next verse that blows it out of the water. When it does not "fit" something in your belief system still needs to be tweaked. The doctrine lies in the details of the fine-tuning.
I not only want my doctrine to be correct, but I enjoy the fine-tuning challenge. I acknowledge that on my own, I would get nothing and none of these would fit at all. But, scripture tells us the Holy Spirit will teach us and I rely upon that truth to reveal what needs to be changed in my belief system so that the various parts fit together.
I am also challenged on another level. I have a "seminary kid". Before you jump on me for that term, it is a label that Wayne used about himself. Wayne and I have had several long discussions about various doctrines. What he has learned - most understandably - puts me at a considerable disadvantage when we do not see the same issue, eye-to-eye. For some reason, he seems to have an answer to just about everything. When we come to a teaching that he explains in a way I have never heard of before, it makes it a little hard to abandon what I have always believed and I want clear evidence of him being right and me being w----. He does his best to show me what is clear in his understanding but sometimes I either have trouble seeing it or maybe I am too stubborn to admit that I may be w----. As you can see, the "w" word is not easy for me to use - probably because God made me too humble.
I am at a point where I need to spend time in the Bible, just reading - especially the New Testament, again. I pretty much know what I have believed and I have a basic understanding of what the issues are that I may have w----. Now, I want to basically start from scratch and let scripture speak for itself. With an open mind and heart, the Word will open and I believe that I will be able to see it clearly. Wherever I am... slightly "off", I want to get completely "on". Where I find that scripture supports what I have believed, I will be secure in my understanding. When the process is well along, I believe that God will fit the pieces together so that I can understand His truth.
There is another aspect of this equation. It is the area of relationship. When my relationship with God is not what it should be, I cannot expect Him to open His Word to me. That would make a long study, fruitless and frustrating. Sometimes I find myself resting in an old relationship. I recognize that my communion with God is stale or almost non-existent. I somehow seem to believe that a close relationship from a prior time is sufficient for now. When I do an honest evaluation, I find myself severely lacking and falling far short of where I should be and want to dwell.
I did an earlier post on being easily distracted. That not only applied to my work but also to my spiritual relationship with God. Presently, the task set before me seems daunting - overwhelming and getting started and knowing where to start has been difficult - so I have let myself be distracted and continue to put it off.
I just read a post on Anne's blog and a response from Jenae. They, without knowing it, have encouraged me to act. First by being honest here. They shared about the importance of keeping our relationship fresh and how to do that. Jenae ended her response with this statement, "...its about our hearts being soft and aware to whatever in our lives is offending the Holy Spirit. Because if I keep overlooking the little things that He's speaking to me, before long it will be a big thing and before long I can't hear Him at all... and that puts a holy trembling fear in me!"
That is exactly what I have let slip away. The little things mount and as she said, turn into big things. It seems that I have grown numb to the "holy trembling fear" and no longer feel that. Upon realizing that, that puts a different fear in me! Anne wrote about confession, well here was mine.
Now I ask for your prayers that as I go before God, He will be gracious and hear my voice. It is time to get back on track and re-establish what I have missed for some time. When I stop making excuses, the how to and where to start are really pretty basic - on my knees.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Fanning the Flickering Flame of Freedom
We will not light the flame of freedom in America, others who have gone before us have seen to that. It does not appear to be likely that we will pass the torch to the following generations with the flame burning brighter and stronger than it was when it was passed to us. No, we had front row seats for a period of history that is responsible for the flame of freedom in America burning down to a flicker.Most generations for the last 233 years have passed a brighter flame to the next. There are few periods, and most of those were short lived, where the freedom of the people in our nation has been in jeopardy. We have dealt with wars from both without and within. We have suffered great trials through extremely difficult economic challenges. We have had weak leaders at various times. Our freedom and independence came close to never becoming a reality. Yet, through all of the difficult circumstances, the flame of freedom continued to burn bright.
When so many people from other nations were suffering, why did America seem to become the light on a hill? Why was it a goal of so many from around the world to get to our shores? I believe it is due to the hand of God blessing America. I believe that God birthed the burning desire in the hearts of men and women for freedom. I believe that the great experiment of American independence was not an accident when it succeeded. I believe that God blessed and protected America for His purpose and pleasure.
The thanksgiving for the founding of America was given to God. The "unalienable rights" of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" were acknowledged as being given to man from God.
Beginning around fifty years ago, an effort that had been fairly small, took some major leaps. "God" was to be removed from public. Prayer was to be removed from schools. Manger scenes were not allowed on public property. The "Ten Commandments" were not be be hanging on the walls of many government buildings. Though not an official declaration, the USA was a Christian nation. Now it is politically incorrect to make that statement. "Freedom of religion" became freedom from religion.
Many in our government, especially in the Judicial Branch, have taken an active role in the attempt to minimalize and marginalize the effect that Christianity and Christians have in our country. The media has made Christians a source of joke material. Many churches and their leaders have not helped as they have brought ridicule upon themselves by their ungodly actions.
Most recent has got to be the election of President Obama. He has brought into the White House an un-American, unpatriotic, socialist leadership. He is, with the willing help of the Legislative Branch, dismantling our capitalistic system of economy, ignoring the Constitution and the limits placed on government, and basically acting in the role of a dictator. We have a leader who is a bold-faced liar and anti-Semitic. One who sat in church for 20 years, but did not hear the Gospel of the Bible, but heard hate and racism. He and his philosophy pose the greatest danger to freedom for Americans that we have witnessed in my lifetime.
What can we do about it? WE can fight back! WE can speak out! WE can share with others and teach what has not been learned by so many! WE can build a conservative movement, based on founding principles and values, that can win back the minds and hearts of the majority of Americans. I believe that deep in the hearts of man is a desire to be free. The problem is that so many do not realize that freedom is vanishing right before their eyes.
WE must fan the flickering flame of freedom in America. It can burn bright again, with God's help!
Waste Basket
Since I am only including one quote, I was not sure this qualified as another episode of the Trash Can.
BO - "Victory is not necessarily our goal in Afghanistan." This should not surprise us as he is in the process of disarming America, lowering our defensive abilities, closing prisoner of war facilities, giving POW's access to the American court system (where they could be found not guilty and set free on the spot), wanting to sit down with enemy leaders, etc.
BO - "Victory is not necessarily our goal in Afghanistan." This should not surprise us as he is in the process of disarming America, lowering our defensive abilities, closing prisoner of war facilities, giving POW's access to the American court system (where they could be found not guilty and set free on the spot), wanting to sit down with enemy leaders, etc.
Signs of Economic Recovery
According to some cRats and media cheerleaders, there are signs that the economy is mending. ABC actually declared the recession to be over. BO, last week, said that the stimulus is working as planned but that this recovery may not see jobs come back as they are a lagging indicator.
(Am I remembering this wrong, but didn't BO say that the stimulus was going to create and/or save millions of jobs?) Well, I recently heard another statistic that shows how our economy is going - the number of food stamps. I wrote on 5/20/09 about there being 32,600,000 on food stamps as of February. The recent numbers now have it at 33,800,000.
Their definition of "recovery" comes from the same dictionary as they got "hope" and "change". I understand it is a presidential dictionary and is the very same one Clinton used to try to find the meaning of "is".
Maybe in Stimulus III or IV or V, whichever is next, they will be able to set aside enough to by a Websters.
(Am I remembering this wrong, but didn't BO say that the stimulus was going to create and/or save millions of jobs?) Well, I recently heard another statistic that shows how our economy is going - the number of food stamps. I wrote on 5/20/09 about there being 32,600,000 on food stamps as of February. The recent numbers now have it at 33,800,000.
Their definition of "recovery" comes from the same dictionary as they got "hope" and "change". I understand it is a presidential dictionary and is the very same one Clinton used to try to find the meaning of "is".
Maybe in Stimulus III or IV or V, whichever is next, they will be able to set aside enough to by a Websters.
ICE Freezes Joe in Phoenix Heat
The toughest sheriff in America, Joe Arpaio - Sheriff of Maricopa County is considering pulling out of the Homeland Security 287(g) program due to Nappy's changing of the rules for detaining illegal aliens. Now, illegal aliens cannot be detained unless they are also guilty of other crimes. Being in the country illegally, according to the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), is not going to get anyone arrested or detained or deported. The crime is not a crime, as far as they are concerned.
So, its a green light and a get-out-of-jail-free card, if you can just get across the border without getting caught.
Next stop - documents for the "undocumented".
So, its a green light and a get-out-of-jail-free card, if you can just get across the border without getting caught.
Next stop - documents for the "undocumented".
Friday, July 24, 2009
Most Stupidlyist Comment
I am sure some of you have heard the news this week about how our dear President stepped in "it" again. A few days ago, a Cambridge policemen responded to a call of a possible burglary in progress. A neighbor saw two black men using a crow bar to pry open the front door of a house in the middle of the night. She called the police and this officer was the first on the scene.
He saw a man in the house who claimed that he lived there. He was asked to show some identity and refused, at first to do so. The man actually was renting the home and he is a professor at Harvard. The resident responded that this situation is only happening because he is a black man. The officer said that he responded to a neighbor's call about a possible break-in at the residence and needed to verify if a crime was in progress. The resident became loud and belligerent, shouting racial accusations against the officer. Finally the man identified himself as Mr. Gates and satisfied the officer that he is the proper resident.
The officer turned to leave and the man followed him outside, still yelling at him. He was warned to calm down because he was disturbing the peace. By then, other officers had arrived as back-up and witnessed the out-of-control man. When he would not stop the racial attacks and yelling, the officer finally arrested him.
It turns out the the man knows BO. In a news conference the other night, BO was asked about the arrest of Mr. Gates. BO answered that he is not familiar with the details of the situation but that the police "acted stupidly." Without knowing what happened, our President took the side of the racist and accused the officer of being in the wrong.
Today, BO made another statement about the situation (the one that he is responsible for stirring up and provoking more of a racial attitude to the case). He now wants to take the high road - or more appropriately, the arrogant position - and he is calling for everyone to calm down, get the facts before making accusations, and wants this to be a "teaching moment" for the rest of us.
There were only two men making this a big deal - the racist professor who is now talking about suing the officer (who just happens to be the policeman responsible for training young officers about being racially sensitive) and the US President who made this a national story by responding to something he did not know about and making the most stupidly comment by accusing the cop of being the bad guy.
These unscripted moments, when we get a glimpse of the arrogant, racist, self-centered, anti-American man who is now our President, are very telling. He is more like Rev. Wright than he will admit.
"Stupid is as stupid does." Forest Gump
He saw a man in the house who claimed that he lived there. He was asked to show some identity and refused, at first to do so. The man actually was renting the home and he is a professor at Harvard. The resident responded that this situation is only happening because he is a black man. The officer said that he responded to a neighbor's call about a possible break-in at the residence and needed to verify if a crime was in progress. The resident became loud and belligerent, shouting racial accusations against the officer. Finally the man identified himself as Mr. Gates and satisfied the officer that he is the proper resident.
The officer turned to leave and the man followed him outside, still yelling at him. He was warned to calm down because he was disturbing the peace. By then, other officers had arrived as back-up and witnessed the out-of-control man. When he would not stop the racial attacks and yelling, the officer finally arrested him.
It turns out the the man knows BO. In a news conference the other night, BO was asked about the arrest of Mr. Gates. BO answered that he is not familiar with the details of the situation but that the police "acted stupidly." Without knowing what happened, our President took the side of the racist and accused the officer of being in the wrong.
Today, BO made another statement about the situation (the one that he is responsible for stirring up and provoking more of a racial attitude to the case). He now wants to take the high road - or more appropriately, the arrogant position - and he is calling for everyone to calm down, get the facts before making accusations, and wants this to be a "teaching moment" for the rest of us.
There were only two men making this a big deal - the racist professor who is now talking about suing the officer (who just happens to be the policeman responsible for training young officers about being racially sensitive) and the US President who made this a national story by responding to something he did not know about and making the most stupidly comment by accusing the cop of being the bad guy.
These unscripted moments, when we get a glimpse of the arrogant, racist, self-centered, anti-American man who is now our President, are very telling. He is more like Rev. Wright than he will admit.
"Stupid is as stupid does." Forest Gump
Ah Ha! Now it All Makes Sense
After closer inspection (and believe me, I was close enough to tell the difference), it all makes sense. I have been having trouble making sense of the foul mood of Buffalo Bill. Well, I have noticed that the simple answer is the monster is actually Buffalo Betty. Hope you girls do not take this personal, but I now believe the whole problem must have been PMS related. She never smiled, she glared, she snorted, she attacked and then walked away as if nothing had happened. Sound familiar, guys?
Freedom of Speech*
Our Bill of Rights - First Amendment - Guarantees "We the People" freedom of speech*.
*Unless you are a Republican.
Congress has its own post office where the elected representatives get free postage when writing to the people back home about what is going on in D.C. With everything else in Washington, the cRats are in a controlling position. The cRats notified the iCan'ts that they will not get free postage for any mailing that contains the phrase "Government run health care".
This fits into the earlier phrases that our government has banned: War on terror, Illegal alien, Terrorist attack.
*Unless you are a Republican.
Congress has its own post office where the elected representatives get free postage when writing to the people back home about what is going on in D.C. With everything else in Washington, the cRats are in a controlling position. The cRats notified the iCan'ts that they will not get free postage for any mailing that contains the phrase "Government run health care".
This fits into the earlier phrases that our government has banned: War on terror, Illegal alien, Terrorist attack.
Shooting the Victim
Last weekend, in Phoenix, four young boys (ages 9-12) lured an eight year old girl into a shed and gang raped her. The boys took turns while others held her down and tried to silence her screaming. A neighbor heard her and called police, who caught the boys, arrested them and took the girl home to her family.
It so happens that all five involved are refugees from Liberia, an African nation. When the parents heard what had happened to their daughter, in the presence of the police, they blamed her for letting it happen and accused her of bringing shame on her family. At this point, CPS was called and took custody of the girl.
An older sister of the victim responded to the media attention this caused, stating that the eight year old is just causing trouble and none of the family wants to see her again.
I am speechless!
It so happens that all five involved are refugees from Liberia, an African nation. When the parents heard what had happened to their daughter, in the presence of the police, they blamed her for letting it happen and accused her of bringing shame on her family. At this point, CPS was called and took custody of the girl.
An older sister of the victim responded to the media attention this caused, stating that the eight year old is just causing trouble and none of the family wants to see her again.
I am speechless!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
The Dinner Table
How busy is your family? Is everyone going in different directions at the same time? What is dinner time like in your home? Is it a variable situation where each one grabs something as they are rushing out the door or heading to the TV or computer? If you do sit down together, are cell phones allowed?As I was growing up, our dinner times provided consistently good memories. We were a busy family, especially as some of us kids reached high school age. Dad had to work hard and had various meetings in the evenings. Ron had sports practice and games. I had some sports after school. I would imagine the three girls did something but who knows what it could have been - they were girls. Also, making things more complicated, the high school was 20 miles away.
Still, with everything going on, Mom cooked dinner and kept us all on schedule to sit down to eat together most evenings. This was a consistent family time and an opportunity for catching up on what each of us was doing, share stories from the day and just have a good time together. We had some of our best times sitting around the table eating supper.
This did not happen by accident. It was a priority for both Mom and Dad. They had to make it happen and keep working at it year after year. The easy tendency would have been to give up and scatter in all directions. They did not and I am glad.
It may not seem like gathering around the supper table is a big deal right now for your family, but if you will make it happen on a consistent basis, it has the potential to grow into one of the best memory generators you will find. Make it happen - it does not have to be a big production. It is not the fancy meal that makes it special, it is the people sharing and laughing together.
Raptor
Raptor - One who seizes by force. (Dictionary.com)
The US Air Force version of a Raptor - The F-22.It is by far the most advanced fighter plane in the sky from any nation. It's function - Air Superiority! It was designed for air-to-air combat and with the ability to fly at supersonic speeds with stealth capability (radar will not pick this up).
The development and manufacturing of this plane has four major contractors, 240 major subcontractors which oversee 1,150 firms working for the subcontractors. 46 states and Puerto Rico have 42,000 people employed in the production.
The F-22 can not only fly at 60,000 feet, it can do tactical maneuvers at this elevation, which is almost twice as high as other jets can do tactical maneuvers. It can fly at Mach 1.8 (almost twice the speed of sound) and has a crew of only the pilot. It is armed with the following: 2 Sidewinder Missiles, 6 Air-to-Air Missiles, 1 Gatling Gun, 2 1,000-pound JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munitions), 8 250-pound Bombs, and four other areas designed to carry additional weapons or fuel tanks.
The Air Force was scheduled to begin using the F-22 in December of 2005. Initially, the USAF planned on having 750 of these planes. Various cuts, over the years, have the current inventory at 187.
This week, a Senate committee cut the funding for additional F-22's out of the budget, following the recommendation of the BO administration. BO then claimed a triumph for spending disclipine due to the elimination of the $1.75 billion cost. Yes, that is a lot of money, but it is 1/3 of 1% of the 2010 defense budget. While we are cutting our defense budget, China and Russia are increasing theirs and building more weapons. BO is also pushing to cut our Missile Defense Program. This is the capability to shoot down incoming missiles prior to them reaching the USA. He is also shrinking the size of our Navy.
"How could a readiness for war in time of peace be safely prohibited, unless we could prohibit, in like manner, the preparations and establishments of every hostile nations?" James Madison
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Undocumented Immigrants
Are they "undocumented immigrants" or "illegal aliens"?
An immigrant is a person who moves to another country for permanent residence. An alien is a citizen of another country that is in this country.
Undocumented simply means they do not have legal papers, such as a passport, etc. Illegal means that they have entered this country against the laws established for immigration.
If they are just "undocumented", then getting them a document will solve the problem. That would make them "documented" and everyone would be happy, or would they? If they are illegal, a paper does not change that. There are punishments for breaking the law.
As you have noticed, politicians (especially the liberal cRats but also some moderate iCan'ts) will not use the term "illegal" when referring to those who are in our country illegally. Their most favorite label is "undocumented". Why? Because they have a plan for "comprehensive immigration reform". In this plan, there will be a provision to give documents to the undocumented in order to solve the problem. That is why they do not call it amnesty. Amnesty would involve ignoring the crime committed and giving them a legal status. If they never admit that they are here illegally they do not have to make them legal. All they have to do is supply the missing document.
An immigrant is a person who moves to another country for permanent residence. An alien is a citizen of another country that is in this country.
Undocumented simply means they do not have legal papers, such as a passport, etc. Illegal means that they have entered this country against the laws established for immigration.
If they are just "undocumented", then getting them a document will solve the problem. That would make them "documented" and everyone would be happy, or would they? If they are illegal, a paper does not change that. There are punishments for breaking the law.
As you have noticed, politicians (especially the liberal cRats but also some moderate iCan'ts) will not use the term "illegal" when referring to those who are in our country illegally. Their most favorite label is "undocumented". Why? Because they have a plan for "comprehensive immigration reform". In this plan, there will be a provision to give documents to the undocumented in order to solve the problem. That is why they do not call it amnesty. Amnesty would involve ignoring the crime committed and giving them a legal status. If they never admit that they are here illegally they do not have to make them legal. All they have to do is supply the missing document.
The Dreaded Climate Change
According to many Liberals, "Climate Change" is to be feared, avoided and conquered at any cost. Al Gore has made this his primary objective. Many so-called scientists have declared that the debate is over and we cannot wait to take action in order to save the planet.
So, what is the evidence that is so overwhelming? From around 1865 until around 2000, the average temperature of the Earth increased by about one degree. This period of time, with slightly rising temperatures, followed a longer period that is known as the Mini Ice Age, when temperatures cooled three to four degrees. Over the past ten years it appears that the average temperature has again began to cool to a minor extent.
According to the proponents of dealing with climate change at the government level, carbon dioxide is the culprit that must be controlled. Carbon dioxide is the gas that humans and animals exhale during the breathing process. It is also what plants need in order to survive.
Obama and his partners in crime insist that this crisis must be dealt with right now. Gore has been saying for years that we do not have years before it is too late. Over the past few years, some of Gore's speaking engagements, where he was expounding on global warming, had to be cancelled due to snow. What they are really afraid of is that the more time that expires before something is done by the government, that they can take credit for, the more clear it will be to more and more people that there is no real crisis. Recently BO went to a summit of World leaders where he pushed the Climate Change/Global Warming agenda. The leaders of the other countries wanted nothing to do with it and would not sign on to a plan to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
Other than fear tactics, what are they using to convince people of a crisis? First of all, emotion. They show a polar bear floating on a chunk of ice and claim that these cuddly creatures will become extinct if we do not act. The fact that polar bears have been floating one chunks of ice for centuries does not interfere with the emotional appeal. Second of all, speed. All of this has to be done right now! Next week will be too late. Even though we have heard for the past several years that it has to be done right now, nothing bad seems to be happening as nothing is being done.
Along the lines of fear, they work hard at creating a crisis in the minds of the public. The crisis has to be soooo big that only the government can be in charge of solving it. They warn us the cities along the coasts will flood, the ice caps will melt, etc.
So, some questions arise from the whole debate - yes, we can still debate as to whether there is ANY reason for concern. First, who is to say what the ideal temperature is supposed to be? Who is to know that a couple degrees warmer would not be ideal? Maybe the climate is just trying to recover from the mini ice age and get back to where it was. Second, who is to say that the present trend of cooling will not continue for a hundred years? Third, why is carbon dioxide supposed to be dangerous to us, all of a sudden? If, for some reason, there is too much, just plant some trees. You do not have to create a whole government controlled program with taxing and penalties to solve that. Fourth, are we so arrogant that we believe we can control the climate?
And also, what would the world be like without climate change? When the climate began to cool, again, as it has always worked through cycles, the global warming group abandoned that term in favor of climate change. Maybe I am a little slow, but isn't the climate supposed to change? Do we think we can stop it from changing? Would we like it even if we could stop climate change? At what point of the year would we like to freeze the climate and keep it that way? Who gets to decide?
One final point, all of this was based on a one degree rise in average temperature over 130+ years. Their evidence of harm has been some photos of the extreme north portion of the Earth. It is my understanding that every winter the temperature drops to below freezing and during the summer, it rises above 32 degrees. Any melting of ice is normal and an annual event. So, if the average temperature is one degree warmer, what does that mean in that area? All it means is that the point at which it goes above freezing may be an hour or day sooner than it would otherwise have been. One degree does not make a difference between always being frozen and all of it melting. We're talking about the temperature getting to 43 instead of only 42. So what!
So, what is the evidence that is so overwhelming? From around 1865 until around 2000, the average temperature of the Earth increased by about one degree. This period of time, with slightly rising temperatures, followed a longer period that is known as the Mini Ice Age, when temperatures cooled three to four degrees. Over the past ten years it appears that the average temperature has again began to cool to a minor extent.
According to the proponents of dealing with climate change at the government level, carbon dioxide is the culprit that must be controlled. Carbon dioxide is the gas that humans and animals exhale during the breathing process. It is also what plants need in order to survive.
Obama and his partners in crime insist that this crisis must be dealt with right now. Gore has been saying for years that we do not have years before it is too late. Over the past few years, some of Gore's speaking engagements, where he was expounding on global warming, had to be cancelled due to snow. What they are really afraid of is that the more time that expires before something is done by the government, that they can take credit for, the more clear it will be to more and more people that there is no real crisis. Recently BO went to a summit of World leaders where he pushed the Climate Change/Global Warming agenda. The leaders of the other countries wanted nothing to do with it and would not sign on to a plan to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
Other than fear tactics, what are they using to convince people of a crisis? First of all, emotion. They show a polar bear floating on a chunk of ice and claim that these cuddly creatures will become extinct if we do not act. The fact that polar bears have been floating one chunks of ice for centuries does not interfere with the emotional appeal. Second of all, speed. All of this has to be done right now! Next week will be too late. Even though we have heard for the past several years that it has to be done right now, nothing bad seems to be happening as nothing is being done.
Along the lines of fear, they work hard at creating a crisis in the minds of the public. The crisis has to be soooo big that only the government can be in charge of solving it. They warn us the cities along the coasts will flood, the ice caps will melt, etc.
So, some questions arise from the whole debate - yes, we can still debate as to whether there is ANY reason for concern. First, who is to say what the ideal temperature is supposed to be? Who is to know that a couple degrees warmer would not be ideal? Maybe the climate is just trying to recover from the mini ice age and get back to where it was. Second, who is to say that the present trend of cooling will not continue for a hundred years? Third, why is carbon dioxide supposed to be dangerous to us, all of a sudden? If, for some reason, there is too much, just plant some trees. You do not have to create a whole government controlled program with taxing and penalties to solve that. Fourth, are we so arrogant that we believe we can control the climate?
And also, what would the world be like without climate change? When the climate began to cool, again, as it has always worked through cycles, the global warming group abandoned that term in favor of climate change. Maybe I am a little slow, but isn't the climate supposed to change? Do we think we can stop it from changing? Would we like it even if we could stop climate change? At what point of the year would we like to freeze the climate and keep it that way? Who gets to decide?
One final point, all of this was based on a one degree rise in average temperature over 130+ years. Their evidence of harm has been some photos of the extreme north portion of the Earth. It is my understanding that every winter the temperature drops to below freezing and during the summer, it rises above 32 degrees. Any melting of ice is normal and an annual event. So, if the average temperature is one degree warmer, what does that mean in that area? All it means is that the point at which it goes above freezing may be an hour or day sooner than it would otherwise have been. One degree does not make a difference between always being frozen and all of it melting. We're talking about the temperature getting to 43 instead of only 42. So what!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Do Not Be Food For The Animals
I have a confession. When Ken Land and I went to Yellowstone in 1973; we, like many other visitors to the park, read and heard the warnings about not feeding the animals, etc. But, as you drive around and see the various animals and how tame they appear to be, it is very tempting to venture out to get a "good photo". I remember that we went into a meadow with several buffalo in order to get close enough for a good picture. We let a bear stand at our truck window eating the crackers we slid down the glass through the opening at the top of the window. We ventured into brush to photograph a mama and baby moose. We did not treat these creatures as wild animals. We acted more like they were in a zoo and there was a virtual fence between them and us.
Well, upon returning from another visit to Yellowstone, I have a new perspective and appreciation for the beasts. Sandee and I just went through the Tetons and Yellowstone with Wayne, Tandi and the kids. We had a great time seeing the sights and looking for animals. While driving along Yellowstone River, we spotted a buffalo swimming across the river. This being what we considered to be a rare sight, I wanted to capture the event with a photo. Wayne parked, I jumped out to run down to the river's edge as the ledge along the bank blocked the view of the monster. I ran through a meadow to the top of the bank, thinking that the vicious carnivore would still be swimming and would be drifting downstream.
I found myself along the edge of the forest with the meadow to my right and the river ahead. Sure enough, the bison was standing in the edge of the river looking right at me. Realizing that it was already too late to turn around and get back across the meadow, I stopped to photograph the blood red eyes sizing up his prey. He began to climb up the bank just to my left. I waited for him to shake off some water before taking the next photo from a distance of around 15-18 feet. He looked at me and for some reason appeared to be in a very foul mood. Being a kind person, I calmly spoke to him, asking, "So, what are you going to do now?"
His answer was quiet but clear. He turned and began walking towards me. Being "one with nature", I moved to the side and positioned myself behind two small trees. The trees were about six inches in diameter and had a gap between them of around eight inches. He stopped again, looked at me as I looked at him (taking another picture from about ten feet away) and we each sized up the other. In hind sight, I now believe that I was more impressed with his stature than he was with mine. I did notice that he stood about six feet tall and that his giant head should not fit between the two trees. Maybe if I had not been partially blocked by trees he would have been more impressed and would have turned and ran away.
At this point I am thinking that he will just stroll out into the meadow. That would leave me with a dilemma, should I wait him out or try to make my way back to the road through the forest? He shook off some more water, looked back at me, snorted and charged at me. That solved one dilemma. His face came within three feet of my face before he stopped. We looked into each other's eyes, I acknowledged that he had made his point, he turned and walked out into the meadow and eventually crossed the road so that I could get back to the van.
It is one of those stories that after the fact, you can laugh about it (that is everyone except Sandee - she has not found it real funny). The photo above is the one taken just prior to him charging at me.
Yes, boys and girls, they are wild animals!
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Homeland Security
Another news story that just brings a warmth to your soul - or is that a fire consuming your patience?
Jano Nappy, Secretary of Homeland Security, did a revision of some rules. Local law enforcement officers, who have been trained by HS to enforce immigration laws, have now been restricted from performing their duties. Under the new rules, they are only to pursue illegal immigrants for major crimes. They are not to go after the criminals (if they are illegal immigrants) for "minor crimes".
I am sure that murder or rape or bombings or delivering mass quantities of drugs would be considered a major crime. But, what is the level of criminal activity where it changes from major to minor crimes?
We have recently seen a court ruling where an illegal alien was using someone else's social security number. They were charged with identity theft. The illegal won a court case to drop the charge, based on the person stated that they did not realize the SS# belonged to a real person. So, clearly, identity theft is in the minor crimes category.
I will state what goes without stating - entering the country illegally, is a minor crime that HS is not concerned about and clearly does not want law enforcement wasting their time over.
Trespassing, loitering, minor drug offenses, traffic violations, drunk driving, fighting, speeding down I-10 with 20 in a pickup, trashing the desert, stealing from ranch owners, etc.; must all fit into the category of minor crimes.
I wonder what level the following come under: kidnapping other illegals, holding against one's will for ransom, human trafficking (never mind, that is probably minor), car-jacking, being a neighborhood drug dealer, shooting at a cop but not hitting him, or leaving someone in the desert where they will die?
Have you noticed what our policy has been. Many illegals, when caught after doing a crime other than being here illegally, are not punished in our court and jail systems; they are hauled back to the border and released into Mexico. Common sense will tell us that they have learned their lesson and we will never see them again this side of Nogalas.
Wondering out loud - why, when an illegal commits a crime, is their punishment no different than deportation? When a legal citizen commits the same crime, they go to prison. We are seeing on America's Most Wanted TV program, repeat offenders doing major crimes in the US after they have been deported to Mexico numerous times before for other crimes. Where is the punishment or the justice? Now, with the new rules, they know that they basically have a free hand to commit minor crimes, since they are hear illegally.
Something here is bass-ackwards!
Jano Nappy, Secretary of Homeland Security, did a revision of some rules. Local law enforcement officers, who have been trained by HS to enforce immigration laws, have now been restricted from performing their duties. Under the new rules, they are only to pursue illegal immigrants for major crimes. They are not to go after the criminals (if they are illegal immigrants) for "minor crimes".
I am sure that murder or rape or bombings or delivering mass quantities of drugs would be considered a major crime. But, what is the level of criminal activity where it changes from major to minor crimes?
We have recently seen a court ruling where an illegal alien was using someone else's social security number. They were charged with identity theft. The illegal won a court case to drop the charge, based on the person stated that they did not realize the SS# belonged to a real person. So, clearly, identity theft is in the minor crimes category.
I will state what goes without stating - entering the country illegally, is a minor crime that HS is not concerned about and clearly does not want law enforcement wasting their time over.
Trespassing, loitering, minor drug offenses, traffic violations, drunk driving, fighting, speeding down I-10 with 20 in a pickup, trashing the desert, stealing from ranch owners, etc.; must all fit into the category of minor crimes.
I wonder what level the following come under: kidnapping other illegals, holding against one's will for ransom, human trafficking (never mind, that is probably minor), car-jacking, being a neighborhood drug dealer, shooting at a cop but not hitting him, or leaving someone in the desert where they will die?
Have you noticed what our policy has been. Many illegals, when caught after doing a crime other than being here illegally, are not punished in our court and jail systems; they are hauled back to the border and released into Mexico. Common sense will tell us that they have learned their lesson and we will never see them again this side of Nogalas.
Wondering out loud - why, when an illegal commits a crime, is their punishment no different than deportation? When a legal citizen commits the same crime, they go to prison. We are seeing on America's Most Wanted TV program, repeat offenders doing major crimes in the US after they have been deported to Mexico numerous times before for other crimes. Where is the punishment or the justice? Now, with the new rules, they know that they basically have a free hand to commit minor crimes, since they are hear illegally.
Something here is bass-ackwards!
Lab Rats
Another news story about the rats - this time it is not the cRats.
A medical subsidiary of GE announced that they will be doing their drug testing on human embryonic stem cells, thus saving the lab rats. Yes, you heard right, in order to save the rats, they will harvest human stem cells from embryos.
This news follows the word from the White House a couple months ago, when BO lifted the ban on using our tax dollars for funding research using embryonic stem cells.
We should no be surprised, shocked - yes, but not surprised. This fits right in with the morality trend in our country. We are watching the devaluing of the human life, the stripping of freedoms, the loss of rights - all for the sake of the Marxist-socialist plan for America.
BO has become the BB. We have heard stories about Big Brother watching and controlling our lives. Well, BO has become the Big Brother we all did not want.
A medical subsidiary of GE announced that they will be doing their drug testing on human embryonic stem cells, thus saving the lab rats. Yes, you heard right, in order to save the rats, they will harvest human stem cells from embryos.
This news follows the word from the White House a couple months ago, when BO lifted the ban on using our tax dollars for funding research using embryonic stem cells.
We should no be surprised, shocked - yes, but not surprised. This fits right in with the morality trend in our country. We are watching the devaluing of the human life, the stripping of freedoms, the loss of rights - all for the sake of the Marxist-socialist plan for America.
BO has become the BB. We have heard stories about Big Brother watching and controlling our lives. Well, BO has become the Big Brother we all did not want.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Uncharted Waters
When Columbus, three ships and the crews sailed west, they were venturing into uncharted waters. The popular opinion was that they were in danger of falling off the end of the world. They did not expect to find the "New World", but hoped they were going to find a way to the east coast of Asia. Can you imagine the concern, or downright fear that many of the sailors experienced as they continued to go further and further from Europe? Do you think they may have voted to lower the sails during the nights so that they would not sail off the side in the dark. There were no maps, charts or directions. They were trying something brand new and unsure what was just over the horizon.
Even though I would not compare BO to Columbus or a great adventurer, I am absolutely sure that, as Skipper of the USS America, he is steering us into uncharted waters. He is trying things that were untried in this country, ever before (to this extent). He has a policy of "rush and spend" as the solution to almost every issue that arises. He and his crew, throwing billions of dollars at problems, are acting like spending more is the only possible solution. They are admitting that the Stimulus Package that just had to be passed within a few days of taking office (in order to save the economy and stop the rising unemployment) has not worked as planned. Their excuse is that the economy was worse than expected and now they need to pass Stimulus II and throw more money at more people and problems.
As soon as Captain BO set sail on Fiscal Ocean, a giant swell of problems arose. The waves were splashing over the sides. His solution was comparable to drilling a hole in the bottom of the ship. As the situation grew worse and the ship began taking on more water, his new solution is to drill another hole to let the water out.
It is not surprising that the ship is beginning to sink. We have a skipper with no experience, one who has never held the wheel before, never seen a sextant and has no idea how to read the maps. His advisers are no better than he is at knowing what to do. They see the USS America as a damaged vessel and think the best idea is to sink it to the bottom. They are succeeding at an alarming rate.
They are not looking for a new course to the USSR or Eastern Asia, they are looking for a New America. They hate the Constitution, the principles of the founding fathers, Christianity, the Free Market system of the economy, the notion of individual rights, etc. They are trying to get the ship to the shore of the USSA. With the "Change" BO promised, we will end up another Socialist nation with Government control over every aspect of our lives.
Cruise, anyone?
Got Lifeboat?
A Little Breaking News Story
I wrote that I would not be writing for a few days unless something big happened. Well, something little happened that could not wait.
The group, Little People of America, has asked the FCC to ban the word "Midget" on TV. The little squirts think midget is offensive. The AP story states that the request was prompted by an April episode of "Celebrity Apprentice", where contestants created a detergent and called it Jesse James and the Midgets. Joan Rivers suggested bathing the midgets in the detergent and then hanging them out to dry.
Sounds to me like they are a little sensitive! Don't they realize that we have to have some label to stick on them. Would they prefer "squatty bodies" or "little farts"?
AOL is running an unofficial survey to see reader opinion about banning "Midget". So far, over 60,000 have voted and 76% are in favor of keeping the term on TV. Looks like the tall people are winning by a big margin.
The group, Little People of America, has asked the FCC to ban the word "Midget" on TV. The little squirts think midget is offensive. The AP story states that the request was prompted by an April episode of "Celebrity Apprentice", where contestants created a detergent and called it Jesse James and the Midgets. Joan Rivers suggested bathing the midgets in the detergent and then hanging them out to dry.
Sounds to me like they are a little sensitive! Don't they realize that we have to have some label to stick on them. Would they prefer "squatty bodies" or "little farts"?
AOL is running an unofficial survey to see reader opinion about banning "Midget". So far, over 60,000 have voted and 76% are in favor of keeping the term on TV. Looks like the tall people are winning by a big margin.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Easily Distracted
(Heb 12:1) ...let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us...
(1Co 7:35) And this I speak for your own profit...that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction.
How is your focus? Are you able to maintain a "tunnel vision" when it comes to things of the Lord? Are your eyes set steadfast on the things of God?
How about other areas of your life, are you steadfastly dedicated to the duties that are laid out before you? Or, are you easily distracted? Will any excuse do, at any time, for any reason; to put off doing what you know you need to do?
Maybe you have made a commitment to God to be more diligent in prayer or in setting aside consistent time for study of the Bible. Maybe you believe that God has been leading you to step out of your comfort zone and actually come alongside another person, knowing that there will be a commitment of time and energy, if you are received by that person. Or, maybe it is as common as getting school work done, housework done, or even work-work done. Are you feeling burned out, stressed out or discouraged and you lack the emotional energy to be diligent.
Is the routine of your duties beginning to get to you? Or, are you way past "beginning to get to you"?
If you can relate to any of the above, you are not alone! Probably all of us go through times like this every now and then. It is not unusual, in fact, it is very common. There are probably as many reasons for feeling like this as there are areas to apply the results. Spiritually, you may be in battle with the enemy for the control of your time. Satan does not want you to be a serious servant. With work, it may be a common case of burnout.
That is where I find myself, lately. Being self-employed for most of my adult life and currently in a situation where I am working alone most of the time, a fairly high level of dedication has to be there to stay on top of my responsibilities. As you can imagine, sitting and typing one appraisal after another, year after year, is not real exciting. I am thankful for my job and for the job I have. I feel very blessed that I have been able to do this as a career and be my own boss. Appraisal work has provided a fairly consistent income for a long time. But, I am once again, where I have found myself at times in the past, burned out on typing appraisals. Over the past few weeks, I have found myself struggling to make myself do what I need to do. A lot of the time, I have lost that struggle and have been easily distracted. Right now, I am an example of letting any excuse be a reason to not sit and type the next report. I also notice that I have a harder time when I am too tired.
The excuse we each use can be varied from time to time. We can justify the distraction, usually only to ourselves, if it is something else that has some level of importance - such as needing to water the plants in the yard so they will not die or write a blog about being easily distracted. Or, we realize there can be no justification for some distractions - such as letting a mind-numbing, time-wasting computer card game (Free Cell) gobble up an hour here and there. There is nothing wrong with Free Cell, it is fun to play and challenging, but it can also be almost addictive. When I win one game, I want to play again to see how long of a winning streak I can get. You get the picture.
What do you do when you are feeling burned out? How do you get focused, again? What is your secret?
Here is what I am doing about it: first, I just prayed and asked for help to get back to my responsibilities and be diligent to get my work done on time; second, we are taking a break from our responsibilities at work and enjoy visiting with kids and grandkids for a few days. The break will be good for both of us. In the past, I have been able to come back to work, after a break, and get back to business. So, for a few days, the office will be off limits, the phone will just have to ring, and visiting and resting will be the priority.
So, pray for me and if you are also dealing with similar matters, let us know and we will pray for you as well. I am trusting God to help me get done the reports that have to be finished over the next couple weeks. I am trusting Him for the energy and focus needed to not yield to distractions.
And, unless something really important comes up, I will make myself leave this blog alone for a few days and type appraisals instead of typing here. For those of you who do take time to read here, I appreciate that, be patient with me and I will be back soon. Writing on this blog is something that I really enjoy and I have plans for the future that include articles that I trust will help us grow spiritually, help us understand civics better, offer some interesting pieces of our history as Americans, and of course; political comments, family stories, favorite people acknowledgements, etc.
(1Co 7:35) And this I speak for your own profit...that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction.
How is your focus? Are you able to maintain a "tunnel vision" when it comes to things of the Lord? Are your eyes set steadfast on the things of God?
How about other areas of your life, are you steadfastly dedicated to the duties that are laid out before you? Or, are you easily distracted? Will any excuse do, at any time, for any reason; to put off doing what you know you need to do?
Maybe you have made a commitment to God to be more diligent in prayer or in setting aside consistent time for study of the Bible. Maybe you believe that God has been leading you to step out of your comfort zone and actually come alongside another person, knowing that there will be a commitment of time and energy, if you are received by that person. Or, maybe it is as common as getting school work done, housework done, or even work-work done. Are you feeling burned out, stressed out or discouraged and you lack the emotional energy to be diligent.
Is the routine of your duties beginning to get to you? Or, are you way past "beginning to get to you"?
If you can relate to any of the above, you are not alone! Probably all of us go through times like this every now and then. It is not unusual, in fact, it is very common. There are probably as many reasons for feeling like this as there are areas to apply the results. Spiritually, you may be in battle with the enemy for the control of your time. Satan does not want you to be a serious servant. With work, it may be a common case of burnout.
That is where I find myself, lately. Being self-employed for most of my adult life and currently in a situation where I am working alone most of the time, a fairly high level of dedication has to be there to stay on top of my responsibilities. As you can imagine, sitting and typing one appraisal after another, year after year, is not real exciting. I am thankful for my job and for the job I have. I feel very blessed that I have been able to do this as a career and be my own boss. Appraisal work has provided a fairly consistent income for a long time. But, I am once again, where I have found myself at times in the past, burned out on typing appraisals. Over the past few weeks, I have found myself struggling to make myself do what I need to do. A lot of the time, I have lost that struggle and have been easily distracted. Right now, I am an example of letting any excuse be a reason to not sit and type the next report. I also notice that I have a harder time when I am too tired.
The excuse we each use can be varied from time to time. We can justify the distraction, usually only to ourselves, if it is something else that has some level of importance - such as needing to water the plants in the yard so they will not die or write a blog about being easily distracted. Or, we realize there can be no justification for some distractions - such as letting a mind-numbing, time-wasting computer card game (Free Cell) gobble up an hour here and there. There is nothing wrong with Free Cell, it is fun to play and challenging, but it can also be almost addictive. When I win one game, I want to play again to see how long of a winning streak I can get. You get the picture.
What do you do when you are feeling burned out? How do you get focused, again? What is your secret?
Here is what I am doing about it: first, I just prayed and asked for help to get back to my responsibilities and be diligent to get my work done on time; second, we are taking a break from our responsibilities at work and enjoy visiting with kids and grandkids for a few days. The break will be good for both of us. In the past, I have been able to come back to work, after a break, and get back to business. So, for a few days, the office will be off limits, the phone will just have to ring, and visiting and resting will be the priority.
So, pray for me and if you are also dealing with similar matters, let us know and we will pray for you as well. I am trusting God to help me get done the reports that have to be finished over the next couple weeks. I am trusting Him for the energy and focus needed to not yield to distractions.
And, unless something really important comes up, I will make myself leave this blog alone for a few days and type appraisals instead of typing here. For those of you who do take time to read here, I appreciate that, be patient with me and I will be back soon. Writing on this blog is something that I really enjoy and I have plans for the future that include articles that I trust will help us grow spiritually, help us understand civics better, offer some interesting pieces of our history as Americans, and of course; political comments, family stories, favorite people acknowledgements, etc.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
July 4
As America celebrates the birthday of Joan Groves (Sandee's Mother), I thought it only appropriate to point out that there are other events that have taken place on the 4th of July.
On that day in 1826, both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died.
On that day in 1776, the Declaration of Independence was formally adopted. Thomas Jefferson, age 33, had written the first draft of the Declaration in June of 1776. The Congress met and edited the document and agreed upon the final wording on July 4. They ordered the document to be copied on parchment for everyone to sign. On August 2nd, 1776; this parchment document was ready for signing. This is the document we are all familiar with and can be seen in the National Archives.
On that day in 1826, both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died.
On that day in 1776, the Declaration of Independence was formally adopted. Thomas Jefferson, age 33, had written the first draft of the Declaration in June of 1776. The Congress met and edited the document and agreed upon the final wording on July 4. They ordered the document to be copied on parchment for everyone to sign. On August 2nd, 1776; this parchment document was ready for signing. This is the document we are all familiar with and can be seen in the National Archives.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Irreconcilable Differences
Why can't we all just get along? Let's meet in the middle. We should straddle the fence or be in the middle of the road. Why should we take a stand or strong position on anything? When we do, it just causes division. Besides, who is to say who is really right about anything?
Do any of those sound familiar? Where have you heard them? Politics, school, family, or maybe even in church?
How about these: never the twain shall meet, black and white, good and evil, right and wrong, or irreconcilable differences?
You hear as a justification for divorce, "irreconcilable differences", meaning that the two believe that they, though once in love, are now incompatible. Dictionary.com has this definition for irreconcilable: "conflicting ideas or beliefs that cannot be brought into harmony." Harmony meaning: agreement, unity, or peace.
In politics, we hear a lot about "bipartisan" or "reaching across the aisle". What does that really mean? We have two major parties, the DemocRats and the RepubliCan'ts. Traditionally, the cRats have been thought of as being Liberal. The iCan'ts are more Conservative. When you consider the differences in philosophy between Liberals and Conservatives, they are diametrically opposed to each other. If a politician goes to Washington, having been elected due to the philosophy stated during the campaign, how can they believe the voters will be happy when they abandon those principles to be bipartisan? Have you listened to a politician who claims to be a moderate? They are a perfect example of the terms used in the first paragraph. They believe that they are appealing to the mass of "undecided voters". They mistakenly assume that an undecided voter is a voter at all and that by being undecided, it means they want to vote for someone who has no core beliefs, who has positioned himself in the middle of the road. When it comes to election time, based on the vast differences between Liberals and Conservatives, if a citizen still does not know who they want to vote for, they do not care! Wouldn't it be exciting for a stated Conservative to get to DC and remain a true Conservative?
What about the Church? Does the Bible call for all "believers" to get along? Are we supposed to major on the minors and not be controversial? Some believe that this is exactly what we are supposed to do. The "Ecumenical Movement" believes the church should function as defined, "of or pertaining to a movement, aimed at achieving universal Christian unity and church union through international interdenominational organizations that cooperate on matters of mutual concern." (Dictionary.com). A current movement, "The Emerging Church", also believes that we should not make an issue of doctrinal differences. They feel that these divisive issues are destructive to unity and should be avoided. They believe that no one can be sure of being right on these doctrines, so no one should judge a religion which disagrees. There are no "black and white", "right or wrong" positions.
Is that how Jesus taught? Did He come to unite? -No, He came to "divide"! He is the perfect example of holding fast to core beliefs, to no compromise. There is no "middle of the road" ground in the Bible or in true Christianity. The Bible teaches about good and evil and makes a stark distinction between the two.
Do any of those sound familiar? Where have you heard them? Politics, school, family, or maybe even in church?
How about these: never the twain shall meet, black and white, good and evil, right and wrong, or irreconcilable differences?
You hear as a justification for divorce, "irreconcilable differences", meaning that the two believe that they, though once in love, are now incompatible. Dictionary.com has this definition for irreconcilable: "conflicting ideas or beliefs that cannot be brought into harmony." Harmony meaning: agreement, unity, or peace.
In politics, we hear a lot about "bipartisan" or "reaching across the aisle". What does that really mean? We have two major parties, the DemocRats and the RepubliCan'ts. Traditionally, the cRats have been thought of as being Liberal. The iCan'ts are more Conservative. When you consider the differences in philosophy between Liberals and Conservatives, they are diametrically opposed to each other. If a politician goes to Washington, having been elected due to the philosophy stated during the campaign, how can they believe the voters will be happy when they abandon those principles to be bipartisan? Have you listened to a politician who claims to be a moderate? They are a perfect example of the terms used in the first paragraph. They believe that they are appealing to the mass of "undecided voters". They mistakenly assume that an undecided voter is a voter at all and that by being undecided, it means they want to vote for someone who has no core beliefs, who has positioned himself in the middle of the road. When it comes to election time, based on the vast differences between Liberals and Conservatives, if a citizen still does not know who they want to vote for, they do not care! Wouldn't it be exciting for a stated Conservative to get to DC and remain a true Conservative?
What about the Church? Does the Bible call for all "believers" to get along? Are we supposed to major on the minors and not be controversial? Some believe that this is exactly what we are supposed to do. The "Ecumenical Movement" believes the church should function as defined, "of or pertaining to a movement, aimed at achieving universal Christian unity and church union through international interdenominational organizations that cooperate on matters of mutual concern." (Dictionary.com). A current movement, "The Emerging Church", also believes that we should not make an issue of doctrinal differences. They feel that these divisive issues are destructive to unity and should be avoided. They believe that no one can be sure of being right on these doctrines, so no one should judge a religion which disagrees. There are no "black and white", "right or wrong" positions.
Is that how Jesus taught? Did He come to unite? -No, He came to "divide"! He is the perfect example of holding fast to core beliefs, to no compromise. There is no "middle of the road" ground in the Bible or in true Christianity. The Bible teaches about good and evil and makes a stark distinction between the two.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Are You Smarter Than a 12th Grader?
When Benjamin Franklin left the Constitutional Convention, he was asked, what kind of government had been established. His answer, "A Republic, if you can keep it." Well, if the following is any indication of our nation as a whole, we are in more trouble than I realized.
The Goldwater Institute issued a Policy Brief this week, titled: "Freedom From Responsibility: A Survey of Civic Knowledge Among Arizona High School Students". They hired a private survey firm to conduct a survey of high school students. The testing and results were grouped according to what type of school the student attends; public, charter, or private. The students were asked ten questions about basic government and civics. The questions came from the group of questions given to candidates for US citizenship. To pass the test, a candidate must get six of the ten questions correct. The Immigration Services recently reported that the first-try pass rate was 92.4%.
When ten questions were given to the students, only 3.5% from the public schools passed with a score of 60%. Charter school students only did twice that good and private school students did about four times as well as public school students, which is still a very low score.
So, how hard were the questions? I could understand if they were similar to, "Name the Supreme Court Justices and what state are they from?" Or, "How many Representatives come from the state of Indiana?" You would have to study like you would when going to a national spelling bee for a test like that. But, remember non-citizens passed with over 92% correct answers.
Here are the ten questions:
1. What is the supreme law of the land?
2. What do we call the first 10 amendments to the Constitution?
3. What are the two parts of the US Congress?
4. How many justices are on the Supreme Court?
5. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
6. What ocean is on the East Coast of the United States?
7. What are the two major political parties in the United States?
8. We elect a US Senator for how many years?
9. Who was the first President of the United States?
10. Who is in charge of the Executive Branch?
Can you answer at least six of those correctly? Only 3.5% of the public high school students could.
"In the end more than they wanted freedom, they wanted security. When the Athenians finally wanted not to give to society but for society to give to them, when the freedom they wished was freedom from responsibility, then Athens ceased to be free." Edward Gibbon
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." Thomas Jefferson
"Ultimately, a vibrant democracy must rely on the knowledge, skill, and virtues of its citizens and their elected officials. Education that imparts that knowledge and skill and fosters those virtues is essential to the preservation and improvement of American constitutional democracy and civic life." Charles N. Quigley, for the Progressive Policy Institute
In the survey of the (1,134) public school students, not a single one got more than seven right answers. Less than 30% knew the answer to #1 was the Constitution. 25% knew #2 is the Bill of Rights and even less knew the House and Senate for #3. Under 10% knew there are nine Justices. 1/4 got Thomas Jefferson for #5. Over 41% missed knowing the Atlantic Ocean is on our East Coast. Less than half knew the party names. 15% guess that Senators serve for six years. For #9, the first President, 26.5% knew it was George Washington. Bill Clinton got 3% of the votes. 26% knew the President is in charge of the Executive Branch.
Those results are alarming! Only 40 students got six or seven right answers. 172 students missed all or only got one right. Some could argue that maybe the test was given to students in their early years of high school, when they learn most of this in the later years. Seniors passed at a rate of only 4.1%. If the results were argued based on race, the passing rates were: 3.5% for Anglo, 3.1% for Hispanic, 5.5% for African American, 11.5% for Asian, and 1.3% for Native American students.
For Charter schools, 7.3% passed (all with six or seven right answers). 13.3% missed all or got one right answer. For Private schools, 13.8% passed and 9.7% missed all or got one right.
"Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government." And, "Enlighten the people generally and tyranny and oppressions of body and mind will vanish like evil spirits at the dawn of day." Thomas Jefferson
It appears that we have failed miserably at passing on American values to the younger generation.
The Goldwater Institute issued a Policy Brief this week, titled: "Freedom From Responsibility: A Survey of Civic Knowledge Among Arizona High School Students". They hired a private survey firm to conduct a survey of high school students. The testing and results were grouped according to what type of school the student attends; public, charter, or private. The students were asked ten questions about basic government and civics. The questions came from the group of questions given to candidates for US citizenship. To pass the test, a candidate must get six of the ten questions correct. The Immigration Services recently reported that the first-try pass rate was 92.4%.
When ten questions were given to the students, only 3.5% from the public schools passed with a score of 60%. Charter school students only did twice that good and private school students did about four times as well as public school students, which is still a very low score.
So, how hard were the questions? I could understand if they were similar to, "Name the Supreme Court Justices and what state are they from?" Or, "How many Representatives come from the state of Indiana?" You would have to study like you would when going to a national spelling bee for a test like that. But, remember non-citizens passed with over 92% correct answers.
Here are the ten questions:
1. What is the supreme law of the land?
2. What do we call the first 10 amendments to the Constitution?
3. What are the two parts of the US Congress?
4. How many justices are on the Supreme Court?
5. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
6. What ocean is on the East Coast of the United States?
7. What are the two major political parties in the United States?
8. We elect a US Senator for how many years?
9. Who was the first President of the United States?
10. Who is in charge of the Executive Branch?
Can you answer at least six of those correctly? Only 3.5% of the public high school students could.
"In the end more than they wanted freedom, they wanted security. When the Athenians finally wanted not to give to society but for society to give to them, when the freedom they wished was freedom from responsibility, then Athens ceased to be free." Edward Gibbon
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." Thomas Jefferson
"Ultimately, a vibrant democracy must rely on the knowledge, skill, and virtues of its citizens and their elected officials. Education that imparts that knowledge and skill and fosters those virtues is essential to the preservation and improvement of American constitutional democracy and civic life." Charles N. Quigley, for the Progressive Policy Institute
In the survey of the (1,134) public school students, not a single one got more than seven right answers. Less than 30% knew the answer to #1 was the Constitution. 25% knew #2 is the Bill of Rights and even less knew the House and Senate for #3. Under 10% knew there are nine Justices. 1/4 got Thomas Jefferson for #5. Over 41% missed knowing the Atlantic Ocean is on our East Coast. Less than half knew the party names. 15% guess that Senators serve for six years. For #9, the first President, 26.5% knew it was George Washington. Bill Clinton got 3% of the votes. 26% knew the President is in charge of the Executive Branch.
Those results are alarming! Only 40 students got six or seven right answers. 172 students missed all or only got one right. Some could argue that maybe the test was given to students in their early years of high school, when they learn most of this in the later years. Seniors passed at a rate of only 4.1%. If the results were argued based on race, the passing rates were: 3.5% for Anglo, 3.1% for Hispanic, 5.5% for African American, 11.5% for Asian, and 1.3% for Native American students.
For Charter schools, 7.3% passed (all with six or seven right answers). 13.3% missed all or got one right answer. For Private schools, 13.8% passed and 9.7% missed all or got one right.
"Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government." And, "Enlighten the people generally and tyranny and oppressions of body and mind will vanish like evil spirits at the dawn of day." Thomas Jefferson
It appears that we have failed miserably at passing on American values to the younger generation.
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