Let Your Voice Be Heard

Call your representatives and senators and let them know what you think while you still can.



There is a program going on in my nephew's and niece's school that is seeking to socialize every child with a bunch of ill-conceived psychobabble. The teachers are being forced to take instructional time away from class - EVERY class - to teach this rubbish.

If the teachers don't hang the posters for this initiative they can be fired. If they don't lead the class in the song and hand motions for the initiative they can be fired. ALL of the children are being forced to participate. Any child refusing to participate - even if they merely refuse to do the hand motions MUST be sent to the principal's office. If the teacher doesn't send them to the office the teacher can be fired. Complaints are met with reminders that there are plenty of people who would love to have the teacher's job.

This is the kind of crap that our government is trying to force on us. This is not the way America does things! It is the way the Nazis did things and the way that the Soviets and Chinese did things. If we don't learn to stand up and say, "NO!" then they will keep on pushing until they take every last ounce of freedom and dignity left to us.

But will we be courageous enough to be the first one to stand up and say no? Will we be courageous enough to join the others who have stood up against tyranny and suffer the consequences? Are we willing to pledge our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor? If we hang together, we won't have to hang separately. LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD!!!!

20 Years Ago Today...

20 years ago today, the communist Chinese government violently crushed a peaceful demonstration by thousands of Chinese people at Tiananmen Square who were petitioning for democracy. Last year I wrote an article titled Remember Tiananmen Square! I think the words that I wrote back then are just as relevant today - perhaps even more so.

Since his election, President Obama has hastened our nation toward Marxism at an alarming speed, with many in the media nodding and applauding right along. It was telling when I overheard a report on the news the other day that people (I think it was in China, but I am not sure because I only caught the tail end of the segment) were asking the reporters if President Obama were a Communist or a Democrat. I've been wondering the same thing.

Leading up to the anniversary of the massacre the Chinese government clamped down on anyone who could possibly draw attention to the significant anniversary. According to an AP report today the Chinese government is taking a similar approach to Tiananmen as the Japanese have taken toward Nanking: they are pretending that it didn't happen, and have been quite terse with foreign governments that suggest that they should acknowledge what happened there.

But how could they acknowledge what happened? Acknowledging it would be to concede the wrongness of their response. To admit wrongdoing would cause the government to lose face and would preclude the utilization of the same response in a similar circumstance. It seems clear from the government's approach to this anniversary that they fully intend to reserve the option to use the same draconian tactics again. Little seems to have changed in the way that the Chinese government does business. It is too bad that the Chinese government hasn't chosen to lead the way by acknowledging what they did. Perhaps it would have helped to encourage the Japanese to acknowledge Nanking.

As for America, the clock is ticking. It is time for us to rise up NOW and begin to protest the theft of our freedoms and demand that the Bill of Rights be held sacred. If we don't have the courage to fight now while we are armed, will we have the courage to face our own tanks when we're as unarmed as the demonstrators at Tiananmen were? Wake up, America!

HUZZAH!!!!!!! I Wish Every Republican Senator Had This Guy's Moxie

Mr. President, these words apply as aptly to you as they did to the British Prime Minister. It is equally applicable to every congressman and senator who has used his or her position to increase discretionary spending and line his own pockets. I am frankly sick of each and every one of you who uses political doublespeak to to pretend that you are actually doing something for this country when you are only busy serving yourselves. You will stand before a holy God one day and answer for your malfeasance and for your utter disregard of God's law. It would be better for you to be taken out to the deepest part of the ocean, chained to an anchor, and launched overboard than to be standing in that Courtroom on that day in your present condition.

Amen.

Pretty much sums it up...

Powerful Ad

This kind of puts things in perspective if you ask me. Too bad NBC decided that they wouldn't run it. But what's the first amendment for anyway, right? Apparently free speech only applies to the people that agree with their godless view of the world. We can be exposed to perverse, voyeuristic ads like the Doritos ad and the Big Daddy ad, but apparently this was just a little too much for us poor Americans to see.

A reckoning is coming. Mark my words. It is on its way.

Conviction

I read an incredible story on the Bound4Life blog about a courageous young woman who bucked the pinheads in her school to do a speech on abortion. You should check it out. And here is the speech that she gave:



Oh that God would raise up millions of young people like her. This is what it means to be salt and light.

Ignorance Isn't Bliss

My favorite columnist, Cal Thomas has written an article reporting on the national results of the latest Intercollegiate Studies Institute civics test:

For the third straight year, the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI) has found that a large number of Americans cannot pass a basic 33-question civic literacy test on their country's history and institutions. The multiple-choice questions ask about the inalienable rights mentioned in the Declaration of Independence (life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness), the name of Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1933 series of government programs (The New Deal) and the three branches of government (executive, legislative, judicial). No, I didn't peek at the answers. I received a good education.

The random sample of 2,508 American adults, ranging from those without high school diplomas, to people with advanced degrees, revealed a minimal difference in civic literacy between the uneducated and the highly educated. Fifty-six percent of those surveyed could identify Paula Abdul as one of the judges on "American Idol," but only 21 percent were able to recognize a phrase from Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. I had to memorize that speech in high school. What are they memorizing now?

This article is a must read. And you should also take the time to go to the ICI website and take the test for yourself. I scored 87.88, missing 4 out of the 33 questions, but learned something that I didn't know in the process of taking the test. I was hoping for an A, and if I'd gone with my instincts on two of the questions I would have gotten it. The scary thing is just how bad Americans do on this test across the board. What is even scarier is that the elected officials who took the test did WORSE than the national average.

It's no wonder that we're in the state that we are. God help us.

Truth For Sale

You really should watch this report. This is one very large part of what is wrong in America today.

When I was growing up during the Cold War we were always taught about the difference between the freedoms that we have in the United States and the oppression that the Soviets suffered under. We were told that one of the greatest differences between our two cultures was that in America we had freedom of speech. It is too bad that that turned out to be an American mythology on par with the story of Washington throwing a silver dollar across the Potomac River.

Of all of the sacred cows that exist in this country, the First Amendment is probably the greatest. And yet this report shows just how greatly injustice, greed, and oppression are the rule of the day in this country I love so much. No wonder nature seems to be conspiring against us. If we don't change soon I fear that judgment will be unavoidable.

In the face of intentional distortion by the mainstream media is there any questioning why more and more people find themselves asking the very question that Pilate asked over 2,000 years ago? "What is truth?"

Back In Action!

UPDATED...


The StillWaters Jazz Band will be performing tomorrow, June 7, 2008 at a fund raiser for the JC Carson High School Bible Teaching Association. The fund raiser begins at 11:30 AM and goes until 6:00 PM at St. Mark's Lutheran Church on Main Street in China Grove. There is going to be food and entertainment. Guess which part we are.

The fund raiser is to raise the necessary money to employ a Bible teacher at JC Carson High School. All of the funds for the teacher, including salary, curriculum, and benefits, have to be raised by the community. This money is then funneled through the state back to the Bible teacher.

Anywho... the SJB will be playing from around 2:30 to 3:30. It's a short gig for us, so we'll probably pull out all the stops!

We look forward to seeing you tomorrow. Come on out and support this worthy cause!

Remember Tiananmen Square!

Today is the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre. For those who do not remember the events surrounding this draconian power play by China's communist party, you can read more about it in this article at The Free Dictionary.

The massacre followed an amazing peaceful demonstration that had lasted about 51 days between April 15 and June 4, 1989. I remember watching it unfold day by day on the news and hoping that the Chinese people were about to peacefully earn their freedom and democracy. However, that was not to be the case.

On June 4, 1989 the Chinese government managed to roll into Tiananmen Square with its tanks (in spite of non-violent attempts to prevent them from doing so) and began killing its own unarmed citizens, effectively ending the protest. Student leaders were rounded up, and based on the treatment given to Chinese Christian leaders that fall into the hands of the government, were most likely tortured and/or murdered by the government.

Chinese sources downplay the lives lost in the massacre saying that there were only 200-300 people killed. (Only?! Compare this to the Kent State shootings in the 60s and the outcry that erupted over that.) However, Chinese Red Cross reported numbers of 2,000-3,000 killed.

I remind you of these events for a number of reasons. First of all, I want to to realize that if the Chinese government is willing to do this to its own people then it will do even worse to its enemies.

Secondly, I want to point out that freedom of speech cannot survive in a land without the freedom to bear arms. The students had no recourse other than to run away and toe the line after the government appeared with its big stick. As George Washington said, "Firearms are second only to the Constitution in importance; they are the peoples' liberty's teeth."

Finally, I want to encourage you to remember Tiananmen Square when some politician starts talking about how the American people should be unarmed (or that their right to possess arms should be diminished.) First they will use fear to get you to give up your right to self defense, then they will use fear to rule you with a rod of iron.

Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
- Benjamin Franklin

Opens TODAY!

Gideons Getting the Cold Shoulder In Many Hotels

It would seem that many hotels are giving the Gideons a taste of the religious discrimination displayed by Target Corporation against the Salvation Army.

According to an article that I read today HERE on the Presidential Prayer Team website:

(A) growing number of hotels are opting not to allow the placement of Gideon Bibles, according to an article in Newsweek magazine.

"In the rooms of Manhattan's trendy Soho Grand Hotel guests can enjoy an eclectic selection of underground music, iPod docking stations, flat-screen TVs and even the living company of a complimentary goldfish. But, alas, the word of God is nowhere to be found," the article begins.

Such hotels say society is evolving and a younger, hipper generation has no interest in the Bible. They also say they would have to cater to a variety of belief systems and could not single out Christianity.

Does anyone else smell horse manure? Or is it bull? Maybe it is chicken.... Come on, people, can you not come up with a better excuse than that?

I hope that if these "younger, hipper" guests have no interest in the Bible they have the good sense not to read it. And from what I have been reading, the clientèle isn't getting any younger.

And it isn't like these Bibles are costing the hotels anything. The Gideons put them there for free. Perhaps if the representatives of the other belief systems feel left out they might be willing to pony up some free literature like the Gideons do. The Mormons do it in the Marriott Hotels. And it isn't like there are all that many other belief systems out there with holy writings. You can double up the Jews and Christians - you wouldn't even need an extra book. That only leaves the Muslims, the Hindus and the Buddhists.

The hotels can't claim that there isn't enough room either. I have never been in a hotel room that didn't have an overabundance of drawers.

Sad to say it, but this is probably the best way to handle this situation: The next time that you are staying in a hotel, check to see if there is a Gideon Bible. If there isn't, call the front desk and ask to speak to the manager. Tell them you cannot find the Gideon Bible in your room. If they say that they don't allow that, then tell them that you will need to check out immediately and will expect a full refund because they are not respecting your needs as a guest. Conversely, if there is a Gideon Bible present, make sure to contact the manager and let him know just how much you appreciate them allowing the Gideons to place a Bible there. Make a really big deal out of it. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

I have heard dozens of stories about lives that were saved by Gideon Bibles in hotel rooms. It is short-sighted at best to prevent their placement. Why is it that everyone is threatened by a Bible? If you don't pick it up, it certainly has no chance of changing you. If you read it and don't believe it, it is merely words. And it isn't like lost folks would be giving anything up by believing the Bible anyway, because the basic message of the Bible is, "Hey, buddy, you're holding on to a sack of dog crap. Put that down so you can have a real treasure beyond your wildest dreams." Too often people prefer their bag of dog crap.

Back In The USSR...

It looks like Putin is playing things "old school" over in Russia:

Bush 'Deeply Concerned' About Russian Political Arrests

Apparently they arrest you in Russia if you campaign against the incumbent. It's a good thing that it hasn't gotten that bad here. I'd NEVER get out of jail with all the stuff I have posted here! Putin has been warning President Bush to not interfere in their "elections." Ah, 'democracy' at work!

John Edwards: Champion Of The First Amendment

I know this is late, but I just didn't have time to post it before I left.

I am so annoyed with people who think John Edwards is sincerely concerned about the have nots of our country. Have any of these people bothered to look into Mr. Edwards' history as an ambulance-chasing trial lawyer and Senator? Why do people fall for his perfectly-coiffed, concerned-looking poser and his Clintonesque sound bytes?

Anyone who has checked into John Edwards record knows that he is utterly NOT sincere. Yes, he looks sincere, he sounds sincere, but he is only a good actor who uses his baby-faced looks and sympathetic expressions to dupe people into thinking that he is working for their best interest. John Edwards is only about John Edwards' best interest. This is why he is dragging his terminally ill wife around on the campaign trail.

Case in point: The University Of North Carolina's journalism department produced a segment about the Edwards campaign's decision to base its headquarters in Chapel Hill. The piece discussed how this choice may have not been the best one for supporting his "Two Americas" baloney. It showed pictures of his massive mansion and discussed the affluence (both perceived and real) of the Chapel Hill community. Edwards' response? He tried to suppress the segment. You can see the video and read more HERE and HERE.



I have no idea why Edwards would have been offended by the article. I thought it was extremely fair. (In fact, I am shocked that a school as liberal as the University Of North Carolina could or would produce such a balanced piece of journalism.) It raised some legitimate questions and challenged his "Two Americas" performance. However, instead of letting it slide, Edwards tried to suppress it.

If Edwards was willing to try to quell the first amendment over something as benign as this, what would he do as President (God forbid!) when the criticisms become much more severe? It would seem that Senator Edwards doesn't have a tough enough hide to be President.

UPDATE:
This article was discovered over at the Charlotte Observer's website. Oddly enough, in less than a week, it cannot be located using the original link that I had to it or found in the archives. I guess THEY believe in the first amendment too. It's sad when a liberal university journalism department has more spine than one of the largest newspapers in the state.

'Target' Acquired - Fire For Effect

My good friend WB posted on the OES blog on Friday. In the midst of some general updates about what is going on with his company he linked to a really great article by Kevin McCullough about how Target is starting to regret not allowing the Salvation Army to do its annual kettle drive in front of their stores. Kevin wrote:

To the Salvation Army's credit – even though they are now being denied space on public sidewalks – they have been careful to publicly state that they wish only the best for their future relationships with stores like Target which have eliminated this important revenue stream for them.

But I don't have to be as gracious, nor will I. Target needs to hear "en masse" that Americans miss our ringing bells. We miss the thought of true charity as expressed at Christmas time. Having spoken with Target Corporation in their worldwide headquarters, they informed me that senior management is extremely concerned about the impact of this controversial decision and will welcome and read all correspondence on the matter. Please send your thoughts to guest.relations@target.com.

Good show, Kevin. I heartily agree! WB also included a link that can be clicked so that you too can send disparaging email to Target's corporate office.

Click here to email Target.

I really like this. It is nice and convenient. When you make it this simple there really isn't any reason to not drop them a line. So I did. Here's what I wrote:

To whomever it may concern:

I want to take this opportunity to tell you that I will never set foot in a Target store again. Your decision to bar the Salvation Army from collecting funds from in front of your stores is a total affront to me.

The Salvation Army is one of the most efficient charities in the nation. Very little of the money that they collect is lost to bureaucracy. They run homeless shelters and food banks. They feed and clothe people after natural disasters. They are a Christian organization, but they are one of the most low key ministries around.

It is a complete farce to say that you are just trying to be fair to the other charities that may want to solicit funds. You're going to be fair by keeping them all away? What a load of rubbish! The simple fact of the matter is that this is double speak to say that you want to be politically correct and not support the Salvation Army because of their Christian belief and stance on several social issues.

This, of course, is your company's right. We live in a free country and you can ban or allow anyone you choose from soliciting funds from your customers. However, it is also my right to choose to spend my dollars wherever I see fit. I will make it a point to shop at Wal-Mart and Big Lots this year (and I have never shopped at Big Lots before in my life) because they have welcomed the Salvation Army with open arms. I will also exercise my freedom of speech and tell all of my friends why they shouldn't patronize your bigoted, fascist organization.

In fact, I have already gone further than that by telling the world through my web log about my displeasure with your decision. I am sick and tired of corporations and organizations that are trying to impose their secular world view on me and my family. If you want a secular society move to France. I'll help you pack. Though you are not a French-owned company you should feel right at home.

I hope that they try to come back with some sort of politically correct, hand-wringing, "it isn't our fault" response! I can hardly wait! I'm loaded for bear, and there aren't any bears in my part of the state. Guess it is time for some Target practice!