Monday, November 26, 2007

A Different Christmas Poem

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,Transforming the yard to a winter delight.The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.

In perfect content ment, or so it would seem,So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, Then theSure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,And I crept to the door just to see who was near.Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child."What are you doing?" I asked without fear,"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..To the window that danced with a warm fire's lightThen he sighed and he said "Its really all right,I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night.""It's my duty to stand at the front of the line, That separates you from the darkest of times.No one had to ask or beg or implore me,I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.My Gramps died at ' Pearl on a day in December,"Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ' Nam ',And now it is my turn and so, here I am.I've not seen my own son in more than a while,But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,The red, white, and blue... An American flag.I can live through the cold and the being alone,Away from my family, my house and my home.I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..Who stand at the front against any and all,To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall.""So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,Your family is waiting and I'll be all right." "But isn't there something I can do, at the least,"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?It seems all too little for all that you've done,For being away from your wife and your son."Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,To stand your own watch, no matter how long.For when we come home, either standing or dead,To know you remember we fought and we bled.Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."PLEASE, Would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as manyPeople as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit isDue to our U.S.service men and women for our being able to celebrateThese festivities. Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit ofwhat we owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living anddead, who sacrificed themselves for us.
LCDR Jeff Giles, SC, USN30t h Naval Construc tion Regiment OIC, Logistics Cell One Al Taqqadum , Iraq.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Happy Thanksgiving

I will be visiting family for the next few days to celebrate Thanksgiving, therefore there won't be any new posts. Rest assured the mind will be forming outlines on several of the topics I wish to comment on in the future.

In the mean time my hope is that all of you will focus on how lucky we are to live in America. We need to remember we are the most fortunate people in the world. May God bless you and may you experience the grace that only he has provided through Jesus Christ.

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Washington State Supreme Court says 58% of voters in the state are stupid

by LostinLiberalLand

In the height of Judicial arrogance and liberal elitism the Supreme Court of the State of Washington, in a 5-4 majority decision, on November 8, 2007 called 58% of the voters in Washington State (all those that voted for Initiative 747 in 2001) illiterate and stupid; deciding that we couldn't have possibly understood what we were voting for when we voted to limit property tax increases. I guess it is their assumption that only stupid people who can't read or comprehend what they are reading would vote to limit their taxes. Only a complete imbecile wants to limit the amount of taxes they pay. Intelligent people on the other hand intuitively know that it is better for the government to decide how their hard earned money is spent. Please call me stupid and by me a dunce cap as I was part of that 58%. I will honor the label and wear the hat proudly.

This points out one of the huge flaws in how someone becomes a Supreme Court Judge or for that matter any judge in this state. The first problem is most of the time judges on the court leave before their terms are complete. This allows the Governor, almost always a liberal democrat in this state, to appoint someone. Therefore in the next election they have an advantage as they can run as an incumbent claiming more judicial experience. Second many times judges run unopposed so we as voters really have no chance to change things. Third it is next to impossible for the average voter to figure out what someone running for the court really stands for. Ethically judges are not supposed to say in advance how they would rule in certain types of cases leaving the citizens of the state completely in the dark as to who best supports their basic philosophy of government and law.

I'm going to give you a little information so that you might be able to make a more informed decision as the judges on this court come up for re-election.

First off two of the nine judges on the court had to recuse themselves from this case as they had previous involvement with the measure. Justice James M. Johnson had to recluse himself as he was involved in the drafting of the initiative prior to becoming Supreme Court Justice. (I assume he would have voted with the minority to uphold the initiative as the voters approved it.) Justice Mary E. Fairhurst recused herself as she had worked for the State Attorney Generals office trying to get the courts to overturn the measure. (I assume she would have voted with the majority calling the voters stupid.) Due to their recusals two state appeals court judges moved up to vote on this case. Those Judge Pro tems. were: Stephen M. Brown and Teresa C. Kulik. They both voted with the majority that called the voters incompetent.

The regular Justices that voted to overturn the passage of the Initiative were: Bobbe J. Bridge (who wrote the majority decision), Susan Owens, and Barbara A. Madsen. I really enjoy the label of stupid, but these three Justices along with the two temporary Justices that said I am illiterate and can't interpret the English Language will never receive my vote for Dog Catcher let alone Supreme Court Judge.

The four Justices who voted to uphold the passage of Initiative 747 will have my vote unless they do something egregious in the mean time. They are: The Honorable Justice Charles W. Johnson (author of the dissent opinion and defender of the voters of this state), The Honorable Justice Gerry L. Alexander, The Honorable Justice Richard B. Sanders, and The Honorable Justice Tom Chambers. The honorable members of the court who understand who they work for and respect our intelligence, our rights, and our votes deserve our support and thanks.

This is LostinLiberalLand signing off from the Peoples Republic of The State of Washington.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

A Very Thought Provoking Book and Some Personal Observations

by LostinLiberalLand

The book I'm referring to is "White Guilt" by Shelby Steele. If you, like me, have always had the idea that White America is still harming Black America this book will help you crystallize those thoughts. It has freed me to not fear being labeled a racist and to speak what I feel is the truth about race and poverty in this country. You may notice I don't use the phrase "African Americans" as far as I'm concerned if you were born here you are an American. I don't care if you're black, white, brown, red, yellow, from Europe, Asia, Africa, South American etc. I feel that by constantly reinforcing our different origins we widen the gaps that divide us.

Mr Steele explains that as America slowly realized the tragic error of our treatment of Black Americans an overwhelming sense of guilt engulfed white America. In Essence White America felt the loss of it's moral authority. This guilt was felt by all Americans to different degrees and it was taught to those of us who grew up in the late 60s and 70s. This guilt reached all corners and aspects of American life and even our relations with the rest of the world. The rich elite liberals felt the pain of this loss most deeply and therefore led the charge to relieve Black Americans of self responsibility. They instituted program after program to help Black Americans which slowly made the Black Americans indentured to the liberals and destroyed the hope of the Civil Rights Movement. Even today it is absolutely necessary for these liberals to ease their guilt and they continue to hold Black America back.

Think of where Black America and America as a whole would be without the creation of the welfare state and the theft of black self worth through racial quotas and preferences. The shake down artists Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton could not exist without white guilt. They who constantly tell black people they are not responsible for their own plight, by subtly filling the minds of Black Americans with the idea that they have no chance to better themselves because of the color of their skin. They sabotage the very people they proclaim to be helping. The elites and those who do their bidding are destroying generation after generation of Black America. If we just told those same Americans that this is America and you have an equal opportunity to be and do what ever you set your mind to do we would all be better off and the great racial divide would slowly dissipate until it no longer existed.

Mr. Steele's book has given me the ability to speak the truth without fear of being labeled a racist for I know what is in my heart. The truth is that conservative values and the principals of self reliance, self responsibility, capitalism, hard work and faith are the values that will relieve Black Americans of the bondage of slavery and discrimination forever.

Spiraling Towards the Abyss Courtesy of the Supreme Court pt 2

by LostinLiberalLand

Nothing much happened after the "Everson vs. The Board of Education was decided, although if literally enforced at the time it would have turned the country on its head. It wasn't until the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s that a series of decisions by the court using Everson as a basis that religion was gradually removed from the public square and schools.

Three other small but critical events helped fuel the the drive to remove religion from government. First in a 1931 decision in the case of Near vs. State of Minnesota ex rel. Olson the court started applying the 14th amendment to The Bill Of Rights. Once again this was never intended by the crafters of the 14th Amendment. This meant that Amendments designed to apply only to the federal government started being applied to other branches of government. In 1954 Lyndon Johnson a senator from Texas running for reelection was irritated by a tax exempt organization working to defeat him. Without debate or fanfare he had the President of the Senate slip an amendment onto a bill about tax exempt organizations that forbade them from from attempting to influence legislation or elections. He did not intend it to apply to religious organizations, but as is often the case with government, it eventually had consequences that were never intended. In 1976 congress passed the "Civil Rights Attorneys Fees Awards Act of 1976" which was intended to guarantee that the underprivileged could secure their rights in court under the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Eventually the act was turned upside down and is now used to hurt small entities.

Today organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union or Americans for Separation of Church and State just need to threaten action and small towns, schools and churches fold like a accordion for fear of being forced to pay outrageous legal fees awarded by the courts. (Fees which many times are totally bogus as the work is donated.) People For the American Way can send out a very threatening letter to churches across the nation warning them not to get involved in politics or they will turn them over to the federal government in an attempt to have their tax exempt status removed.

Today the first ten words of the Bill of Rights designed to keep Congress from establishing a national religion has been extended to every form of government, public property, public funded projects etc. The result has been devastating to the well being of America. Children grow up without the knowledge of the basis of our country's laws and without any basis the laws seem irrelevant. They grow up never learning such patriotic songs as America the Beautiful or God Bless America due to the reference to God. Traditional Christmas Carols and decorations have been removed and we no longer have Christmas Vacation, instead it's winter break. Those students who receive no formal religious training at home grow up in a Godless world, hence the schools turn out millions of students that believe there is nothing greater than themselves. They know of no greater good, have few morals, and absolutely no sense of patriotism or self sacrifice. Any new age fad of a belief system designed to fill the spiritual gap in their life is put on par with Christianity. When life eventually catches up with them and the tragedies that eventually affect all of our lives hit they have no means of coping with them and nowhere to turn. Drugs, alcohol, sex, violence, and suicide become viable alternatives.

The most dangerous result of our Godless society is that our nation no longer has any moral compass. There is no longer a common thread that runs from President to President, from generation to generation. Without that compass I fear we are drifting aimlessly and sooner rather than later we are in for one giant crash.

Monday, November 12, 2007

Spiraling Towards The Abyss Courtesy of the Supreme Court

by LostinLiberalLand

Before I begin let me state for the record, I am not a member of the religious right, I'm not an evangelical Christian. I do believe in God and Jesus Christ. I attend a Presbyterian church 15-20 times a year. I swear too much, I've been known to laugh at or tell an off color joke. I watch R rated movies. I used to drink and smoke. I've known women in a biblical way without the benefit of marriage. What I'm trying to say is that I'm an average American. I don't want religion controlling the government, but I fear for my country and therefore I must speak out.

Most conservatives would respond "Roe vs. Wade", if asked to declare the worst decision ever made by the Supreme Court. I would respond differently as I believe the worst decision ever made by the Court is "Everson vs. Board of Education" authored by Justice Hugo Black in 1947. While Roe has allowed the destruction of untold numbers of unborn children a tragedy of epic proportions, Everson has ever so subtly resulted in the destruction of the very foundation of this country and I fear if it is not overturned the days of our country's very existence are numbered.

You may be asking what is this decision? How could it be worse than Roe? How could anything be worse than the destruction of life? Before I answer let me ask you to respond to these questions. Do you believe the Constitution says there is a wall between church and state? Do you believe the authors of the Constitution intended that there be a wall even if they didn't state it in the Constitution? Do you believe that the first ten words of The Bill of Rights "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion" was intended to apply to all levels of government? If you answered yes to all of these questions you are probably in agreement with most Americans who have read newspapers, watched TV news and gone to school in the last 30-40 years. You would also be incorrect on all accounts. By spending three hours reading "Ten Tortured Words" by Stephen Mansfield (which I highly recommend) and doing a little research in The Heritage Guide To The Constitution I was able to ascertain the real intent of the framers.

Justice Black in his landmark decision chose one letter out of volumes written by Thomas Jefferson, misconstrued what Jefferson was saying and then used it to write a tortured decision. There are several things that are at the very least ironic and almost criminal about his decision and the logic he used. The Jefferson letter he used to base his decision on was written 15 years after the Bill Of Rights was authored. Jefferson was not party to the crafting of the Bill of Rights. He was in Paris at the time. The day after Jefferson wrote the letter in question he attended church services held in The Capital Building, a practice that went on for decades to standing room only crowds. Most confusing of all is that after using twisted history to establish this imaginary wall between church and state Black went on to determine that in the case at hand the wall had not been violated.

The Establishment Clause was only meant to apply to the federal government. What the writers feared was the establishment of a "State Religion" in this case state meaning federal. They did not want Congress to be able to dictate a national religion used to oppress people as was in the case in England. At the time the Bill of Rights was crafted several states had official state religions which the states supported. The states slowly dropped these official religions as time passed, but at the time of the drafting and enactment of the Bill Of Rights it was perfectly acceptable for the states to incorporate these religions into their constitutions and governments.

Quote after quote, letter after letter, speech after speech indicate that almost without exception, to a man the drafters of the Declaration of Independence, The Constitution and The Bill of Rights all believed that God granted us certain rights as humans and the religions that helped people worship that God needed to be included as an important part of this nations foundation and involved in all future debates of the issues that the country would face. It was their firm belief that without such an inclusion that the nation would not stand.

Here we are some two hundred plus years later. God has basically been wiped out of the public square. My question to you is: How long can we last once the soul, the backbone, the foundation of our country is completely gone?

I will write about what has happened since 1947 and the consequences in pt two of this piece.

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Thank You

by LostinLiberalLand

I was going to write about another subject today, but have decided to put that off as I have something I need to say.

Today is Veterans Day and I want to say thank you. Thank you to every soldier who has fought and died for this country and it's ideals. Thank you to every family who has lost a loved one to the protection of this country. Thank you to every soldier who has served in the armed services of this country during peace time doing their part to keep the peace. My special thanks to those who served in Viet Nam in my stead. I was an immature very skinny uncoordinated kid at 19 and I thank God every day that when it came my turn to be drafted I had a very high lottery number. To those of you that served in that war and came home only to be treated like villains I apologize. You did not deserve that in any way. What you did was honorable and righteous and what this country did to you was a travesty. I promise that as a citizen of this country I will fight to make sure that no soldiers will ever suffer such indignities again.

If you are serving in the military right now fighting the war on terror, God bless you and protect you. Please know that your cause is righteous and your efforts serve the greater good of this country and all of mankind. May you come home alive and well. Your service is appreciated more than words can express and it is a honor to be a citizen of the same country as people as noble as you. I thank your loved ones and pray that God bless them with your safe return home in the near future.

Thank you all for the freedoms that I enjoy. My freedom to write in this blog, worship a God of my understanding in a house of worship of my choice, to move about freely and chose a government of my choice. I will make it my mission to not abuse these freedoms and to educate others as to how lucky we are to live in this country.

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Fixing K-12 Education Option 2

by LostinLiberalLand

There is another way to fix primary education in this country and I feel this is the superior option. The second option is school choice and I'm not talking about the piece meal approach that is currently under way. I'm talking about a broad across the board change involving all levels of government. I'm a little short on some details, but I'm going to present a basic overview of what I think is needed.

The first thing about my proposal is that it will be revenue neutral and in the long run will save money. I believe this is critical and any program that is not revenue neutral is bound to fail. I also believe that any piece meal, state by state, city by city approach is doomed to failure as it allows the usual opponents of choice to concentrate their efforts. Keep these two points in mind when considering why the Utah measure just failed.

As a nation we currently spend about $55o billion dollars, $9000.00 per pupil. This money is collected and distributed though various methods and distributed by various means.

My proposal: Effective immediately all methods of collecting moneys for education shall be frozen and the amounts collected and distributed by each entity will be frozen. They will not be increased for five years. After five years they will be adjusted for student numbers and an inflation number that considers only the costs involved in education. All of these dollars whether from the feds, the state, the local government or school district levies shall be sent to one place: The local Congressional District School Voucher Distribution and Certification Office. These offices shall not be run by government, but instead open for bid by private enterprise. They shall be free of political affiliation or influence and they shall operate under a strict set of guidelines and audits set forth in this plan. Their cost of operation will not exceed 5% of total dollars for their district. (This is a far lower expense than any government run program) They will be responsible for distributing education vouchers to every family within their district. They shall be responsible for certifying private and public schools meet the criteria contained in this plan and all home schooling programs meets the criteria in this measure. They shall be responsible for maintaining a zero tolerance towards any institution or individual that defrauds this program. Severe financial and incarceration penalties will be imposed on anyone committing fraud.

To insure continuity and give every entity a chance to compete in an open and fair free market this program shall be instituted over a period of ten years. This shall not be done by state or region, but rather by student social security number. The numbers zero through nine shall be placed in a hat. On January 15th of each year a number will be drawn out of the hat. If the number 4 is drawn all school age children with a social security number ending in 4 shall become eligible for a parental controlled voucher for the school year that begins 8 to 9 months later. The voucher can be used at any accredited public or private institution or home schooling program. The vouchers for the numbers not yet drawn will automatically go to the current public schools. They will have ten years to slowly change and meet the desires of parents or they will cease to exist.

We currently spend about $9000.00 per pupil in public education. I propose that the vouchers should be $5500 for grades 1-6, $6000 for grades 7 and 8, and $6500 for grades 9-12. The vouchers will be available to all students and parents after their number is drawn. In no way will they be income based. The money not distributed in vouchers shall be used to cover the 5% administration fee, special education pr programs etc. (This program does not address the problem of students without social security numbers. Hopefully, this program will give incentive for that problem to be addressed, but if it is not, those students shall become the problem of the federal government as that is the branch of government that created the problem.) In the beginning public schools will receive the full $9000 for the student not yet eligible for the parental voucher program. This figure will slowly be reduced and the parental voucher amounts will be increased. Private schools that have tuition that exceeds the voucher provided shall be encouraged to provide scholarships, work for tuition programs etc. to cover the additional cost. They will not be forced to provide education at less than their cost. (Charity is not charity when it is forced.)


I hope that this program will foster a true competitive free market educational system where the priority is giving each child the best education possible while reducing the cost. I think that most public education institutions will fight for their fair share of this market, that private schools run by businesses and religious institutions will spring up. That specialty high schools will appear focusing on fine arts, languages, science, math, vocational skills, history or English and literature. I can envision a time when students and dollars will freely flow to schools offering advanced classes. Eventually providing each child with a combination of parental, private and public education that will allow them to think for themselves, support themselves and insure the American tradition of each generation being more affluent and productive than the last will continue. This will not happen if we continue to rely on our current outdated, union controlled, administratively heavy public education system. This program will allow us to do away with the Federal Department of Education, State Departments of Public Instruction etc. and therefore save us billions of dollars in the long run which may be spent on actual education or used to reduce taxes. ( A reasonable balance of the two would be my choice.)

Monday, November 5, 2007

Can K-12 education system in America be fixed Pt1

by LostinLiberalLand

I believe there may be two ways we can fix primary education in America. This piece will address one of them. Before I begin I should say I believe this would be the most difficult to enact and probably the least effective.

Putting it bluntly, we have to regain control of schools and remove that control from the teachers unions. I have always believed that public employees should not have the right to strike as there is no profit and loss motive in public employment. When public employees strike they are holding the public hostage. This is even more true when teachers go on strike. Therefore, I propose that every state enact legislation that makes it illegal for teachers to strike. This should be enforced with stiff fines for both the union and individual members who refuse to work. It should also involve jail time for union leaders and individual members. ( I should mention that I was a public employee for over 20 years, I have a daughter who is a school teacher and I believe teaching is the noblest of professions.) Basically what I'm saying is that teachers should lose all rights to collective bargaining.

Once the unions are out of the way merit pay can be instituted and tenure rights will be taken off the table. Teachers will have to preform to keep their jobs and good teachers will be compensated for the good work they do. Teachers will be rated by parents, students, administrators, and their peers. Mediocrity will no longer be the accepted standard in public schools. The teachers that are left will regain the respect they so richly deserve.

Administration budgets and administrators must be drastically slashed. Way too much money is spent on people and things that have nothing to do with the quality of education our children receive. The money that is saved should be spent on excellent teachers, books, and bringing in guest lecturers from different walks of life in order to integrate education with the real world and make sure students get to view subjects from alternative perspectives.

We must insist that education concentrate on the basics. Reading, writing, math, science, history and civics should be required through all 12 grades. Standards and expectations in these areas should be set at a high level. Secondary students should also have access to a wide variety of electives to include music, art, languages, business and shop classes. All other subjects that currently take up valuable time should be taken out of the public school system and turned back over to families, churches and other institutions.


The political correctness that has invaded our schools and the text books used must be removed. Facts are facts and they should never be altered to conform to what is acceptable by today's standards. Physical education should be required for all students at least through 9th or 10th grade. Boys need to be encouraged and allowed to be boys so they grow up to be men. The current trend towards drugging boys because they're a little overactive needs to cease and desist. We must return to a system of grading, winners and losers etc. The idea that no one should ever fail or be made to feel bad has disastrous effects later on in life and results in the schools turning out students that have no concept of competition and what it takes to succeed.
Strict moral, behavioral, dress, and other standards need to be set and enforced in every school. I do not believe that this can happen in a vacuum there needs to be a basis for those morals therefore, the Judeo/Christian ideas that this country was founded on need to be reintroduced into public education. (You should know I'm not a member of the Christian right. If you think this is not possible due to the U.S. Constitution I will be address what the first ten words of the Bill of Rights really mean in a later piece.) The decline of our public schools and society as a whole can be directly correlated to the removal of religious ideas from our schools and the public square.
The ideas presented above are just a short overview of what I think needs to be done. I believe it would be next to impossible to implement these ideas given today's political climate. How can a candidate for Governor, State Legislator, or School Board run on a platform that says I'm going to do everything in my power to destroy the teachers unions when the teachers unions are amongst the Democrats largest contributors? Can we really hope to put enough originalist judges in the court system to actually interpret the Constitution the way it was intended by the founders? These are the hurdles we must jump over for this repair to work.
Part 2 will follow in a few days.

Sunday, November 4, 2007

Can You Imagine

by LostinLiberalLand

I'm inserting a famous speech from American History. I want you to substitute Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda or Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamene or Mahamoud Ahmadinejad and Iran for King George and England. Now close your eyes and see if you can picture Harry Reid, Dick Durbin, Charles Schummer, Ted Kennedy, Nancy Pelosi or John Murtha giving a speech such as this. How about Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, or John Edwards?



Patrick Henry Speech"Liberty or Death"
On March 23, 1775, in Virginia, the largest colony in America, a meeting of the colony's delegates was held in St. John's church in Richmond. Resolutions were presented by Patrick Henry placing the colony of Virginia "into a posture of defense...embodying, arming, and disciplining such a number of men as may be sufficient for that purpose." Before the vote was taken on his resolutions, Henry delivered this speech imploring the delegates to vote in favor.
He spoke without any notes in a voice that became louder and louder, climaxing with the now famous ending. Following his speech, the vote was taken in which his resolutions passed by a narrow margin, and thus Virginia joined in the American Revolution.
No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as abilities, of the very worthy gentlemen who have just addressed the House. But different men often see the same subject in different lights; and, therefore, I hope that it will not be thought disrespectful to those gentlemen, if, entertaining as I do opinions of a character very opposite to theirs, I shall speak forth my sentiments freely and without reserve.
This is no time for ceremony. The question before the House is one of awful moment to this country. For my own part I consider it as nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery; and in proportion to the magnitude of the subject ought to be the freedom of the debate. It is only in this way that we can hope to arrive at truth, and fulfill the great responsibility which we hold to God and our country. Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offense, I should consider myself as guilty of treason towards my country, and of an act of disloyalty towards the majesty of heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings.
Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren, till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the number of those who, having eyes, see not, and having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation?
For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth -- to know the worst and to provide for it. I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided; and that is the lamp of experience. I know of no way of judging of the future but by the past. And judging by the past, I wish to know what there has been in the conduct of the British ministry for the last ten years, to justify those hopes with which gentlemen have been pleased to solace themselves and the House?
Is it that insidious smile with which our petition has been lately received? Trust it not, sir; it will prove a snare to your feet. Suffer not yourselves to be betrayed with a kiss. Ask yourselves how this gracious reception of our petition comports with these warlike preparations which cover our waters and darken our land. Are fleets and armies necessary to a work of love and reconciliation? Have we shown ourselves so unwilling to be reconciled that force must be called in to win back our love? Let us not deceive ourselves, sir. These are the implements of war and subjugation -- the last arguments to which kings resort. I ask gentlemen, sir, what means this martial array, if its purpose be not to force us to submission? Can gentlemen assign any other possible motives for it? Has Great Britain any enemy, in this quarter of the world, to call for all this accumulation of navies and armies?
No, sir, she has none. They are meant for us; they can be meant for no other. They are sent over to bind and rivet upon us those chains which the British ministry have been so long forging. And what have we to oppose to them? Shall we try argument? Sir, we have been trying that for the last ten years. Have we anything new to offer on the subject? Nothing.
We have held the subject up in every light of which it is capable; but it has been all in vain. Shall we resort to entreaty and humble supplication? What terms shall we find which have not been already exhausted? Let us not, I beseech you, sir, deceive ourselves longer.
Sir, we have done everything that could be done to avert the storm which is now coming on. We have petitioned; we have remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves before the throne, and have implored its interposition to arrest the tyrannical hands of the ministry and Parliament.
Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances have produced additional violence and insult; our supplications have been disregarded; and we have been spurned, with contempt, from the foot of the throne. In vain, after these things, may we indulge the fond hope of peace and reconciliation. There is no longer any room for hope.
If we wish to be free -- if we mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges for which we have been so long contending -- if we mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle in which we have been so long engaged, and which we have pledged ourselves never to abandon until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained, we must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight! An appeal to arms and to the God of Hosts is all that is left us!
They tell us, sir, that we are weak -- unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance, by lying supinely on our backs, and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot?
Sir, we are not weak, if we make a proper use of the means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. Three millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us.
The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides, sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable -- and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come!
It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, "Peace! Peace!" -- but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!
Patrick Henry - March 23, 1775

On the remote chance that you could picture any of today's democrats giving such a speech, do you think they would have any credibility after years of voting to gut the defense department, calling Generals liars, and saying our soldiers are murderers? How many hours before their base would call them traitors to the cause of peace? How many news cycles before pundits started saying negotiate?

I just have one question for you after considering the above. Do You really want to turn over control of America to these people at this time of war? I remind you we are at war. War was declared against us. We can no longer pretend it does not exist.

Friday, November 2, 2007

A Must Read for every American

by LostinLiberalLand

I just finished a book that I believe should be a must read for every American.
The title is "While Europe Slept How Radical Islam Is Destroying The West From Within". The author is Bruce Bawer (someone I believe is not naturally inclined to take a conservative view, but through his experiences living in Europe came to conclusions that most conservatives would agree with).

This book revealed information about: the elite political and journalist class in Europe. The drone like agreement in public with that class by the average citizen although they may have different views in private, the anti-Semitesim that lays just below the surface in Europe, the massive immigration of Muslims, the segregation and lack of integration of those Muslims into mainstream society, how Muslims have taken over huge portions of many European cities where traditional laws are not enforced, police do not go and sharia law is taking over, how Muslims and liberals use the press to cry racism and xenophobia when anyone dares to point out what is happening, how freedom of the press is being voluntarily surrendered, how sharia law is slowly working it's way into European society, and how if current demographic trends continue Muslims will be the dominate population in Western Europe with in 15 to 30 years. the most frightening thing that is revealed is how while reading this you come to realize that America, although years behind, is heading down the same path.

If you are even remotely concerned about the future that faces your children and grandchildren I strongly suggest that you, and if old enough, they read this book.

Music Review

One in awhile I will deviate from my normal content to review a CD, DVD, Movie or Book.

Today I'd like to recommend a CD I purchased last week. That CD is Trav'lin' Light by Queen Latifah. She has a silky smooth voice that transitions easily from the pleasant mixture of pop, standards, blues, gospel, and r&b remakes on this album. Many of her renditions are a vast improvement of the originals. I would suggest this album to anyone who enjoys female jazz, r&b, or standards singers.

Thursday, November 1, 2007

Law of the Sea Treaty (I can see this letter)

by LostinLiberalLand

Dear Mr. President and members of The U.S. Senate,

Are you serious? What in the name of God are you thinking? Do you really want to subject America to the rules contained in The Law of the Sea Treaty. You are seriously considering signing away U.S. sovereignty to a panel of the United Nations? You are willing to let the United Nations levy taxes on the citizens and corporations of the United States. You are going to let the United Nations determine when and where U.S. Navy ships can go? You want the Officers of the U.S. Navy to wait for a permission slip to set up a Naval blockade or intercept a Ship from a hostile country that is suspected of transporting illegal weapons on their way to a hostile recipient?

Out of fairness let us suggest you ask yourself these questions prior to making your decision. When was the last time, if ever, the U.N. acted expediently in any situation. When was the last time, if ever, that the U.N. acted in the best interests of the U.S.? Does the U.N. have a history of administrating programs without question of ethics, or bribery? (Think Oil for Food) Has the U.N. as an institution always acted in the interests of democracy or has it been subject to the control of communists, dictators, mass murderers, anti-Semites, Mullahs and thugs.

We, collectively, are spinning in our graves. We fought, suffered, died, and struggled to free this land from taxation without representation and the ability to act in our own best interests as a sovereign, free and independent nation. How dare you dishonor us and our struggle by giving away that sovereignty with the stroke of a pen. Ladies and Gentlemen we respectfully submit that you are violating your oath of office to uphold The Constitution. You are a disgrace to the offices you hold.

With due respect and reverence for the offices you hold ,

George Washington
Thomas Jefferson
John Adams
Alexander Hamilton
John Hancock
Samuel Adams
Thomas Paine
Paul Revere
The Soldiers who fought and died at Valley Forge

cc Abraham Lincoln and the Union Army