As Barack Hussein Obama kicked off his presidential campaign with a State of the Union message. The Prevaricator in Chief tried to sound much more mainstream than his actions have shown him to be. We shall look at any proposals that may actually have both merit and potential for execution at a later date, however for now, let’s look at what American patriot, Thomas Paine might tell him.
Many are upset, and rightly so, about the current regime forcing acceptance of active homosexuals within the ranks of our military. The same regime would really like to find a way to force all states to recognize same sex marriages that are sanctioned by a handful of states that have rejected the traditional, biblical view of the institution. There is a feeling by many that this rejection is primarily because the traditional view IS the biblical view.
However, we need to consider what these actions really mean… and what they do not mean. These actions are simply a reflection of the predominant thinking of a small segment of our society seeking to impose their values on the rest of us. It is not any indication of the right or wrong of the such a position. It does, however, expose the citizens to the consequences of this corporate tolerance of behavior that our Creator rejects in no uncertain terms.
As early as the third book of the Bible, Leviticus, chapter 18, we see, “Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable.” Some say that is an Old Testament concept, that the New Testament preaches a concept of freedom. Yet Romans 1 says, “Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.”
Many times I hear the ostriches among us exclaim, “What freedoms have we lost? America is the freest country on earth.” We have all heard that, right? Of course, part of the problem is that, thanks to our education system, media, and churches, many Americans do not even know how to define liberty and freedom. The truth is, America’s Founding Fathers were willing to pledge their “lives, fortunes, and sacred honor” and fight a bloody revolutionary war for far fewer abridgments of liberty than we Americans endure every day of our lives today. FAR FEWER!
To answer the second part of the ostrich argument first: no, America is not the freest nation on earth. According to the Index of Economic Freedom, which is produced by the Heritage Foundation and the Wall Street Journal, the United States just barely makes it in the top ten, ranked at number nine in the world.
According to Deroy Murdock, “Among the 179 countries examined in the Index, Hong Kong is ranked first, followed by Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Canada, Ireland, and Denmark. These nations all outscored the U.S. across ten categories, including taxes, free trade, regulation, monetary policy, and corruption.
I once felt all that kind of anger, which a man ought to feel, against the mean principles that are held by the Tories: a noted one, who kept a tavern at Amboy, was standing at his door, with as pretty a child in his hand, about eight or nine years old, as I ever saw, and after speaking his mind as freely as he thought was prudent, finished with this unfatherly expression, “Well! give me peace in my day.” Not a man lives on the continent but fully believes that a separation must some time or other finally take place, and a generous parent should have said, “If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace;” and this single reflection, well applied, is sufficient to awaken every man to duty. Not a place upon earth might be so happy as America. Her situation is remote from all the wrangling world, and she has nothing to do but to trade with them. A man can distinguish himself between temper and principle, and I am as confident, as I am that God governs the world, that America will never be happy till she gets clear of foreign dominion. Wars, without ceasing, will break out till that period arrives, and the continent must in the end be conqueror; for though the flame of liberty may sometimes cease to shine, the coal can never expire.
America did not, nor does not want force; but she wanted a proper application of that force. Wisdom is not the purchase of a day, and it is no wonder that we should err at the first setting off. From an excess of tenderness, we were unwilling to raise an army, and trusted our cause to the temporary defence of a well-meaning militia. A summer’s experience has now taught us better; yet with those troops, while they were collected, we were able to set bounds to the progress of the enemy, and, thank God! they are again assembling. I always considered militia as the best troops in the world for a sudden exertion, but they will not do for a long campaign. Howe, it is probable, will make an attempt on this city [Philadelphia]; should he fail on this side the Delaware, he is ruined. If he succeeds, our cause is not ruined. He stakes all on his side against a part on ours; admitting he succeeds, the consequence will be, that armies from both ends of the continent will march to assist their suffering friends in the middle states; for he cannot go everywhere, it is impossible. I consider Howe as the greatest enemy the Tories have; he is bringing a war into their country, which, had it not been for him and partly for themselves, they had been clear of. Should he now be expelled, I wish with all the devotion of a Christian, that the names of Whig and Tory may never more be mentioned; but should the Tories give him encouragement to come, or assistance if he come, I as sincerely wish that our next year’s arms may expel them from the continent, and the Congress appropriate their possessions to the relief of those who have suffered in well-doing. A single successful battle next year will settle the whole. America could carry on a two years’ war by the confiscation of the property of disaffected persons, and be made happy by their expulsion. Say not that this is revenge, call it rather the soft resentment of a suffering people, who, having no object in view but the good of all, have staked their own all upon a seemingly doubtful event. Yet it is folly to argue against determined hardness; eloquence may strike the ear, and the language of sorrow draw forth the tear of compassion, but nothing can reach the heart that is steeled with prejudice.
[Editors note: In this classic article, Thomas Paine discusses the choices that laid before the colonists just prior to Christmas 1776. In many ways, they are the same choices we face today. Please return for Part II tomorrow.]
December 23, 1776
Part I
THESE are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated. Britain, with an army to enforce her tyranny, has declared that she has a right (not only to TAX) but “to BIND us in ALL CASES WHATSOEVER” and if being bound in that manner, is not slavery, then is there not such a thing as slavery upon earth. Even the expression is impious; for so unlimited a power can belong only to God.
Whether the independence of the continent was declared too soon, or delayed too long, I will not now enter into as an argument; my own simple opinion is, that had it been eight months earlier, it would have been much better. We did not make a proper use of last winter, neither could we, while we were in a dependent state. However, the fault, if it were one, was all our own; we have none to blame but ourselves. But no great deal is lost yet. All that Howe has been doing for this month past, is rather a ravage than a conquest, which the spirit of the Jerseys, a year ago, would have quickly repulsed, and which time and a little resolution will soon recover.
If most people are asked why our founding fathers broke away from Great Britain, the usual answer is “taxation without representation.” While this was certainly one of the reasons listed in the Declaration of Independence, it was far from being he singular driving force that led these brave men to pledge their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor.
It would be helpful to review some of the list of grievances that led them to take this drastic action and risk everything they had, including the families and their own lives.
He has refused his assent to laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his governors to pass laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
The British monarch refused to take care of issues important to the colonists. Problems needed to be addressed.
There are many things going wrong in our wonderful country today, and there have been many solutions proposed. Most are well intentioned and most that show some common sense would work fine to fix the specific problem. However each is akin to putting a band aid on a broken leg. We are being hit with too many different attacks from too many different angles to be content with repairing our country piecemeal. It’s like the Cloward-Piven plan to overwhelm the system.
The father of our country, George Washington, understood “It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His mercy, to implore His protection and favor… That great and beneficent author of all good that was, that is, or ever shall be, that we may then unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people.” He was not alone.
I can just hear the “fiscal conservatives” scream bloody murder almost as loudly as the atheist progressives now running the country and our lives. Many think all we have to do get our financial situation in order and things will be just fine. It is, unfortunately, not too surprising with the way the educational system has become a materialistic indoctrination operation and our courts have done their best to remove understanding of the Christian bent of most of our founders from the public knowledge. They believe this does no harm. They actually believe there is a real benefit to removing religion, especially Christianity from the public sphere. Then, they also think we can fix the problems ourselves… or really, themselves. Read more of this article »
Thousands of Christians joined Texas Governor Rick Perry in Houston Saturday as he and many others recognized the failure of the solutions of man and looked to the creator of man. It is doubtful any of the formerly mainstream media had any comprehension of what was taking place.
History records that when an impasse was reached during the deliberations that produced our constitution, they turned to prayer for the wisdom and good will to complete their task. Yet today, this seems to be a rather quaint solution to the sophisticated elites. These are the same sophisticated elites that have had such a huge hand in creating our problems.
The assembled throng was encouraged toward personal repentance as the first step to restoring our nation. Most of those attending and those watching the video feed are well aware of their flaws and the need to make changes in their own lives. It’s not that we can achieve perfection, but without recognizing our own shortcomings and confessing them, we are in no position to intercede for our nation.
The Associated Press ran the distressing news that spending is down 0.2 percent. This is the first decrease since September 2009 – so the Commerce Department tells us. No, unfortunately, it is not the federal government they are talking about. It is the American consumer. Not only was there a general pull back on the outflow of dollars, but more specifically, larger purchases like cars and appliances slid as well.
To make matters worse, these selfish citizens are pulling more money out of the economy by increasing personal saving to almost five and a half percent of after tax income. They did this in spite of the abysmal interests rates forced upon us by the Fed trying to meet the government’s insatiable need to borrow.
This combination of less spending and more saving is an indication many are taking what steps they can to protect their families and themselves from the man made disaster called the US economy. They realize nothing is certain anymore. They know “good” jobs could be gone tomorrow… whether through diminished markets, outsourcing or aggressively hostile regulation. Read more of this article »
As we enter another Independence Day weekend, I think it would be good to remind ourselves of who those men were that counted the cost and paid the price to bring this land of liberty into existence. Unfortunately, the vast majority of Americans today seem to have very little–if any–knowledge and appreciation for the sacrifices that our Founding Fathers made in order to birth this great country. We can thank the vast majority of our schools (including the institutions of higher learning), major media, political institutions, and even churches for this egregious embarrassment. Accordingly, I think it fitting that today’s column will attempt to renew in our hearts the respect and reverence that these great men whom we call Founding Fathers so richly deserve.
George Washington
Called “The Father of His Country,” George Washington was, perhaps, the most important man of the founding era. Supernaturally spared during the Indian wars, Washington became the military leader who held the Continental Army together when it was virtually impossible for any man to do so. Without his leadership at Valley Forge and elsewhere, there is absolutely no doubt that the Continental Army would have fallen apart and the fight for independence would have been lost. Read more of this article »
This is the day we celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence. We often talk about the document, but how long has it been since we’ve read the declaration. It’s good to review the basis for rights we have enjoyed. It is also good to see what indignities and abuses the colonists had thrust upon them that drove them to rebellion. Then, finally, we come to the names of the signers… heroic signers who would have died at the end of a hangman’s rope had they not succeeded in breaking free from the British crown.
They were people who just wanted to live their lives and pursue their businesses whether it was agricultural, mercantile or even clerical. Yet they all answered a patriot’s call to stand up to an unresponsive monarch and demand their freedom. This is the day we honor these men and all those who fought for their, and our, liberty.
IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. Read more of this article »
There has been copious speculation about who will arise to oppose Barack Hussein Obama at the end of his first and only term in office. There are almost as many ideas as there are people disgusted with the path of our country. I am looking for something more than an ideal candidate that can win an election. Instead of a politician running for an office, I would suggest we should be looking for a statesman… a leader with a vision and passion.
We often think of men like Washington, Jefferson, Adams… presidents all, but they were not alone in building the fledgling nation. There were others who drove the cause of freedom, helping pave the way to our independence. Patrick Henry was one of these who guided the our country into the light of independence. This future governor of Virginia is credited with helping his contemporaries see the need for independence and helping them to commit to fighting for it.
Through the years, his words have inspired many to a greater belief in both liberty and themselves. He demonstrated a single minded dedication to his country and its people. In view of the hazardous days ahead for our nation, it would be well to study these ideas coming from this man who loved his land and loved liberty. Read more of this article »
Europe and, to a lesser extent the United States, have voluntarily disavowed God and faded into the dark night of hellish alienation.
Liberal-progressivism’s pursuit of one-world, Godless socialistic government inescapably reduces every person to soulless equality with no meaning apart from the will of the political state. In this Brave New World, history and tradition are thrust aside. Clinging to standards of culture and morality become anti-social crimes.
Europeans, before the evolution of strong nation states in the 16th century, thought of themselves as inhabitants of Christendom. It is thus accurate to assert that everything that we know as western civilization is an exclusive product of Christianity emanating from the church at Rome. Read more of this article »
As with Romans chapter 13, Jesus’ instructions recorded in Matthew 22:21, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s,” are likewise much misinterpreted. The same people who love to quote Romans 13 to justify their cowardice in the face of oppressive government also use Jesus’ words in Matthew 22 to do the same thing.
Jesus’ instruction in Matthew 22 puts two misconceptions to rest: 1) the fallacious philosophy that a man can be a law unto himself and is, therefore, not subject to any civil government or authority, and, 2) the draconian doctrine that government (Caesar) is, itself, above the law and can force God’s people to submit to anything it so desires. In one brilliant statement, the Lord Jesus forever expunges both errors.
Obviously, if men were perfectly sinless, there would be no need for human government; but, since every man has tasted of Adam’s fallen nature, God instituted human government for the overall peace and safety of civil people. No man is a law unto himself–including people in government! This is especially true in the United States, because America has no Caesar! America’s founders clearly understood this principle. Thomas Jefferson reflected this understanding when he said, “In questions of power, then, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution.” Read more of this article »
Job 25:2 (KJV): Dominion and fear are with him, he maketh peace in his high places (the heights of heaven).
Air superiority is a necessity in any battle here on earth because the upper atmosphere controls all that is underneath it.
This principle truth had relevance long before Bildad the Shuhite ‘s dialogue with Job. The “heights of heaven” is the location of the Lord’s success in spiritual warfare against Satan (Rev. 12: 7 – 8). The heavens are also a powerful witness to Bildad’s forefather Abraham (through Keturah). G-d used them as a celestial screen to showcase His covenant to Abraham; to be the father of many nations (Gen 17:4).
Genesis 22: 17: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; Read more of this article »
As we approach the celebration of Christ’s birth, I am reminded of the words of John Quincy Adams. On July 4, 1837, he spoke these words:
“Why is it that, next to the birthday of the Savior of the world, your most joyous and most venerated festival returns on this day? … Is it not that, in the chain of human events, the birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior? That it forms a leading event in the progress of the Gospel dispensation? Is it not that the Declaration of Independence first organized the social compact on the foundation of the Redeemer’s mission upon earth. That it laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity, and gave to the world the first irrevocable pledge of the fulfillment of the prophecies announced directly from Heaven at the birth of the Savior and predicted by the greatest of the Hebrew prophets six hundred years before?”
Adams was exactly right: America’s birth is directly linked to the birth of our Savior. In fact, the United States of America is the only nation established by Christian people, upon Biblical principles, and dedicated to the purpose of religious liberty. This truth is easily observed within America’s earliest history.
America’s forebears first established a written covenant with God as early as November 11, 1620, when they penned The Mayflower Compact. It states in part: Read more of this article »
The Declaration of Independence ends with the line, “with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.“ That well known phrase sums up the prevailing philosophy of the lives and times of the Founding Fathers. As rich in meaning as we find the entire document, perhaps we can learn the most from these twenty four words.
The phrase begins by declaring their “firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence”. We have a shorter, more concise way of expressing this… trusting God. With the plethora of problems facing our country and world today, depending on divine Providence is the only path to our brighter future. This does not mean that we sit back and twiddle our thumbs any more than our forefathers did. They put feet to their prayers for peace and freedom… with the assurance that by aligning themselves with their Creator, they would insure the success of their venture.
This is followed by “we mutually pledge to each other”. In an age run by the “me generation” and selfish ambition, working together for reciprocal interests is as powerful as it is rare. Consider that twelve men changed the world. While the first American Revolution was followed by divergent views of the Federalists and the anti-Federalists, but until victory was won, they followed Poor Richard’s advice, “We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.” This doesn’t mean we all roll over and give up our concepts of what makes a free society. It does not mean that we don’t support our preferred standard bearer with every thing we have. It does mean that we stick to differences in policies and execution while we avoid personality based attacks. Read more of this article »
Almost immediately after Adam’s fall, Lucifer and his minions collaborated with evil men to usurp God’s authority and sovereignty. And nowhere is God more sovereign than in the heart and conscience of man. In the spirit world, the First Commandment (”Thou shalt have no other gods before me”) is the battleground that is most fought over. The war for man’s heart and soul is never-ending.
Nimrod was the first would-be tyrant to try and bring the world into a global “New World Order.” His handiwork produced the Tower of Babel, which brought about a cataclysmic judgment from Jehovah. However, while Nimrod was the first globalist to try and unify the nations against God, he was certainly not the last. The Pharaohs, Darius, Artaxerxes, Cyrus, Alexander, Nebuchadnezzar, the Caesars, and hundreds like them have all brought their tyrannical rule over the hearts of men. And their ideas and passions are as alive and active in the world today as ever.
With every would-be world tyrant, there is one constant: the unholy marriage between a supranational government and Big Religion. If Jehovah God made anything clear in the Mosaic model of government, it was the fact that–until Christ Himself comes to occupy both offices–the offices of Priest and King were to be eternally separate. At least one Old Testament Jewish king learned that lesson the hard way. Read more of this article »
The proposed “Repeal” Constitutional Amendment endorsed by some Tea Party leaders provides that “any provision of law or regulation of the United States may be repealed by . . . the legislatures of two-thirds of the several states . . . .”
I agree with the goal. Washington’s power needs to be curbed. That is why I introduced HB10, the Health Care Freedom Act, which passed the Assembly this year to give Virginia legal standing to challenge Obamacare’s individual insurance mandate.
However, supporters of the Repeal Amendment, including former Gov. George Allen, other Virginia elected officials, Tea Party Federation leaders, and Georgetown Law Professor Randy Barnett need to consider the problems their amendment creates.
Their goal is to restore “federalism,” which holds that Congress stays in its legislative sandbox (the enumerated powers granted by the Constitution) and state legislatures stay in theirs. Empowering two-thirds of the states to repeal any federal law or regulation (not executive orders?) abolishes the principle of federalism.
The Repeal Amendment, which surfaced in The Wall Street Journal, and a similar version unveiled at the Tea Party convention both speak of repealing federal “law,” not simply statutes or treaties. Article VI of our U.S. Constitution states: “This Constitution and the laws of the United States . . . and all Treaties shall be the supreme Law of the Land.” Our Constitution, ordinary statutes, and treaties are all defined as “law” according to our Constitution. Read more of this article »
In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson wrote, “Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies.”
I would argue that we, like our patriot forebears, have also endured “patient sufferance.” For at least a half-century, we have patiently endured the erosion and abridgment of our freedoms and liberties. We have watched the federal government become an overbearing and meddlesome Nanny State that pokes its nose and sticks its fingers in virtually everything we do. We cannot drive a car, buy a gun, or even flush a toilet without Big Brother’s permission. We are taxed, regulated, and snooped-on from the time we are born to the day we die. And then after we are dead, we are taxed again.
In the same way that Jefferson and Company patiently suffered up until that shot was fired that was heard around the world, we who love freedom today are likewise patiently suffering “a long train of abuses and usurpations.” In fact, I would even dare say that these States United have become a boiling cauldron of justifiable frustration and even anger. Read more of this article »
In his book, A Christian Manifesto, Francis Schaeffer wrote, “If there is no final place for civil disobedience, then the government has been made autonomous, and as such, it has been put in the place of the Living God.” This man was not a wild eyed revolutionary, but a highly respected theologian and scholar who wrote, at length, about the relationship of the Christian to the society around him. The great body of his work showed a greater concern for pleasing his creator than pleasing the people with whom he lived.
He wrote about what should be for each Christian, a decision point where he or she must make up their mind whether to submit to unjust government edicts or stand up for what is right. In the past, many believed the admonition to be a good citizen and do everything they were told to do by existing authorities was an absolute command. However, in looking at why governments are ordained by God, we see that they exist to be God’s “ministers” or “servants”.
When they demand actions that are contrary to His word, they move out from this umbrella of divine approval and the Christian must evaluate his response. Even Albert Einstein understood this when he advised, “Never do anything against conscience even if the State demands it.” However we do not build our lives on the musings of a physicist, no matter how gifted he was. Read more of this article »
Eleven O’clock Sunday morning about two hundred freedom loving Americans gathered at the Bell Tower on the grounds of the Capitol of Virginia for the first rally in the Constitution Ride Across America. They heard from several patriotic congressional congressional candidates as well as from Daren Gardner who will be traveling across the country bringing attention to the value of our historic Constitution For the United States of America… a document valued by many, but disregarded by those who see it as a hindrance to governmental expansion sought by our progressive would-be masters.
Note that it is the Constitution FOR the United States of America… not “of”, as many people think of it. There is a difference, “of” refers the past and, possibly present, where the word “for” is past, present and future. The document was formed by our history to guide our future. Now there are those who want to change our future from one of freedom to one of bondage. We may have just a short window of time to put a stop to it – hence the ride.
At each rally, a state legislator will receive a copy of the constitution and sign a pledge to work to keep the US Constitution as the guide for government in our great country. The first one to receive the copy, was citizen legislator and small business owner, Delegate John Cox of Hanover County, appropriately representing the district that was Patrick Henry’s home. Read more of this article »
“Our own government has become our enemy.” So said Pinal County (Arizona) Sheriff Paul Babeu.
“Babeu told CNSNews.com that rather than help law enforcement in Arizona stop the hundreds of thousands of people who come into the United States illegally, the federal government is targeting the state and its law enforcement personnel.
“‘What’s very troubling is the fact that at a time when we in law enforcement and our state need help from the federal government, instead of sending help they put up billboard-size signs warning our citizens to stay out of the desert in my county because of dangerous drug and human smuggling and weapons and bandits and all these other things and then, behind that, they drag us into court with the ACLU.’ Babeu said.” Read more of this article »
A few days ago, while visiting my old hometown, I took my mother to visit my fathers half sister in, what they used to call, a convalescent home. It’s a place where inmates are wheeled out of their rooms daily and many stare blankly down a hall or out a window. Others hold conversations with imaginary companions or grimace while twitching uncontrollably as time passes.
On one hand, these poor souls are fortunate that they have someone to feed, clothe and watch out for them. On the other hand, is this the retirement many have worked all their lives to enjoy? To be sure, most are no longer capable of living with any kind of autonomy. They could not survive on their own in the outside world. What none of them understands is that each one has a target clearly painted on his (or her) back, a large target.
The utilitarian mindset of the proposed keepers of our health care prevents them from seeing these people as human beings with intrinsic value simply because they exist. We are told that the government is capable of being the arbiter, endowed with the ability to decide who has sufficient “quality of life” to be worthy of a share of the limited resources available to preserve life. Read more of this article »
[Editors Note: If we haven't read this recently, now is a good time to do it again.]
IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.–Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world. Read more of this article »
This weekend we celebrate Independence Day. Many wonder, “independence from what?” or “does it really matter?” Unfortunately, so many of our public schools no longer honor, or in many cases even educate the our children about the fifty six men put their names to our Declaration of Independence. Each one believed so strongly in the ideal of freedom that he pledged their life, his fortune and his sacred honor to the cause.
Each one, as they emerged from that hall in Philadelphia on that warm summer day in 1776 knew he had placed his neck in a British noose if their quest for liberty failed. Most were men of substantial means and many lost a great deal in the conflict… some, family members, some everything. But to each, the thing of even greater value that they refused to loose was their sacred honor.
The concept of honor seems somehow, quaint in today’s political environment where we quibble about the definition of ‘is’. But to a man, they would tolerate the loss of everything they counted of value before they would dishonor themselves, or their commitment to the others and the cause of freedom. To these men, this honor was sacred because they pledged themselves to this pursuit before and in the name of almighty God. Read more of this article »
President Kennedy once said, “Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men.” I don’t think he would mind if we add stronger women as well. I believe he had a very good point, one that applies to our current struggle to retain the freedom our forefathers fought and died for. Many pray for a change in the leadership of our country. Others, following the Biblical mandate pray for wisdom for our leaders as they rush headlong into destruction. Still others pray for a new crop of leaders to come along and do battle to set things right. This last one may be closest to what the former President was advising us to do.
Sure the Obama administration appears to be doing everything in its power to bring about the hope and change they ambiguously promised. We can, and must, pray for a change of heart in the White House. However, it is within the realm of possibility the Almighty may tell us “no”. Just as he told the Israelites that they needed to go and clear the promised land themselves… and suffered because they did not complete the job. It is entirely possible, that He will not dramatically clear the snake pit of Washington with a wave of his all powerful hand. He may be looking for us to do the job. He may be looking at us to take advantage of the freedoms we have been given as Americans and put people in office that will stand against the increasingly dictatorial tendencies of Barack Hussein Obama.
We need to send people to represent us in the nation’s capitol who will agree with Thomas Jefferson when he said, “I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.” We don’t need, indeed we cannot afford, to send those to Washington who seek to work “across the aisle” and compromise with the enemies of freedom and make their machinations slightly less onerous. These are dangerous times and we need men and women of courage who will stand for victory rather than compromise which leads to defeat. Read more of this article »
To hear Barack Hussein Obama tell the story, he was on top of the oil spill from day one. He says that he has made available all the government’s resources in solving this problem. His problem though, is that facts don’t quite align themselves with his story. The inaction of the national government dwarfs anything his predecessor was accused of in relation to Katrina.
He also says that in the beginning, taking BP’s word that the situation as not that serious and that they could handle it, he kept pretty much on the sidelines. This was before he put his well manicured boot on their neck. Again the facts don’t fit the White House narrative. The New York Daily News reports that:
Days after the Deepwater Horizon rig blew up, Carol Browner, head of the White House’s Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy, told Obama the explosion would result in a never-before-seen disaster. Read more of this article »
Here is a National Law Journal article that shows the “insiders” know they must co-opt or diffuse the Tea Party influence for the Kagan nomination to succeed.
Tea Party coordinators last week said they’re still assessing Kagan’s nomination, and it isn’t yet apparent whether it will become a priority for them. Mark Meckler, a California-based coordinator for Tea Party Patriots, a national group, said any efforts by the group to defeat Kagan’s nomination would have to start at the local level, and he hasn’t yet heard a push to do so.
There NEEDS to be a push to do so.
Read below the spin-meister line “wonderful credentials”. What WISE citizen cares about “credentials” especially academic credentials with revolving door government credentials? Far, far more important is commitment to Original Intent of this Constitution. Harvard Law School leads the nation AGAINST this Constitution and original intent.
Investigate Kagan’s past writings, and when Dean of Harvard Law, showing PREJUDICE against America’s Military recruiters on campus. Did she ban ACLU from recruiting on campus? If NOT, then she VIOLATES EQUAL JUSTICE FOR ALL. Read more of this article »
In one year our nation has come a long way. April of 2009 brought the beginning of what is proving to be a movement of American citizens definitely ready for the right change. Tea Party activists all across this land have come out to pound the pavement for a solid year now. Week after week, month after month, and rally after rally. It mattered not where, local, state, or at our Nation’s Capitol, our country is ready for a new beginning, but not the way our elected officials see it.
This new way is really the old way, the way our founding fathers envisioned our country. The sacrifices made by the fifty-six signers of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, while putting to pen our unalienable rights. The vision of men like John Hancock of Massachusetts, Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, and Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania. As stated;
“When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. Read more of this article »
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Many are upset, and rightly so, about the current regime forcing acceptance of active homosexuals within the ranks of our military. The same regime would really like to find a way to force all states to recognize same sex marriages that are sanctioned by a handful of states that have rejected the traditional, biblical view of the institution. There is a feeling by many that this rejection is primarily because the traditional view IS the biblical view.
Many times I hear the ostriches among us exclaim, “What freedoms have we lost? America is the freest country on earth.” We have all heard that, right? Of course, part of the problem is that, thanks to our education system, media, and churches, many Americans do not even know how to define liberty and freedom. The truth is, America’s Founding Fathers were willing to pledge their “lives, fortunes, and sacred honor” and fight a bloody revolutionary war for far fewer abridgments of liberty than we Americans endure every day of our lives today. FAR FEWER!
I once felt all that kind of anger, which a man ought to feel, against the mean principles that are held by the Tories: a noted one, who kept a tavern at Amboy, was standing at his door, with as pretty a child in his hand, about eight or nine years old, as I ever saw, and after speaking his mind as freely as he thought was prudent, finished with this unfatherly expression, “Well! give me peace in my day.” Not a man lives on the continent but fully believes that a separation must some time or other finally take place, and a generous parent should have said, “If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace;” and this single reflection, well applied, is sufficient to awaken every man to duty. Not a place upon earth might be so happy as America. Her situation is remote from all the wrangling world, and she has nothing to do but to trade with them. A man can distinguish himself between temper and principle, and I am as confident, as I am that God governs the world, that America will never be happy till she gets clear of foreign dominion. Wars, without ceasing, will break out till that period arrives, and the continent must in the end be conqueror; for though the flame of liberty may sometimes cease to shine, the coal can never expire.
[Editors note: In this classic article, Thomas Paine discusses the choices that laid before the colonists just prior to Christmas 1776. In many ways, they are the same choices we face today. Please return for Part II tomorrow.]
If most people are asked why our founding fathers broke away from Great Britain, the usual answer is “taxation without representation.” While this was certainly one of the reasons listed in the Declaration of Independence, it was far from being he singular driving force that led these brave men to pledge their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor.
There are many things going wrong in our wonderful country today, and there have been many solutions proposed. Most are well intentioned and most that show some common sense would work fine to fix the specific problem. However each is akin to putting a band aid on a broken leg. We are being hit with too many different attacks from too many different angles to be content with repairing our country piecemeal. It’s like the Cloward-Piven plan to overwhelm the system.
The Associated Press ran the distressing news that spending is down 0.2 percent. This is the first decrease since September 2009 – so the Commerce Department tells us. No, unfortunately, it is not the federal government they are talking about. It is the American consumer. Not only was there a general pull back on the outflow of dollars, but more specifically, larger purchases like cars and appliances slid as well.
As we enter another Independence Day weekend, I think it would be good to remind ourselves of who those men were that counted the cost and paid the price to bring this land of liberty into existence. Unfortunately, the vast majority of Americans today seem to have very little–if any–knowledge and appreciation for the sacrifices that our Founding Fathers made in order to birth this great country. We can thank the vast majority of our schools (including the institutions of higher learning), major media, political institutions, and even churches for this egregious embarrassment. Accordingly, I think it fitting that today’s column will attempt to renew in our hearts the respect and reverence that these great men whom we call Founding Fathers so richly deserve.
This is the day we celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence. We often talk about the document, but how long has it been since we’ve read the declaration. It’s good to review the basis for rights we have enjoyed. It is also good to see what indignities and abuses the colonists had thrust upon them that drove them to rebellion. Then, finally, we come to the names of the signers… heroic signers who would have died at the end of a hangman’s rope had they not succeeded in breaking free from the British crown.
There has been copious speculation about who will arise to oppose Barack Hussein Obama at the end of his first and only term in office. There are almost as many ideas as there are people disgusted with the path of our country. I am looking for something more than an ideal candidate that can win an election. Instead of a politician running for an office, I would suggest we should be looking for a statesman… a leader with a vision and passion.
By Thomas Brewton
As with Romans chapter 13, Jesus’ instructions recorded in Matthew 22:21, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s,” are likewise much misinterpreted. The same people who love to quote Romans 13 to justify their cowardice in the face of oppressive government also use Jesus’ words in Matthew 22 to do the same thing.
Job 25:2 (KJV): Dominion and fear are with him, he maketh peace in his high places (the heights of heaven).
As we approach the celebration of Christ’s birth, I am reminded of the words of John Quincy Adams. On July 4, 1837, he spoke these words:
The Declaration of Independence ends with the line, “with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.“ That well known phrase sums up the prevailing philosophy of the lives and times of the Founding Fathers. As rich in meaning as we find the entire document, perhaps we can learn the most from these twenty four words.
Almost immediately after Adam’s fall, Lucifer and his minions collaborated with evil men to usurp God’s authority and sovereignty. And nowhere is God more sovereign than in the heart and conscience of man. In the spirit world, the First Commandment (”Thou shalt have no other gods before me”) is the battleground that is most fought over. The war for man’s heart and soul is never-ending.
by 
In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson wrote, “Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies.”
In his book, A Christian Manifesto, 
Eleven O’clock Sunday morning about two hundred freedom loving Americans gathered at the Bell Tower on the grounds of the Capitol of Virginia for the first rally in the Constitution Ride Across America. They heard from several patriotic congressional congressional candidates as well as from Daren Gardner who will be traveling across the country bringing attention to the value of our historic Constitution For the United States of America… a document valued by many, but disregarded by those who see it as a hindrance to governmental expansion sought by our progressive would-be masters.
“Our own government has become our enemy.” So said Pinal County (Arizona) Sheriff Paul Babeu.
A few days ago, while visiting my old hometown, I took my mother to visit my fathers half sister in, what they used to call, a convalescent home. It’s a place where inmates are wheeled out of their rooms daily and many stare blankly down a hall or out a window. Others hold conversations with imaginary companions or grimace while twitching uncontrollably as time passes.
[Editors Note: If we haven't read this recently, now is a good time to do it again.]
This weekend we celebrate Independence Day. Many wonder, “independence from what?” or “does it really matter?” Unfortunately, so many of our public schools no longer honor, or in many cases even educate the our children about the 
President Kennedy once said, “Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men.” I don’t think he would mind if we add stronger women as well. I believe he had a very good point, one that applies to our current struggle to retain the freedom our forefathers fought and died for. Many pray for a change in the leadership of our country. Others, following the Biblical mandate pray for wisdom for our leaders as they rush headlong into destruction. Still others pray for a new crop of leaders to come along and do battle to set things right. This last one may be closest to what the former President was advising us to do.
To hear Barack Hussein Obama tell the story, he was on top of the oil spill from day one. He says that he has made available all the government’s resources in solving this problem. His problem though, is that facts don’t quite align themselves with his story. The inaction of the national government dwarfs anything his predecessor was accused of in relation to Katrina.
Dear Tea Party Leaders,
In one year our nation has come a long way. April of 2009 brought the beginning of what is proving to be a movement of American citizens definitely ready for the right change. Tea Party activists all across this land have come out to pound the pavement for a solid year now. Week after week, month after month, and rally after rally. It mattered not where, local, state, or at our Nation’s Capitol, our country is ready for a new beginning, but not the way our elected officials see it.
