There is a classic story about how no one had been able to capture a herd of wild hogs that was rooting up crops from numerous farms. It got so bad that rewards had been posted for anyone clever enough to corral the critters. But even this resulted in only limited success.
One day a stranger (who was a wily old trapper) came into town and—entering the general store–ordered a truckload of fence posts and fencing, along with some feed. When asked what he was going to use it for, he said, “I’m going to get those wild hogs y’all are having trouble with.” Of course, everyone in the store laughed at the overconfident stranger. A few weeks later, however, the stranger rode into town with the back of his truck tightly packed with the smelly swine.
When asked how he was able to accomplish what no one else had been able to do, the old trapper replied, “Simple. I started putting the feed out in a small clearing and the hogs began freely eating the feed. It didn’t take long and they were there every day. Then I put up the fence posts, but with no fencing. At first the hogs were a little skittish, but it wasn’t long and they ignored the posts. Then I began putting the fence up, but I left the gate off. Again, the hogs were skittish at first, but soon realized they could come and go freely, and before long, they were devouring the free food with a vengeance. Then, one day when the hogs were aggressively consuming the vittles, I slammed the gate closed.” 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 »
In Patrick Henry’s immortal “Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death” speech, he said, “[I]t is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth.” Never have Henry’s words been truer than they are today. For too long, good men have turned a blind eye to the obvious reality that America’s Ship of State has swerved significantly off course. In fact, it is no hyperbole to say that America’s Ship of State is completely rudderless and, absent a speedy course correction, seems destined to crash against the rocks of oppression and economic ruin in the very near future. For anyone willing to open their eyes, the manifestations of America’s almost-certain collision with history are everywhere.
America’s Liberty Ship is dependent upon the twin mainsails of Morality and Constitutional Government to stay on course. It is an irrefutable and irreversible law that these twin sails are indissolubly linked. We cannot have one without the other. America’s founders clearly understood this.
For example, our second President, John Adams, said, “We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” Read more of this article »
As I was growing up, hearing about the speeches and marches of Martin Luther King, much of what I heard was that he was stirring up trouble where he had no business. In the rural northeast there was little knowledge or understanding of the situations he was fighting against. There was only one black student in my high school graduating class and she was kind of cute and fit in with everyone, so I could not comprehend what the fuss was all about.
It was only later, after Dr. King was gone, and I saw grown men with dark skin addressed as “Boy” and saw pictures of segregated facilities that I began to grasp the struggles of freedom fighters like Martin Luther King Jr and others like Medgar Evers.
Our Declaration of Independence enshrined the words “all men are created equal”. Correctly it does not specify all men of a certain color, a particular economic class or those connected to the “ruling class”. It says all men are created equal. It does not say that some are only three fifths equal as some in congress specified so as to obtain congressional representation, yet not recognize the humanity of some citizens. Read more of this article »
Editors Note: Those not privileged to live in the Commonwealth of Virginia may not be familiar with Lee-Jackson Day, the holiday that remembers two southern gentlemen in the truest sense of the words.
January is often referred to as “Generals Month” since no less than four famous Confederate Generals claimed January as their birth month: James Longstreet (Jan. 8, 1821), Robert E. Lee (Jan. 19, 1807), Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson (Jan. 21, 1824), and George Pickett (Jan. 28, 1825). Two of these men, Lee and Jackson, are particularly noteworthy.
Without question, Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson were two of the greatest military leaders of all time. Even more, many military historians regard the Lee and Jackson tandem as perhaps the greatest battlefield duo in the history of warfare. If Jackson had survived the battle of Chancellorsville, it is very possible that the South would have prevailed at Gettysburg and perhaps would even have won the War Between the States. Read more of this article »
We, as a society, have no financial problems. Problems are things that come upon us that we have no control over. But when we create situations that are not good, we really can’t call them problems… they are more like natural consequences. If I run my hand over a sharp knife and it cuts my skin, that is not a problem. It is a self inflicted injury. It is something that could be easily predicted and planned for. It still needs to be bandaged, but I have no right to complain about this terrible thing that happened to me.
We have all sorts of politicians of both parties weeping and wailing about our dire financial problems. They act as if this terrible thing has come upon their poor, innocent selves out of the blue and these hard working public servants are innocent victims of this unforeseen recession/depression. As with cutting our fingers with a knife, running out of money is the result of our government’s own actions… not by uncontrollable circumstances.
The people of this administration, and, to a lesser extent, the one before it, have no concept of the old saying, “If your outgo exceeds your income, your upkeep will be your downfall.” Kids understand this basic economic concept, but somehow it escapes the grasp of our members of congress, even most of our state legislators. What is so difficult to understand about this… it’s not even higher math? Read more of this article »
First congress votes to cut off funding for ACORN… but not really. It was just a temporary freeze on funding the controversial group. Now a US District Judge has ruled that cutting of funds in any way is not in the publics interest. If it has not occurred to you by now, we are not working in an environment where concepts of right and wrong, as well as honesty are of little or no importance. To the elites running the country, the end justifies the means… and often the ends they seek are not even worthy of virtuous means.
The constitution says congress makes the laws people have to live by. But now, Barack Hussein Obama’s Environmental Protective Agency head Lisa Jackson has proclaimed that if congress does not pass the desired cap and trade legislation her agency would begin their own version of the plan destined to destroy jobs and squeeze more money out of beleaguered taxpayers. Once again, the end justifies the means.
Combine this with the unwillingness of our employees… our elected representatives… to hear us when overwhelming majorities of our citizens tell them we want our borders sealed, we don’t want government tinkering with our health care, we don’t like them looking for ways to take our guns and we don’t want what is euphemistically called cap and trade. Read more of this article »
Democrats call the Republicans “The Party of No”. Tea partiers want them to be called “The Party of Hell No!” When in reality, they are often “The Party of No Vision”. With the power crazed Democrats in control, pushing the boundaries of government in every possible direction, like a deer frozen in the headlights of an oncoming car, many Republicans can only think to say “NO!” to every hair brained scheme coming from the left. Others, without an ethical compass come up with the conciliatory attitude of negotiation so they can act like they have accomplished something. There are a few who are trying to give the party a sense of vision, but they tend to scare the old line party leaders unaccustomed to such principled stands and internal conflict.
The “no vision” moniker is based on a fair assumption that people make when they believe the Republican Party has no agenda. It was an agenda called “The Contract With America” that brought victories during the Clinton administration. The original contract outlined a set of specific steps required to correct the various flaws and abuses in the operation of our government. Over the years, some who came to office by advocating these changes gradually succumbed to the lure of beltway society and have become part of the problem.
It is only the disgust with Democrat intrusion into our lives that gives the Republican Party any sense of life at this point. For the most part, they do not have the agenda, drive or support to take off and soar. Republicans find themselves in a situation of just responding to plans from the other side of the aisle. It is time to regroup and plan for steps to undo these unconstitutional efforts. But to do this, the party and its individual representatives must have a vision of where they should be heading. Read more of this article »
Editors Note; This two part article first appeared in the Richmond Patriots blog found at http://richmondpatriots.blogspot.com/. Laura Alcorn has thorough researched the Cloward-Piven strategy as used by Barack Hussein Obama as he carries out his plan to “fundamentaly change” our country. You can find Part I here.
Ironically, an enthusiastic Fannie Mae Foundation report singled out one paragon of nondiscriminatory lending, which worked with community activists and followed “the most flexible underwriting criteria permitted.” That lender’s $1 billion commitment to low-income loans in 1992 had grown to $80 billion by 1999 and $600 billion by early 2003. The lender they were speaking of was Countrywide, which specialized in subprime lending and had a working relationship with with ACORN.
Investor’s Business Daily added: The revisions also allowed for the first time the securitization of CRA-regulated loans containing subprime mortgages. The changes came as radical “housing rights” groups led by ACORN lobbied for such loans. ACORN at the time was represented by a young public- interest lawyer in Chicago by the name of Barack Obama. Read more of this article »
Barack Hussein Obama appears to be having a difficult time deciding if he will take the word of his man on the scene, General Stanley McCrystal who requested 40,000 more soldiers in the field to the job done. He also has the anti-American left that put him in office to please. They just want us to waive the white flag, apologize for being Americans and slink on home. It’s also possible that each of his advisors has their own little variation on the best way to accomplish whatever they would like to see happen in Afghanistan.
While we could argue about our justification for being in the God-forsaken land, but, while it may make us feel good, that ship has sailed. This involvement is quite a picklement for the man who may sincerely be trying to balance his duties as Commander in Chief with his own feelings about the country and those of his most vocal supporters. He gives the appearance of sincerely looking for input and weighing the virtues of each suggestion.
This past weekend, rumors were flying about that he would take partial measures to meet the field commanders requests. Thirty thousand they said, would be on their way… as soon as they could be prepared. This turned out to be false hope for the troops holding things together. Who knows, it may have been a trial balloon to test his supporters reaction to the news.
It may have been a call from George Soros, his pals at the Daily Kos, Huffington Post, MoveOn.org or any of his supporters, any of whom would put in a good word to weaken our military and our country. It’s hard to say why this story got started, then shot down, but the fact remains… no decision was made… or did he decide on a plan? Read more of this article »
[Note: My son, Tim, writes today's column. He is an attorney who received his Juris Doctor degree from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. He is a former felony prosecutor for the Florida State Attorney's Office and now owns his own private law practice. He is the author of a soon-to-be-published new book, entitled FREEDOM FOR A CHANGE. Tim is also regarded as one of America's leading spokesmen for State sovereignty.]
During the Constitutional Convention, from May to September 1787, delegates from the colonies were to gather together for the express purpose of amending the Articles of Confederation to form a “more perfect union” (NOT a completely different union!). The men that met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, were under direct and limited orders from their states to attend the Federal Convention explicitly to preserve the federation and State rights and to correct the errors of the existing federal government for the limited purposes of handling foreign affairs, commerce among the states and common defense.
Yet, during that private and secret convention, there were men who proposed that a national system be established in place of their current federal system, destroying State sovereignty in direct contradiction to their orders. (Jonathan Elliot, The Debates in the Several State Conventions on the Adoption of the Federal Constitution as Recommended by the General Convention at Philadelphia in 1787, vol. 1, 2nd ed., [Philadelphia, PA, JB Lippincott, 1891], 121) Of course, the public was not aware of this fact until years after the ratification of the Constitution, when the notes taken in the convention were printed and released to the public. Read more of this article »
From Leon Trotsky, to Mao Zedong, to Hugo Chávez, leftists have long claimed to champion the interests of the poor and oppressed. In the United States, the left routinely trots out horror stories in order to frighten people into supporting their agenda, and to paint their opponents as unfeeling monsters who have no compassion for the common man. History, however, paints a different picture.
No one incident illustrates the hollowness of this leftist narrative more than the murder of Saint Elizabeth the New Martyr. Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna, as she was known in life, was a German princess who married into the Russian royal family in 1884 and was renowned for her beauty, charm, and compassion. When a socialist revolutionary named Ivan Kalyayev assassinated her husband in 1905, she asked Tsar Nicholas II to forgive him. Kalyayev would not accept a royal pardon, however, and was executed for his crime.
Elizabeth sold all of her possessions, including her wedding ring, and opened a convent in Moscow that included a hospital, pharmacy, and orphanage. She dedicated her life to helping Moscow’s poor. After the Russian Revolution of 1917, Vladimir Lenin, leader of the Bolshevik faction of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party, allowed Elizabeth to continue her work with the convent, but as soon as it was expedient, Lenin ordered her arrest.
In July 1918, communist police took Elizabeth, along with other members of the royal family, to an abandoned iron mine outside the village of Siniachikha. They beat the prisoners and pushed them into the mine, afterwards throwing in a few grenades for good measure. Only one of the prisoners died immediately. Elizabeth and the others began to sing hymns, at which point the secret police shoved dry brush into the mine shaft and lit it on fire. By the time forces loyal to the monarchy arrived, all of the prisoners were dead.
On Monday, June 16, 1788, Patrick Henry made the following speech on the floor of the Virginia Ratifying Convention in support of the addition of the the Bill of Rights to the United States Constitution. Now… all we have to do is get the people in Washington to respect it.
*****************************************
Mr. Chairman, the necessity of a bill of rights appears to me to be greater in this government than ever it was in any government before. I have observed already, that the sense of the European nations, and particularly Great Britain, is against the construction of rights being retained which are not expressly relinquished. I repeat, that all nations have adopted this construction — that all rights not expressly and unequivocally reserved to the people are impliedly and incidentally relinquished to rulers, as necessarily inseparable from the delegated powers. It is so in Great Britain; for every possible right, which is not reserved to the people by some express provision or compact, is within the king’s prerogative. It is so in that country which is said to be in such full possession of freedom. It is so in Spain, Germany, and other parts of the world. Let us consider the sentiments which have been entertained by the people of America on this subject. At the revolution, it must be admitted that it was their sense to set down those great rights which ought, in all countries, to be held inviolable and sacred. Virginia did so, we all remember. She made a compact to reserve, expressly, certain rights. Read more of this article »
The first time I observed Yom Kippur was with my Jewish friends at The Louis De Torres synagogue in Grand Bahama. In partial ignorance, a dear Christian friend and I had even started the “full fast” a day early. Even though I am not a stranger to fasting, I was weak by sunset, perhaps it was the anxiety. Whether you are a Christian or a Jew the concept of the necessity for atonement is one that is riveting to the mind.
This Monday will be the official observance of Yom Kippur, which means Day of Atonement. This is the most solemn of the Jewish holidays. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. This day goes hand in hand with Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) because it is set aside to atone for the sins of the past year.
Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue services. As I learned from observing it, Yom Kippur is a complete, 25-hour fast beginning before sunset on the evening before Yom Kippur (this Sunday evening) and ending after nightfall on the day of Yom Kippur (Monday).
Judaism teaches that Yom Kippur atones only for sins between man and G-d, not for sins against another person. To atone for sins against another person, you must first seek reconciliation with that person, righting the wrongs you committed against them if possible. That must all be done before Yom Kippur. Read more of this article »
When Joe Wilson shouted “You lie!” during Barack Hussein Obama’s big speech, he spoke for many people in flyover country who have had their fill of the misinformation and disrespect coming out of the White House. He has since become a folk hero to the millions who are just waiting to see someone in Washington speak for them. It was kind of like the boy who told the assembled crowd that “the emperor has no clothes”. Many know this, but are afraid to speak up about it.
For those who appear to be so concerned about the decorum of their club, it would appear that a president telling congress and the American people things that are provably untrue if one were to read the bill coming out of the House of Representatives is a even greater affront to decorum. Everyone in that room has pledged to work for the good of the citizens of the US. However, in a victory for form over substance, they ignore the misleading words, and criticize the one who has the audacity point them out, and hope they get noticed. It’s almost like the folks from ACORN criticizing methodology of the two budding journalists who figured out how to prove they were corrupt.
Displaying the understanding of the people and political strategy that led to his second place finish in last years presidential election, John McCain, said, “There is no place for it in that setting, or any other…” News reports tell of numerous party insiders aghast at Wilson’s display of honesty. Many would rather have their ruling club undisturbed by such intrusions of support for the opinion of the riff raff back home. This Republican leadership, on one hand, has a difficult time dealing with such principled stands. On the other hand, they understand that they need the votes and support of this “fringe” as they call it. They are looking for the support of this “fringe” yet are giving none in return. Read more of this article »
Years ago, a cartoon appeared in a Russian newspaper picturing a fork in the road. One path was labeled freedom; the other path was labeled sausage. As we might guess, the path to freedom had few takers; the path to sausage was crowded with footprints.
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There is a classic story about how no one had been able to capture a herd of wild hogs that was rooting up crops from numerous farms. It got so bad that rewards had been posted for anyone clever enough to corral the critters. But even this resulted in only limited success.
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.
In Patrick Henry’s immortal “Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death” speech, he said, “[I]t is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth.” Never have Henry’s words been truer than they are today. For too long, good men have turned a blind eye to the obvious reality that America’s Ship of State has swerved significantly off course. In fact, it is no hyperbole to say that America’s Ship of State is completely rudderless and, absent a speedy course correction, seems destined to crash against the rocks of oppression and economic ruin in the very near future. For anyone willing to open their eyes, the manifestations of America’s almost-certain collision with history are everywhere.
Editors Note: Those not privileged to live in the Commonwealth of Virginia may not be familiar with Lee-Jackson Day, the holiday that remembers two southern gentlemen in the truest sense of the words.
We, as a society, have no financial problems. Problems are things that come upon us that we have no control over. But when we create situations that are not good, we really can’t call them problems… they are more like natural consequences. If I run my hand over a sharp knife and it cuts my skin, that is not a problem. It is a self inflicted injury. It is something that could be easily predicted and planned for. It still needs to be bandaged, but I have no right to complain about this terrible thing that happened to me.
First congress votes to cut off funding for ACORN… but not really. It was just a temporary freeze on funding the controversial group. Now a US District Judge has ruled that cutting of funds in any way is not in the publics interest. If it has not occurred to you by now, we are not working in an environment where concepts of right and wrong, as well as honesty are of little or no importance. To the elites running the country, the end justifies the means… and often the ends they seek are not even worthy of virtuous means.
Democrats call the Republicans “The Party of No”. Tea partiers want them to be called “The Party of Hell No!” When in reality, they are often “The Party of No Vision”. With the power crazed Democrats in control, pushing the boundaries of government in every possible direction, like a deer frozen in the headlights of an oncoming car, many Republicans can only think to say “NO!” to every hair brained scheme coming from the left. Others, without an ethical compass come up with the conciliatory attitude of negotiation so they can act like they have accomplished something. There are a few who are trying to give the party a sense of vision, but they tend to scare the old line party leaders unaccustomed to such principled stands and internal conflict.
Barack Hussein Obama appears to be having a difficult time deciding if he will take the word of his man on the scene, General Stanley McCrystal who requested 40,000 more soldiers in the field to the job done. He also has the anti-American left that put him in office to please. They just want us to waive the white flag, apologize for being Americans and slink on home. It’s also possible that each of his advisors has their own little variation on the best way to accomplish whatever they would like to see happen in Afghanistan.
[Note: My son, Tim, writes today's column. He is an attorney who received his Juris Doctor degree from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. He is a former felony prosecutor for the Florida State Attorney's Office and now owns his own private law practice. He is the author of a soon-to-be-published new book, entitled FREEDOM FOR A CHANGE. Tim is also regarded as one of America's leading spokesmen for State sovereignty.]
From Leon Trotsky, to Mao Zedong, to Hugo Chávez, leftists have long claimed to champion the interests of the poor and oppressed. In the United States, the left routinely trots out horror stories in order to frighten people into supporting their agenda, and to paint their opponents as unfeeling monsters who have no compassion for the common man. History, however, paints a different picture.
On Monday, June 16, 1788, Patrick Henry made the following speech on the floor of the Virginia Ratifying Convention in support of the addition of the the Bill of Rights to the United States Constitution. Now… all we have to do is get the people in Washington to respect it.
The first time I observed Yom Kippur was with my Jewish friends at The Louis De Torres synagogue in Grand Bahama. In partial ignorance, a dear Christian friend and I had even started the “full fast” a day early. Even though I am not a stranger to fasting, I was weak by sunset, perhaps it was the anxiety. Whether you are a Christian or a Jew the concept of the necessity for atonement is one that is riveting to the mind.
When Joe Wilson shouted “You lie!” during Barack Hussein Obama’s big speech, he spoke for many people in flyover country who have had their fill of the misinformation and disrespect coming out of the White House. He has since become a folk hero to the millions who are just waiting to see someone in Washington speak for them. It was kind of like the boy who told the assembled crowd that “the emperor has no clothes”. Many know this, but are afraid to speak up about it.
