On July 4, 1776, we declared our independence from Great Britain. We claimed the right to self-governance with representation of the people's will in determination of the laws of our land. We claimed the right to reject an oppressive government and replace it with one that was both responsive to and responsible to the people of this land.
That oppression arose from our dependency on Great Britain. The original colonists needed the support of the mother country for survival. In return, the king required taxes. Those taxes paid for wars that caused a mounting debt. The response of the king was to increase taxes to finance his aggressive policies that sought to consolidate his power.
The people sought relief from the burden but were ignored. They sought representation of their views but were rejected. Over time, their dependency allowed the king to increase taxes to the point they could no longer be borne by the people and they rebelled.
Through the blood of committed individuals that Independence was accomplished over the course of 40+ years when we finally severed the control of Great Britain in the War of 1812. Yet, it didn't end there. We remained a nation seeking to find its way. We continued to seek a balance of power in how we were governed which culminated in a Civil War that consolidated power in the federal government. It was a result that led to better relations between the various races which comprise our people, but eroded the power of the people by consolidating it in the hands of the federal government.
We have survived global wars in which the United States came to the aid of nations whose values resembled our own. We have gone wherever necessary to combat the tendency of man to consolidate power through aggression. Yet we have allowed special interests to consolidate power within our own borders.
We have struggled with our own identity. We are a nation of many varied yet closely held beliefs. We have faced many issues that arise from the human frailties of self-interest and fear. We have made great strides in creating an environment of equality of opportunity for all. Yet we have allowed those same frailties of self-interest and fear to be used against us by the very politicians we elected to serve us.
We continue to struggle. Today we face some of the greatest challenges that we have ever faced as a nation. Many of those challenges are the result of the quest for power of individuals and groups who have only their self-interest at heart. They seek power for gain and not in service for the good of the nation and its people. They bully and intimidate through the power of the purse.
That such individuals and groups hold the reins of power is the fault of the people. Enough of us have allowed ourselves to be subjugated to the carefully orchestrated largess of the state and federal powers that our Independence has been lost. That subjugation has resulted in efforts to further consolidate power through expanding government services in ways that create further dependency. We see today an aggressive expansion and consolidation of power through the use of regulation and welfare (although not always by that name). We have become a nation controlled by dependency. Therein lies our downfall.
Our dependency on the government has created a situation of mounting debt that must be repaid. It is the tendency in such times to use taxation to repay the debt. The burden of government has become oppressive. We are facing a crisis in our nation that in many ways resembles the conditions prior to the War for Independence. It is time once again for our government to become both responsive to and responsible to the people.
(also posted at Panhandle Poetry and Other Thoughts)
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Sunday, June 7, 2009
A Letter to Sandy
Sandy,
You asked for my Perspective. Right now, with the path our nation is following, it is difficult to keep things in Perspective. I want to cry out in frustration.
Perhaps that is the answer. To cry out. We should cry out to Our God and ask for His healing hand upon our country.
As a nation we have drifted so far from a Christian Biblical Perspective that it will take generations to return to the values upon which our country was founded. But, that is an answer of little faith.
God is the answer. He calls us to deliver that answer with the words of Jesus in Matthew 28: 19-20.
"...19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Ultimately, that is the answer. To win hearts and minds to Jesus -- one individual at a time. Then and only then will we turn this country around.
The present administration is filled with power-hungry individuals whose only god is power and whose religion is pragmatism. They may speak of principles, but they hold only to those principles which maintain or expand their power base.
It is cathartic to rail against the administration, but that is the wrong target. The target of our anger should be ourselves. We have failed to deliver the Word of Truth to those who need it desperately. We instead became complacent in our wealth and became the proverbial "frogs-in-a-pot of water." The heat was slowly adjusted and we are now in danger of death of our way of life.
That is my Perspective. We each must GO to our sphere of influence and win hearts and souls to the Gospel of Jesus the Christ. Until we become a nation of Christians (note that I did not say a Christian nation), things will not change.
Thank you for your comment Sandy. I hope that you are not disappointed in my answer.
Panhandle Poet
You asked for my Perspective. Right now, with the path our nation is following, it is difficult to keep things in Perspective. I want to cry out in frustration.
Perhaps that is the answer. To cry out. We should cry out to Our God and ask for His healing hand upon our country.
As a nation we have drifted so far from a Christian Biblical Perspective that it will take generations to return to the values upon which our country was founded. But, that is an answer of little faith.
God is the answer. He calls us to deliver that answer with the words of Jesus in Matthew 28: 19-20.
"...19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Ultimately, that is the answer. To win hearts and minds to Jesus -- one individual at a time. Then and only then will we turn this country around.
The present administration is filled with power-hungry individuals whose only god is power and whose religion is pragmatism. They may speak of principles, but they hold only to those principles which maintain or expand their power base.
It is cathartic to rail against the administration, but that is the wrong target. The target of our anger should be ourselves. We have failed to deliver the Word of Truth to those who need it desperately. We instead became complacent in our wealth and became the proverbial "frogs-in-a-pot of water." The heat was slowly adjusted and we are now in danger of death of our way of life.
That is my Perspective. We each must GO to our sphere of influence and win hearts and souls to the Gospel of Jesus the Christ. Until we become a nation of Christians (note that I did not say a Christian nation), things will not change.
Thank you for your comment Sandy. I hope that you are not disappointed in my answer.
Panhandle Poet
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Strong Feelings
One hundred plus days of pure torture. The demise of our nation has been set in motion.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Not Without Guilt 2 (A Working Title)
I continue below with thoughts on the divisions within our nation. It is best considered as a continuation of the post linked in the first line of the body. It also is incomplete -- merely a beginning at looking at the divisions within the United States.
Education is obviously one of the issues that must be considered when we look again at the CNN example of the destroyed repossessed homes. But again, we must dig into the question of what we mean by education. This brings up the moral and cultural issues that are at the heart of our divided nation. We must seek to bridge the gap between at least two radically different ways of viewing the world.
So, where to begin? I think first we must look at different ways in which individuals are “educated.”
When we speak of education, the most common frame of reference is the public school system. It is the body to which we have consigned our children in the expectation that they will be provided with a basic set of skills which will allow them to not only function properly within society but which will allow them to succeed. But, then, I’m looking at education from my frame of reference which differs from some other group’s point-of-view.
If we look at a poor single mother who is trying to raise children, provide an income and basically just survive on her own, she may not see school so much as a place where her offspring can obtain a basic set of skills as she sees it as a babysitter. Perhaps she sees it merely as a place to keep those children out of her hair while she lies in a drugged stupor. Perhaps – well, there are thousands of “perhaps” that could encompass only a portion of the potential scenarios. But, what is a key here is that we first realize that the public schools are being asked to function in a role for which they were not designed. They should not be babysitters. They were designed to function as a place of learning for those who are motivated to learn – either through the threat of punishment from a parent who wanted the situation of their children to be improved from their own, or because the child truly desired to learn and improve his own situation. That is often not what we have today.
So, we see that the public schools as a source of education is a barely functioning entity today because it is tasked with goals for which it was not designed and is inadequately prepared. That leaves us with other forms of education.
The greatest source of education is a mentor. Most often, a mentor – especially for young children – is a parent who seeks to create a desire for learning and a sense of purpose for that desire. What happens to that portion of the learning process when both parents are working sixty hour weeks because they want to “get ahead” in life? What happens when the child is reared in a single-parent home in which survival takes precedence over special attentions to the needs of the child? What happens when the influences of our friends and neighbors seek to degrade the desire for success by replacing it with a desire for disruption or excess? What happens when the family is disconnected in such a way that “extended” family members are merely a phone number or address in a book and not a vital part of life? Grandparents can sometimes fill the role of a mentor when the circumstances cause an inability on the part of the parents. The disintegration of the family is a factor in the failure of our children to obtain an education that will lead them to function well in society.
...perhaps to be continued.
Education is obviously one of the issues that must be considered when we look again at the CNN example of the destroyed repossessed homes. But again, we must dig into the question of what we mean by education. This brings up the moral and cultural issues that are at the heart of our divided nation. We must seek to bridge the gap between at least two radically different ways of viewing the world.
So, where to begin? I think first we must look at different ways in which individuals are “educated.”
When we speak of education, the most common frame of reference is the public school system. It is the body to which we have consigned our children in the expectation that they will be provided with a basic set of skills which will allow them to not only function properly within society but which will allow them to succeed. But, then, I’m looking at education from my frame of reference which differs from some other group’s point-of-view.
If we look at a poor single mother who is trying to raise children, provide an income and basically just survive on her own, she may not see school so much as a place where her offspring can obtain a basic set of skills as she sees it as a babysitter. Perhaps she sees it merely as a place to keep those children out of her hair while she lies in a drugged stupor. Perhaps – well, there are thousands of “perhaps” that could encompass only a portion of the potential scenarios. But, what is a key here is that we first realize that the public schools are being asked to function in a role for which they were not designed. They should not be babysitters. They were designed to function as a place of learning for those who are motivated to learn – either through the threat of punishment from a parent who wanted the situation of their children to be improved from their own, or because the child truly desired to learn and improve his own situation. That is often not what we have today.
So, we see that the public schools as a source of education is a barely functioning entity today because it is tasked with goals for which it was not designed and is inadequately prepared. That leaves us with other forms of education.
The greatest source of education is a mentor. Most often, a mentor – especially for young children – is a parent who seeks to create a desire for learning and a sense of purpose for that desire. What happens to that portion of the learning process when both parents are working sixty hour weeks because they want to “get ahead” in life? What happens when the child is reared in a single-parent home in which survival takes precedence over special attentions to the needs of the child? What happens when the influences of our friends and neighbors seek to degrade the desire for success by replacing it with a desire for disruption or excess? What happens when the family is disconnected in such a way that “extended” family members are merely a phone number or address in a book and not a vital part of life? Grandparents can sometimes fill the role of a mentor when the circumstances cause an inability on the part of the parents. The disintegration of the family is a factor in the failure of our children to obtain an education that will lead them to function well in society.
...perhaps to be continued.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Misdirected Behavior
After being out of town so much lately I had to spend my Sunday afternoon paying bills. Now, I'm always thankful that I can pay my bills but it isn't one of my favorite tasks. What got to me today was that one of the checks that I wrote was to GMAC. The thought occurred to me that GMAC is part of GM. The government just poured a bunch of money into them -- which I've been doing off-and-on for much of my life. So, now I'm paying them twice -- once with a coupon and once in my tax bill. Somehow that just doesn't seem right to me. I've always paid my bills. My credit is good. I don't owe much money but when I do owe someone I pay them.
Suddenly it occurred to me that those of us who seek to do the right thing and work to take care of our obligations are penalized for our good behavior while those who do the opposite are rewarded for their bad behavior. Hmm....I wonder if that is what the "Tea Parties" were really about.....
The Administration still doesn't get it.
Axelrod: Tea Party Anger is Misdirected
Suddenly it occurred to me that those of us who seek to do the right thing and work to take care of our obligations are penalized for our good behavior while those who do the opposite are rewarded for their bad behavior. Hmm....I wonder if that is what the "Tea Parties" were really about.....
The Administration still doesn't get it.
Axelrod: Tea Party Anger is Misdirected
Friday, April 17, 2009
Not Without Guilt (A Working Title)
I present below, what might be considered the beginning of an essay -- or, perhaps it is the entirety of the essay in the event that I decide not to continue. Whatever it is, it is only a small piece of the puzzle that must be solved if the nation that we call the UNITED States of America is to truly be re-UNITED into a single nation. Today, we are not UNITED. Anyway, here are some thoughts....
Today as I ate my pizza from the buffet line at Gatti’s in Bowling Green, Kentucky, I watched CNN Headline News on the big-screen television hanging on the wall. Please realize that I don’t normally watch CNN, just as I don’t watch MSNBC or NBC or CBS or ABC news as a general rule. I find that their biases often get in the way of their reporting. However, when the proprietor has the television set to a particular channel, that’s usually what you are stuck with – just like in the breakfast area of whatever motel chain I happen to be using as my current home-away-from-home.
Anyway, the talking heads seemed incredulous that the repossessed homes in the particular Chicago area neighborhood where they had chosen to base their “news” story were in terrible shape. Commodes were ripped from the floor, there were holes in the walls, doors were off their hinges, trash was piled everywhere and the general shape of the property was worse than pitiful. The reporters seemed shocked that the homes were in such condition and felt certain that it could only be because of the ill treatment of the previous “owners” by whatever lender that had so viciously evicted them.
Is it a symptom, or is it the disease? I’m of course referring to the reaction of the newscasters, not the behavior of the previous occupants of the repossessed houses – but, then again, the same question could be asked about those former occupants. Was their behavior a symptom, or was it the disease? However, upon further reflection, perhaps we should define “what” behavior is the object of our question. Are we observing a behavior of protest at poor treatment, or are we observing a general attitude about life and a lack of caring for property? Is it an issue of education? Is it an issue of an oppressed group of citizens? Is it the result of drug abuse? Is it something else altogether?
There are no easy answers, just as there are no easy questions – at least no easy questions that have been properly framed with clearly definable intent. I believe the frame of reference from which the “talking heads” were seeking to deliver a “newsworthy” story was so totally foreign to the actual events about which they were reporting that they had no idea of how to pose proper questions or in any way to relate to the events. They fell back instead on the dogma of their beliefs – namely, that it was an issue of victims and bad guys – of course, the actor of bad behavior is never the bad guy, it is always the one who suffered at their hands that was being punished for bad behavior – i.e. the bank, or landlord, or the builder, or whoever.
The age-old dilemma of communication between men and women is a piece-of-cake compared to the ability of the liberal media to communicate with the average human being in the United States – or the other way around. (I considered including all people but really have no good concept of the ability of media in other countries to connect with their people – although I suspect the issue is universal.) Why is it that way? Is it due to cultural biases? Is it a result of education? Is it a function of personality types that seek media careers as opposed to those who don’t? What exactly makes it so difficult for media figures to connect with the average person? Is it an elitism springing from a career-based attitude that inculcates the “successful” media personalities? Whatever the source, there is clearly a disconnection between the reporters and their subjects – unless they are talking of other media types – which would include television, movie and many music personalities.
So, where am I going with this? I guess I am seeking to reason through what is happening in our country. The example of the CNN Headline News reporters is a symptom of many things. It is a manifestation of deep moral and cultural issues that are on the verge of tearing apart the basis for our nation – that is, the ability to present reasoned arguments and through the art of seeking accommodation through shared values and balanced compromise to arrive at solutions to issues of the day by seeking the common good. There is no commonality. There is instead a deep divide that is growing wider by the day. If it is not addressed, it will bring about the end of the United States of America – not just as we know it – but as a nation.
Today as I ate my pizza from the buffet line at Gatti’s in Bowling Green, Kentucky, I watched CNN Headline News on the big-screen television hanging on the wall. Please realize that I don’t normally watch CNN, just as I don’t watch MSNBC or NBC or CBS or ABC news as a general rule. I find that their biases often get in the way of their reporting. However, when the proprietor has the television set to a particular channel, that’s usually what you are stuck with – just like in the breakfast area of whatever motel chain I happen to be using as my current home-away-from-home.
Anyway, the talking heads seemed incredulous that the repossessed homes in the particular Chicago area neighborhood where they had chosen to base their “news” story were in terrible shape. Commodes were ripped from the floor, there were holes in the walls, doors were off their hinges, trash was piled everywhere and the general shape of the property was worse than pitiful. The reporters seemed shocked that the homes were in such condition and felt certain that it could only be because of the ill treatment of the previous “owners” by whatever lender that had so viciously evicted them.
Is it a symptom, or is it the disease? I’m of course referring to the reaction of the newscasters, not the behavior of the previous occupants of the repossessed houses – but, then again, the same question could be asked about those former occupants. Was their behavior a symptom, or was it the disease? However, upon further reflection, perhaps we should define “what” behavior is the object of our question. Are we observing a behavior of protest at poor treatment, or are we observing a general attitude about life and a lack of caring for property? Is it an issue of education? Is it an issue of an oppressed group of citizens? Is it the result of drug abuse? Is it something else altogether?
There are no easy answers, just as there are no easy questions – at least no easy questions that have been properly framed with clearly definable intent. I believe the frame of reference from which the “talking heads” were seeking to deliver a “newsworthy” story was so totally foreign to the actual events about which they were reporting that they had no idea of how to pose proper questions or in any way to relate to the events. They fell back instead on the dogma of their beliefs – namely, that it was an issue of victims and bad guys – of course, the actor of bad behavior is never the bad guy, it is always the one who suffered at their hands that was being punished for bad behavior – i.e. the bank, or landlord, or the builder, or whoever.
The age-old dilemma of communication between men and women is a piece-of-cake compared to the ability of the liberal media to communicate with the average human being in the United States – or the other way around. (I considered including all people but really have no good concept of the ability of media in other countries to connect with their people – although I suspect the issue is universal.) Why is it that way? Is it due to cultural biases? Is it a result of education? Is it a function of personality types that seek media careers as opposed to those who don’t? What exactly makes it so difficult for media figures to connect with the average person? Is it an elitism springing from a career-based attitude that inculcates the “successful” media personalities? Whatever the source, there is clearly a disconnection between the reporters and their subjects – unless they are talking of other media types – which would include television, movie and many music personalities.
So, where am I going with this? I guess I am seeking to reason through what is happening in our country. The example of the CNN Headline News reporters is a symptom of many things. It is a manifestation of deep moral and cultural issues that are on the verge of tearing apart the basis for our nation – that is, the ability to present reasoned arguments and through the art of seeking accommodation through shared values and balanced compromise to arrive at solutions to issues of the day by seeking the common good. There is no commonality. There is instead a deep divide that is growing wider by the day. If it is not addressed, it will bring about the end of the United States of America – not just as we know it – but as a nation.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Quoting Scriptures and Disavowing Jesus versus A Different Beat
The more I see, the more I wonder....
Georgetown University Hid Religious Symbols at White House Request
...and yes, anyone can quote scripture -- out of context, in a manner that is used to mislead the unwary.
And then there's the real deal....
Palin Returns to National Spotlight at Right-to-Life Dinner
Political experts and leftist know-it-alls want to put her into a box. It won't work. I believe that she travels to the beat of a different drummer and her drummer knows what He's doing.
Georgetown University Hid Religious Symbols at White House Request
...and yes, anyone can quote scripture -- out of context, in a manner that is used to mislead the unwary.
And then there's the real deal....
Palin Returns to National Spotlight at Right-to-Life Dinner
Political experts and leftist know-it-alls want to put her into a box. It won't work. I believe that she travels to the beat of a different drummer and her drummer knows what He's doing.
Resistance is NOT Futile
It will be very difficult to sustain a grassroots movement among Conservatives because of their very nature, however, we have a start with the Tea Parties conducted yesterday. There are a lot of disaffected people in this country right now -- especially when you get out of the cities and into the Heartland where there is still productivity which results from a strong work ethic and sense of independence instead of dependence on the Federal largess. My home state of Texas is one of those states where we see the backlash against the extreme growth in federal power is growing quickly. On at least some levels, it is being fueled by some of our leading political figures. The article linked below is an example:
Governor Says Texans May Want to Secede From Union But Probably Won't
The real question to me is this: Governor Perry, are you truly serious about taking control back from Washington or is this all just political rhetoric in light of the race to retain the Governor's mansion?
We have two of the more conservative Senators in Washington but even they are not immune to the corrupting influences of power politics played on the national stage. I pray that they will fight the fight of the people and resist the forces that are moving us toward -- not Socialism -- but, an all pervasive and invasive government that seeks to run every aspect of our lives. That my friends is something to be feared. It is all about power and that power was handed to a group of people who, under the guise of the Democratic Party, will stop at nothing to consolidate their hold on the reins of power. If they are not stopped now, it will become increasingly difficult to stem the tide of corruption and government invasion into our lives. We must create a groundswell of resistance to the tide of Big Government that is washing over our country. It will be a long and arduous fight that is difficult to sustain but it must be done if we wish to save the United States.
Governor Says Texans May Want to Secede From Union But Probably Won't
The real question to me is this: Governor Perry, are you truly serious about taking control back from Washington or is this all just political rhetoric in light of the race to retain the Governor's mansion?
We have two of the more conservative Senators in Washington but even they are not immune to the corrupting influences of power politics played on the national stage. I pray that they will fight the fight of the people and resist the forces that are moving us toward -- not Socialism -- but, an all pervasive and invasive government that seeks to run every aspect of our lives. That my friends is something to be feared. It is all about power and that power was handed to a group of people who, under the guise of the Democratic Party, will stop at nothing to consolidate their hold on the reins of power. If they are not stopped now, it will become increasingly difficult to stem the tide of corruption and government invasion into our lives. We must create a groundswell of resistance to the tide of Big Government that is washing over our country. It will be a long and arduous fight that is difficult to sustain but it must be done if we wish to save the United States.
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