Labins on Landmarks

"Tea Party Can Go Straight to Hell" - Voice of Civility?

2011-08-22T10:52:00.000-07:00

Congresswoman Maxine Waters, as reported in Fox News August 22, expressed her opinion: "Tea Party can go straight to hell" - about those who believe in limited government and controlled budgets. Too often those who accuse others (usually in the GOP) of lacking compassion and civility demonstrate little of either themselves when communicating with or referring to those who hold differing viewpoints.

Rather than justifying unrestrained and uncivil actions in response to those who speak harshly, applying a disciplined response goes miles in achieving positive, long-term results. As it has been said, "Better that one be disliked for his position rather than for his disposition."

Samuel Adams - More than a Brewmaster

2011-06-28T08:31:00.000-07:00

Over the decades, much has been done to minimize the vital contributions of Americans and to magnify their inadequacies, faults, and wrongs. Great people are not gods, but they are called "great" because at some point they did something positive, heroic, or noble. As a result, there is everything right about looking at what is right, with the goal of following that which is right. Samuel Adams did much worth noting:

-Graduated from Harvard at 18

-Did not want to be a brewmaster

-Did not want to be a clergyman

-Failed as a tax collector

-Lost his first wife when he was 35

-Turned around in his 40's

-Argued "no taxation without representation"

-Wrote countless articles against English injustices

-Elected to Massachusetts Legislature

-Formed the Committees of Correspondence designed to inform and unite the Colonies

-Served in the Continental Congress

-Signed the Declaration of Independence

-Attended the Massachusetts US Constitutional Convention

-Elected Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor

-Elected Massachusetts Governor four times

Samuel Adams spent the first twenty years after college going uncertain directions, but he saw a change that took him into politics, an area for which he was well suited. He failed to let failures lead to ultimate failure. He was willing to serve as a foundation builder of liberty, then to yield the Revolutionary spotlight to his cousin John Adams and others after his essential work of communications had been needed most.

Sam Adams should not be known as a brewmaster.

Sam Adams, on the day the Declaration of Independence was signed, said the following:

"We have this day restored the Sovereign to which all men ought to be obedient. He reigns in heaven and from the rising of the sun, let his kingdom come."

As a warning to future generations, he cautioned: "Neither the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure the liberty and happiness of a people whose manners [conduct] are universally corrupt."

In his will, Adams stated his faith in God: "I resign my soul to the Almighty Being who gave it, and my body I commit to the dust, relying on the merits of Jesus Christ for the pardon of my sins."

Americans need to know about the good that people have done and take steps to follow their goodness. "Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people." Proverbs 14:34

Thanks be to God for Samuel Adams, Father of the American Revolution.

NBC Forgets the Pledge of Allegiance

2011-06-21T08:32:00.000-07:00

During the opening segment of the final round coverage of the US Open Golf Championship this past Sunday, NBC began its telecast with a patriotic introduction since the event was played at the Congressional Country Club.

NBC, as well as the entertainment industry as a whole, has long omitted God from its program menu, aside from plenty of profane use of God's name. NBC insulted millions of viewers along with those who voted to include "under God" in the Pledge many years ago. NBC's apology was incomplete and therefore insufficient, but that was not surprising. Watch the clip for for yourself - it won't take more than a minute:

http://www.afa.net/Detail.aspx?id=2147508783

God Bless America? How about God Save America? A nation who forsakes its past has no future.

San Francisco and Circumcision

2011-05-20T11:42:00.001-07:00

This past week, the City of San Francisco announced an item that has now qualified for the next city election ballot: Penalties for Infant Circumcision - See the link below:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/05/19/circumcision-ban-appear-san-francisco-ballot/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+foxnews%2Fpolitics+%28Internal+-+Politics+-+Text%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher

1. Parents have a natural, God-given authority over their children. The government may be able to determine what parents may do depending on the government's viewpoint of what is harmful to children. This attempt is a new attack on families.

2. The free exercise of religious liberyt is another issue. If circumcision is banned, then what other "harmful" aspects of one's religion will be banned, and who will determine the definition of harmful?

Nanny government continues its assault on personal liberty.

President Obama on the Middle East

2011-05-20T11:36:00.000-07:00

Experts and pundits with broad and deep experience are addressing and analyzing the ramifications of President Obama's Middle East policy speech of May 19. I shall proffer but one question, specifically concerning Israel:

Do you ask a friend to weaken his home security system?

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas...

2010-12-17T11:44:00.000-08:00

During Christmastime, my mind went to a favorite old song, and I drifted into the political…

Without providing you with a woeful audio rendition, I’ll merely supply the lyrics and let you sing it to yourself in the manner you are best suited.

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my Country gave to me

(12) Hope for the future,

(11) An electorate with courage,

(10) States with more power,

(9) All judges faithful,

(8) Crooks out of office,

(7) Freedom of religion,

(6) Military healthy,

(5) Help from Above,

(4) Freedom of the press,

(3) Free market rules,

(2) More cash in hand,

(1) And more leaders with integrity.

We can have fun with a parody, but we must be serious about our Nation’s direction. November 2 provided evidence that many Americans are indeed serious about our country’s path, and that they wish to maintain many great, historical American distinctives.

May God bless each of us as we prayerfully seek to be better citizens, and therefore contribute to the building of a better country.

Satisfied with My Fence, My Side, and My Grass

2010-11-13T08:42:00.001-08:00

“The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.”

“…I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” Philippians 4:11

My fence--

A fence is restrictive. It prevents me from leaving a designated space. That space may change over time, and I may generally like or dislike my space. At times, I may view the fence as an enemy, a barrier that limits my freedom to explore and experience something within my sight but beyond my grasp.

But a fence is also protective. It prevents someone or something from coming too close to me. I may see, and I may wish, but there can be only certain forms of contact with the “outsider.” The outsider is a potential friend, but it may also be a potential enemy. For the time being, because of the fence, I am delayed in finding out which. I can choose to allow frustration to overtake me, or I can allow trust in my fence maker to calm me.

My side--

There is immediate security and comfort when I see the word “my.” That very word establishes a kind of fence. My side is my side, given to me by the one who places my fence, which early in life is usually a parent. I know that the area inside my fence is mine. Since the placer of my fence is good and has my good in mind, I can be assured that in my little world I will find comfort, nourishment, and protection. Ultimately, if I will remember the goodness of my authority, the one who placed the fence around me, I will also be contented, satisfied, and happy.

My grass--

I have seen grassy meadows, and as beautiful as they have appeared, they are not as safe as the grassy area I have within my fence. Within meadows are often found uneven spaces, mud, and rocks. From a distance, the meadow looks perfectly inviting and exciting for me, but I can not see what lies under the lush, lengthy, greenery. What lies below the beauty will slow me down and cause me inconvenience, insecurity, and perhaps injury.

My grass is safe. It has been prepared and maintained by the one who placed my fence. From time to time I think of the adventure of wandering into new meadows, but I always return to the predictability, security, and satisfaction of being home, home in my own little spot of the world. I have learned, most of the time, to be content with the delicious and safe grass on my side of the fence, plain and ordinary as it might be.

More than with any parent or teacher, I have learned to be content with God, the all-wise, Great Placer of my “fence.” He is good, and He loves me. I can trust Him to establish the boundaries and to supply the grass He knows are just right for me. “I have learned…therewith to be content.”

Happy 235th Birthday, United States Marine Corps

2010-11-10T07:39:00.000-08:00

My father-in-law was a Marine, a Korea vet. An old friend was one, having fought on Iwo Jima. You must know at least one Marine yourself. They are everywhere, and they have fought everywhere, "from the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli."

Speaking of Tripoli, isn't it interesting that the United States faced a threat from Muslim (Ottoman) lands as early as Thomas Jefferson's administration in the early 1800’s? The pirates merely cut down a flag at an American consulate, but that was enough for the President to understand the significance of the attack. He dispatched troops to stop the uprising. How would the noble author of the Declaration of Independence be reported today for his decisive, protective response?

Regardless, today I am thankful for Jefferson and those first few Marines. And as history has repeated itself, I am also thankful for other Presidents and Marines who have acted decisively to protect the freedom and peace I enjoy today.

Happy Birthday, United States Marine Corps, November 10, 1775.

"Make Each Day Your Masterpiece" - Happy 100th to John Wooden

2010-10-14T06:57:00.000-07:00

On October 14, John Wooden, a former UCLA basketball coach whose teams won 10 NCAA titles in 12 years in the '60's and '70's, would have celebrated his 100th birthday.

I respected him when I was a teenager and young adult, and now that he is in heaven, I respect and miss him even more. I thank God for his influence for good and right, for God and the Bible.

If you want to know more, visit http://www.coachwooden.com/ and enjoy your visit.

His work on earth continues, a reminder of my potential for God.

"SPARED" on 9/11

2010-09-10T23:11:00.000-07:00

Part of my education work includes some visits to Washington, DC and Sacramento to educate our lawmakers on the importance of guarding our first-amendment rights; preserving parental rights; protecting human life; and keeping private, religious education free from government interference. One of my two annual DC trips occurs in mid-September, and my colleagues and I were checking in for a briefing in an office building just off the West Wing of the White House. Those who conduct business there are welcomed to the "White House," even though it is not part of the President's residence you see.

Just as we were nearing the completion of the screening process, I noticed some of my co-attendees coming out of the office, but they were accompanied by serious-faced White House staff. I heard that the White House was being evacuated, so we moved out to the sidewalk. Knowing what had happened in Moscow and in the US when private planes entered secure air space, I thought that someone on drugs had been careless and flown too close to the White House.

I was wrong.

White House security said we were too close to the White House; therefore, we had to move much farther away. It was then I realized something more than a harmless private plane was buzzing overhead. We still had no idea that America was under attack, but that quickly changed. Cell phones helped us learn of our situation.

When word spread among us that America was in trouble, we broke into small groups to pray on the street and sidewalk, asking God for His protection on our country and wisdom for our leaders. Two of my friends saw the Pentagon jet fly over our heads. Apparently, the terrorist pilot could not make the turn in time to hit the White House, so the poor, unsuspecting souls across the Potomac River were hit instead.

I'm not sure which of the two jets was truly intended to hit the White House, but that doesn't matter. For me, God's mercy on those of us at the White House that morning meant additional days for me to cherish life, love others, and focus more intently on living a life that would please God and help others.

Three of us from California rented a car from Reagan National Airport and drove home a couple days after the attack. No sleep, just food and comfort breaks. I took the first shift and drove the first half with just short breaks. Adrenaline, and God's strength.

The license plate on my car says to all who see it what I believe in my heart: That I was "SPARED" on 9/11 in order to continue my walk on this Earth on behalf of the God who saved my soul from sin and spared my life from an "early" death. God is good. Always. And I'd say the same even if I hadn't been spared. I can't explain why I was allowed to live, but I can explain my purpose in life: It's my dear Savior and Lord Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life!

Voters and Values

2010-08-17T10:34:00.000-07:00

The will of the people – 7 million of them – has been overturned.

Worse than that, the will of Almighty God has been rejected.

This August, Judge Vaughn Walker, another judicial activist and an open homosexual, ruled that there was no “rational basis” for the “yes” votes of California’s millions in the 2008 election. Supporters of Proposition 8 are impeded by their own prejudices and “stereotypes,” according to his opinion. Consequently, the judge righted what he concluded to be a grievous wrong committed by millions of illogical and irrational voters who unjustly deprived a vocal minority of equal status with heterosexual couples.

The major complaint we hear about the judge’s decision is based on a reversal or denial of the will of the people. However, the will of the people should not necessarily be the law or the primary reason for upholding or opposing a position. Common law, that which is derived from the experiences of the people, can have merit. Stronger, however, is constitutional law and law that can derived from biblical foundations. The pith of principles must always trump the power of the people.

The Bible provides sufficient examples of the error of the majority when they failed to uphold principles. Absolutes must absolutely be the primary basis for our convictions and actions. Since leaders can subvert laws, and deluded voters can ignore principles, those who seek to preserve good must ultimately base their stands on immutable truths.

Self Government and the USA

2010-07-30T08:03:00.000-07:00

Self must be governed by morals that are consistent with America's founding documents in order for our government to work properly. A study of the Founders reveals the regard nearly all of them had for the Bible, and it was a largely biblical foundation that served as the basis for America's early documents. Other written sources were cited by key Founders, but not surprisingly, the ultimate origin for America's founding principles was the Bible.

Not everyone who had a part in America's birth was a Christian. However, the overwhelming majority were educated to respect the moral standards of the Bible, and some major "players" in those early days were Christians. Those who built America were well aware of the other major religions of the world, but they concluded that Bible Christianity and good government were essential to one another.

Those who favor the form of government given to us by our Founders must also determine to favor the Book they frequently quoted and to follow the God generally honored by the men who crafted our great Nation with the Divine Aid of the Supreme Being they mentioned. That Supreme Being governs best when He governs from the inside of citizens, thus producing the best in self government and resulting in the finest in human government.

NBA Finals 2010: Aftermath Applications & Life Lessons

2010-06-18T12:15:00.000-07:00

So often sports can be used to illustrate principles necessary for success in life. Here are a few quick observations after this year's NBA Finals:

1. Tenacity trumps talent. Talent is attractive and glamorous, but tenacity is that which causes a person to persist in what he is doing, regardless of the circumstances. A mind can become lax when times are good, and a mind can become distant during discouragement. Both teams are talented, but their dogged determination impressed me more than their natural abilities

2. Effort eclipses effervescence. The flashy, bubbly person may turn out to be a temporary leader. More dependable is the diligent one who faithfully follows the demands of the current task. In the end, hard work is more valuable than flashy displays.

3. Humility honors the whole. Kobe is not a favorite of many, but when he was asked about his poor shooting in Game 7, he gave an honest reason: he wanted it too much and it got away from him. He then credited his teammates and didn't go into a long excuse. Kobe recognized others as being the ones who enabled him to be sitting at a microphone as a winner.

There's more, but I think I have all I can handle for today. In fact, these three mouthfuls could consume a lifetime. For some really good insights, go to CoachWooden.com.

2010-05-31T06:24:00.000-07:00

Today I am wondering on Memorial Day…

Why I am so blessed to live in America

Why I missed Viet Nam by a year

Why there was so much hate in the 60’s

Why there is so much hate today

Why soldiers have been attacked during conflicts

Why soldiers have been attacked after conflicts

Why Jennie Wade died at Gettysburg

Why a friend didn’t die on Iwo Jima

Why a friend lost a brother in Viet Nam

Why a friend lost a son in Iraq

Why my family lost none --

Today I am wondering on Memorial Day…

Why people remove liberty for some while giving “liberty” to others

Why people deny lives to the unborn so adults can “enjoy” theirs

Why people favor lifestyles that have destroyed civilizations

Why marriage is no longer “till death do us part”

Why people term the unnatural natural

Why making a profit has become evil

Why people rewrite the history that made us great

Why education is more social than academic

Why schools can teach the morals of John Dewey, Charles Darwin, and Karl Marx, but not the morals of George Washington, William McGuffey, and Abraham Lincoln

Why a reference to the God respected by our Founders is now a breach of the First Amendment

Why people resist references to the Founding Fathers

Why people misrepresent the Document that gave people representation

Why most lawmakers think they know better than the people

Why judges twist like wax the great laws meant to stand like stone

Why some despise the qualities that once distinguished America

Why some hate our National Anthem’s words “In God is our trust”

Why the Book, the Bible, once revered is now scoffed

Why politicians have succumbed to greed

Why religious leaders have sought ease

Why citizens have grown soft

Why soldiers die for such insanity

Why I have the privilege of making a noble difference --

So that today’s soldiers will take heart as they risk their all for me.

Erring Education: Gay, Green, and Garbled

2009-12-17T08:42:00.000-08:00

I work with some of the best children in the world. I love them. Typically, the parents of these children are decent, productive citizens who possess traditional, often biblical, values. But alarmingly, a once-marginal chasm, now worse than the proverbial “generation gap,” grows with every decade. A major cause of this generational values chasm lies at the feet of an educational system that has run amiss.

The gay-lesbian agenda has relentlessly asserted itself for nearly twenty years, establishing footholds in public school and softening attitudes elsewhere. Homosexuals have asked the right to peacefully live their lives, but they aggressively promote their lifestyle, insisting that their abnormal lifestyle be accepted as normal. Tactics of intimidation once thought to be used only against gays and lesbians are used by gays and lesbians in attempts to pressure opponents into silence or acceptance.

The effect of the homosexual movement is a progression of the rights of a small minority at the expense of a recession of the first-amendment rights of the majority. The increase in on-campus gay-lesbian groups and demonstrations are symptomatic of education gone awry. More than the toleration of the gay-lesbian agenda is taught in public schools. Overwhelmingly, the propagation of the lifestyle as a part of regular society is often infused into the classroom and campus life. As in outside society, those who disagree with the homosexual agenda are viewed as intolerant and mean-spirited. Ironically, hundreds of gays and lesbians tend to demonstrate more intolerance and warlike attitudes than those they accuse of having the same faults.

Another example of education gone amiss is the issue of global warming. Supporters of a warming earth have hotly stirred many into a near frenzy for fear of an environmental Armageddon in a relatively few years. Recent revelations have substantiated the counter-claims of tens of thousands of scientists who dispute the cries of the Gore-ites. How soon will schools begin to present the opposing side to the panic-driven global warming curriculum? Perhaps about as soon as they will present intelligent design as an option to evolution.

When I was younger, a common fear was another ice age. That didn’t happen, and neither will global warming. Man is responsible to care for the earth, but he must not trump control over freedom in an exaggerated attempt to stymie a straw giant that doesn’t exist. Students speak frequently of ways to prevent global warming more often than they present ways to living moral lives and knowing the Constitution. The overemphasis on “green” has American students turning red when matched against their international counterparts in academic competition.

Garbled communications are another factor in today’s educational abyss. That which is ignorantly or intentionally framed to confuse, mislead, or skew is garbled, and therefore unfit for instruction or consumption. Nevertheless, from morals to academics, from the coercing of societal evolution to the rewriting of our nation’s history, an obvious humanistic doctrinal path has been provided for teachers and is daily preached to students.

If the trumpet gives forth an uncertain sound, the inhabitants of the city will be taken unaware by conquerors. Garbled communications, regardless of the intent of the instructor, will produce fruit consistent with the seeds planted. Students have been suffering from a restricted, enslaving educational agenda. Academic leaders who publicly champion academic freedom have cleverly crafted a curriculum designed to carve a population shaped to think one way, a recipe for certain intellectual and spiritual illness for our country.

The RNC and RINO's: NY-23 and California US Senate

2009-11-14T08:02:00.000-08:00

We are seeing a California US Senate Republican primary battle between a true conservative, State Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, and a "favored" moderate, Carly Fiorina. Chuck is continuing to build a marvelous grassroots base and has the support of Senator DeMint, Congressman McClintock, and well over half of California's GOP leadership, but there is concern over the future actions of the national GOP leadership. Carly has the support of many national Republican leaders.

NY-23 is an example of what happens when a genuine conservative runs a credible campaign but is not supported by the RNC. There could have been another conservative voice and vote in the House, but instead, the Republican candidate threw her support to an ideological foe of most registered Republicans, committing an act of betrayal and a misuse of RNC donations.

Governor Schwarzenegger ran as a Republican, and some thought the best he could do would be to restrain economic irresponsibility and veto some harmful social bills. Those actions and hopes were short lived, and he now resembles very little that is traditional Republican. He feels the GOP needs to moderate its views, and he continues to alienate party conservatives.

I am not at the forefront of a third-party movement, but I am aware of historical organizational trends: the natural tendency is to decline. The Republican National Committee is indeed risking becoming a non factor if it persists in ignoring some of its formerly held conservative principles due to a "unifying" but marginalizing pragmatism within its leadership. The current philosophy will unify only in that it will exclude those who once comprised the GOP base. For now, any money and efforts I can contribute go straight to a conservative candidate, not to the RNC and most likely a RINO.

Report on Visit to Washington, DC, September 2009

2009-10-22T22:37:00.000-07:00

Last month I made my usual trip to Washington, DC for the annual National Legislative Conference of the American Association of Christian Schools. As a “warm-up,” I was able to attend Saturday’s 912 Rally at the Capitol with a pastor friend and his wife. The crowd was polite but passionate, calm but concerned. Those who attended were upset at the direction the current Administration is leading America.

The problems we see in our country are mere symptoms of an underlying disease. Even as “righteousness exalteth a nation,” so unrighteousness debases a nation. The once seemingly insidious seeds of corruption have now surfaced as blatant attacks on our political, philosophical, and spiritual foundations, entangling us with deserved bondage and threatening to totally remove any trace of life from a creation once graciously birthed by the Giver of all liberty.

To be sure, millions are upset about political trends, and many are fighting some of the issues we addressed at our conference and in hundreds of congressional offices. Among the topics we highlighted were the following:

• Health Care – impacts ministries as well as other business, not to mention families.
• ENDA (Employment Non-Discrimination Act) – infringes upon the religious liberties of employers and employees
• Hate Crimes – creates protected classes of “questionable” minorities but excludes religious groups; establishes legal machinery for thought crime determination.
• Universal Pre-Kindergarten – is another attempt to divorce children from parents.

Millions of citizens are indeed upset about many arrogant attempts to assault our Constitutional, Bible-based freedoms, and that dissent is encouraging. Empty would this unrest prove, however, if its basis is merely a secular conservatism. Lasting fruit will be produced only as people are awakened to their own inadequacies and sins and respond to the God who gave His Son a ransom for many, the God to Whom Washington prayed and rested in for His atonement and strength. Prayers for all Americans...

Independence Day 2009

2009-07-04T09:51:00.000-07:00

On a day of celebration, I celebrate. John Adams would have me do so. I marvel at the miraculous victories frequenting our history books. I reverence the countless heroes who “more than self their country loved” and gave the “last full measure of devotion.” I am grateful for the liberties and luxuries I enjoy as an American. As a Christian, I especially appreciate the expansive rights guaranteed to me in the First Amendment.

But I also take time for reflection. I cannot ignore the path America has followed in the past four decades. As Jefferson reminded his contemporaries, the natural course of liberty is to decline. Our freedoms have been legislated and litigated away, and our liberties have been redefined and restricted, all justified in the name of greater freedom and equality for all.

I conclude not with a melancholy resignation to an inevitable surrender to those who blindly attack the foundations of our Nation. Rather, I renew myself in my dedication to my God and the “God of Our Fathers” and to this Country that is still worth saving. May God grant a prayerful and powerful return to the positions that made us what we are: a Republic, a “Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

The Glamor of War

2009-05-25T07:55:00.000-07:00

In the '60's, I watched war movies on Saturday mornings and Combat! on Tuesday nights. After I watched enough during the week, I played war in my buddy's yard Saturday mornings. Bullets, grenades, bombs--then time for lunch. On the evening news, I would occasionally check the nightly Vietnam scoreboard and see that we were cleaning up on the Viet Cong and would surely wipe them out. I felt good when I went to bed, knowing we were beating the bad guys. Glamorous.

In the "old days," war wasn't depicted as graphically as in recent years. Now we can see heads and limbs severed and blood splattered on our local screens. On distant battlegrounds, military personnel can target a distant room and deploy a bomb, providing a kind of video-game gratification to a random observer. Results still devastating. Not so glamorous.

The truth is that flesh-and-blood men and women still wage war, and human beings die. The real heroes are the ones who willingly put their bodies in the way of unseen airborne projectiles or underground devices. As my Iwo Jima friend shared with me, soldiers do not view themselves as heroes; rather, they call themselves just that--soldiers who are doing their duties, knowing that their blood may "water" some foreign soil.

Today I join with General Douglas MacArthur who said, "The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war." Today I give thanks for those selfless souls "who more than self their country loved" and dutifully gave "the last full measure of devotion." Today I pray that the God of Peace would work in the hearts of men everywhere so that they might know true peace.

Be Careful What You Wish

2009-05-22T11:08:00.000-07:00

Directional Uncertainty and National Insecurity - President Obama's National Security Speech

The following is essentially a comment I submitted after reading Karl Rove's Wall Street Journal article dealing with President Obama's "flip-flops" and governance:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124286200693341141.html

"Love is blind" comes to mind as I recall the mass swooning during Mr. Obama's rise to the Presidency. The people, wearied of war and the economic battle, chose the path of change proposed by one of the Senate's leading liberals, a relatively inexperienced politician who could give good speeches, as numbers of voters testified. The majority now have what they wished for.

The President's flip-flops are characteristic not only of liberalism, which itself is epitomized by the word "change," but also of expediency. I can accept certain deviations and adjustments to basic, generally consistent policies, but I begrudge an "about-face" in an area paramount to his campaign. Doing so reveals a directional uncertainty about the Commander-in-Chief who leads our nation and is responsible for our national security. Directional uncertainty is certainly something America cannot risk.

"Morning After" - More Disaster

2009-04-25T07:13:00.000-07:00

President Obama’s decision to permit 17-year-olds to obtain the “morning after” pill without parental permission signals another dramatic “change” from the previous administration. (New Hampshire Union Leader 4/25/09, http://tinyurl.com/dazdxt)

Teens are going to have sex anyway, so let’s provide condoms. Teens are going to have sex, so let’s now prevent a natural result of sex from developing, after that natural result has already begun its process. We all know that the natural result, given nine months, produces a human being from the womb.

Abstinence training does no good—birth rates actually increase. False. Planned Parenthood’s own statistical source noted a decrease extending beyond the mid-point of the Bush Administration compared to statistics based on the Clinton Administration years.

What is “natural” for two human beings may be unbiblical and unconscionable to some, mainly to the conservative religious crowd. The same act or lifestyle may be untimely, unsafe, or unwise to some, totally acceptable and normal to others. Using a clean needle does not negate the effects of the drug on the human body. Similarly, using a condom or “morning after” pill does not negate the disastrous effects of free sex on the minds of individuals and the future of a nation.

Robin Hood Lives

2009-04-15T10:08:00.000-07:00

Robs from the rich and gives to the poor. So goes the legendary story of Robin Hood, who glamorized the art of robbery.

Rob from the rich and the middle class and give to a variety of deserving and undeserving recipients. Congress and California's lawmakers irresponsibly and immorally continue "legal plunder," (so called by French philosopher Frederic Bastiat) a habit neither legendary nor as glamorous as Robin Hood's.

Robin Hood's targets were a comparatively few oppressive, selfish nobles, not the majority of the contributing laborers. Government needs to return much to the hard workers of America, lest we become a nation of two classes--a few who have, and most of us who have not.

From a biblical perspective, Jesus told His followers that they were to render to "Caesar" that which was his. In recent American history, however, most politicians have exceeded that which is reasonable in determining what is Caesar's, to the point of inhibiting the creative, industrious people who elected them.

This is not medieval fantasy; this is present-day reality. There will come a day when governmental plundering will produce nothing more but poverty, unless the current trend is reversed.

American Arrogance

2009-04-06T09:33:00.000-07:00

I tire of hearing one-sided, limited perspectives, but especially when a viewpoint unjustly paints the country I love as an overbearing, international ogre.

James Lewis (American Thinker 4/06/09, “Those Arrogant Americans”) reminds us of only a few heroic episodes and interventions from our history, and he does not really touch on the infinite dollars and manpower devoted to humanitarian aid. Whenever there is an international disaster, it seems the United States is ready to lend a helping hand, where it is usually immediately received by the victimized country, unless Myanmar or the People’s Republic is a potential recipient.

I understand the current administration’s desire to promote world goodwill. That desire is as old as America. I do not understand, however, an unbalanced, self-deprecation on the international stage. Our enemies will respect us less and grow more motivated, and our allies will become uncertain concerning our resolve and dependability.

Acting “cowboy” may not have been appealing to many as a foreign-relations approach—perhaps arrogant; but “kow-towing” as a means of appeasing will surely prove to be ignorant.

Poll Reversal –Same-sex marriage support eroding - PPIC - Red County

2009-03-30T07:30:00.000-07:00

I supported Proposition 8. I am neither a homophobe, nor am I a hatemonger. I love all people.

I support the peoples' right to choose; accordingly, I oppose the efforts of some judges to overturn the reasonable, constitutional will of voters.

I fear continued media manipulation and censorship, which although are more palatable than the techniques of the former Soviet Union, are nonetheless effective.

If Californians will align their beliefs and actions according to traditional American values, the polls will continue their current trend. By “traditional,” I mean that which was typical of our inhabitants for three centuries. Traditional thought found its basis in conservative, often openly biblical principles.

Ordinarily, the God of the Bible wrote His principles—His messages—in clear, literal terms. When the language is symbolic, passages elsewhere shed light on obscure words or lines. The language of the Bible is indisputable in reference to God's viewpoint on same-sex physical relations. Homosexuality is not an acceptable lifestyle alternative.

Homosexuals are permitted to practice their sexual preferences as they wish, and they are often afforded a more positive media light than heterosexuals. The gay-lesbian movement impresses some citizens as a group seeking to aggressively impose its will and lifestyle on others who disagree, something a religious group would not be permitted to do.

Freedom to practice homosexuality is not the same as the freedom to restrict the First-Amendment Rights of others. The November vote was reasonable and logical, and homosexuals are still entitled to a large array of commonly held rights. May the 2008 majority continue to have their will and their rights protected.

Marriage Memory 2009

2009-03-18T09:14:00.000-07:00

Today marks the anniversary of my marriage to the bride I wed 31 years ago.

Ours has been its own unique marriage, as any other marriage. My wife Debbie had her eyes on me when we were both in the same high school and church youth group, but I the male was on a deferred schedule. Her designs were wisely withheld from me and eventually, our timetables were sweetly synchronized.

The most beautiful girl in the world, however, did not have an interior to rival her exterior. Health problems surfaced within a year of the birth of our third and last child, and my wife proceeded to slowly worsen for over twenty-five years. We could write a book chronicling our trials and triumphs.

I am thankful for the wife God gave me. She has demonstrated grit and grace in the midst of mountains only faith has been able to move. Somehow, she has also managed to maintain a patient and tender spirit toward others, including me when I have been less patient and tender than I should have been. My life has been challenged and strengthened by my mate who countless times has felt her life to be less than fulfilled. Her dream was to be a blessing to me, and she is. She continues to fulfill her dream in ways she did not desire or seek. Nevertheless, I am blessed by my wife.

I am thankful for the path God chose for me. My Creator knew exactly what I needed, and I have experienced much as my wife and I have walked in the ways designated by the Ultimate Guide of Life. Many times were difficult, perhaps "bad" times in which I felt injustice and frustration, but my definitions of "good" and "bad" are incomplete and inadequate. The All-Knowing and All-Wise Good Shepherd who loves His sheep -- Who loves me -- brings no harm to those He loves. I am safe, secure, and strong when I joyfully allow God to work His good will in me and through me.

I am thankful for my life. I rejoice with the wife of my youth, as Solomon's Bible Proverb says; I am content with what I have, as the Apostle Paul wrote in the New Testament of the Bible. I treasure my children, who because of our circumstances are closer to me than most children are to their fathers.

Life's hardships actually have simple solutions, although those solutions can and do take time to see, depending on how long I wait to turn my eyes in the right direction. As self-centeredness recedes from the shores of my mind, selflessness replaces the fog that obscures and the lull that hinders with a light that clarifies and a zeal that fulfills.

On this anniversary day, I thank God for the precious wife He has given me, knowing that His grace that has sustained us and enriched us for over thirty years will continue to do so as we avail ourselves of His strength, peace, and love. I want no other life partner than the wife I have. I am just right for her, and she is just right for me. Thank you, Dear Lord, for leading me to my dear Debbie. May your hand be upon us both.

Same-Sex Marriage: Still Hope from the Courts?

2009-02-27T22:51:00.000-08:00

“… Do we really want minority rights swinging on majority sentiment? Maybe homosexuals, who’ve been abused so drastically for so long, are a minority group that merits court protection.” ("Total Buzz," Orange County Register, 2/27/09)

Experience has taught me that religious people, on the whole, are more kind and tolerant than the minorities who are allegedly now persecuted. Conservatives strive to protect the free speech of their opponents, while liberals have worked to restrict the rights of their foes. Aside from an official “marriage,” same-sex couples enjoy virtual equal status with opposite-sex couples. The years-long movement by the gay-lesbian community is an aggressive agenda designed to impose their code of morality on others, an action they denounce by some religious people.

Will the noble Professor Vitiello also defend the present majority should it become the minority? If percentage trends continue as they have over the past decade, the 2008 majority will soon become the minority. To a large extent, the current majority are religious people. Will they be able to freely exercise their religion should they become a minority, or will they be forced to capitulate to the created civil rights group lately formed over the past four decades? Will they then become victims due to the “tyranny of the minority,” and later become drastically abused themselves, suffering at the hands of a judiciary gone awry?

Budget Bungling: California's Continuing Crisis

2009-02-19T09:47:00.000-08:00

The following entry was published in the Orange County Register on 2/28/09:

I am disappointed. Disappointed because of self-seekers who seem to be stuck on spending. Because statesmen who take a stand are slammed as being self-seekers.

I am disturbed. Disturbed because the state continues to run its business in ways I cannot or could not in my home and business. I would have nothing in either home or business if I conducted my finances the way our government does.

I am frustrated. Frustrated because of yet another action that will further disable citizens and business. When my niece and her husband are married in a few months, they will be taking their small business out of state. Add them to my list of former Californians.

Wasn't taxation at the root of our American Revolution? Can we not learn from history that excessive taxation oppresses the people? Indeed, disappoints, disturbs, and frustrates them into action? May enough citizens possess the character they say our lawmakers lack to once again initiate civil but certain action.

The Role of Religion in Politics

2009-02-12T21:09:00.000-08:00

In response to an Orange County Register article, I submitted the following comment in the December 5, 2008 issue:

If religious people had not become interested in politics, America would not have the Constitution and Bill of Rights it possesses. The Founders dictated no national religion because they knew that Jesus did not force Himself on anyone. They protected the free exercise of religion because they had seen imprisoned pastors both in England and in the Colonies.

When non-religious [or religious] people raise their voices in the political process, I affirm their rights in the political process, even though I might disagree. I cannot muffle the voice of an opponent and find myself in harmony with the First Amendment, nor should my adversary. I fear when I see steps toward religious censorship.

It is the right of the people to accept or reject the views of religious or non-religious participants, but threatening and intimidating words and actions by "zealots" of any group are not consistent with the American way. Our increasingly "enlightened" society invites intellectual and moral haze and darkness when it draws curtains on the light of knowledge and wisdom. All citizens must be allowed to speak without fear of reprisal.

Note: I was also moved to write when I saw a blog site listing my name among hundreds of others as a target for somebody’s Molotov cocktail party. I do not find intimidation or encroachment humorous, if the site was a joke. If it was not a joke, then the words are utterly foreign to the concept of free speech envisioned by our forefathers and protected by our Bill of Rights.

Patriotism

2009-02-09T21:24:00.000-08:00

Patriotism is love of country. My love is born of a realistic satisfaction of what America is, not of a cynical dissatisfaction over what I think she is not. Like one who is married, I do not view my relationship with America with a desire to change the one I love, but to serve the one I love.

President Kennedy put it so well early in his term: "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."My love for America sprouts from the eternal seeds planted by heroes of three centuries ago, "who more than self their country loved, and liberty more than life."

The love I have recognizes the superiority and delicacy of that which was planted long ago--a matchless Constitution and Bill of Rights.My love for America thrives because of my love for God, my family, our forefathers, and our present-day citizens.

The zeal I possess to preserve the words and intents of our founding documents is generated by a sacred love for this unique land, a land destined to be one of the noblest, most generous nations to ever exist. May I be noble and generous in showing my love for America.

"America, America,
God shed His grace on Thee.
And crown thy good with brotherhood,
From sea to shining sea."

Landmarks

2009-02-09T21:22:00.001-08:00

Thousands of years ago, properties and significant places were designated by landmarks. Those landmarks were intended to promote stability and security. Landmarks of various kinds are still in use today.

A biblical proverb says, "Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy [your] fathers have set."

The intent of this blog is to remind us of essential, worthy, and time-tested landmarks regarding faith, family, and foundations of our government and society.