J's Cafe Nette

Archive for the ‘America’ Category

What do our government and Schlitz beer have in common?

Glenn (Instapundit) Reynolds, via the Washington Examiner:

Each incremental decline was imperceptible to consumers, but after a few years, people suddenly noticed that the beer was no good anymore. Sales collapsed, and a “Taste My Schlitz” campaign designed to lure beer drinkers back failed when the “improved” brew turned out not to be any better. A brand image that had been accumulated over decades was lost in a few years, and it has never recovered.

The federal government, alas, finds itself in much the same position. The political class sold its legitimacy off in drips and drabs. As “smart politics” has come over the past decades to mean not persuasion but the practice of legerdemain, the use of political deals, cover from a friendly press apparat and taking advantage of voters’ rational ignorance, the governing classes have managed to achieve things that would surely have failed had the people known what was going on.

Read more.

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Even when times are tough in America, the generosity and compassion of her citizens never darkens.

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From my email box.

Poverty in Our American Cities.

City, State, % of People Below the Poverty Level

1. Detroit, MI- 32.5

2. Buffalo, NY-29.9%

3. Cincinnati, OH – 27.8%

4. Cleveland, OH – 27.0%

5. Miami, FL – 26.9%

6. St. Louis, MO – 26.8%

7. El Paso, TX – 26.4%

8. Milwaukee, WI – 26.2%

9. Philadelphia, Pa. – 26.2%

10. Newark, NJ – 24.2%

U.S. Census Bureau, 2006 American Community Survey, August 2007

Now, something to make you go hmmmm:

What do the top ten cities (over 250,000) with the highest poverty rate all have in common?

Detroit, MI (1st on the poverty rate list) hasn’t elected a Republican mayor since 1961;

Buffalo, NY (2nd) hasn’t elected one since 1954;

Cincinnati, OH (3rd)…since 1984;

Cleveland, OH (4th)…since 1989;

Miami, FL (5th) has never had a Republican mayor;

St. Louis, MO (6th)….since 1949;

El Paso, TX (7th) has never had a Republican mayor;

Milwaukee, WI (8th)…since 1908;

Philadelphia, PA (9th)…since 1952;

Newark, NJ (10th)…since 1907.

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Incorporated in the below in reference to American citizens, is the following statement:

…you still believe that the strength of this nation is in the character and courage and ingenuity of the American people and not the politicians and bureaucrats.

This is your moment. Now is your time. Let your voice be heard

Representative Pence is correct. The Republicans and a few Democrats in Congress may not have the power to stop Pelosi and Reid from shoving more government control down our throats. It is up to us to do our part.

Call, e-mail and/or write your Senators and Representatives. Tell them to just say no to the Speaker and Majority Leader on the pending health care legislation.

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Dr. Sowell, as usual, nails the state of America under the Obama administration:

Just one year ago, would you have believed that an unelected government official, not even a Cabinet member confirmed by the Senate but simply one of the many “czars” appointed by the President, could arbitrarily cut the pay of executives in private businesses by 50 percent or 90 percent?

Did you think that another “czar” would be talking about restricting talk radio? That there would be plans afloat to subsidize newspapers– that is, to create a situation where some newspapers’ survival would depend on the government liking what they publish?

Did you imagine that anyone would even be talking about having a panel of so-called “experts” deciding who could and could not get life-saving medical treatments?

Scary as that is from a medical standpoint, it is also chilling from the standpoint of freedom. If you have a mother who needs a heart operation or a child with some dire medical condition, how free would you feel to speak out against an administration that has the power to make life and death decisions about your loved ones?

Does any of this sound like America?

The above was quoted from part one.

Dr. Sowell offers further thoughts in Part II of “Dismantling America”:

The memory of that long-ago episode has come back more than once while observing both the actions of the Obama administration and the fierce reactions of its supporters to any questioning or criticism.

Almost never do these reactions include factual or logical arguments against the administration’s critics. Instead, there is indignation, accusations of bad faith and even charges of racism.

Here too, it seems as if so many people have invested so much hope and trust in Barack Obama that it is intolerable that anyone should come along and stir up any doubts that could threaten their house of cards.

Among the most pathetic letters and e-mails I receive are those from people who ask why I don’t write more “positively” about Obama or “give him the benefit of the doubt.”

No one– not even the President of the United States– has an entitlement to a “positive” response to his actions. The entitlement mentality has eroded the once common belief that you earned things, including respect, instead of being given them.

Read both pieces in their entirety at the links provided above.

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Rick at Wizbang felt all Americans should hear Pat Condell speak.

If you are one who cherishes our values and freedoms then his suggestion is not a half bad idea:

*While we do not agree with the atheist views of Mr. Condell, the balance of the video is well worth viewing*

One of the key elements in this commentary comes at the three minute mark:

The American government has now done something, that if they did it in their own country would violate the constitution.

They have co-sponsored a UN resolution that puts a limit on freedom of speech.

As if that was not enough, we now receive word that for the first time in history the United Nations will investigate the United States for human rights violations. If you have not seen this story already, be certain to read it in its entirely. HT:Gateway Pundit

Here are a few of the pertinent facts:

For those of you who have never even heard of a “Special Rapporteur,” you may be surprised to find out that one has been appointed by the United Nations (UN), under a special mandate from the UN Human Rights Council (the successor to the corrupt and anti-Israel UN Commission on Human Rights), to open a probe—for the first time ever— into human rights violations by the United States because of a perception that there isn’t enough affordable public housing in urban areas.

and the real kicker:

The report will be bad. That is a foregone conclusion. How will the UN punish the United States? That remains to be seen. Who gave the UN the right to send a Special Rapporteur on this tour of American cities in the first place, since UN Special Rapporteurs can only visit countries that have agreed to invite them?

emphasis-admin

Who gave them this right indeed? If permission was granted without the consent of the White House then shame on the administration for not taking immediate action to see it was reversed. If this tour was granted by the White House then it is an egregious move on their part.

My thoughts. Kick the United Nations (which has never done anything productive for the United States) out of America and use what we foolishly pay in UN dues to feed and clothe the homeless or provide medicine and food to seniors or children who are unable to do so for themselves.

Oh, and about all that hope and change. How are the recent unemployment numbers working out for you? Are you excited about the government taking over major corporations and limiting executive pay? How about that anticipation of being taken care of by government run health care institutions?

Then of course there is the disgraceful attempted marginalization of those opposed to the administration on talk radio and television. What’s next, perusing the internet and shutting down all contrary views?

If the UN decides we are not generous enough in providing housing in urban areas, then by all means, let’s turn over all we have earned or saved to show the world that America is a compassionate, giving country.

Talk about that old cliche, the people get the government they deserve jumping up to bite us.

America deserves better.

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America..mmmm..mmmm…mmmm.

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There are many thoughts out there on the web today addressing the IOC’s decision to place an American city dead last in the voting to award the 2016 Olympic Games.

The range of emotions and discussion is wide, with most in agreement that they thought a win for Chicago was in the bag when Barack Obama chose to make the trip to Copenhagen. In a lunchtime conversation today, I said much the same.

Given the belief in their own press regarding popularity and rock star quality, why would this White House risk this whirlwind visit without some assurance of success? What would possess this President to inject himself into this process if there was no guarantee of at least a face saving, close vote? Think for a moment. This man has taken no personal responsibility for anything since assuming office. Why then would he risk not only his but his wife’s credibility on the Olympics?

The answer is quite simple I believe. They honestly thought, not because they represented America, but because of who they are, there was no way they could lose. It can be spun any way they wish. It is humiliating for them and for America at their hand.

The best case scenario would be that there were lessons learned here. The world does not fall in love with one man and his spouse just because the American press tells them to.

Believing you are all powerful because a small percentage of the worlds population elevated you to any office is foolish.

Leadership begins with understanding limitations, a lesson which this administration has yet to grasp.

While others celebrate what they perceive wasted political clout on the part of Barack Obama (a notion with which I heartily agree), I view this situation a bit differently.

The Olympic Games are but a small cog in the wheel of world politics. America took a beating down today in that venue and for that, I am never happy.

Worse, that defeat came at the hands of those who should have known their place and stayed put at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

What a shame that it was at this moment they finally decided to sing the praises of America only to see their efforts soundly rebuked.

Lesson learned? We’ll see, but I don’t hold out much hope.

(Update): What Rush had to say:

When you dumb down the Office of the President of the United States, you take the country with you. Sad.

(Update 2) Surprise! The New York Times gets it:

COPENHAGEN — President Obama not only failed to bring home the gold, he could not even muster the silver or bronze.

A dramatic 20-hour mission across the ocean to persuade the International Olympic Committee to give the 2016 Summer Games to Chicago proved such a miscalculation that his adopted hometown finished fourth of four candidate cities.

Rarely has a president put his credibility on the line on the world stage in such a personal way and been slapped down so sharply in real time. While Chicago may have lost to Rio de Janeiro for all sorts of reasons that had nothing to do with Mr. Obama, the fact that he made himself the face of the city’s bid invariably meant it would be taken as a stinging rejection of its favorite son.

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She doesn’t require a full makeover.

She does not require a society which is of “one think” mentality.

She never intended for social “one size fits all” programs to define her greatness.

While there is always room for improvement, she has withstood many a test in her short history and has always emerged stronger and more vibrant.

She has been a beacon of hope to those who had none, and though not perfect, she has provided her citizens boundless opportunities to succeed.

She has created a caring, giving society, where men and women help their neighbor and millions have adorned the uniform of her military and been willing to sacrifice their lives to defend her shores.

She supports a justice system which perceives all to be innocent until proven guilty.

She allows children the opportunity to understand and appreciate freedom so that they may approach adulthood with a clear picture of those not so fortunate.

She provides men, women and children the ability to form their own opinions, speak their mind and challenge her government when it attempts to remove these or any other guaranteed rights.

Yes, she has faltered from time to time, but in the end she is still our America.

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This is what a peaceful protest looks like.

The SEIU must now recognize the ramifications of the videos showing their members beating innocent protesters and smashing a camera into the face of a reporter. What other explanation could there be for their lack of presence at the rally outside their headquarters in St. Louis?

Courtesy of Gateway Pundit (article attached to the link above), the video below is a prepared statement written by Kenneth Gladney and delivered by his attorney:

Samuel Adams once said:

The liberties of our country, the freedom of our civil Constitution, are worth defending at all hazards; and it is our duty to defend them against all attacks. We have received them as a fair inheritance from our worthy ancestors: they purchased them for us with toil and danger and expense of treasure and blood, and transmitted them to us with care and diligence. It will bring an everlasting mark of infamy on the present generation, enlightened as it is, if we should suffer them to be wrested from us by violence without a struggle, or to be cheated out of them by the artifices of false and designing men.

Mr. Gladney is correct, liberty does belong to all of us.

It was fought and paid for throughout our history by the blood of many.

Those who resort to violence in an attempt to persuade us otherwise should not only be condemned but brought to justice.

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Forty years ago this week American astronauts stepped in to Apollo 11 and began their journey to the moon.

It was then, and still remains, an awesome sight:

The Boston Globe did an excellent job this week in documenting the anniversary of the launch of Americas first manned moon landing.

40 years ago, three human beings – with the help of many thousands of others – left our planet on a successful journey to our Moon, setting foot on another world for the first time. Tomorrow marks the 40th anniversary of the July 16, 1969 launch of Apollo 11, with astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin E. “Buzz” Aldrin Jr. aboard. The entire trip lasted only 8 days, the time spent on the surface was less than one day, the entire time spent walking on the moon, a mere 2 1/2 hours – but they were surely historic hours. Scientific experiments were deployed (at least one still in use today), samples were collected, and photographs were taken to document the entire journey. Collected here are 40 images from that journey four decades ago, when, in the words of astronaut Buzz Aldrin: “In this one moment, the world came together in peace for all mankind”.

There are fabulous photos included in the article linked above. They sure brought back tons of memories.

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I’m rooting with Texas Rainmaker.

The folks in this beautiful video would probably do the same:

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I received this Omega Letter in Saturday’s email, but just read it a few minutes ago. It bears posting:

The Great American Experiment is now two-hundred and thirty-three years old. It’s been a heck of a ride. There has never been a country so blessed in all human history.

One might add the fact that there has never been a country more worthy of her blessings than America has been, from the very beginning. America’s first European immigrants came to her shores in pursuit, not of gold, but of God.

The Pilgrims who first set foot upon Plymouth Rock in 1620 were members of a religious separatist group who refused to join and give allegiance to the Church of England.
Under the 1559 Act of Uniformity, not being a member of the Church of England was a crime — as was not attending weekly services.

The fine for missing a Sunday service or high holy day was the equivalent to about ten dollars. The penalties for conducting an unauthorized worship service included much larger fines, imprisonment, or worse. In 1593 Puritan leaders Harry Barrowe and John Greenwood were charged with sedition and executed by the Crown.

The Puritans had high hopes for King James I when he assumed the throne, but other than authorizing an English translation of the Bible (the KJV 1611) King James denied all other requests for religious concessions.

In 1607 the Puritans attempted to relocate to Amsterdam in search of religious freedom but were intercepted by the British and imprisoned for more than a month.

A second attempt to flee to Amsterdam the following year was also intercepted and broken up by the King’s men. In all, about 150 Puritans managed to make their way to Holland.

The congregation realized their children were growing more Dutch as the years passed and they feared eventual extinction if they remained.

At the same time, if they returned to England, they would be forced to join the state Church. So they cut a deal with King James. He granted them a charter to set up a colony in the New World north of the existing Virginia territory to be called “New England.”

There were one hundred and two passengers aboard the Mayflower when she set sail from England on September 16, 1620. By the time land was sighted on November 10, they had lost one crew member and one passenger.

Six months later, only forty-seven colonists had survived, together with about half the Mayflower crew.

From those humble beginnings in that tiny New England colony emerged the richest, most powerful nation the world has ever seen.

Despite historical revisionism, the Founding Fathers were overwhelmingly Christian. The so called ’separation clause’ was never intended to ban religion from the public arena. It was to prevent the imposition of a state religion which was, after all, the whole reason for coming to America in the first place.

The 1st Amendment says “Congress shall make no laws regarding the establishment of religion or prohibit the free exercise thereof.” Given the historical context in which the 1st Amendment was drafted, it is IMPOSSIBLE to believe the Founders intended to banish Jesus, God and the Bible from American life.

It is darned hard to read it that way even today. It forbids Congress from enacting laws establishing religion. But it also forbids Congress from prohibiting the free exercise of religion.

In addition, the 1st Amendment guarantees the right to freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right of people to peaceably assemble and the right to petition the government for redress of grievances.

It is worth noting that interpreting freedom OF religion as freedom FROM religion actually impinges on every other right guaranteed by the 1st Amendment, effectively nullifying both its application and intent.

If I am not free to preach from the Bible on public property, I am not free. Legal theory notwithstanding, in point of fact I am prohibited from the free exercise of religion. It also impinges on my right to free speech and my right to peaceably assemble.

The fact that these restrictions are limited to public lands is irrelevant and makes the prohibitions even more egregious since ‘public land’ — by definition — belongs to all of us.
(Indeed, public places are the ONLY places covered by the 1st Amendment. What is done on private property is protected by the Fourth Amendment, not the First.)

The second sentence of the Declaration of Independence specifically says my rights under the 1st Amendment are God-given and outside of the governments authority.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Notice that the Founders not only believed in the Creator, they were echoing Paul’s letter to the Romans, saying the existence of the Creator is ’self-evident’.
“For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, [because they are self-evident] being understood by the things that are made, [including the Founders] even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they [and all of us who came afterward] are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20)

America’s reliance on the Creator was the secret to her greatness. President John Adams said of the Constitution that it was “designed for a moral and religious people and wholly unsuited to any other.”

An immoral and irreligious people would find too much of it objectionable for it to long survive.

Assessment:
The Fourth of July is America’s birthday and a time of celebration unlike any other in the Republic. It used to be the day we thanked God for our blessings, before thanking God became illegal under certain circumstances, especially for students at graduations.
“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient.” (Romans 1:28)
Fast forward two-hundred and thirty-three years to July 4th, 2009. Things aren’t looking so good. There is no doubt that America is in decline. How did that happen? When did it start? What can we do about it?

A look at the high points and low points of American history is instructive in this regard. America was founded by men seeking freedom to worship God directly instead of worshipping the state masquerading itself as God. America prospered but her continuing existence was threatened by the immorality of slavery.

America’s lowest point was also her highest. When Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, the preservation of the Union was still very much in doubt. But from the moment slavery was abolished, her fortunes began to turn.

By the end of the 19th century, America had begun to be numbered among the world’s great nations. By the middle of the 20th century, America was the greatest single nation on the face of the earth.

England, which had been the world’s only superpower for four hundred years, lost the title as a consequence of the Second World War. But it sowed the seeds of its own decline twenty years earlier.

In 1917, Lord Balfour issued his famous proclamation granting the newly-captured territory of Palestine to the Jews as a “Jewish homeland.” At the time of the Balfour Declaration, the outcome of WWI was still very much in doubt.

Within a year, the Kaiser was vanquished and England owned most of the Middle East, including the Holy Land.

Once in possession, however, the Crown turned on the Jews, took away most of the Balfour land grant and severely restricted Jewish immigration.

Twenty years later, the British Empire stood in ruins as America was joined by only the second nation on earth to acknowledge God as the midwife responsible for its birth.
As America’s support for Israel increased, both nations prospered.

By the beginning of the last decade of the 20th century, both nations had peaked. Israel had become one of the ten wealthiest and most militarily powerful nations on earth.

The First Gulf War established America as the worlds’s undisputed leader and only superpower. Her lopsided victory over what had been considered the world’s fifth largest standing army in Iraq in 1991 led to the dissolution of the Soviet Union by the end of that same year.

In 1991,the world was in awe of America and her fortunes couldn’t have been higher. It is hard to recapture the feeling, but remember when the biggest worry facing America was how best to spend the ‘peace dividend?’

Then, in 1993 Bill Clinton involved the United States in the Oslo Land for Peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians.

On September 13, 1993 Bill Clinton urged Yitzhak Rabin to take the blood-stained hand of Yasser Arafat on the Rose Garden lawn, setting into motion the systematic dismantling of Eretz Yisrael.

“And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.” (Zechariah 12:3)

It is no coincidence that 1993 also the year that terror first came to America’s shores with the first bombing of the World Trade Center. Later that same year, the United States was forced to withdraw from Somalia after one of the most humiliating defeats in US history.

As America withdrew from Somalia in disarray, Osama bin Laden began the construction of terrorist training camps in Sudan.

Two days short of the eight year anniversary of that Rose Garden signing ceremony, 19 Muslim males between the ages of 17 and 35 hijacked four domestic aircraft and destroyed NY’s Twin Towers and severely damaged the US Pentagon.

The final death toll from the attack was 2,985 civilians — more than the number of US casualties at Pearl Harbor in 1941.

Eight years later, America is still at war. Her infrastructure is crumbling, her cities in disrepair. Her industrial base is imploding, her economy is in shambles. On this 4th of July, one in ten Americans is out of work and one in five is underemployed.
Sixteen years after Oslo, the Middle East is more volatile than it was when we starting backing Israel’s dismemberment as a viable peace plan. America’s standing among the nations has never been lower.

The country stands on the brink of economic depression, friendless, in debt and hopelessly entangled in a war specifically sparked by America’s involvement in Oslo, according to bin Laden’s 1998 declaration of war against the West
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This is easily the most depressing 4th of July message I’ve ever presented. I am so very sorry for that.

(Part of the reason today’s OL went out so late was because I kept trying to come up with a different message for today. But this is the only one the Lord would give me.)
I pray that someway, somehow, America will again heed the promise of 2nd Chronicles 7:14:
“If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

But with Barack Obama in the White House, humbling ourselves as a nation before God seems pretty unlikely.

There HAS to be some good news for this 4th of July, something to hang on to as we enjoy the hot dogs and ice cream and fireworks. And there is.

As bad as things are, they also serve as evidence that our God is still on the Throne and that He keeps His Word.

He promised to bless them that blessed Israel and curse them that curse Israel. He promised that any nation who involved itself with Jerusalem would be cut in pieces.
We did. And we are.

But He also promised that when those things prophesied for the last days began to come to pass, that it was a signal to look up and lift up our heads, for our redemption draws near.

When its bad news, God keeps His promises. He also keeps His promises when it is good news. The Lord is coming. He’s coming soon. He promised.

“Wherefore, comfort one another with these words.”

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In Congress, July 4, 1776 – The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen United States of America:

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. – That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, – That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. – Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. – And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

- John Hancock

New Hampshire:
Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton

Massachusetts:
John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry

Rhode Island:
Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery

Connecticut:
Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott

New York:
William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris

New Jersey:
Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark

Pennsylvania:
Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross

Delaware:
Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean

Maryland:
Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton

Virginia:
George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton

North Carolina:
William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn

South Carolina:
Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton

Georgia:
Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton

This is the America I was proud to grow up in. This is the America we all remember. Let us not let anyone take away our freedoms by standing quiet and allowing them to do so. If we go down, we must do it as Americans and do it fighting to our last breath.

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If you have chosen to read what is quoted below, you may wish to read the rest.

Take a breath. Listen to the people. Let’s just slow down and get some input from some nonpoliticians on the subject. Stop making everything an emergency. Stop speed reading our bills into law. I am not an activist. I am not a community organizer. Nor am I a terrorist, a militant or a violent person. I am a parent and a grandparent. I work. I’m busy. I’m busy. I am busy, and I am tired. I thought we elected competent people to take care of the business of government so that we could work, raise our families, pay our bills, have a little recreation, complain about taxes, endure our hardships, pursue our personal goals, cut our lawn, wash our cars on the weekends and be responsible contributing members of society and teach our children to be the same all while living in the home of the free and land of the brave.

I entrusted you with upholding the Constitution. I believed in the checks and balances to keep from getting far off course. What happened? You are very far off course. Do you really think I find humor in the hiring of a speed reader to unintelligently ramble all through a bill that you signed into law without knowing what it contained? I do not. It is a mockery of the responsibility I have entrusted to you. It is a slap in the face. I am not laughing at your arrogance. Why is it that I feel as if you would not trust me to make a single decision about my own life and how I would live it but you should expect that I should trust you with the debt that you have laid on all of us and our children. We did not want the TARP bill. We said no. We would repeal it if we could. I am sure that we still cannot. There is such urgency and recklessness in all of the recent spending.

From my perspective, it seems that all of you have gone insane. I also know that I am far from alone in these feelings. Do you honestly feel that your current pursuits have merit to patriotic Americans? We want it to stop. We want to put the brakes on everything that is being rushed by us and forced upon us. We want our voice back. You have forced us to put our lives on hold to straighten out the mess that you are making. We will have to give up our vacations, our time spent with our children, any relaxation time we may have had and money we cannot afford to spend on you to bring our concerns to Washington. Our president often knows all the right buzzword is unsustainable. Well, no kidding. How many tens of thousands of dollars did the focus group cost to come up with that word? We don’t want your overpriced words. Stop treating us like we’re morons.

*Update:
Stephen Green offers his thoughts on the direction our country appears to be headed at the moment.

The final sentence of his post tells the whole story.

Those stories will begin with: “Once upon a time there was a land called America.”

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Ed Morrissey wants your opinion on adopting a new National Anthem.

It didn’t take me long to cast my vote.

There seems to be quite enough change happening in America at the moment!

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Common sense.

“You’ve got to quit digging that hole.”

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This began as a post relaying my thoughts on much of today’s political spectrum, but in the end I felt as though there is more than enough negativity surrounding us all.

Instead, I chose to focus on that which (through all its’ faults) I have and will always hold dear.

Enjoy!

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Thursday, May 7th, is the 58th Annual Observance of the National Day of Prayer.

The theme, “Prayer…America’s Hope”, is derived from Psalm 33:22:

“May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord,

even as we put our hope in you.”

John Page, writing to Thomas Jefferson, July 20, 1776, on the signing of The Declaration of Independence:

God preserve the United States. We know the Race is not to the Swift nor the Battle to the Strong. Do you not think an Angel rides in the Whirlwind and directs this Storm?

Benjamin Franklin, Speech to the Constitutional Convention, June 28, 1787:

“The small progress we have made after four or five weeks close attendance & continual reasonings with each other—our different sentiments on almost every question, several of the last producing as many noes as ays, is methinks a melancholy proof of the imperfection of the Human Understanding. We indeed seem to feel our own want of political wisdom, since we have been running about in search of it. We have gone back to ancient history for models of Government, and examined the different forms of those Republics which having been formed with the seeds of their own dissolution now no longer exist. And we have viewed Modern States all round Europe, but find none of their Constitutions suitable to our circumstances.

In this situation of this Assembly, groping as it were in the dark to find political truth, and scarce able to distinguish it when presented to us, how has it happened, Sir, that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of lights to illuminate our understandings? In the beginning of the Contest with Great Britain, when we were sensible of danger we had daily prayer in this room for the divine protection. Our prayers, Sir, were heard, & they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a superintending providence in our favor. To that kind providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And have we now forgotten that powerful friend? Or do we imagine that we no longer need his assistance?

I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proof I see of this truth that God Governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings, that “except the Lord build the House they labour in vain that build it.” I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without his concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better, than the Builders of Babel: We shall be divided by our little partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall become a reproach and bye word down to future ages. And what is worse, mankind may hereafter from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing Governments by Human wisdom and leave it to chance, war and conquest.

I therefore beg leave to move-that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the Clergy of this City be requested to officiate in that Service.”

From the National Day of Prayer Official Website:

The History Of National Day Of Prayer

Why We Pray: This is a brief statement of the importance of prayer at significant times in our nation’s history.

What to Pray For: The National Day of Prayer Task Force is suggesting 7 points of prayer x 7 days a week:

7×7 involves praying for seven centers of power seven days a week:

Government, Military, Media, Business, Education, Church and Family.

If you click on the embedded links, each will take you to a page with reflections, suggested prayers and Bible verses for that point of power. If you would like to pray with others in your area they have a map that will take you to local gatherings.

May we remember and ponder these words of the Lord to Solomon:

“If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
2 Chronicles 7:13-14 (NASB)

This is perhaps the most important National Day of Prayer in our lifetime. Pray for our country.

Crossposted to Be John Galt and RedState Member Diaries.

__________

H/T: The National Day of Prayer Official Website, The Congressional Prayer Caucus, The Sheila Variations.

Benjamin Franklin’s speech: Holograph manuscript copy, from Manuscript Division, Library of Congress.

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Talk and more talk everywhere about where and how the Republican party has gone wrong.

Given the events of the past few months and the beating we have taken from the negativity coming out of our own White House, it would no doubt do well for the party to take a page out of Big Mitch’s book and “Stand Up For America”:

Be positive, tell us what is good and strong about our country.

Wave the American Flag.

Challenge the negativity, if not with policy then with words, real words which define America and Americans.

Respect those who have joined in tea parties. Make your appearance on news programs and tell people how proud you are to stand with those who challenge this Administration.

Better yet, as elected officials, arrange a few of these gatherings yourselves.

Talk about our troops. Put them back into the hearts and minds of those who may have forgotten.

And, oh yes, those “Bible Thumping Christians,” they had better be a strong part of this movement or the foundation upon which this country was built will crumble even further.

We’ve lost something recently in this country. Republicans have a chance to begin to give it back.

We just need to find the right person to go back to the fundamentals. Not just fiscal policy. Not social programs. Not even foreign policy at the moment, but addressing the Constitution and all our Forefathers envisioned for this Nation.

For just a moment make it about country and not politics..it just might work.

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I did not watch the 100 days in office, pat myself on the back, news conference and it is no doubt a good thing.

Shopping for a new television is not exactly in the budget, but it would have been a necessity if I had heard this:

President Barack Obama marked his 100th day in office by telling Americans that “we’ve begun the work of remaking America.”

[Emphasis-mine]

In our short history we have encountered many, many difficulties but our citizens are resilient, strong and loyal patriots.

We have faced many an adversity which would have created a third world environment for other nations, yet we have always found ourselves leaving each challenge behind and moving ahead as a stronger, more vital nation.

If this remake of America is in the vein of Alinsky, Marx, Ayers, Soros and Wright then we all might as well fold up the tent and go home.

If the remake of America includes placing terrorists (who really have and would again torture) in our midst just to show our softer side, then we will suffer the consequences [sooner or later] of those actions.

If the remake of America is an attempt to nationalize financial institutions and private industry, then this administration is off to a running start.

If the remake of America is an attempt at long term one party rule by utilizing deception, with the press as a willing accomplice, then Obama and Congress are well on their way.

If the remake of America means one never has to take personal responsibility for actions or decisions..well that one speaks for itself.

America does not need a re-do. America needs a strong, steady, honest and humble man/woman guiding her through troubled times no matter their source.

,

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And fired the shot heard round the world…

April 19, 1775

What made the farmers fight in 1775?  Judge Millen Chamberlain in 1842, when he was twenty-one, interviewed Captain Preston, a ninety-year-old veteran of the Concord fight: “Did you take up arms against intolerable oppression?” he asked.

“Oppression?” replied the old man. “I didn’t feel them.”

“What, were you not oppressed by the Stamp Act?”

“I never saw one of those stamps. I certainly never paid a penny for one of them.”

“Well, what then about the tea tax?”

“I never drank a drop of the stuff; the boys threw it all overboard.”

“Then I suppose you had been reading Harington or Sidney and Locke about the eternal principles of liberty?”

“Never heard of ‘em. We read only the Bible, the Catechism, Watts’ Psalms and Hymns, and the Amanac.”

“Well, then, what was the matter? And what did you mean in going to the fight?”

“Young man, what we meant in going for those redcoats was this: we always had governed ourselves, and we always meant to. They didn’t mean we should.“

The Oxford History of the American People by Samuel Eliot Morison (212-213).

April 19th, 1775 ~ Patriots’ Day

The Old North Church ~ Paul Revere’s Ride ~ Hartwell Tavern

The Battle of Lexington ~ The Battle of Concord

Meriam’s Corner ~ Battle Road ~ Parker’s Revenge

Hour by Hour

An Eyewitness Account

Quotes & Details of the Day

Blogging the Revolution ~ Blogging the Redcoats

Crossposted to BeJohnGalt and RedState Member Diaries

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The Patriot Post has a special Easter Edition out this week. Their commentary is titled, Resurrection Observance, 2009–Real Hope.  The issue has this quote posted at the top:

“The Hand of providence has been so conspicuous in all this, that he must be worse than an infidel that lacks faith, and more than wicked, that has not gratitude enough to acknowledge his obligations. … The blessed Religion revealed in the word of God will remain an eternal and awful monument to prove that the best Institution may be abused by human depravity. … It is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favors.”

–George Washington

The edition includes quotes from other Founders along with commentary and is well worth reading.

For I delivered unto you as of first importance, what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (NASB)

Note from ~J~ It is Sue’s and my extreme pleasure to have INC onboard as a writer on this blog. She will be writing as time and circumstances allow her to write, and we are grateful to have her with us. Please welcome her to our blog.

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Here’s a little something from the fair, balanced, unbiased media.

Caution:
You may find it a bit disturbing depending on your feelings toward America.

Video credit: Townhall

How sickening that an entertainer such as Mr. Matthews would assume that the citizens of this country should accept this insult.

Remember the American Flags with Barack Obama’s face plastered on them? In case you have forgotten, here’s a little reminder:

There was nary a word uttered by the incoming leader of the free world at the time about how our Stars and Stripes should not be desecrated in such a fashion.

Is it any surprise that there has be no denouncement from the administration of Matthews statement? Sadly, the answer is no. That would take humility, and an understanding of those who take offense at their nation being labeled as one of not a democracy, but of leader worship (dictatorship).

Think about it, “The United States of Obama,”..say it a few times and wonder out loud exactly what the implications are of a journalist using such words without correction.

Perhaps it’s just another of those little things those of us not caught up in the mania which currently exists just don’t understand. I for one know I never will.

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I came across the link to the following video while reading Sister Toldja’s blog.

It is painful to watch the first few seconds and see the man who has been entrusted with our leadership insult America on foreign soil, but it is sure worth seeing Charles Krauthammer take him to task:

A person who loves America would not retreat to a foreign nation and speak ill of her. Especially one in a position of power.

What a disgrace, and as Krauthammer so aptly pointed out, Kondrake in his defense of Obama was simply rewriting history.

There seems to be a lot of that going around lately.

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Have you noticed the mood in the country recently?

Are we seeing more and more Americans who are not willing to simply hand over our country to those in Washington who have some plan to remake our great nation?

Has the press finally caught on that they facilitated the election of someone totally unqualified to be POTUS?

“You’re sitting here. And you’re— you are laughing. You are laughing about some of these problems. Are people going to look at this and say, “I mean, he’s sitting there just making jokes about money—” How do you deal with— I mean: explain. . .” Kroft asks at one point.

“Are you punch drunk?” Kroft says.

Barack Obama was going to repair America’s image around the world, remember? Yet he has managed in record time to insult and be dissed by several world leaders.

As for the bedrock of our economy, you know that little thing called capitalism, this administration, with the help of a Democratic Congress
is slowly working toward its demise.

More and more you read those who are depressed and feel helpless to remove this brand of hope and change which has been imposed upon our country.

Merle Haggard performed this piece of music back in 1983. In it he makes a number of statements which could easily be rendered appropriate today:

Let’s hope we can stop this snowball from running down the hill.
Make phone calls, send emails, attend tea parties if you can.

Inform the White House that you want a President who is accounted for in Washington once in a while.

California is nice, friendly territory, Camp David is meant as a retreat from months of sweat and toil, not an every weekend mini-vacation, and the Jay Leno show..well, very that’s just unbecoming the Office of the Presidency. Constant stories of social gatherings are tiresome when you have so many struggling to simply put food on their table.

And, for gosh sakes, why do we have to see any POTUS almost every day delivering not much more than another campaign speech. How about some quiet, honest to gosh governance?

2010 is not that far away. If you have the time give a hand to a Republican candidate who will be either challenged or the opponent in a House or Senate race. Don’t give up because of some skewed poll or a talking head who tells you the GOP has no chance…those games are getting old.

Remember when Ronald Reagan was elected. Many said he was exactly what the country needed at the time. Patriotism flowed from every vein in his body.

Does anyone see that enthusiasm for our nation or its flag exhibited now?

No, we are constantly told of all that’s wrong with America. Well, if we were so wrong up to this point, then mark me down on the side of wrong because all this change will leave this country bare and allow powerhouses such as China to continue to make major moves toward ownership of the United States.

We need a strong hand at the helm of government at this juncture in our history, not a giggling, teleprompter dependent, vacationing, party throwing individual.

There is serious work to be done, both on the domestic and foreign fronts, and its about time this administration take its responsibilities seriously.

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Tomas Paine then:

Common Sense[1] was a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine. It was first published anonymously on January 10, 1776, during the American Revolution. Common Sense presented the American colonists with an argument for independence from British rule at a time when the question of independence was still undecided. Paine wrote and reasoned in a style that common people understood; forgoing the philosophy and Latin references used by Enlightenment era writers, Paine structured Common Sense like a sermon and relied on Biblical references to make his case to the people.[2] Historian Gordon S. Wood described Common Sense as, “the most incendiary and popular pamphlet of the entire revolutionary era.”[3]

“Thomas Paine”, now: (While the video is 6 minutes in length, it is worthy of viewing to completion)

When a silent majority allows their nation to lose their common sense, that nation is lost.

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Good Question.

We Media/Zogby Poll: Who will lead us to a better future?

Now for some not so surprising answers:

MIAMI – Most Americans are putting their faith in small business owners, entrepreneurs and science and technology leaders to lead the U.S. to a better future – and they are significantly less hopeful the news media, government or large corporations will do the same, a new We Media/Zogby Interactive poll shows.

Nearly two-thirds of Americans (63%) said small business and entrepreneurs will lead the U.S. to a better future, while 52% said the same of science and technology leaders. Americans are far less optimistic about the leadership of government (31%), large corporations and business leaders (21%), or traditional news media such as newspapers, television, radio, and magazines (13%).

Americans think leadership toward a better future is more likely to come from family and friends (38%), non-profit groups (32%), or even themselves (36%).

About all those news organizations who are having a tough time holding it together lately? How about these numbers:

Nearly half of Americans (46%) said they first turn to Internet news sites for information on breaking news about national and government issues and nearly as many (40%) said online news sites are where they get most of their news and information. These online sites far outpace traditional news sources, such as television (25%), radio (14%), and newspapers (12%), as a source of daily news and information. It comes as no surprise that younger Americans are most likely to favor online news sources, but only those age 65 and older are more likely to turn to television (36%) over the Internet (29%) to get their news.

all emphasis-mine

Maybe, just maybe if the majority of the media in this country were not so biased, those willing to view or purchase their product would increase.

It would be encouraging to believe that the results garnered by Zogby in this survey are from a cross-section of the country.

If that is the case then maybe, just maybe, we can turn the corner quickly and stop putting our faith and hope in changing our country as those in the press and Washington wish us to do.

Let’s put our faith and hope back in the hands of Americans who believe that with hard work and determination we will remain the strong, vital nation which we have always been.

HT:Instapundit

If you have a few minutes you might also want to check out this post:

I missed the speech last night. I could not stomach listening to someone promise everything in the world as if he had a magic wand. It is not so much the wild, fantasy promises – but the fact Americans are buying them that really turns me off.

Anyway, I am not sure how well this is all going over. I don’t believe in the tooth fairy and I know that all those TV shows and movies where they pull a hat out of a rabbit is not real life. And I think (though I cannot know for sure) most people are realistic enough to know when they are being snowed.

Well said!

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The Anchoress misses former President Bush. Me too.

The man was always true to his word. No double talk, no constant campaigning – just words from the heart. Whether one agreed or disagreed with his policies,you knew where he stood.

We should all expect at least that much from the leader of the free world.

Below is an excerpt from an interview Alan Colmes conducted with Bill Ayers:

On setting bombs as part of the Weather Underground:

“I don’t regret anything I did it to oppose the war. It was — I did it to oppose the war. I don’t regret it.”

“I don’t look back on those things and regret them, but I’m willing to rethink them. And there are many things which I’m going to rethink.”

Ah, the company the current administration in Washington has chosen to keep.

Taking of life or property in acts of domestic terrorism is nothing to regret..not even a cause for remorse. It must be nice to live in that world.

The more I read about this man the more I believe he should have a strong leadership role for the GOP in the Senate:

Jim DeMint’s gentlemanly air and refined tone belie a power and an urgency in his words.

The stately senator from South Carolina sees America’s unique centuries-old system of freedom dying out.

And he thinks we may have to take to the streets to save it.

“I would think it’s time to start thinking about peaceful demonstrations,” he told us last week.

Seriously?

“Seriously.

“The power of the people is there. Freedom is in the people’s hands right now, and it’s about to slip through.”

Of course, the recent “stimulus” debate is what’s fresh on DeMint’s mind. Despite DeMint’s putting 15 aides on it overnight, no one in Washington was able to read the bill, which was the most expensive in American history — as well as being perhaps the most irresponsible.

emphasis-mine

About those demonstrations..the ball is rolling.

How long the momentum lasts or the numbers involved is anyone’s guess, but if things continue in the vein of the past month, one might think it would be a long time and many Americans.

Are the tears of joy turning to a bit of anger? Gee, that didn’t take long.

While reading and posting tonight hubby was watching a special on Fats Domino.

Thought I’d close this post with one of his best.

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