Pause for reflection

I'll get to the meat in a moment. But first: For those readers who actually noticed my absence of postings over the past couple of weeks and may have momentarily lamented the absence, please accept my apology. (For the rest of you, I suppose it doesn't really matter, does it? Oh, well.) I had to take a break because after getting halfway through what would have been the blog following "Looking for Hope," I looked at it with utter disappointment and ended up deleting it. It wasn't acceptable to me. I was tired. In a sense, I had lost hope too.

I was tired of putting so much time and effort into what is simply a hobby blog (since I make no money off it) that allows me to air my frustrations about the world. I was tired of the people who rag me for even bothering, because they believe (and I began to believe) no one cares. I was tired of putting my heart, soul and mind into trying to wake people up, only to realize most folks don't want to wake up, and many who are awake feel they have no control or effect anyway.  I was tired of only getting feedback from a couple of friends; and being me, I figured they were just pumping me up because of that friendship (and I truly appreciate that, guys - and gal). After all, I'm not a world-class blogger who gets picked up by the 'big boys' or called to comment on Fox News (Love you, Michele Malkin!); I'm just a guy who comes home from work and pounds on the keys in an effort to provide new information, and perhaps new perspective.

Then I re-read my last post, and realized I was succumbing to the very thing I was writing about. I had forgotten what got me started on this in the first place. I began this tacky little blog knowing full well it would remain virtually unknown. But I thought that if I could change one mind, lift one heart, teach one thing that might save one life or soul, it was worth the time and trouble. After due deliberation, I still believe that.

So, here I go again. The preceding passage is probably the most personal pronouns I've used in decades, and it's uncomfortable for me to do so, but the explanation was needed, both to air out my own difficulties and to offer something to the one or two people who might actually read this far.  For you, dear friends, thanks for sticking with it.  Now, on to the stuff that matters.

Polish off the crystal ball.  Naturally, most people would choose to be optimistic; good for them. But there comes a point where to ignore the obvious is just plain stupid. If you are willing to continue wrapping yourself in your own personal bubble and ignore what is happening around us, you are - along with a couple hundred million others in this country - setting yourself up for even worse disaster than those who go in possibly helpless but open-eyed. We each make choices every day. Sometimes those choices - whether choices of ommission or comission - can affect not only ourselves but many others we may never meet.  Can something be done? I believe so, but we are rapidly running out of time, largely due to apathy, disbelief and indecision.  Let's take a look at just a couple of things that are currently on the radar. Put these under the heading: Did You Know?

Rise of the Police State. I've noted before that a dramatic change is taking shape among American police forces, and it isn't necessarily for the better.  I've stated previously that I generally support police and law enforcement, but I've also said that laws don't always equate to justice.  Increasingly, the law is being used not to keep the peace, but is being used as a hammer by petty bureaucrats, politicians and organizations with an agenda that doesn't respect personal liberty, equal justice or equal opportunity. And the changing social paradigm - the way people operate on a personal level - is producing new attitudes of disrespect and belligerence across the spectrum of society.

Increasingly we are seeing a rise in the number of cases - often documented in videos - of officers either out-of-control, or being directed by their superiors toward totalitarian behaviors. The calm, rational  Joe Friday and Adam 12  characterizations are giving way to a new sort of cop; but that sort is actually very common, especially in almost every other nation on the planet.  The new breed presents itself as superficially dedicated to law enforcement, but all too often seems detached from what used to be the supremacy of the US Constutition and the Bill of Rights.  And law uncoupled from the restraints imposed on it by those documents leads to ominous and bad things happening to honest citizens and future generations.

Change in the religious paradigm.   A recent Gallup poll indicates that Muslim-Americans are the most optimistic segment of society.  That probably comes as a shock to many Christians, who have always felt we had a corner on that market.  Of course, it's possible the poll numbers may be skewed either intentionally or incidentally, but the fact that they are providing legitimacy to the claim only increases the odds it will become self-fulfilling.

But why wouldn't American-based Muslims feel optimistic? The government supports nearly everything they do, they are making inroads throughout the culture with the help of this malAdministration's clear favoritism, plus support from bureacrats, the media, and millions of dollars pumped from the Saudis, Hezzbollah, Hamas, CAIR and other activist groups. Meanwhile, the former majority of benignly-dominant Christians are fast becoming the new persecuted faith along with a global resurgence of anti-Semitism. Churches are being attacked, invaded, burned and vandalized here and around the world. Christians are being harrassed, tortured and killed for their faith more than they have in hundreds of years. Much of American media is waging a tacit campaign against Christianity, but minimizes or virtually ignores the dark deeds of Muslims, including "honor" killings, beheadings, sexual and spousal abuse, money-laundering, terrorist support and direct actions and other crimes - including those commited in our own country.  Is there really any wonder why Christians are losing their traditional optimism for this world, and further retreating into their consideration of the next?  After all, it takes time for a formerly dominant culture to acclimatize to being the new persecuted sub-class, especially when its own laws and institutions have been thoroughly infiltrated and are being used against it.

And while we're on this happy train of thought, consider this: the evidence is mounting that there is an active push to start any sort of real social crisis, including a full-fledged race war. The race-baiters have been at it for years, but now there is active incitement. It began with so-called 'flash-robs': large groups of people who organize on social networks such as Twitter, meet up and essentially invade a store, stripping its shelves of everything they can carry, and run out the door leaving the shop-keepers bewildered and enraged, customers terrified, and police helpless to stop it.

The latest phase seems to be centered around violent confrontations calculated to provoke via race, like the LA riots in the wake of the Rodney King verdict. A recent, unprovoked mob attack by more than a hundred blacks at the Wisconsin state fair Thursday night appears to have been specifically targeting white people bringing their families to the fair. Numerous fairgoers were beaten and cars damaged by the mob. Note to the oblivious: When someone incites attacks on innocent people with their families, they don't expect to get a cheery aftermath. This was calculated by someone to attract retribution and further violence.

We're also seeing outbreaks of spontaneous violence elsewhere, including a Philadelphia incident (no longer the 'City of Brotherly Love') in which a woman on a bus who felt slighted by another passenger phoned a group of others who met her at the bus stop openly waving firearms and then fired randomly at the bus with an AK-47 semiauto. Fortunately, no one was injured. Unfortunately, no one on the bus was able to fire back in self-defense.

Expect to see more of these violent provocations and incidents taking place across the country. The mindset of America has been altered through decades of programmed ignorance of our founding values and social mores, the skewering and deconstruction of our language, history (both good and bad) and national goals, the undermining of our economic principles and social institutions.  When you have a state (Pennsylvania, again) that declares that owning a cellphone is a civil right and the state is obligated to provide one to the poor - along with 250 free (taxpayer-bought) minutes per month, you know something is radically wrong.  I mean, really; if a massive solar storm or EMP wipes out cellphone service, does that make the state a violator of civil rights for not protecting against it? And why only provide them to the poor? Shouldn't every citizen be entitled to those "free" phones and minutes? [Insert scream of frustration here]  This is a perfect reminder that the State cannot legitimately provide rights, it can only protect God-given Rights - which was the primary function of American government from the beginning - and grant (or revoke) Privileges.  Many people cannot tell the difference between the two, but we will certainly recognize when we lose them.

We are headed 180 degrees away from what our Founders intended, and what they sacrificed so much for. We have gone from the Greatest Generation straight into the Prodigal Generation. And that's the last stop before the train hits the mountainside.

What is occurring today is the result of intricate planning that began more than a century ago, aimed at the dissolution of the American Republic and our liberty - the greatest social experiment in history. We are at the end of the beginning of the end. We have reached the tipping point, and it could go either way; but at the moment we are leaning in the wrong direction. Those hardy and vocal conservative souls who are keeping the heat on are the last bastion.

Yes; I believe God is in charge; but throughout history, good people have suffered along with the bad. He expects us to act anyway, and He is not only directing, He is waiting for us on the other end, but He is also waiting for us to act in the here and now. Our duty is in the effort, His will be the result.

Suck-Session

Most of those brave and/or curious few who bother to read this tacky little blog already see the tragedy that is unfurling daily in what now has become plain sight. We - the people who appreciate our heritage, love liberty, are willing to put up with people who disagree with us, who understand the value of virtues (even if we fall a little short on them ourselves), respect God, and generally foot the bill for the thieves, parasites and malcontents among us - are under assault on every front: economically, militarily, politically, culturally, legally, socially. Here are some glimpses of the latest hijacks...er...hijinks.

The Left is in full-court press against the US Constitution, our economy, and the American people. That guy in the White House is slamming us with everything from a brownie ban to a ban on offshore drilling for US companies while China, Cuba, and other hostile nations freely poke holes off our shores, surely smirking as they drain the oil (and the future) out of our own backyard. Despite his campaign rhetoric (the only thing the Left actually does well, if not truthfully) of transparency and jobs creation, he has quietly filled every bureaucracy (and has created dozens more) with proudly socialist/progressive czars and lackeys, and has overseen fiscal malfeasance that has pushed unemployment to 9.8%.

The Lame Duck session of Congress is winding down, pushing out as much legalized corruption as possible before the clock runs out on their merry mayhem. In between defeating a ban on earmarks, trying to control the food supply and limiting the volume on TV commercials (something I could actually agree with them on if it didn't open the door to more control), in one of many measures to stifle actual debate our lawmakers dazzled their employers (us) with inane "stall talk" that has no bearing whatsoever on their official function. But then again, if they just stuck with that sort of inane floor speech instead of the destructive legislation they are so famous for, wouldn't we all be better off?

Don't bother to ask; I'll just tell you.  If the recent episode where Commander-in-Chief Obama inadvertently(?) disrespected Medal of Honor recipient SSgt. Salvatore Giunta wasn't enough of a slap at those who go into harm's way on our behalf, his directorate in the Department of Defense just chose to lower our defenses a bit further by using a new "study" that indicates more than half of the US military is in favor of open homosexuality in the ranks to push for repeal of the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy. Never mind that pesky little stat that says the combat 'grunts' - especially Marines-don't like the prospect of the guy next to them in the foxhole (gives it a whole new meaning, doesn't it?) trying for a little "action" of a different sort during a lull in the combat. As in most human activities, perception counts for a lot; and as expected, most of those in the military poll who supported open homosexuality are the guys and gals in the rear (no pun intended...really) with the gear.

SecDef Robert Gates and JCoS Admiral Mike Mullen did what Cabinet officials are supposed to do; they essentially told the military to suck it up (OK; that one was intentional) and follow orders blindly.

Incidentally, during an uplifting speech to the troops during his surprise visit to Afghanistan, Obama apparently forgot the Coast Guard is part of the military he commands so well. Who writes this guy's speeches, anyway?
Mine your own business.  As long as we're on the subject of national defense, how much sense does it make for the US to allow a State-controlled Russian firm to buy the mineral rights to two Wyoming uranium mines? The NRC has tentatively approved licenses for one existing and one proposed mine, which are already owned by a Canadian firm. Is there anyone else besides me that sees anything wrong with this picture? Thankfully, yes; there are a handful of congress-folks who are eyeing this situation carefully. But in light of the fact that the Russians have provided nuclear material to Iran, and Putin recently gave the US a not-so-veiled warning to "[not] interfere with the sovereign choice of the Russian people," this has troubling potential. The current permit prohibits export of nuclear fuel, but it isn't as though the Russians have ever let the rules of other nations stand in their way.

Art crass.  The vaunted Smithsonian Institution has since its creation been sort of a protector of American history, heritage, accomplishment and culture. Alas, it has also been co-opted by the Left in an attempt to hide, minimize, and marginalize Americans and give them the impression that, rather being than the greatest nation in history, America is only a thugocracy (true, at least whenever Democrats have been in charge) that rapes the rest of the world and keeps them in perpetual misery. The latest attack was via an "art" exhibit that sensationalizes sexuality - not the normal kind, of course. As though to insure it offended the most people, part of the exhibit was a video that depicts a crucifix covered with blood and ants. I have no idea what the connection to the theme was supposed to be, but the righteous outrage (did I mention it was presented over the Christmas holidays?) of a couple of sensible congressmen finally convinced the amoral cretin in charge - with not-so-veiled threats to "look" at their funding - to pull that particularly egregious part of a totally degenerate exhibit, thereby proving that even a total ass can do the right thing, at least under duress.

'Net results.  Despite opposition from Congress and the lack of any specific power in its charter, FCC Chairman Julius (Caesar) Genachowski has grasped at power not rightfully his by firing the opening shot against those in the blogosphere who oppose the "higher powers" with the execution (?) of Net Neutrality, a lame excess to impose new rules on internet providers - and therefore, on internet users.

Y R U?

A small story passed through the news outlets this week that most people either missed completely or missed the significance (as I see it) of it. The YMCA is changing its brand and and logo to simply "The Y".  When I went to the "Y"s website searching for their history I found that the page had been scrubbed, although you can still find some of the history at local Y sites. Fortunately, you can still find a decent history of it at wikipedia.

No big thing? Hardly. It's another step in deChristianizing our culture. So, it's no longer known as the Young Men's Christian Association (not that it's been an overtly Christian outreach for a long, long time). Now, it's just an ambiguous letter, something that will grab the attention of a very short-attention-span culture.

We're seeing this trend throughout the nation, although it happens on such a low-key level most people don't even notice. More hospitals, nursing homes and other care-giving centers - originally founded almost exclusively by Christians - are losing their "St. (Saint) ....." names as they are gobbled up by secular conglomerates and holding companies. The Roman Catholic Church is shrivelling up because they lost control of their own message and allowed their priesthood to be infiltrated by socialist activists and pedophiles. Much of the Protestant Church has followed a similar path, preaching the "social gospel" instead of the salvation gospel, "social justice" rather than equal justice. The trend is seeping out into the general culture, such as it is anymore.  Anytime now I expect the American Red Cross to come up with their own "less confrontational" symbol. Wouldn't want to distress those atheists, Muslims, and Wiccans now, would we?  Oops; they're already considering it.

Maybe you're someone who doesn't believe in God, so all this hullaballoo doesn't really mean anything to you.  I urge you to give it a little more thought. 
 

Many secular humanists, or nonbelievers by whatever title, ideologically tend to see Man as basically good, whereas the Christian Church (at least a majority of traditional Protestant denominations of the Lutheran/Calvinist bent) views Man as a creature fallen from God's Grace because of Adam's sin.  Working within this premise, the main reason government always leans toward corruption is due to that fallen nature. The unrealistic expectation is that you can bribe (and/or trust) people to be good indefinitely, based simply on the supposition of intrinsic goodness. Unfortunately, such "goodness" among the unsaved only ever lasts until the bribes run out, or the increasing need for greater bribes surpasses the individual's ability to resist temptation. Our Founders understood this principle, and incorporated safeguards into our US Constitution. It both highlights and requires protection of the basic Rights of man (and states the source), and provides a balance of power among those who rule. The people of our nation in particular, and billions of people worldwide have enjoyed, if not appreciated, the products services and moral safety net that Christianity established over the past two millenia.

No parchment, document or law can insure the morality of a culture, and mankind remains imperfect, tainted, morally weak, and ultimately selfish. Nevertheless, our original form of government, coupled with a deeply-embedded Christian worldview, has been a beacon of hope and a shining example to hundreds of millions of people around the world for the past couple of centuries. Americans in particular have been riding the coattails of the Protestant work ethic and moral code, but so many can't even see the relevency. Most of the world has benefited from America's greatness. Not just our technology, but our ideas on how man should behave toward one another. The world has seen us make mistakes, but they've also seen the great effort and progress we've made in overcoming those mistakes.

 

Now we live in an era not so much of change, as of destruction; the willful, conscious eroding of the very principles and protections that have allowed our national greatness. The envious have taken charge through guile and deceit, and they are gutting us from the inside out.  As secularists slowly minimize or steal the presence, effect and symbols of our faith, they are also determined to remove the cultural witness to the greatness that Christianity has accomplished. At the same time, they are slowly stealing our hope, as each successive generation gets less exposure to its tenets and teachings, and that will insure ruin and hopelessness for us all. In the end, those who have cried for "change" will eventually fall to their knees and hope to change back. But by then it may be too late.

How much room is there under the bus?

There's an old expression that says, "May you live in interesting times."  It isn't meant as a compliment. We are undoubtedly living in interesting times, and it certainly isn't a compliment to us. To those who are paying attention, the confluence of all the bits of information indicate that we are now plunging headlong toward an America none of us (at least those over forty or so) will recognize.

America was founded upon Judeo-Christian principles to be a beacon of liberty to the world; and we have been that for well over two hundred years. Never perfect (but there has never been a perfect nation) and not without flaws, America was nevertheless the one place in the world that oppressed  and downtrodden people could look to.  Even if they couldn't get here themselves, this country inspired people the world over and gave them the dream and hope that there was someplace where people could live and breathe free, pursue their dreams, and have the law actually give them some protection against oppression or persecution, if they could just get here and dig their heels in and work to achieve their dreams. Millions in other countries took up that challenge, coming here themselves with virtually nothing but the shirts on their backs. Others sacrificed so their children might chase the dream instead.

That dream is dying; or perhaps more accurately, it is being deliberately strangled. The principles that have shepherded us for centuries are being ignored, hampered, and impugned.  The next logical step in our transition from a free society to a cradle-to-grave authoritarian nanny state is probably a combination of contrived chaos (to produce a perceived threat) and judicial/executive fiat to modify, supplant, or repeal the laws that have traditionally protected us.

The US Constitution is neither taught, understood, obeyed or enforced by the current malAdministration, and this will only get worse. President Obama and his advisors and cohorts are gutting our constitutional safeguards and threatening the liberties that they are pledged to protect.

A short list of relevent examples would include:

• Obama's nominee for Supreme Court Justice, Elena Kagan, has argued that flag-burning should not be banned but certain speech should be "disappeared", and that free speech should be weighed against "societal costs," and that some restrictionson speech are preferable to none...for example, "by preventing a few voices from drowning out others."  Sounds suspiciously like she'd be in favor of silencing conservative talk radio because it might oppose government policy.
• Obama's Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, is trying to give our Second Amendment rights away to the UN.
• During a joint press conference at the White House, President Obama  and Mexico's President Calderon took turns insulting Arizona for defending itself, while Progressive/Socialist/Democrats applauded. Perhaps Obama might at least consider parity rather than national submission, since Mexico's own immigration laws look like ours should. Perhaps el Presidente Calderon should take his own hypcrisy home with him. Incidentally, Obama only allowed one American reporter to ask a question at the press conference; a reporter from Spanish-language network Univision. What do you think their take on the immigration situation is?
• The Supreme Court is nudging us away from the US Constitution in favor of international (socialist) law interpretations. So they think the laws that aren't working elsewhere will somehow, magically work here.
• The EPA is now trying to merge with liberal churches in an attempt to harness them in that part of their agenda which promotes environmentalism and planet-worship (Gaiaism) as the new State psuedo-religion. By co-opting many people's spiritual longing and redirecting it from Christ to Gaia, the Statist big brains want to convince congregations to adopt "social justice" (redistribution of wealth, aka legalized theft) as their religious theme.
• Part of the "Mob-ization" of America is the use of SEIU union thugs to intimidate ordinary citizens. There is an ominous parallel between SEIU's tactics and the tactics of the Nazi Party's SA troopers - the notorious "brownshirts" that intimidated and assaulted Hitler's political opponents in the early days of his election campaign. Intimidation is in fact becoming a favorite technique of the Left in general. Consider the ginned-up blogs and threats of congressional investigation for perfectly legal activities and White House-orchestrated boycotts against Glenn Beck in an attempt to punish and discredit him for his major investigative work. Hasn't really worked though; his ratings have shot up 22% in the past week alone. If Beck is so wrong, why do they always attack him, but never present any serious challenge to his evidence?

Define 'sedition'.  Between watching our top government leaders and officials gut the Constitution, undermine our laws and betray our principles, and allowing taxpayer-paid teachers to poison young minds, the next generation of Americans will have no idea what it means to be in control of your own life. 

I've said it before: Everyone begins life with their personal 'meter' at 'zero'.  All your positive life experiences push that meter upward, while your negative experiences push it backwards.  Today's kids have the most potential ever; not because they are superior, but because they can reap the benefits of all those who have gone and done before them. But if they are never taught to recognize the positive influences they should pay attention to, they will get sucked in by the negative influences.  It has happened before -- the young, the bored, the hungry, the angry, the frustrated, the scared, and oh, yes, the illiterate; all good candidates for evil leaders to take advantage of for their own nefarious purposes.

Our young people have incredible, amazing potential; but they could also be turned into a new generation of "stormtroopers" by being convinced that they are superior, or that they are "destined" to assist the advancement of a "Brave New World".  Unfortunately, most of them have not been told to be careful what they wish for. It is our present task, our responsibility, our DUTY, to try and teach them the difference between good and evil in an age of relativism, to teach them responsibility instead of entitlement; to teach them that God is superior to man, and that one's disbelief is not proof of His non-existence. It is a task we cannot accomplish alone or with ease, because the brainwashing, conditioning and propaganda has been eating away at them their whole, short lives. But we must try, and we cannot afford to give up.  Millions of lives - present and future - depend on what we do with our time here, and we will be Judged on our efforts.