In Boxing that would be Mohammad Ali. I came home late one weekend and found a documentary on television. It was called "A.K.A. Cassius Clay" filmed in 1970. That was when Ali had lost his titles and his riches for refusing to submit to the draft. He didn't run away to Canada. He didn't refuse to report to the draft office. He didn't say he would refuse or even resist any punishment that the authorities may dictate. And though he spoke out against what he saw as wrong, he didn't tear down but looked to build up. He gave a positive message of hope and empowerment. He was admired by black radicals and white leftists though his words matched neither. He won the respect of all. I had tears in my eyes when I watched him with the Olympic torch in 1996.
Whether you see his stand against what he saw as an unjust war, Vietnam, as protected by freedom of faith or not makes no difference. He was a man who accomplished greatness in his life. Reached the top and knew it. But more importantly he was a man who was right, not Wright, with God. A rightness, or righteousness, not determined by one groups narrow view of salvation but by knowing the real God and man's place in His world. He was right with God before he became Muslim and he was right with God after he became Muslim. Though he was condemned he was free, for God is the origin of freedom and without God there is no freedom. Something the founders of this great nation understood.
If you know the Bible, a nation failed or prospered depending on its leader's standing with the one God. Humility before God is what I saw in former president Bush and admired. It is why I was his supporter even when he was unpopular and I didn't necessarily agree with everything he did. It is why I believe our nation was protected from further terrorist attacks.
I would argue that a proper view of manhood comes from being right with God. That the development of civilization itself can be linked to a growing awareness of the one God. That this nation of the United States is so immensely blessed because its founders acknowledged God and His glory inherent in every man.
Is a man who trashes our Constitution, who cannot understand its spiritual foundations. a man right with God? Is a man who speaks out to support the practice of allowing babies born alive during an abortion to be killed, a man who is right with God? Is a man who sought out and admires radicals, Marxists and communists, who pursues failed socialist policies a man right with God? Is a man who sees government as the solution and seeks to extend its powers into every aspect of people's lives a man right with God?
I pray for President Obama everyday. Because more than his policies, the fortunes of this nation, and much of the world, rest on President Obama being right with God. And that will be reflected in a change of his policies, or should I say the rejection of policies of the likes of Pelosi and Frank. That's how I see it.
Here is Mohammad Ali winning the world heavy weight championship. I hope to get the chance to see the entire film "A.K.A. Cassius Clay" sometime. It would make a nice gift.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
People in Glass Houses
The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) is weeks gone by now. I was inspired by the profound insight provided by Rush Limbaugh, his speech being broadcast on his radio show, but then had to ask; Why is it so profound? Delivered in a professional, intelligent and informed fashion highlights why he is who he is. But why are the ideals he upholds and built his presentation on seemingly so rare? I thought it was what the United States was always about. Concepts of virtue and common sense every good citizen should understand.
More telling though was the 14 year old conservative, Jonathan Krohn, who also spoke at the conference. How can a movement that is looking to turn the greatest nation, still, in the world back to its founding principles, looking to turn back the tide of big government, entertain the workings of the mind of a 14 year old? It is not only because the principles are so basic that they should be common to everyone, it is because the debate between conservative and liberal is becoming more and more the debate between theism and atheism; God or no God. For only one view can be correct and naturally determines the other to be false and in conflict with how the world, the universe itself, works. That is why the political divide has become a contrast between the spiritual and material, the moral and the immoral, a culture of life and a culture of death, vision and delusion, and literally competence and incompetence.
Let's create some metaphors to illustrate the point. Let us say every man lives in a glass house. A greenhouse, but you can call it a crystal cathedral or build it in any form you desire. And let us say God is the sun, that life giving force upon which we all depend. All the greenery and animals inside these greenhouses are the only products of ones life that are truly under your control.
The man (or woman) who recognizes the reality of God and his principles keeps his glass clean and cares for the plants and other life by keeping the soil productive and providing a proper supply of water. His garden prospers. In an ideal world others would look to emulate his prosperity, to follow his example. Creating their own gardens with each reflecting the unique nature of its creator in infinite variety.
Those who deny God, who deny that the sun has anything to do with how one's garden grows, fail to follow these principles. Refusing to keep their glass clean, then watering too heavily to try to compensate for the lack of growth, they only make things worse, using up valuable resources. They become bitter and look to blame others rather than acknowledge their own shortcomings.
They eventual rise in complete rebellion of God, or the sun in this case, rather than turn back to sound gardening practices. They paint over their glass, blocking out the life giving graces of the sun, with bright shiny colors, beautiful images and attractive slogans. They call the productive selfish. They promote unrest and preach calamity. They throw stones and mud to demean those who believe in the life giving forces of the sun. Using the true principles of good gardening to destroy the prosperity they feel they were denied, blind to their own hypocrisy. Always drawing attention away from their own gardens of rot and death, with big smiles and a facade of being in the know. Promises of making everyone the same by punishing those who have, targeting not only wealth but any expression individuality itself.
They create a labyrinth of words, theories and images in contradiction to the true principles of good gardening. A maze that leads nowhere, that they claim so complex only they have the ability to navigate to the promised riches. Claiming themselves not only above the laws of good gardening but man's laws as well. They claim the debate is over because any intelligent investigation would uncover the ruse.
I could go on. So easy a child could understand it. Just look at the political reality of our nation today. The grabbing up of mass resources through unending layers of taxation. A democrat party Congress in conjunction with the media targeting individual private citizens and corporations. An empty suit as a President and a cabinet literally containing criminals.
I wrote a piece "The Perfect Storm?" wondering if the people of this nation care. If they can recognize the vapid empty policies wreaking havoc on this nation and make an informed decisive response to the liberal delusion. But this isn't a storm. Our nation is in a tail spin, plummeting uncontrolled towards the ground. The pilot has been gagged and bound and the time is now to stand up, take control of the plane and set the pilot free.
We talk about being bipartisan. Respecting the views of those who don't agree; working together. But those in charge are leading our nation to destruction and I see only one movement that can save this nation and that is the conservative movement. We cannot afford to work with the other side. They are poised to literally take out their opposition. Unless democrats literally break from their party, forming a new party in rebellion to the liberal leadership, it is the time to neither give or take quarter.
More telling though was the 14 year old conservative, Jonathan Krohn, who also spoke at the conference. How can a movement that is looking to turn the greatest nation, still, in the world back to its founding principles, looking to turn back the tide of big government, entertain the workings of the mind of a 14 year old? It is not only because the principles are so basic that they should be common to everyone, it is because the debate between conservative and liberal is becoming more and more the debate between theism and atheism; God or no God. For only one view can be correct and naturally determines the other to be false and in conflict with how the world, the universe itself, works. That is why the political divide has become a contrast between the spiritual and material, the moral and the immoral, a culture of life and a culture of death, vision and delusion, and literally competence and incompetence.
Let's create some metaphors to illustrate the point. Let us say every man lives in a glass house. A greenhouse, but you can call it a crystal cathedral or build it in any form you desire. And let us say God is the sun, that life giving force upon which we all depend. All the greenery and animals inside these greenhouses are the only products of ones life that are truly under your control.
The man (or woman) who recognizes the reality of God and his principles keeps his glass clean and cares for the plants and other life by keeping the soil productive and providing a proper supply of water. His garden prospers. In an ideal world others would look to emulate his prosperity, to follow his example. Creating their own gardens with each reflecting the unique nature of its creator in infinite variety.
Those who deny God, who deny that the sun has anything to do with how one's garden grows, fail to follow these principles. Refusing to keep their glass clean, then watering too heavily to try to compensate for the lack of growth, they only make things worse, using up valuable resources. They become bitter and look to blame others rather than acknowledge their own shortcomings.
They eventual rise in complete rebellion of God, or the sun in this case, rather than turn back to sound gardening practices. They paint over their glass, blocking out the life giving graces of the sun, with bright shiny colors, beautiful images and attractive slogans. They call the productive selfish. They promote unrest and preach calamity. They throw stones and mud to demean those who believe in the life giving forces of the sun. Using the true principles of good gardening to destroy the prosperity they feel they were denied, blind to their own hypocrisy. Always drawing attention away from their own gardens of rot and death, with big smiles and a facade of being in the know. Promises of making everyone the same by punishing those who have, targeting not only wealth but any expression individuality itself.
They create a labyrinth of words, theories and images in contradiction to the true principles of good gardening. A maze that leads nowhere, that they claim so complex only they have the ability to navigate to the promised riches. Claiming themselves not only above the laws of good gardening but man's laws as well. They claim the debate is over because any intelligent investigation would uncover the ruse.
I could go on. So easy a child could understand it. Just look at the political reality of our nation today. The grabbing up of mass resources through unending layers of taxation. A democrat party Congress in conjunction with the media targeting individual private citizens and corporations. An empty suit as a President and a cabinet literally containing criminals.
I wrote a piece "The Perfect Storm?" wondering if the people of this nation care. If they can recognize the vapid empty policies wreaking havoc on this nation and make an informed decisive response to the liberal delusion. But this isn't a storm. Our nation is in a tail spin, plummeting uncontrolled towards the ground. The pilot has been gagged and bound and the time is now to stand up, take control of the plane and set the pilot free.
We talk about being bipartisan. Respecting the views of those who don't agree; working together. But those in charge are leading our nation to destruction and I see only one movement that can save this nation and that is the conservative movement. We cannot afford to work with the other side. They are poised to literally take out their opposition. Unless democrats literally break from their party, forming a new party in rebellion to the liberal leadership, it is the time to neither give or take quarter.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Follow the Money
I recently heard a BBC World report on the global financial crisis that was spreading the blame to rating agencies. Those who gave a AAA rating to the mortgage backed securities. Many want to point fingers at the financial institutions and most notably Wall Street with its supposed inherent greed, but I suggest a different culprit that built and thrived off the sub-prime loan/mortgage frenzy. That house of cards that any one with a brain or a basic ethical foundation in their lives could recognize. Many have alluded to it, pointed to aspects of it, but I have not heard anyone clearly place the blame for the crisis where it belongs, on the democrat party.
Yes it has been stated that Barney Frank and the like have opposed legislation that could have headed off much of this crisis, but why do we give the democrats any credit for their claims that it was about giving people affordable housing? What has been the mantra of the democrats beyond their empty claims of helping the little man?
We have to raise taxes. We have to raise taxes. We have to raise taxes. We have to raise taxes. We have to raise taxes. We have to raise taxes. We have to raise taxes. ...
We have to raise taxes. We have to raise taxes.
The government, namely democrats, have been complicit in artificially raising our property values in order to collect more tax dollars. It was the case in the past here in Milwaukee that housing was appraised every two years. That was changed to every year not too long ago as housing prices seemed to be on an endless rise. Greater than a one time commission received by a realty agent are the tax dollars collected as the sale of the home drives up the values of every property in the neighborhood. And these taxes are collected year after year after year. Did your tax rates go down respectively as prices climbed? And are your assessments going down now that the bottom has dropped out? ...
We have to raise taxes. We have to raise taxes.
I contested the value of my house one year and they came and inspected my property. They dropped the value back a bit, far less than it should have been, but then the next year just raised it twice as much. When I tell this story to my fellow citizens I need only open my mouth and they finish the story themselves. They have all had the same experience. In my case the assessed value is ridiculous. ...
We have to raise taxes. We have to raise taxes.
And why bail out these monster institutions like Fanny Mae or even Citi Group that are so large that they are reaching monopoly status? Why not sell off the assets and let the over all corporations go under as they deserve? There are hundreds if not thousands of smaller banks across the country that are not in trouble and could buy many of these resources. But how difficult would it be to artificially inflate housing prices without a central institution to work through? ...
We have to raise taxes. We have to raise taxes.
Yes the democrats hold the blame. They have purposefully put forth policies to artificially raise property values to collect more in property taxes. To grease the wheels for those who contribute and grow government to where the majority are working for or are on the government dole. (Is there a difference?) To build their socialist ideal. And they are now using this crisis they created to forward their failed backward policies. ...
We have to raise taxes. We have to raise taxes.
Have you ever met a democrat that didn't believe we have to raise taxes? Or that actually pay all their own taxes? ...
We have to raise taxes. We have to raise taxes.
Just follow the money. What single entity gained the most out of the housing boom?
Yes it has been stated that Barney Frank and the like have opposed legislation that could have headed off much of this crisis, but why do we give the democrats any credit for their claims that it was about giving people affordable housing? What has been the mantra of the democrats beyond their empty claims of helping the little man?
We have to raise taxes. We have to raise taxes. We have to raise taxes. We have to raise taxes. We have to raise taxes. We have to raise taxes. We have to raise taxes. ...
We have to raise taxes. We have to raise taxes.
The government, namely democrats, have been complicit in artificially raising our property values in order to collect more tax dollars. It was the case in the past here in Milwaukee that housing was appraised every two years. That was changed to every year not too long ago as housing prices seemed to be on an endless rise. Greater than a one time commission received by a realty agent are the tax dollars collected as the sale of the home drives up the values of every property in the neighborhood. And these taxes are collected year after year after year. Did your tax rates go down respectively as prices climbed? And are your assessments going down now that the bottom has dropped out? ...
We have to raise taxes. We have to raise taxes.
I contested the value of my house one year and they came and inspected my property. They dropped the value back a bit, far less than it should have been, but then the next year just raised it twice as much. When I tell this story to my fellow citizens I need only open my mouth and they finish the story themselves. They have all had the same experience. In my case the assessed value is ridiculous. ...
We have to raise taxes. We have to raise taxes.
And why bail out these monster institutions like Fanny Mae or even Citi Group that are so large that they are reaching monopoly status? Why not sell off the assets and let the over all corporations go under as they deserve? There are hundreds if not thousands of smaller banks across the country that are not in trouble and could buy many of these resources. But how difficult would it be to artificially inflate housing prices without a central institution to work through? ...
We have to raise taxes. We have to raise taxes.
Yes the democrats hold the blame. They have purposefully put forth policies to artificially raise property values to collect more in property taxes. To grease the wheels for those who contribute and grow government to where the majority are working for or are on the government dole. (Is there a difference?) To build their socialist ideal. And they are now using this crisis they created to forward their failed backward policies. ...
We have to raise taxes. We have to raise taxes.
Have you ever met a democrat that didn't believe we have to raise taxes? Or that actually pay all their own taxes? ...
We have to raise taxes. We have to raise taxes.
Just follow the money. What single entity gained the most out of the housing boom?
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Just Words?
Here are a couple of quotes I found on the internet.
A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both."- Dwight Eisenhower
Hastiness and superficiality are the psychic diseases of the twentieth century, and more than anywhere else this disease is reflected in the press."- Alexander Solzhenitsyn
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