Archive for April, 2010

Where are the voices?

Sunday, April 25th, 2010

If you don’t recognize the dangerous tendencies currently permeating the political scene across this nation, you need to wake up and smell the coffee. Complacency is fatal, and I fear that too many of us are patiently waiting the cycle out thinking that everything changes with an election. That may be all too true considering the movement to run major industries, the health care sector and student loans. Now, the banks are on the chopping block. It isn’t a party mindset; it’s a control mechanism. We cannot allow it to grow unbridled. To do so is to risk everything you hold dear.

You need not take my word for it, just talk to someone who fled from a Socialist-run country. Their words are more powerful than mine. When you’ve heard what they have to say, perhaps you will take your responsibility as an American citizen more seriously. You do count, you know. Each of us does.

People who attend non-denominational churches hear more and more strong sermons extolling the exceptionalism of America and the risk of ignoring the Socialist threat on our doorstep. These roundly independent ministers see the dangers posed by those who wish to “redistribute” wealth.

Egad? Do you know what that means? Shades of Karl Marx, folks! It won’t work, and I’d like to share a story that proves that statement.

A high school teacher recently undertook a simple experiment with his class. The first day of the experiment, he informed his students that all grades would be averaged. There would be no more individual grades.

The first week saw students working normally. However, once grades were posted, the scene was set for a marked change. The second week gave a glimpse of what was to come. High achievers didn’t put out their normal effort. After all, they weren’t going to earn the grade anyway. They felt the impact of averaging their grades with all other classmates. Over a period of nine weeks, average grades continued to drop. It wasn’t hard to see what had happened. Taking the grades from the top students by diluting them with the grades of poorer students only fueled a “slacker attitude” by everyone.
Being average has never been attractive. No sports team wants to land an “average” player. No employer wants an “average” worker either!

Targeting the high achievers in our economy in order to “level the playing field” is tantamount to insanity. Yet, that what Socialism has as its core tenet: redistribution of wealth. Lauding socialism as a viable alternative to capitalism is a lie. In the first place, socialism isn’t viable.

Socialism has ever worked for any people. After years of dismal economic conditions, socialist governments are in danger of being gleefully overturned by disenchanted and over-regulated populations.

Freedom is what people want, not government control. There is no replacement for the pride of earning one’s own way.

And just what do Socialists do when they take power? First, they remove the glue: religion. Lenin closed over 100,000 churches in Russia after the 1917 Revolution. Think it couldn’t happen here? That’s a dangerous assumption on your part. I can’t see a valid reason for ignoring this climate, but I guess that the main line churches are so afraid of being political incorrectness that they can’t see the forest for the trees.

Christians are in the cross hairs. Don’t think for a minute they are not.

More and more people are decrying the push for more government control, but too many of us don’t take their warnings seriously. Such commentary is a given when it comes to those who assess the news, but they aren’t alone. Some major clergy have joined the fight. Consider the Coral Ridge Ministries of Fort Myers, Florida. They are taking strong action. They seek to inform Americans of the inherent dangers of a slide toward Socialism. May 16th, the ministry airs a special on the subject. Check your listings for the time.

Don’t cry separation of church and state. If Socialism really takes root in this country, then you won’t have to worry about that. They will separate church, but not how you might think.

Add up the numbers of dead in the wake of Hitler, Lenin, Mussolini, Tito, Pol Pot, Mao and their buddies. It’s in the tens of millions. And do we notice that taking from the “rich” and giving to the “poor” is at the heart of the movement afoot today?

The poor in America exist, but the statistics bear out that — compared to any other impoverished people on the planet — they themselves are rich. I live in a rural area, and within it are people who are perfectly capable of working, yet they receive government money and don’t turn a hand. Terms like “the rich” are used to incite unwarranted envy among many groups without the gumption to get out and work for themselves.

My grandfather’s family came to America with nothing more than the clothes on their backs. What girded them wasn’t a legacy of wealth, but a yearning to achieve and an ingrained work ethic that flies in the face of what I see today. Watch the interviews on the television and you’ll see someone complaining that they are a “victim”. The term is so overused that it is appalling.

I weary of sitting in a pew waiting for a minister to mention the dangers of Socialism. I wait for someone to say that too many seek to remove God from all parts of our lives. They’ve managed to take Him out of schools. Has that worked well? No Christian child can pray in school, yet Muslim children are allowed to pray at regular intervals. Some system, eh?

Look at history. It tells a grim story. When Socialist regimes run countries, they go after the churches. Whether Nazism, Fascism, or Communism, the pattern is the same and it should scare the bejeebies out of you.  America was founded upon freedom of religion — not freedom from religion.  Don’t be eased into deeper complacency by thinking that something like that could not happen here.

We need the standards put forth by our faith.  We need rules.  If everyone obeyed the Ten Commandments, we wouldn’t need law enforcement or armies.  Short of that utopia, we need to protect one another and protect our personal freedoms; and that, friends, begins at home.  If you have children at home, involve them in discussions.  Read the Constitution as a family and encourage your youngsters to defend it at every opportunity.

Take action. Monitor your legislators. Take speakers to task when they claim they know “what’s best for you”. When 47 percent of the population pays no taxes and entitlements are swelling like a bloated possum at the side of the road, (My apologies to the opossum as a species!) we are at risk of losing the America we love.

Pass the word. We need everyone to rise up and speak out. Don’t just think about it. Do it.

Ever heard of James Monroe?

Wednesday, April 21st, 2010

Ever heard of James Monroe? Well, he was president early in the 19th century and his words resonate today more than ever. In his 1823 annual message to Congress, he warned European powers not to interfere in the affairs of the Western Hemisphere.
In terms of documentation, this statement is widely known as the focus of the U.S. government’s foreign policy regarding the Western Hemisphere. Known as The Monroe Doctrine, it has been invoked a number of times over the years since James Monroe set it forth before a joint session of Congress.
Why important now? Consider ongoing events and movements within South America. Hugo Chavez is doing much more than comparing former President George W. Bush to Satan. He is working closely with the Russians to strengthen Iran. How so? Recent reports show regular flights from Russia, via Damascus, to Caracas.
Rumor has it that the flights are simply a way of laundering weaponry and missiles and funneling them on return flights. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist (poor pun — sorry) to figure out that smugglers are busy between Syria and Iran. Dare I shout complicity?
By his own words, Chavez is an avowed enemy of the U.S. Another troubling statistic is that mosques are popping up all over Venezuela — and lots of them. Historically, South America was colonized and populated by predominantly Catholic peoples from Western Europe.
How convenient for Hugo. Not only does he work with the Russians, but he also curries favor with Islamic fanatics who would love nothing more than to cross our southern border undetected or launch a short range at our cities with a missile launched from a boat in the Caribbean. Iran may not have developed an ICBM capable of crossing the Atlantic. However, if the Iranians are working toward such a goal, it would be easier to utilize a shorter-range weapon carefully positioned in waters just off shore.
With all the global conflicts, both active and looming, this news only adds to the doldrums of those of us who watch foreign policy with discerning eyes. Add to the current situation the shabby treatment given Israel’s leader in the last few weeks, things don’t look good, folks. They don’t.
The end game here is security, yet this president, as the last two, ignores criticism regarding border problems. Even John McCain is making noises. After the murder of an Arizona rancher and increasing tension in border communities, law enforcement is encouraging citizens to arm themselves.
It’s a sad thing when citizens must defend themselves when it is the primary purpose of their federal government to do just that. As the hordes continue to cross, confident of free medical care, food stamps, and bi-lingual schools for which they pay little or no taxes, the White House hosts expensive dinners and apologizes for America at every opportunity. And what of those unidentified persons who could come across with the same goal as the 19 who wrought such carnage on 9/11?
Had enough yet? A lot of us have….
I worry that blanket amnesty is only fueling the zeal of those who seek our freedom illegitimately. If you are concerned about border security and illegal immigrant, don’t let spring grass grow under your feet. Contact your Congressman and Senators. Hold their feet to the proverbial fire. It’s their job to support, protect and defend the Constitution, and that document mandates that the government protect its people. I say it’s about time they started, and the best places to begin are our borders, north and south. Think about it.

Tick, tock…

Sunday, April 18th, 2010

Tick, tock…

The other day I hired a horologist (clock repairman) to come to adjust an old wall clock that dates from the early 1800s. Tall and imposing with carving and classic Roman numerals heralding the hour, it makes an impression on visitors.

As he deftly manipulated the works, I marveled at the timepiece and my thoughts ran to my childhood. I don’t think that today’s children learn the songs of my youth. In truth, many of them would be totally alien in meter and lyrics. When the familiar tick, tock began, lyrics began to run through my mind — all the more clear with the metronome beat of pendulum.

Perhaps you know the lyrics. I recited the first entire stanza from memory and — of course — I remembered the chorus without a problem at all. However, when it came to the other verses, I was stuck. Going to my trusty Apple computer, I downloaded them from the Internet and enjoyed them all the more.

I’d like to share them with you now. Written by Henry Clay Work, the song’s copyright is unknown. And so, it shares its wisdom with the world sans a date.

My grandfather’s clock
Was too large for the shelf,
So it stood ninety years on the floor;
It was taller by half
Than the old man himself,
Though it weighed not a pennyweight more.
It was bought on the morn
Of the day that he was born,
It was always his treasure and pride;

But it stopped short
Never to go again,
When the old man died.
Ninety years without slumbering,
Tick, tock, tick, tock,
His life seconds numbering,
Tick, tock, tick, tock,
It stopped short
Never to go again,
When the old man died.

In watching its pendulum
Swing to and fro,
Many hours had he spent while a boy;
And in childhood and manhood
The clock seemed to know,
And share both his grief and his joy.
And it struck twenty-four
When he entered at the door,
With a blooming and beautiful bride;

But it stopped short
Never to go again,
When the old man died.
Ninety years without slumbering,
Tick, tock, tick, tock,
His life seconds numbering,
Tick, tock, tick, tock,
It stopped short
Never to go again,
When the old man died.

Ninety years without slumbering,
Tick, tock, tick, tock,
His life seconds numbering,
Tick, tock, tick, tock,
It stopped short
Never to go again,
When the old man died.

My grandfather said
That of those he could hire,
Not a servant so faithful he found;
For it wasted no time,
And had but one desire,
At the close of each week to be wound.
And it kept in its place,
Not a frown upon its face,
And its hand never hung by its side.

But it stopped short
Never to go again,
When the old man died.
Ninety years without slumbering,
Tick, tock, tick, tock,
His life seconds numbering,
Tick, tock, tick, tock,
It stopped short
Never to go again,
When the old man died.

It rang an alarm
In the dead of the night,
An alarm that for years had been dumb;
And we knew that his spirit
Was pluming his flight,
That his hour of departure had come.
Still the clock kept the time,
With a soft and muffled chime,
As we silently stood by his side.
But it stopped short
Never to go again,
When the old man died.
Ninety years without slumbering,
Tick, tock, tick, tock,
His life seconds numbering,
Tick, tock, tick, tock,
It stopped short
Never to go again,
When the old man died.

Are you humming the tune as you read? I hope so. As the year tick tocks its way toward another, remember the wit and wisdom of this little song. It has a lot of merit when it comes to values and work ethic. Think about it.

Step 1, Step 2 — Oh, sure!

Saturday, April 10th, 2010

Years ago, anticipating Christmas, I penned a column about parents and the travails of putting together toys from manufacturers’ directions. Extrapolated to the outdoors, a swing set fits this bill, too. However, a hobbyist can have another “take” on that issue!

I quilt. I have for over 35 years. Over that span, I accumulated a stash of fabric. If you quilt, you know what I mean. Well, after an inordinate amount of time packing fabric in laundry baskets, closets, in the basement, and any place else I could find, I needed some really good storage. I kept a pool table until middle son had a place for it. Once it left the premises, I opted to turn the basement rec room into a sewing area. It would be nice not to crowd myself between the washer/dryer and the bathroom.

I was accustomed to laughing if I happened to go to the sewing room and not have a phone handy. When it rang, I had to crawl out under the open leaves of the cutting table, and wriggle between the ironing board and the doorway hoping to reach the handset before the caller gave up hope of an answer!

At last, I could actually sew and leave the project on the table. Being a woodworker, I looked for about five years until I found a triple section of bookcases that would fit the space available for fabric storage.

With a farming schedule, no project goes on a strict timetable. Buying the al is the material is the first step, but often it reposes in the shop until I get can get a chance to work with it.

The stigma of manufacturers’ directions extends easily to plans printed in woodworking magazines. I have yet to find a plan that goes perfectly. I often need an engineer. Thank goodness, farmer husband fits that bill. If you know a farmer, then you know what I mean. If it’s mechanical or structural, they always seem to know just how to get it in working order.

I studied the book case plans about four times before I cut a piece of wood. Hubby helps me on the 6-foot pieces. I can’t seem to manage them on the table saw without some assistance. All went famously until we came to Step 3. We had cut out the sides and I cut the shelves and set them aside. He drilled the holes for the shelf supports to complete Step 1. Next, I cut the tops and bottoms and assembling each unit before adding the back.

Famous last words. Step 3. It seems that the plans are wrong. Oh, I have plenty of ¼” plywood for the backs, but they won’t be the measurement that the instructions specify. Go figure.

I’ve had this happen so many times before that it is beginning to be a joke around the house. Sadly, it could be an expensive joke if the plans give a critical measurement in error.

So it’s back to the drawing boards with my in-house Purdue grad. As they once said so often on the radio, “Stay tuned for the next episode….”