Sugar Creek Publishing

Scheherazade (Scheherazade; Russian: ?????a????, Shekherazada in transliterteration), Op. 35, is a symphonic poem composed by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov in 1888.

IN DEFENSE OF COMMON SENSE
By Hetty Gray

# 205

January 5, 2015

“Foundations and Opposition — Art, Music and Literature in Faith versus Militarism”

Internationally, countries on earth vary in climate, culture and temperament. However, there lurks a glaring disparity among nations that defines them even more than any of those elements.

Consider the arts. Begin with music. Some of the greatest early composers are European. Their operas and majestic melodies transcend any language barrier and bring joy to audiences around the world.

Of those from days past, Johann Sebastian Bach and Beethoven hail from Germany, as do Brahms, Schumann, Handel, Bartholdy, Pachelbel, and Carl Phillip Emanuel Bach.  More recently, both Richard Strauss and Carl Orff add their names to this impressive list.

Vivaldi, Puccini, Rossini, de Palestina, Monteverdi, Bellini, Corelli, Donizetti, Scarlatti, Paganini (both Alessandro and Domenico), Gabrieli, Ponchielli, Lully, Boccherini, Morricone, Leoncavallo, and Pergolesi are among Italy’s famous men of music. Today, we thrill to Andrea Bocelli’s magnificent voice.

When you consider opera, I suggest you listen to the works of one of Italy’s finest whose accomplishments are exceptional. A integrated website on the arts gives us this information:

Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was an Italian Romantic composer primarily known for his operas. He is considered, together with Richard Wagner, the preeminent opera composer of the nineteenth century.

Born: Oct 10, 1813 · Le Roncole, Italy

Died: Jan 27, 1901 · Milan, Italy

Spouse: Giuseppina Strepponi (1859 – 1897) · Margherita Barezzi (1836 – 1840)

Compositions: La traviata · Rigoletto · Aida · Nabucco · Messa da Requiem · Il trovatore · La donna è mobile · Otello · Falstaff · Macbeth

Buried: Casa di Riposo per Musicisti · Cimitero Monumentale di Milano (Milan)

Parents: Luigia Uttini · Carlo Giuseppe Verdi

Undoubtedly, some of the opera’s names resonate with you and the works continue to be spellbinding today.

When it comes to literature, the British have much of which to be proud. Of course, the first familiar name would have to be William Shakespeare, the “Bard of Avon.” Jane Austen, Emily Bronte and Charles Dickens round out early authors with J. K Rowling bringing us to the present with her Harry Potter series. However, this list is incomplete and fails to cite many other talented British writers.

Asia brought us a unique person in Confucius, and Brainy Quotes website provides the following image and personal information.

Confucius was a Chinese teacher, editor, politician, and philosopher of the Spring and Autumn period of Chinese history. The philosophy of Confucius emphasized personal and governmental morality, correctness of social …

Born: 551 BC · Lu

Died: 479 BC · Lu

Spouse: Qiguan

Founded: Confucianism

Buried: Cemetery of Confucius

Parents: Kong He · Yan Zhengzai

Although many of us quip about with his sage wisdom regularly, few of us realize that what we mouth we attribute to him. For example, here are a few of his famous quotes:

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.

“When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.

“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.

“Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.

“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

The Middle East gave us Kahhil Gibran. I keep a copy of The Prophet in my home and I have read it many times. A series of 26 prose poetry essays, this work has delighted readers since its publication in 1923. Although many people think he was from mystic Arabia, he was — in fact — Lebanese.

Never far from music and art is religion. Christianity and Judaism provide us with the most widely published and read work of all time, The Bible. Little variation separates the two religions in the Old Testament. It is in the specter of the Messiah that the two beliefs split. Although Jesus Christ was a Jew, he was never accepted as the Messiah in the eyes or hearts of his own people. They await the Messiah even today.

Next, we consider Hinduism. This religion lacks a sacred text, yet it boasts millions of followers and roots more in nationalism than in deism. Although highly complicated, it can be digested to a few points. About Religion.com explains that Hinduism lacks any unified system of beliefs and ideas. Instead, it is a phenomenon and represents a broad spectrum of beliefs and practices which on one hand are akin to paganism, pantheism and the like, and on the other very profound, abstract, metaphysical ideas. Human life is divided into four stages, and there are defined rites and rituals for each stage from birth till death.

Since religion and culture are nearly interchangeable terms in Hinduism, emotive expressions like ‘bhakti’ (devotion) or ‘dharma’ (what is right) and ‘yoga’ (discipline) are used to depict essential aspects of the religion.

Hinduism believes in idol worship, reincarnation, karma, dharma and moksha. Some moral ideals in Hinduism include non-violence, truthfulness, friendship, compassion, fortitude, self-control, purity and generosity.

By definition, karma in Indian religion and philosophy, is the universal causal law by which good or bad actions determine the future modes of an individual’s existence, dharma is righteousness, and moksha is salvation (a concept common to many religions),

Encyclopedia Brittanica gives us a more in-depth view of Hinduism. Incorporated in this rich literature is a complex cosmology. Hindus believe that the universe is a great, enclosed sphere, a cosmic egg, within which are numerous concentric heavens, hells, oceans, and continents, with India at the center. They believe that time is both degenerative—going from the golden age, or Krita Yuga, through two intermediate periods of decreasing goodness, to the present age, or Kali Yuga—and cyclic: At the end of each Kali Yuga, the universe is destroyed by fire and flood, and a new golden age begins. Human life, too, is cyclic: After death, the soul leaves the body and is reborn in the body of another person, animal, vegetable, or mineral. Hindus may thus be divided into two groups: those who seek the sacred and profane rewards of this world (health, wealth, children, and a good rebirth), and those who seek release from the world.

Some claim that Hinduism predates Judaism and Christianity, but since no text survives, a date cannot be set for its beginnings. It is the world’s third largest religion with about 13% of the world’s population and the dominant religion of India and Nepal. Over a million Hindus live in America.

Buddhism is yet another widespread religion and, like other belief systems, exists internationally. The website Religion Facts gives us plethora of information on this fourth of our discussed faiths. Buddhism split into numerous sects since its inception 2,500 years ago under the Bodhi Tree. There are a wide variety of beliefs, practices, rituals and customs, but at its core are the teachings of the Buddha. Monks from two main traditions met in 1966 to identity their agreements and came to five. “First, Buddha is the our Master. Second, we take refuge in the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha. Third, We do not belief that this world is created and ruled by a God. Fourth, following the example of the Buddha, who is the embodiment of the Great Compassion (mahaa-karunaa) and Great Wisdom (Mahaa-prajnaa), we consider that the purpose of life is to develop compassion for all living beings without discrimination and to work for their good, happiness, and peace; and to develop wisdom leading to the realization of Ultimate Truth. Fifth, we accept the Four Noble Truths, namely Dukkha, the Arising of Dukkha, the Cessation of Dukkha, and the Path leading to the Cessation of Dukkha; and the universal law of cause and effect as taught in the Conditioned Genesis or Dependent Origination (pratitya-samufpaada).

Most of us identify Buddhists with the Dalai Lama. The name Dalai Lama is a combination of the Mongolian dalai meaning “ocean” and the Tibetan word meaning guru, teacher, or mentor. Widely considered a calm, gentle man, the Dalai Lama brings the world an undeniable image — that of a peace maker.

Majestic music reflects Christianity. Lyrical, energetic music mirrors Judaism. Chanting roots in ancient Hindu texts. A Buddhist chant is a form of musical verse or incantation and not that different from those of Christians, Jews, or Hindus. While similar, the Buddhist temples accent the chants with gongs and drums. The Buddhist practice of using incense is also seen in Catholic services and figures at the altar are also a common ground between the two faiths.

We see how music, art and literature link to religion. It is a travesty that some among earth’s inhabitants use religion as a vehicle to wreak carnage on their fellows, murder with abandon and gleefully ban women from the basic rights of man. The next time you hear a soaring hymn played on a thunderous cathedral organ, glimpse the impressive brush strokes of an Old Master endeavoring to capture faith in the visage of a person of importance — no matter the faith — or turn the pages of a story recounting our forebears and their faith in God, remember that faith and love are eternally entwined.

Sadly, the elements of life that most inspire people position themselves diametrically in opposition — the arts and militarism.

When anger and vengeance enter the picture, faith fails. “Vengeance is mine,” saith the Lord. Man cannot usurp God’s power. Think about it.

IN DEFENSE OF COMMON SENSE

By Hetty Gray

#203

“Good tidings… high hopes….”

Nothing spurs the imagination more than the launch of a new calendar year. Oh, yes! The old passes away and a threshold appears that bodes all manner of opportunities — or perils, as it were.

Many of you actually sit down and make a list of resolutions. Others do not. Most of us mentally assess the passing of the previous year and vow to do some things a little better and abandon others. Diets tend to tip the list of health concerns after a holiday loaded with hospitality and calories.

However, more to the point, maybe it’s about time we made a list of resolutions for those whom we elect to represent us. They talk a good game during the election season, but more and more we see a kind of apathy sit in once they actually go to Washington, D.C. and settle in to the “sausage factory.”

Forget Willy Wonka. His challenge was minor compared to a burgeoning national debt that will drown our children and grandchildren. As I have ‘oft quipped before. Nothing is more egregious — or habit forming — than the adoption of falling under the spell of OPM. Other people’s money.

It’s available via taxes and oh so exceedingly easy to spend. Working households operate on a budget, even those with high incomes. It would be nice if Congress fielded a sensible budget that attacks the deficit like a homeowner attacks termites. It’s not an odd comparison either. Unless they are monitored carefully termites can eat away at a home and go unnoticed until the floor joists collapse and the structure falls onto the crawl space or into the basement.

As you go about your budgeting this year, make it a point to press your legislators (both U.S. Representatives and U.S. Senators) to put an end to the spending spree. This deficit lies at the feet of both major parties. It is not specific to either the Democrat or the Republicans. Without a concerted effort to stop the spending, I see little hope for the resilience that America is known for worldwide.

Were we attacked in an equal or more serious fashion than on 9/11, the outcry would be deafening. The national debt is no less destructive, yet it goes ignored. As I listened today, a local channel broadcast a radio series from “Radio Spirits.” Irene Dunne introduced a wonderful family broadcast with a plea for Americans. The year was 1952. The nation had endured World War II and families across the nation looked forward to a world that embraced peace.

She asked for Americans to pray. “Pray as a family,” she pleaded. Well, today it is more and more rare to find an American family sitting down to eat together, let alone give thanks to God and ask for his guidance and blessing. This is not to say that many of us do not do that. We do it as a couple and also begin a meal with a prayer when we entertain guests at our table.

Let us begin anew for 2015. Amid the festive parties and the toasts, set apart your life on New Year’s Day to ask God to bless America and to gird her people with enough strength to pull herself up by her financial bootstraps and begin a plan of renewal. Without that renewal, we face the fate of Ancient Rome and other major civilizations that spent untold amounts on social programs and lauded sports above common sense.

Pray for America. She needs every word. May we all experience a Happy New Year. A really secure 2015 demands our attention to detail. Red may be the cardinal color for Christmas, but black should reign in finances for everyone, from the one-person household to the federal government. Think about it.

IN DEFENSE OF COMMON SENSE

By Hetty Gray

# 203

“No better time…”

This day has special meaning to so many people that adding something novel is futile. However, when we take into account the happenings around us — both internationally and within our own country, there is no better time than now to reflect on what Christmas really means.

Beyond the trees, the gaily-decorated homes, and the retailers who count on shoppers to put their businesses “in the black,” we need to really sit back and think about bigger gifts. These gifts do not come in bright paper. These gifts require no ribbons or tags. These gifts I cite are given freely. We have only to embrace them to receive them. They are without equal and soar above any earthly possessions. They are love and the promise of life eternal.

Tightly knit into love is forgiveness. You see, for most of us, above all other challenges we face truly forgiving others tops the list. Wrongs, however small, gnaw at us and we find it increasingly difficult to come to grips with the fact that others never really live up to our expectations.

So, too, we fail to live up to God’s expectations. Yet, He remains steadfast and “in our corner” no matter what we do, so long as we come to Him and sincerely ask for His forgiveness.

The spirit of Christmas outstrips any other celebration because it has within its fabric the essence of humanity itself and because it inspires us to live better lives. As you gather with your families or friends this Christmas, pause as you say or listen to the prayer given and concentrate on the words.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son…” There is no higher gift. At a time when so many souls yearn for peace… when Satan is busily working among people to convince them that their lives have no meaning, when countless others push forward with hatred to destroy any possible chance of peace… when peace becomes a word only… it is us to each of us to live that peace within our homes, in the workplace, yes and within our churches.

No doubt many homes will see remnants of paper and ribbon and walking will be an obstacle course as adults skirt around toys, but many homes will be void of gifts and countless others will lack the Christmas message.

The very core of the season for us is spreading God’s love to others; and, in many cases, the task proves daunting. We can see how easily hate spreads. Love poses a higher challenge. Embrace it.

As you recount the Christmas story with the simplicity of the stable, the humility of the shepherds, the splendor of the Magi, and the wonder of the star above Bethlehem, do not forget who placed that star in the heavens. Look beyond our world to God. His is the greatest gift and there is no better time than to accept it and use it in our lives.

Merry Christmas!

IN DEFENSE OF COMMON SENSE

By Hetty Gray

# 202

December 2, 2014

“What happened to the music?”

When you forget to pack the DISH receiver and you go to the Northwoods where remote is a mild term for the location, you resort to DVDs and the radio for entertainment.

Alas, we ended up in that position the week of Thanksgiving, but it wasn’t all that bad at all. After a rush of old movies and a few TV series DVDs, we opted for a Doo Wop disc.

Both my husband and I were teenagers at the height of the rock and roll era, and we still remember the lyrics of an unbelievable number of songs. Watching the old groups that still sing together is a remarkable experience. Interspersed with the current performances, the producers include clips of the original singers at the apex of their careers.

The first thing you notice is that they all looked fabulous. The girls wore dresses that accented figures but left more than a little to the imagination. Shirts and ties were very common for the men’s groups and they took pride in their appearance.

We cannot forget that many of the groups featured wonderful Negro singers who encountered trouble with lodging and meals while on tour. The 1950s and early 1960s still saw a fair amount of blatant segregation — and all the while the audiences went crazy over their music. Go figure that….

The extent of such discrimination was very alien to those of us who grew up in sleepy Indiana. It still angers me that anyone was treated so badly. Their music lives on for countless Americans. The lyrics featured love songs and the occasional car wreck (“Brown Eyes”), but no song urged young people to kill policemen or praised the drug scene. I vaguely remember the term “reefer” for marijuana, but drugs were of no interest either to me or to my friends.

How is it that our entertainment industry has sunk to the point where illegal activity is praised and singers mouth filthy language so often that nobody pays much heed to it? It’s a mystery to me.

Our teen years were sandwiched in between Korea and Vietnam. None of us met war head-on until we graduated, and I did lose a classmate to the Viet Cong. Mike Debusk remains in my thoughts whenever I write of veterans. I don’t know if Mike’s parents are still alive, but surely one of you knows someone who is related to him.

We danced at the “sock hops” and “strolled” down the gym floor with the best of ‘em. Slow dancing was more for the girls with steady boyfriends, but for those of us who went to the dances alone, the rare invitation to dance with a guy was the highlight of the night.

Prom parties were supervised and often held at really nice venues. We had “The Ink Spots” at the old downtown Elks Club and it was a spectacular evening. Oh, there were those among us who left early and went out to drink beer. Still others made the trek to Ohio to buy 3/2 beer. I would hate to think what would have happened to me if I had been caught with a beer. Needless to say, it wouldn’t have been pretty.

Parents were involved and saw no harm when England sent us “The Beatles.” My father thought they were a lot of fun to watch, but he did comment on their Prince Valiant bowl haircuts.

When we basked in the Doo Wop music, we were reminded how many wonderful role models that the Mo-Town groups under Barry Gordy provided. Buddy Holly and the Crickets, the Big Bopper, and others gave inner city kids the hope that they, too, could become a big star.

Few of the main groups came on the scene from promoters. Many of the Negro groups had begun singing together in the churches. Ah, yes, the churches…. Church was a mainstay of the Negro family and nearly all the families had a mom and dad at home with the kids.

We need to return to the days where entertainers kept their clothes on, presented themselves in a tasteful way and brought lyrics to our children that instilled love and respect. The hate and antagonism of the current music is not only insulting, but it also has a really damaging effect of the listening public — especially the teenagers and younger children.

If you can get your hands on a DVD with the rock and roll groups, share that music with the younger generation. We need it back. We need the fun, the melodies and the harmonies of the past to inspire a better musical future.

Instead of “Back to the Future,” let’s take a hike to the past. Do it. You’ll enjoy it and the memories are golden.

IN DEFENSE OF COMMON SENSE

By Hetty Gray

“Give Thanks!”

November 25, 2014

It is really sad that so few of us think of giving thanks as a family group until that festive Thursday in November.

And here it is again! We will have our fill of good food and conversation, perhaps renewing old friendships or affirming newer ones.

Whether you gather in a private home or in a restaurant or café, please remember to take a moment to thank the soldier deployed and away from family. Few of us know what that must be like, but we cannot fail to appreciate the sacrifice that our military personnel make on our behalf.

Food takes center stage on Thursday, but there are so many other elements of thanksgiving in this country. We are free. Nothing tops that. We are able to pursue our chosen careers and travel about as we please.

Football games and naps tend to follow a heavy Thanksgiving meal, as hangs the pungent aroma of turkey and all the trimmings wafts gently from the kitchen as the cooks tidy up.

None of us has had to endure the suffering of those brave Pilgrims. None of us faced hardship in unfamiliar surroundings — harshness that took the lives of loved ones and friends. I wonder what they would think if they could beam themselves forward to this time and place. Undoubtedly, they would take pride in the nation that grew from such humble beginnings.

I refer to a statement made by Benjamin Franklin. Quoted in the Freedom’s Phoenix website, I add it here.

When asked what type of government the American people were going to participate in, by a well-meaning woman, a stern Benjamin Franklin warned that our new government was going to be “A republic, madam, if you can keep it.“

His quick response, I fear, has come back to haunt us. The site finished with the most pressing question of OUR day.

“Can we preserve our great country or will the American government be irretrievably lost to the special interests who would dare to use our country for their own ends, regardless of the cost.”

In all the government and political science lectures I have been privileged to hear, the Phoenix statement is one of the most profound. Can America rise again from the ashes gathering around its foundation like the fabled Phoenix?

We must give thanks for those spokesmen among us who see the danger and are not afraid of addressing it head on. The senior citizens among us worry about their grandchildren’s futures. They have reason to do so.

Thank God for America. Pray that God will preserve it for generations yet unborn. Thank God for freedom of religion. To this point, we still have it.

IN DEFENSE OF COMMON SENSE

By Hetty Gray

# 200                                                                        November 18, 2104

“To everything…”

Some snippets of wisdom stay with us for a lifetime. Oh, perhaps we do not take an inventory of sage information on a daily basis, but every once in a while a situation simply fits. Aptly applied, that old wisdom comes once again to the fore and comports to the current situation as deftly as a well-fitting glove.

So, then, this is the perfect time to revisit one pearl of wisdom that most of us recognize from its first words. We do not need to hear the whole sentence. We know it in its entirety.

This one, of course, comes from the book that boasts the most copies across the globe in every language imaginable. Yes, the Bible.

Ecclesiastes 3. 1-8

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

Often, we think of “season” as only pertaining to some sort of celebration. The next for us is, of course, Thanksgiving. People will pause across this nation in their homes, in workplace dining areas, and in health care facilities to reflect on their blessings and express thanks to the Almighty.

Yes, God comes first — really! You wouldn’t know it from surveying our schools or our public squares. You wouldn’t know it when viewing empty foundations where the Ten Commandment monuments once stood.

Somehow, there are among us those who have become so jaded and self-centered that they view faith in God as some sort of an affliction, a shortcoming. It baffles me how anyone could look at the perfection of a newborn, the delicate wings of the tiniest insect, the leaves of a tree, the complexities of nature and her wonders, and the expanse of the cosmos to merely claim that it all came about from interstellar dust and gases.

Our next two seasons of Thanksgiving and Christmas should serve a higher purpose than culinary overindulgence and gift giving. Both days should command a higher regard for religious freedom, respect for the intelligence of the Founding Fathers, and a subtle warning that all is not well in our society today.

This planet and cooled and warmed on a cyclical basis since time immemorial. Had it not, the Great Lakes would not exist. Mountains higher than the Rockies would arch over Michigan and Wisconsin. Moreover, we would lack 20% of the fresh water on the planet.

Oh, there is a warming afoot, but it is not climatic. It is moral. As we slide into a chasm of immorality in which marriage is degraded and disregarded, sex is casual with no sense of commitment and love, and where personal pleasure overrides any sense of dignity or ethics, we are warming to Satan.

He must be wringing his hands with joy at the prospect of gaining so many followers — and for so many reasons. Add to the above the current state of foreign affairs where ISIS and Muslim fanatics worldwide boldly state, “Convert or die,” and you see evil at work.

Be thankful that you live in a country where, at least to this point, churches are allowed to open their doors and clergy is free to preach without censorship. I just wonder how long that is going to last when we see elected officials targeting church leaders indiscriminately. That kind of intimidation is unworthy of any elected official. The mayor of Houston learned that lesson firsthand barely a few weeks ago.

As we approach these two loving holidays, remember that some among us are without family and must go through these wonderful days alone. If you can, invite someone without family to join yours. Seek out children who need a good role model. Far too many children grow up without two parents these days and a kind word or guidance means so much to them.

As we read through the Bible passage, we see that it ends speaking of war and peace. Just as the planet continues in a pattern, so does man. Man wages war. Bullies and tyrants are overthrown. Peace is won. For a time, all is well, and then the cycle begins once again.

There is a season for us. It is the season to reassert our faith to those with whom we come in contact. Oh, we don’t need to walk into a room with a Bible in hand, but we need to walk into any room with faith on display.

I grew up watching my father live a tenet he held dear. In few words, he expressed it to me. “If you don’t care and you can’t share, you’re nowhere.”

Remember that during the upcoming holidays. Care for someone else. Share with someone else. It doesn’t have to be monetary or a gift, it can be time. That can be the greatest gift of all.   Don’t find yourself nowhere.

Be somewhere. Be with God. Care. Share His love. Life your faith.

Think about it.

IN DEFENSE OF COMMON SENSE

By Hetty Gray

# 197

September 23, 2014

“The Relentless Pursuit of Imperfection…”

Yep! I’ve done it again. I’ve put a twist on an advertising campaign, in this case one for a Luxury automobile. Lest you think I might slip into an editorial hole using the title, consider current conditions.

Food and water, these are two items basic to any people, free or captive. Depriving a prisoner of either or both can result in an admission of real guilt or simply an admission to anything when faced with death.

So, where does the title take us now? I use it as a premise to assess America’s image in the world at large. Once upon a time, America stood as the premier defender and exporter of freedom, a land of promise and opportunity, both in terms of politics and business. At the heart of both were honesty, open communication, and — more than anything else — stick-to-it-iveness! America, quite simply, did not back down or quit.

Despite the odds, America prevailed and won its major conflicts until Korea’s DMZ and the total abandonment of the South Vietnamese people put an end to the goal of “total victory.” We were left in perpetual limbo with American troops defending the border between North and South Korea in the first instance and in an embarrassment that signaled to the world (in the second instance) that America no longer won her fights.

Sadly, American troops never lost a single battle in Vietnam. Her military was defunded and unsupported at the highest levels. That abrogation of the American government’s commitment to its troops ended Vietnam’s quest for freedom at a cost of blood and treasure that still haunts many Vietnam veterans. Today, seen from satellite, North Korea remains dark, her people doomed to deplorable conditions, most people without electricity. They live in darkness, politically and economically.

And so we come to the Gulf War in 1991. Joining with other nations, we freed Kuwait from the iron grip of Saddam Hussein. Some cite that we stopped short of taking Baghdad and bringing forth a new regime. Oh, people on both sides of the aisle in the Congress play “woulda, coulda, shoulda.” We have come to expect that, but the cardinal rule in war is to win. The military knows that to its core, but it seems that the administration is more concerned with previous promises to “get out of Iraq” than to move in with force and remove ISIS completely.

Nothing short of eradication will work here, folks. Sad, but true… And then we come to 9/11 and the Boston bombing. The events of 9/11 awakened America, but we fell into complacency after nothing else horrendous happened in the aftermath.

And what of Boston? It took untold numbers of law enforcement to find one man. Today, many see the ISIS having tens of members in the Boston area alone. How could we contain them?

Iraq brought new challenges and politicians will debate for years whether we should or should have not gone into “country.” However, announcing when troops would withdraw and the failure to orchestrate a Status of Forces Agreement led to what we see today. Such a SFA assured peace in Korea.

America still maintains bases in Germany nearly 70 years after the end of World War II. Absent robust American presence in Iraq, it was just a matter of time until conditions disintegrated into chaos and the country was seen as a prime target for terrorists.

And what of Boston? It took hundreds of law enforcement personnel to find one man. Today, many claim ISIS has tens of followers in the Boston area alone. How could we contain them? Extrapolate that to cities like Minneapolis, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Francisco….. well you get the point.

In America, it is harder to get into a Federal courthouse than to saunter across unsecured borders. Americans clamor for borders security; yet nothing happens. Bills languish on the Senate Majority Leader’s desk, passed by the House but ignored by the Senate. Over three hundred bills….

Once the position’s prerogative to schedule bills was unquestioned because nobody thought the legislative process could be held hostage to political ambitions. A leader was assumed to be a true leader: measured, forthright, and focused on the good of the nation. So much for assuming, eh folks? I fear those days are gone in this administration, and that absence puts us all at risk. It’s not exactly a thought that assures a good night’s sleep, is it?

America no longer commands her once unquestioned international respect. The current occupant at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue began his first term apologizing for supposed American shortcomings and sins. My, how nice.

After nearly six years of such imprudent commentary, we stand at the precipice that has faced many civilizations in which power trumped all else.

With more and more power exerted over our lives at the federal level, we slip closer and closer to the situation that the Revolutionary Army witnessed — a veritable state of monarchy. They broke from England. We, on the other hand, are simply broke. And the current leadership only deepens our debt.

And so we stand, just as the British army did, ablaze in our red (white and blue), lined up and easy targets for our enemy.   Yes, this administration risks all we cherish by the failure to recognize the threat for what it is — existential.   Talking in terms of years, and ignoring the advice of the military (whose job it is to win conflicts), this leadership pales when compared to that of, let’s say, World War II. Can you imagine Churchill, Roosevelt, Patton, De Gaulle and Eisenhower coming out to say what they WOULD NOT DO, where they WOULD NOT GO? Oh, please, folks….

The failure of our schools to teach factual history — military history in particular — has come home to haunt us. Our young people are far more interested in their cell phones and their social media than in the peril their country faces. A working knowledge of military history would have warned them of what looms for America.

And so we watch and agonize as the leadership continues its relentless pursuit of imperfection, and in the process, we slip further and further into the abyss of decline that collapsed Rome and other great civilizations.

An uninformed public is easy to control. The educational shortfalls of the last three decades have achieved the dream that any committed socialist could have envisioned. Only a minority of us realizes the danger or even cares about anything beyond the next meal or entertainment venue.

Pray for America. More than any time in her history, she needs your prayers now. God has not forgotten us, but I fear that many of us have forgotten God. Think about it.

IN DEFENSE OF COMMON SENSE

By Hetty Gray

# 197

September 23, 2014

“The Relentless Pursuit of Imperfection…”

Yep! I’ve done it again. I’ve put a twist on an advertising campaign, in this case one for a Luxury automobile. Lest you think I might slip into an editorial hole using the title, consider current conditions.

Food and water, these are two items basic to any people, free or captive. Depriving a prisoner of either or both can result in an admission of real guilt or simply an admission to anything when faced with death.

So, where does the title take us now? I use it as a premise to assess America’s image in the world at large. Once upon a time, America stood as the premier defender and exporter of freedom, a land of promise and opportunity, both in terms of politics and business. At the heart of both were honesty, open communication, and — more than anything else — stick-to-it-iveness! America, quite simply, did not back down or quit.

Despite the odds, America prevailed and won its major conflicts until Korea’s DMZ and the total abandonment of the South Vietnamese people put an end to the goal of “total victory.” We were left in perpetual limbo with American troops defending the border between North and South Korea in the first instance and in an embarrassment that signaled to the world (in the second instance) that America no longer won her fights.

Sadly, American troops never lost a single battle in Vietnam. Her military was defunded and unsupported at the highest levels. That abrogation of the American government’s commitment to its troops ended Vietnam’s quest for freedom at a cost of blood and treasure that still haunts many Vietnam veterans. Today, seen from satellite, North Korea remains dark, her people doomed to deplorable conditions, most people without electricity. They live in darkness, politically and economically.

And so we come to the Gulf War in 1991. Joining with other nations, we freed Kuwait from the iron grip of Saddam Hussein. Some cite that we stopped short of taking Baghdad and bringing forth a new regime. Oh, people on both sides of the aisle in the Congress play “woulda, coulda, shoulda.” We have come to expect that, but the cardinal rule in war is to win. The military knows that to its core, but it seems that the administration is more concerned with previous promises to “get out of Iraq” than to move in with force and remove ISIS completely.

Nothing short of eradication will work here, folks. Sad, but true… And then we come to 9/11 and the Boston bombing. The events of 9/11 awakened America, but we fell into complacency after nothing else horrendous happened in the aftermath.

And what of Boston? It took untold numbers of law enforcement to find one man. Today, many see the ISIS having tens of members in the Boston area alone. How could we contain them?

Iraq brought new challenges and politicians will debate for years whether we should or should have not gone into “country.” However, announcing when troops would withdraw and the failure to orchestrate a Status of Forces Agreement led to what we see today. Such a SFA assured peace in Korea.

America still maintains bases in Germany nearly 70 years after the end of World War II. Absent robust American presence in Iraq, it was just a matter of time until conditions disintegrated into chaos and the country was seen as a prime target for terrorists.

And what of Boston? It took hundreds of law enforcement personnel to find one man. Today, many claim ISIS has tens of followers in the Boston area alone. How could we contain them? Extrapolate that to cities like Minneapolis, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Francisco….. well you get the point.

In America, it is harder to get into a Federal courthouse than to saunter across unsecured borders. Americans clamor for borders security; yet nothing happens. Bills languish on the Senate Majority Leader’s desk, passed by the House but ignored by the Senate. Over three hundred bills….

Once the position’s prerogative to schedule bills was unquestioned because nobody thought the legislative process could be held hostage to political ambitions. A leader was assumed to be a true leader: measured, forthright, and focused on the good of the nation. So much for assuming, eh folks? I fear those days are gone in this administration, and that absence puts us all at risk. It’s not exactly a thought that assures a good night’s sleep, is it?

America no longer commands her once unquestioned international respect. The current occupant at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue began his first term apologizing for supposed American shortcomings and sins. My, how nice.

After nearly six years of such imprudent commentary, we stand at the precipice that has faced many civilizations in which power trumped all else.

With more and more power exerted over our lives at the federal level, we slip closer and closer to the situation that the Revolutionary Army witnessed — a veritable state of monarchy. They broke from England. We, on the other hand, are simply broke. And the current leadership only deepens our debt.

And so we stand, just as the British army did, ablaze in our red (white and blue), lined up and easy targets for our enemy.   Yes, this administration risks all we cherish by the failure to recognize the threat for what it is — existential.   Talking in terms of years, and ignoring the advice of the military (whose job it is to win conflicts), this leadership pales when compared to that of, let’s say, World War II. Can you imagine Churchill, Roosevelt, Patton, De Gaulle and Eisenhower coming out to say what they WOULD NOT DO, where they WOULD NOT GO? Oh, please, folks….

The failure of our schools to teach factual history — military history in particular — has come home to haunt us. Our young people are far more interested in their cell phones and their social media than in the peril their country faces. A working knowledge of military history would have warned them of what looms for America.

And so we watch and agonize as the leadership continues its relentless pursuit of imperfection, and in the process, we slip further and further into the abyss of decline that collapsed Rome and other great civilizations.

An uninformed public is easy to control. The educational shortfalls of the last three decades have achieved the dream that any committed socialist could have envisioned. Only a minority of us realizes the danger or even cares about anything beyond the next meal or entertainment venue.

Pray for America. More than any time in her history, she needs your prayers now. God has not forgotten us, but I fear that many of us have forgotten God. Think about it.

IN DEFENSE OF COMMON SENSE

By Hetty Gray

# 196

September 9, 2014

“Shadow Government”

You probably have heard this term, but I think it has — unfortunately — come to a modified, and frightening, definition.

I spent a great deal of time this summer with a book in my lap. First, I delved into the subject of volcanoes. After that, I dipped back into the cache of American history, specifically the office of President of the United States.

I focused my studies on two of our chief executives, John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan. While some of you might find that an odd couple, it is not.

When you study their writings and speeches, you find that Kennedy and Reagan had an abiding love for and respect for America’s position in the world as a defender of freedom. Both men were fervent in their belief in the American people and the American ideal — in essence, American exceptionalism.

Both men sought to inspire the younger generations and neither one buckled under the threat of Soviet military power.

Both men stood up against the Soviet Union. One faced up to it militarily and the other used the monetary clout that would seed its collapse.

Kennedy’s naval blockade prevented the Soviets from installing missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles from Florida. And as for Reagan, The Soviets demanded that he US scrap his missile defense program in exchange for eliminating an entire class of nuclear weapons. Reagan stood firm and refused to dismantle his Strategic Defense Initiative.   In the end the Soviet Union capitulated. Reagan was very open to working with others of different viewpoints, but his motto was “Trust, but verify.” Always make sure the other guy is holding up his end of the stick.

Kennedy claimed that “the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans.” Reagan saw America, in somewhat Biblical terms, in typical style, as a “shining city on a hill.” Neither man was oblivious to the terrible threats looming internationally, but neither man shrunk from duty.

Both not only knew the power of the American military, but also were not opposed to using it. One took office as the youngest in history, the other as the eldest. Both had a strong faith in God. Both were committed Christians.

Putting aside any human flaws, both were exemplary leaders.

We will never know what might have taken place had John Kennedy not been assassinated, but we do know that he put others above himself — evidenced by his heroism serving with the US Navy during World War II in the Pacific.

I would like to be in their presence in the afterlife to hear what they would say about the conditions we find ourselves in today. Neither man was afraid to put an enemy on notice that reminds me of one of our earlier flags. “Don’t tread on me.”

How disheartening to think of Kennedy’s and Reagan’s words when we tune in to a presidential news conference against the looming threat of Islamic terrorism. Oh, excuse me. The administration has a problem with that.

It occurs to me that if you cannot name an enemy, you cannot defeat it. Yes, this is an enemy without nation status, but it is an enemy nonetheless

— one with an unrestrained zeal to put an end to the West and its values.

That includes you and me, folks. Remember the old saying, “Better red than dead?” Well, ISIS expounds a new one. “Our life or the knife!” Sad, huh?

Alas, we find ourselves witness to the brutality of beheading. While it might be scary in a horror film, actors jump off the floor, someone in props picks up the head and filming continues. In real life such brutality is the ultimate wake-up call. We need to demand that our government step up to the plate and do something strong.

An old joke is that the camel came about as the result of a committee. I wonder if the NATO coalition is just more of the same. Where is Turkey in all this? Turkey is a NATO member, yet it is not a signatory on the recent documents in Wales. Where are the other nations in the Middle East, those most at risk? Where are Saudi Arabia, The UAE, Jordan, and Egypt? We know where Israel stands. The only democratic state in the region, Israel is fearless in the face of terror. They deal with it every day. I doubt if any of us would do so well as the average Israeli.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out Israel will not back down. Constantly at risk of bombings and murders, Israelis maintain a top-notch intelligence service in their Massad, an agency that commands respect of law enforcement agencies around the world. Israelis have more than an ear to the ground. They, undoubtedly, have human assets at work.

Now, we look at the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. My, for a self-proclaimed scholar, he has a problem parsing a sentence to follow the one preceding, doesn’t he? How many times have you heard him contradict himself within a few sentences? Depressing doesn’t begin to describe it.

From the moment he took office and began to apologize for America’s actions in the world, he set the stage for anyone with an axe to grind — or knife to fall — to “have at it.” And they did.

I hear all kinds of criticism of him, and the more bizarre they seem when applied to former presidents, the more they make sense when applied to him. Nuances to horrific acts of rebel fighters and the level of training compared to a JV basketball team falls short of what I consider fitting presidential rhetoric. With a dictionary full of wonderful, expressive, appropriate words, he opts for sports every time.

I think it’s about time he got on the ball instead of addressing it. He has a handicap all right, but it’s not on the golf course. With September 11^th just around the corner and a porous, virtually open southern border eyed by evildoers as an easy avenue, we should all be afraid.

It will be challenging to watch what happens next. When it comes to Iraq, funneling arms through Baghdad is fruitless, because nothing ships north to the Kurds. We leave those Kurdish fighters hanging. Their impressions of American help are — pitifully — pallets of MREs.

What will it take to force this administration to do something strong? I fear it may take a replication of 9/11 or something much worse. Don’t kid yourselves that the terrorists are not here. It took them from 1993 to 2001 to take down the World Trade Center. They are patient. It’s been thirteen years. Passports are easy to get in foreign lands. Travel to and from suspect countries has continued unabated. I hear some critics claim that terrorists are hatching their plots here as well as abroad. Clearly, these barbaric people are not afraid to attack us, but why should they be? We don’t do anything when provoked. As Donald Rumsfeld once said in sage, terse terms, “Weakness is provocative.”

Attacks here on our soil? The only question is when, not if. Take a moment in your prayers to remember all those men and women sworn to protect and defend freedom. Pray that their orders reflect the strength and resolve it took to defeat Hitler and his Third Reich. Remember, the Germans killed people by the thousands daily, but they hid their evil inside the walls of concentration camps scattered across scenic countryside. Undoubtedly, German citizens living nearby knew that something odd was happening; but they were as afraid of the SS as targeted ethnicities (i.e. Jew, Gypsy, etc.).

When Allied forces liberated the camps, soldiers were aghast at what they saw. No press had reported what was happening on German soil. In contrast, ISIS (or ISIL) brazenly showcass the beheadings of journalists to the world on video.   So far, it is one American from New England and one American from Florida who became an Israeli citizen. Who’s next?

What do you think John Kennedy would have done if he had seen a film of an American beheaded by a hooded villain? What would Ronald Reagan have done?

I feel confident that neither man would have hummed and hawed and searched for a response. It would have been swift and lethal. Where is an American statesman when we need him? Absent.

Why the title “Shadow Government?” The one we see today is a mere shadow of what we need. Think about it.

IN DEFENSE OF COMMON SENSE

By Hetty Gray

#195

August 19, 2014

“Spit or Choke?”

Recently, I listened intently as a man who had done considerable research compared ancient Rome with the United States. Rome was the major world power of its day, but its demise came nonetheless. Are we next in line?

A combination of unchecked immigration, excessive subsidies of the poor and rampant overspending finally brought the magnificent power to an end.

The steady growth of Rome came from monitored immigration. Newcomers had to speak the language and adapt to cultural norms. It all worked beautifully for a long time. Then an emerging threat came from Northern Europe, flooding hordes of refugees into the Roman Empire and saturating it with unskilled laborers who sapped the government’s resources.

Of course, all of us (except the Native America tribes) trace our roots to immigrant forebears. Yet the attitude of the times was so different from that of today. I remember my grandfather telling the story of his family. They left LeHarve, France, aboard a huge boat and eventually settled in Kansas. First, they scraped together as tenant farmers and later moved to Illinois. There, my grandfather became an electrical engineer. The first order of the day once they set foot on American soil was to learn and master English. They did — as did countless other families.

Assimilation proved to be the key to success. Yet, sadly, today we see our store signage, many government forms, and even the Social Security Offices chock full of pamphlets in many different languages. We won’t secure our borders. I say, “won’t” because it is hard for me to believe that we can’t. We just don’t. Neither will we demand that English is the language of the country. Oh, that’s right, we might offend someone. Go figure….

Incidentally, English is the language of all air traffic control — worldwide. While it may be hard to master for foreigners, it can be mastered. Those who learn English meld into the population far easier and succeed at a higher rate than those who do not. Common values and common interests only strengthen a nation. Division, on the other hand, only weakens a nation.

Is it unreasonable to ask those seeking freedom and opportunity to learn to speak English? It is unreasonable for us to ask that they work and pay their own way. Oh, I forgot, we don’t even ask that of able-bodied people who find a way to live off the system. Wow. Incentive is gone. It wasn’t three generations ago. Incentive was alive and well.

What happened in these last two generations? Well, there has been a creeping undercurrent of “Uncle Sam will do it for you” implied in program after program. The spurring incentive that propelled Americans to greatness has been replaced by an almost venomous invective. If you criticize any part of the “nanny state”, you are cruel and unfeeling. You’ve seen the films of the insurance investigators taking movies of people carrying large boxes while drawing disability for back problems. Scams live well in today’s world.

Standards for disability dropped precipitously under the current administration, and some actuaries claim that if a person takes advantage of as many government programs as possible, they would earn the equivalent of $60,000 per year. Not bad for sitting back on one’s backside, is it?

The average working American watches the federal government spending money hand over fist and then he or she must choke up the taxes to pay for that excess. This cannot continue unabated. Paying up with be a nasty business.   And just what excuse will be given to the generations unborn saddled with the bill? That will be an interesting conversation.

Am I preaching to the choir? Probably, but it just breaks my heart to see what is happening to my country. Are we truly the land of the free? I wonder for how long.

We see our freedoms disappearing. If a law won’t pass muster in the Congress, then “executive orders” skirt the legislative branch and govern by virtual fiat. We are slipping ever closer to an autocracy and those who scream against it are called anarchists and accused of losing their minds.

Well, it’s not their minds they are losing. It’s their country.

You better not get too accustomed to your utility rates. When the coal-fired power plants shut down, you will be in for a shock — and not an electrical one. Little by little and chip by chip, the incessant reach of an unrestrained — and grossly ignored — executive branch gnaws away at the tree of freedom of choice.

Wasn’t it this bunch that said, “Never let a crisis go to waste?” Well, they revel in any crisis situation. Now, how — as citizens and voters — will we handle the spending crisis, folks? This mid-term election should ignite a fire under anyone working and those retirees who can see the forest for the trees — in this case a forest fire! Maybe, it’s time we fired the majority in the Senate and brought the more than a hundred or so bills to the floor. Those bills have been sitting in a pile, put there by one Harry Reid, a stellar example of how not to be a legislator. Oh, he is the first one to claim that the GOP is responsible for all the inaction, but he refuses to even bring their bills to the floor. And there is more than one reason. It’s not just that he wants them to look bad, it’s because his fellow Democrats would have a hard time voting against sensible bills designed to jump start the economy — not the least of which is The Keystone Pipeline.

This is not the time to sit back and stew about the ballooning of federal regulation and overreach. Get out there and encourage everyone you know to get out the vote.

It’s up to us in the end. Nobody in authority seems to be interested in addressing the growth of federal power. Meanwhile, that debt clock just advances interminably. Will we spit it out or choke on it?