As we prepare to celebrate a holiday that is uniquely American and rooted in the faith of those who came before us who made this country great, I hope you'll take a moment and read George Washington's first Thanksgiving proclamation to the Nation. This is the heart of why we observe Thanksgiving. Not feasting, not football, not parades, it's all about taking a moment to pause and thank Almighty God for the blessings He has bestowed upon us as a nation and individuals. Even though we find ourselves in times of economic uncertainty, look around, we are still very blessed! I am reminded of Rockwell's paintings of the Four Freedoms. Regardless of what your 401k may reflect or even your checking account, these four freedoms are OURS! Thanks to blessings from God and the sacrifice of the generations before us and the resolve to make sure we always have them.
Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship, Freedom from Want, and Freedom from Fear.
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/images/at0058a.5s.jpg
Thanksgiving Proclamation
[New York, 3 October 1789]
By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation.
Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor-- and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.
Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be-- That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks--for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation--for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war--for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed--for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted--for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.
and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions-- to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually--to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed--to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord--To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us--and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.
Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.
Go: Washington
Happy Thanksgiving!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
amateur move
he's been president-elect for all of 2 weeks and look what he pulls:
this is from Drudge.
BUSH ANGER: OBAMA AIDES LEAK CHAT DETAILSTue Nov 11 2008 09:28:10 ETJust hours after President Bush and President-elect Obama met in the Oval Office of the White House, details of their confidential conversation began leaking out to the press, igniting anger from the president, sources claim."Senator Obama would be wise to keep close counsel," a top Bush source warned. "BUSH AND OBAMA AT ODDS OVER AID FOR AUTO INDUSTRY," splashed the NEW YORK TIMES in an exclusive Monday evening, quoting "people familiar with the discussion." The two met at the White House in private, without staff. "Bush indicated at the meeting that he might support some aid and a broader economic stimulus package if Obama and congressional Democrats dropped their opposition to a free-trade agreement with Colombia," claimed the TIMES. MORE The ASSOCIATED PRESS quickly followed with details of the conversation, citing "aides who described the discussion on grounds of anonymity, citing the private nature of the meeting." Bush advisers view the leaks as an effort to undermine the president's remaining days in office. "Senator Obama may not be familiar with a long-standing tradition of presidents holding their private conversations, private," a senior adviser explained to the DRUDGE REPORT. Developing...
this is from Drudge.
BUSH ANGER: OBAMA AIDES LEAK CHAT DETAILSTue Nov 11 2008 09:28:10 ETJust hours after President Bush and President-elect Obama met in the Oval Office of the White House, details of their confidential conversation began leaking out to the press, igniting anger from the president, sources claim."Senator Obama would be wise to keep close counsel," a top Bush source warned. "BUSH AND OBAMA AT ODDS OVER AID FOR AUTO INDUSTRY," splashed the NEW YORK TIMES in an exclusive Monday evening, quoting "people familiar with the discussion." The two met at the White House in private, without staff. "Bush indicated at the meeting that he might support some aid and a broader economic stimulus package if Obama and congressional Democrats dropped their opposition to a free-trade agreement with Colombia," claimed the TIMES. MORE The ASSOCIATED PRESS quickly followed with details of the conversation, citing "aides who described the discussion on grounds of anonymity, citing the private nature of the meeting." Bush advisers view the leaks as an effort to undermine the president's remaining days in office. "Senator Obama may not be familiar with a long-standing tradition of presidents holding their private conversations, private," a senior adviser explained to the DRUDGE REPORT. Developing...
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Election Analysis--a unique perspective
Below you will find some observations and opinions from a friend of mine. I think he's dead on and I wanted to share it.
#####
My friends get upset with me for refusing to vote for the presidency. I'm sorry. I feel ashamed about it. I know my forefathers died to give me that right. I do vote in local elections. But the presidency? This campaign has been two years. It was about laying low enough, not saying anything controversial enough to make headlines. It was about reporters following these guys day in, day out, looking for the nuance that could morph into a story. So they never said anything deviating from their stump speeches. I've worked for 2 national news organizations. One, upheld as a bastion of journalistic integrity, one lampooned as being in the tank for one party. Neither assumption was true. My pals at one network posted Obama's picture - from the Economist's cover shot endorsement -on the wall of their offices, were vocal in their support for him, buzzing around their myspace pages. It was all just so exciting, they forgot their roles as dispassionate observers.
The Obama supporters were so fervent and so hateful towards Sarah Palin that it was a complete turn-off. I'm seeing mothers pinning "Obama" buttons on their toddlers. Really? I would have loved to seen my parents pin a Nixon button on my brother. In line at the grocery store, I had a rather large, imposing gentleman with an Obama t-shirt, start leaning in and making friendly intonations about 'hope' and 'change,' just bucking for a conversation. When I didn't bite, he just started making statements about how there was so much riding on this election. Forget the people canvassing my commute. The pins and bumper stickers. This Obama crowd - they're like Apple users. I know it is probably a better product than the PC, but the people who use it are so apostolic about them and so annoying in their fervor, that I couldn't buy into it. It was this whole cult of personality. Speech after countless speech, all i heard was "blah blah blah... four more years of George Bush, attempt at clever punch line, hope, change," raucous uproar. Maybe Obama didn't cultivate this whole thing. Maybe he did. It feels cultish. He has good cadence. Good flow. Good emphasis on the right syllables. For a party that put up John Kerry in the last, go round, it was a refreshing change. As for the substance? It felt weak.
I hear this guy talking about change. And one of the changes i heard proposed a few weeks ago was putting a moratorium on home foreclosures. Oh yeah? Who is going to pay for that? Who will be accountable for that? Its a campaign that's one big state of the union address; big on promises, short on follow through.
And Governor Palin... a Governor with an unheard of 80% approval rating in her job, who became the target of such a disturbing hatred, I came to like her just for being hated. And hated she was. Viscerally, fervently, an unabashedly. The shock! The outrage! The irony of women who want another woman to advance, just one who propels their ideals.
She wore jeans and a hoodie to the polls. She (gasp!) hunts!! Can i get a tally of the meat eaters out there? She probably was in over her head. She was a little too strong on the conviction and a little too light on the information. But Sarah Palin represents to me, the huge disconnect between red and blue state America.
What if a white person voted for the white candidate because- well- they were white? Not JUST because, but for a big reason. Because they were tired of someone of their skin color. It's not that I don't want someone to succeed in spite of their skin color, but i don't want someone's success to be pinned their skin color. The numbers of black voters who turned out for Obama makes it too hard to think it ISN'T just about that. While some rejoice in the accomplishment of one being the first black elected president, it matters so much, that Jesse Jackson, who months earlier, wanted the guy's nuts cut off, but was moved to tears Jesseee freakin' Jackson crying? Did ANYONE believe that? To top it off, a political rally is held at Ebeneezer Baptist CHURCH? Don't tell me this wasn't about race. For some, it was only about that.In Obama's defense, I don't think he sought it out or asked for just the black vote. I don't think he campaigned just for that. It just ended up that way. I'm politically incorrect enough to say that being black was reason enough to get people to come to the polls and vote when they other wise would not have.
Maybe I'm too cynical to be inspired. Maybe I just can't invest anything into the soundbite candidacy. Maybe I believe so much in democracy, that i think whoever wins, it matters little because the gears of of democracy grind so slowly, that no one person can enact such radical change, no one would be shocked into something.
For McCain, what does a 72 year old man want to run for president for? And I just didn't believe the 'fight' he called for in so many speeches was coming. For a guy who stayed in the senate for so long and managed to nab headlines only when he fought against his party stalwarts, I wasn't sure I could believe in him. He was more inspirational and substantive than Bob Dole, but it was hard to not look at that campaign and think this ship had passed. Turns out, it did.
So I'm sorry i can't find the fire in my belly to be inspired enough to call the DMV - who of course messed up my voter registration- to fix it. I'm sorry I can't be motivated enough to wait in line after these two years, but to just want it over and to move on.
#####
My friends get upset with me for refusing to vote for the presidency. I'm sorry. I feel ashamed about it. I know my forefathers died to give me that right. I do vote in local elections. But the presidency? This campaign has been two years. It was about laying low enough, not saying anything controversial enough to make headlines. It was about reporters following these guys day in, day out, looking for the nuance that could morph into a story. So they never said anything deviating from their stump speeches. I've worked for 2 national news organizations. One, upheld as a bastion of journalistic integrity, one lampooned as being in the tank for one party. Neither assumption was true. My pals at one network posted Obama's picture - from the Economist's cover shot endorsement -on the wall of their offices, were vocal in their support for him, buzzing around their myspace pages. It was all just so exciting, they forgot their roles as dispassionate observers.
The Obama supporters were so fervent and so hateful towards Sarah Palin that it was a complete turn-off. I'm seeing mothers pinning "Obama" buttons on their toddlers. Really? I would have loved to seen my parents pin a Nixon button on my brother. In line at the grocery store, I had a rather large, imposing gentleman with an Obama t-shirt, start leaning in and making friendly intonations about 'hope' and 'change,' just bucking for a conversation. When I didn't bite, he just started making statements about how there was so much riding on this election. Forget the people canvassing my commute. The pins and bumper stickers. This Obama crowd - they're like Apple users. I know it is probably a better product than the PC, but the people who use it are so apostolic about them and so annoying in their fervor, that I couldn't buy into it. It was this whole cult of personality. Speech after countless speech, all i heard was "blah blah blah... four more years of George Bush, attempt at clever punch line, hope, change," raucous uproar. Maybe Obama didn't cultivate this whole thing. Maybe he did. It feels cultish. He has good cadence. Good flow. Good emphasis on the right syllables. For a party that put up John Kerry in the last, go round, it was a refreshing change. As for the substance? It felt weak.
I hear this guy talking about change. And one of the changes i heard proposed a few weeks ago was putting a moratorium on home foreclosures. Oh yeah? Who is going to pay for that? Who will be accountable for that? Its a campaign that's one big state of the union address; big on promises, short on follow through.
And Governor Palin... a Governor with an unheard of 80% approval rating in her job, who became the target of such a disturbing hatred, I came to like her just for being hated. And hated she was. Viscerally, fervently, an unabashedly. The shock! The outrage! The irony of women who want another woman to advance, just one who propels their ideals.
She wore jeans and a hoodie to the polls. She (gasp!) hunts!! Can i get a tally of the meat eaters out there? She probably was in over her head. She was a little too strong on the conviction and a little too light on the information. But Sarah Palin represents to me, the huge disconnect between red and blue state America.
What if a white person voted for the white candidate because- well- they were white? Not JUST because, but for a big reason. Because they were tired of someone of their skin color. It's not that I don't want someone to succeed in spite of their skin color, but i don't want someone's success to be pinned their skin color. The numbers of black voters who turned out for Obama makes it too hard to think it ISN'T just about that. While some rejoice in the accomplishment of one being the first black elected president, it matters so much, that Jesse Jackson, who months earlier, wanted the guy's nuts cut off, but was moved to tears Jesseee freakin' Jackson crying? Did ANYONE believe that? To top it off, a political rally is held at Ebeneezer Baptist CHURCH? Don't tell me this wasn't about race. For some, it was only about that.In Obama's defense, I don't think he sought it out or asked for just the black vote. I don't think he campaigned just for that. It just ended up that way. I'm politically incorrect enough to say that being black was reason enough to get people to come to the polls and vote when they other wise would not have.
Maybe I'm too cynical to be inspired. Maybe I just can't invest anything into the soundbite candidacy. Maybe I believe so much in democracy, that i think whoever wins, it matters little because the gears of of democracy grind so slowly, that no one person can enact such radical change, no one would be shocked into something.
For McCain, what does a 72 year old man want to run for president for? And I just didn't believe the 'fight' he called for in so many speeches was coming. For a guy who stayed in the senate for so long and managed to nab headlines only when he fought against his party stalwarts, I wasn't sure I could believe in him. He was more inspirational and substantive than Bob Dole, but it was hard to not look at that campaign and think this ship had passed. Turns out, it did.
So I'm sorry i can't find the fire in my belly to be inspired enough to call the DMV - who of course messed up my voter registration- to fix it. I'm sorry I can't be motivated enough to wait in line after these two years, but to just want it over and to move on.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
change has come!
well, the people have spoken and change has come. What does change mean right now? the change is that that the majority of the people in this country apparently no longer value individual responsibility, less government, low taxes, a strong defense, energy independence by seeking our own sources, and complete alliance with Israel. I guess civics class will look rather different in the coming years, because the values this country was founded upon seem to be no longer relevant based on Obama's victory tonight. It seems that a government hand out and govt solutions to our problems reign supreme.
I hope once in office Obama's radical idealism will become more centrist as he realizes his responsibilities that he is the leader of the free world.
I love this country and therefore I have to respect the choice of the majority and pray that God's grace and protection will rest upon Barack Obama and his family. And may he truly seek Jehovah God's will and direction as he leads America.
I hope once in office Obama's radical idealism will become more centrist as he realizes his responsibilities that he is the leader of the free world.
I love this country and therefore I have to respect the choice of the majority and pray that God's grace and protection will rest upon Barack Obama and his family. And may he truly seek Jehovah God's will and direction as he leads America.
Election Day!!!!
It's election day and I'm so excited because it's over. The 24-7 coverage of everything from voter fraud to negative ads is coming to a close. While I truly love the election process and have been an active participant in every year, I'm just so ready for it to be concluded. Unfortunately I have seen nastiness in the last few weeks which only serves as a discouragement at how petty things have become.
But I'm grateful that we still live in the freest country in the world, where every adult has the right to vote as long as they can prove they are who they say they are. I am desperately praying for a peaceful transition process regardless of who wins and I'm hopeful that over the next four years, that just like the song says, God will "shed his grace on thee...from sea to shining sea"
But I'm grateful that we still live in the freest country in the world, where every adult has the right to vote as long as they can prove they are who they say they are. I am desperately praying for a peaceful transition process regardless of who wins and I'm hopeful that over the next four years, that just like the song says, God will "shed his grace on thee...from sea to shining sea"
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