Beat The Drums Slowly

Back in ancient days, as the story goes, Joshua took on the land of Jericho in battle. This was not an easy challenge as Jericho had strong walls and high. But Joshua prayed and God told him to march his army around the walls for days at a time. It is said that the walls came crumbling down. Possible. The marching and the drums and the shofars could set up sympathetic vibrations in the ground that caused the wall to fail. That constant rythmic pounding will do it every time.

In our country today the drumbeat is getting louder. And it is about time. Back when "Fast and Furious" became a scandal conservative news junkies like myself were the only ones that took it seriously. Perhaps we still are. It certainly didn't connect with the general public or the press very strongly. 

The there was the time when the Justice Department threw out the confessions that they already had in hand from the New Black Panthers. A small ripple in the news there. When has a prosecutor ever thrown away a sure conviction. But then it, like so many other stories, went under-reported. 

The administrations refusal to close off our southern border got a lot more attention. It deserved a lot more. Some of those people flooding into the country were criminals and terrorists not to mention cartel thugs. At about this same time the Department of Homeland Security was trying to convince the public that conservative Americans and returning veterans are terrorists. Now people were starting to pay attention. The drumbeat was faint and slow, but it was starting.

Benghazi added very little to the drumbeat at first. But as citizens saw the lies, the cover-ups, and the arrogance, the beat got louder and louder. Then people realized that the NSA was spying on all of us and keeping records. Remember how the administration lied to us about that too. Then there was and still is the mess of Obamacare. And the beat got louder and the tempo faster. The XL pipeline was a small addition to the drums. But even that beat is getting louder by the day.

Then the truly big problems started getting newspaper space. The IRS, the most feared department in government, was being used as a weapon against anyone that the Obama administration felt to be in opposition.  To oppose Obama was to be an enemy. Enemies must be destroyed. American citizens or not, bankrupt them and ruin their lives. The beat gets louder and stronger. 

Then, all over the news, the Bureau of Land Management sent in a small heavily armed army to oust a rancher from some range-land. That which should have been a court case turned into an armed confrontation for no other reason than to show that they could. Americans don't much like armies showing up at there gates to enforce a legal situation. Boom. Boom. Boom. Hear those drums?

Then to pile evil on top of evil, it now comes out that the hacks running the VA were taking better care of themselves than the veterans. Every good American should take that as a slap in the face. When we ask people to serve we expect them to be cared for when they need that help. The people in Washington have failed those that should never be failed. If the bright light of publicity had not exposed this shame it would have gone on. Forever.

Mr. Obama, put your ear to the wall. Can you hear the drumbeat? Can you feel your walls shaking? Your walls are crumbling. And the drumbeat goes on and on and on. And this will be the Obama legacy.

On Racism

Having lived through every decade since the late thirties. Having spent some time in the south during the "Jim Crow" years. Having witnessed the struggle for equal rights and the trauma of school desegregation I thought that the race situation in the United States was improving. Seven or eight years ago, I thought thing were really in good shape. Not perfect, mind you. But good.

How on God's good green Earth could I have been so naive. And I do apologize to those of the Atheist faith for my use of the word God. So sorry.  I never knew all of the "coded" signals of racism that exist in our society. 

Yesterday I was helping my wife purchase a few things from L.L. Bean. An old and respected company that sells quality goods. And there it was. Right there in front of me. Moccasins. Really? Moccasins? How dare they. That is Native American footwear. Then these people come along and make money selling non-Native American made replicas to the general public. Shameful. 

We looked at some things on the Target website. Do you know that they only list skirts and dresses for women. Blatant sexism. I did not understand creeping sexism until I saw the news story where a bunch of really smart professorial types now tell us that the terms mister or miss attached to the persons name is sexist. Wow!Who knew? I hope this doesn't confuse little kids going into kindergarten who are just sorting things out. Should we eliminate mommy and daddy and just have kids say "parent". I can hear it now, "parent, can we get ice cream?" How adorable.

I did not know until two days ago that camels are racist. The intelligentsia at the University of St. Thomas, who practically no one has ever heard of, have declared camels racist and forced the cancellation of a hump day party planned by a campus organization. And of course the geniuses at UCLA forced the cancellation of a taco party as racist. But somehow Cinco de Mayo was still OK. Confusing.

Trying to cross the river of racism is a dangerous thing. The bridge is rickety and some of those planks that you trusted before seem to have weakened. AG Holder sees new subtle examples of racism. Of course Mister Holder, oops, that was sexist, sees racism at every turn of his head.

So all I can say is, no more Eskimo pies for you.   

The Height Of Destruction

When did, "change you can believe in, become change you can destroy with? It is official now as far as I am concerned. Obamacare has destroyed healthcare. The latest announcement by our President that "the time of preferences is over", seals the deal. In other words, you will get the kind of health care that Obamacare allows you to get. The better doctors and hospitals are opting out of the system or are being dropped from the system to reduce costs.

First you couldn't keep your doctor as promised. Next you couldn't keep your insurance as promised. Then came medical allocation committees. Thank God they're not death panels. These kind non-medical people who will be controlling your use of health care just decide if you will get the treatment that you and your doctor want.

Obama promised to bring back jobs. But every new policy, every new regulation, destroys jobs and causes the lowest economic growth since WWII. Fewer people are employed in the country today than at any time since the Carter administration.

The incredible shrinking military continues to shrink as the world continually gets more dangerous. And you have to love the Obama approach to defeating terrorism. I think it was designed by a five year old. Just close your eyes. Never use the word terrorism. Never say jihad or Islamic fundamentalist and it all goes away. After all, Bin Laden is dead, isn't he?

To keep on with the President's schedule of changes in the international arena, Obama has separated us from our friends and allies abroad. At the same time our enemies laugh at us. Maybe if we keep them laughing they won't attack us.

Our wounded veterans got a change they don't want to believe in. They knew that VA hospitals left something to be desired. They actually found out that bad could get worse. And these heroes are the last people that that should happen to.

But to be fair, there is another side to the coin. The stock market is doing well and interest rates are down. Both, thanks to the FED. So the one percenters are doing just great. And since they have plenty of money they will be able to afford boutique health care and the really good hospitals.

So if the changes to your life caused destruction, just remember, there is a gazillionaire out there who is smiling and happy. 

Mine Eyes Have Seen The Glory

Back when I was a boy, I learned and loved the "Battle Hymn of the Republic". With it's military cadence and religious fervor, what was there not to love. It has a theme that while Christianity is a religion of love and Christians are willing to turn the other cheek, they are willing to go to war and die, if need be, to protect their faith and their homelands.

Today, Christianity is under attack like it has never been before. In America it is under attack by atheists who have turned their lack of religion into a religion. Never forget that America was founded by Christians based on Christian principles. The heart of these freedoms are found and codified in the Bill of Rights. Everyone was given the right to practice their own religion or none at all. Every one was given the freedom to worship as they please and to speak their mind as they please.

Today there are those that would over extend freedom to some by taking away the freedom of others. There used to be a phrase, "live and let live". Now, to some, the very sight of a Christian cross in public visibility offends them. Children are forbidden the comfort of reading their Bible in school. There is nothing in the Bill of Rights that says, you need never be offended. If a person is so small minded and self aggrandizing that they find the rights of another offensive, I recommend another Biblical verse. That would be Matthew 18:9, "If thy eye offend thee, pluck it out."

Then in the rest of the world, the radical Muslim population is waging war on Christians. The middle east always had a healthy and productive Christian population. The Coptic Christians of Egypt were living there long before the Muslim arrived. Now the Christians are being killed and their churches are being destroyed. Lebanon and Iran both have just about destroyed their Christian population, just because they hate.

Most Muslims claim their hatred of Christians come from the Crusades. If fact they still refer to Christians as the Crusaders. They tell us the unwarranted attacks against Muslims in the Holy land was to destroy Islam. So, let's look a a little history that the politically correct tend to ignore. By the year 716, Muslims controlled most of Iberia by sword. For those geographically deprived, that is Spain and Portugal. By 721 they had taken their war into France, Gaul in those days, and controlled France as far as Avignon, Arles, and Lyon.

The First Crusade was not until 1096. That was just a rag tag bunch of lords and soldiers and peasants that wanted to regain Jerusalem for their faith. For the next few hundred years things got heated. But that was the way of the world in those days.

The point is, that Christians were always willing to share. But they would also stand up for themselves. For some unearthly reason, they have allowed themselves to be intimidated into submission. This cannot continue. Christians are, by and large, good people with a strong and good religious philosophy. If they wish to outlast these assaults, they must go back to being Christian Soldiers.

None So Blind

There is an old phrase. "There are none so blind as they that will not see". This is probably attributable to John Heywood as an adaption of Biblical verse Jeremiah 5:21. Obviously, it was originally meant those that do not see the benefits of faith. I see it a little different today.

Right now, today, this country has more problems than we can deal with and more are being created weekly. In the realm of international politics, we, the United States, are a debtor country to half the first world nations including countries who's economies were destroyed after WWII. We owe over 17 trillion dollars and that number is growing. The Chinese economy is looking to outstrip ours in less than two years. Vladimir Putin has taken over world leadership only because he was allowed to do to American fecklessness. We coddle and bow to our enemies while we snub or disrespect our friends and allies losing the respect of all.

About seven years ago the jobs market started into a decline. The economy started to slow at the same time. The working people of the United States have been desperate for a recovery. Meanwhile the Fed pumped dollars into the economy, lowering the value of the dollar. They also forced interest rates to unheard of lows so people whose only investment was their savings got no return. But the rich did, and are doing very well.

While the public was clamoring for jobs, we had our health care system ripped apart and patched back together in a crazy quilt of fees, taxes, and regulations that will take years to sort out if that is even possible. Meanwhile back in Washington, jobs numbers and cost of living numbers were finagled by administration bean counters to make an appearance of progress. But fewer people are actually employed than have been employed since Jimmy Carter was President. Those jobs that have been created have been mostly part time or low paying service industry jobs.

But if you read the New York Times, or watch MSNBC and most other news outlets you would think we are mere days away from Utopia. "The recovery has been slow but it is almost ready to bust out", is a common thread. When faced down the Democrats blame George Bush. Come on he's been gone for over five years and the Democrats controlled Congress for his last two years. All of the unconstitutional behavior and scandals are just Republicans politicizing. All of those regulations that stifle business are really making the world better. And besides it is hugely important to focus on the politics of sexuality and race. 

The Democrat party either lies or they have become the political equivalent of Jonestown. Just drink your Kool Aid and shut up. There are none so blind.............

When A Rockslide Starts, Don't Be At The Bottom

The mountain has been developing cracks. They have a whole bunch of people running around toting buckets of cement to repair the cracks. But some people tire of the personal toll. When you know the cement is weak, and it is not in your own best interest to be spreading it. What do you do? 

You have a high and mighty boss that expects complete self sacrificing loyalty. But you have seen that same boss throw people under the bus in a heartbeat to save himself. Even worse, you know he is more wrong than right. He has harmed, and continues to harm, the country that you really love. What is a dyed in the wool liberal to do?

If you're a real American, you put your ideology behind you and try to resurrect your reputation by becoming a statesman. Tim Geithner has had his epiphany. He has stopped spreading weak cement, thrown the bucket away, and is trying to stand tall. Good for him. A huge crack just appeared in the mountain. Mr. Geithner admits in his new book that he was asked to lie on the Sunday talk shows to support the administration. I doubt if this was the first or only time.

Liberals have their own version of sharia law. If a liberal lies to gain or retain power, or if they lie to destroy an opposition member, it is not really a lie, it is a weapon. But for them it is right and justified because they are keeping the curtain around the Mighty Oz. It is just that the Emerald Palace morphed into the White House.

The cracks that Benghazi started two years ago have been slowly spreading in spite of a full team effort to stifle them. Those cracks are growing faster by the day now. A simple unredacted email provided the wedge that is opening those cracks wide. This while the liberal choir sings a tune of "America doesn't care". Many Americans are caring very much.

New cracks are opening under that ledge on which the IRS sits. And anyone that thinks Americans don't care about what happens in the IRS is dead wrong. 

Then we have the newest, biggest, and possibly the most important crack in the mountain. That is the VA. True, the administration didn't create the problem. But their shiny new Secretary, Gen. Shinseki, has known about the problem for a year and done nothing. Now when the shinola was hitting the rotor, he was missing in action. But now it appears that he is surfacing with all kinds of information. Just a little late in the game. His resignation, for the sake of his own honor, would be welcome. Veterans deserve better.

So stay off the trail at the bottom of the mountain. The rocks are starting to fall and it can't be soon enough.

A Boy's Life

Every once in a while I come across a story that I can celebrate. Not only is it worth celebrating it is a perfect background to make some points that I have been wanting to get to.

Back on April 5, Ann Curry, the NBC newscaster was hiking in Harriman State Park in New York. She apparently misstepped and broke her ankle. Along came a troop of Boy Scouts also on a hike. They asked if she needed help and she refused. The troop would not take no for an answer. They splinted her ankle and tried to help her back to the trail-head. The ground was too rough, so they improvised a stretcher and carried her out. They saw to it that she had transportation to a hospital when they got off the trail. When park rangers arrived and asked if there was someone in need of rescue, the simply said "all taken care of".

These boys are receiving a lot of praise for their efforts. And they deserve every bit of it and more. But since I have two grandsons in that organization I have kept close to what the Scouts do and how they do it. I will state right here, that I would be shocked if I found any troop in the Boy Scouts of America that would have acted any differently. 

The Scout organization is for boys from 11 to 18 years of age. They start out with the rank of Tenderfoot and through much hard work and perseverance they finish up as an eagle. In their time in Scouts they will learn a wide range of skills and knowledge. But they also learn leadership, cooperation, and self-sufficiency. They learn a lot of the old skills that have gone out of fashion today like woodsmanship and survival. They learn to rely on each other and to take care of the younger Scouts. To teach the young ones the skills they have learned.

Boy Scouts are just that, boys. They are learning to become good responsible adults and generally doing it well. It angers me when I see the Scouts dragged into the political arena by adults with axes to grind and a lack of common sense. The kids and their leaders have been working out their own problems for decades. They do it far better today then they did when I was a Scout. But it is about the boys not about applying political pressure so that some ego can get headlines. Political hacks, leave them alone. There is not a better organization in the world. And no matter how many stumbling blocks thoughtless adults throw in their path, they will adapt and prosper. Their the Boy Scouts.