Think & Question

Christmas

2006-12-24T13:00:00.000-08:00

It is an unlikely story. First we have to believe in a God who created everything, the universe and all the living and dead things that are in it. Then you have to believe that He cared about an insignificant creature not far removed from the monkey. That He cared so much that He sent His Son to be born human, a Man born of woman, to be born One of them. Not to reign as an earthly King, the only crown He was to wear was one of thorns. He was proclaimed a King only by His executioners, on a scrap of paper nailed, as He was, to a wooden cross.

Raised by a carpenter, He lived in a simple home. Later He found shelter where He could, in sinner's home, or by the road. He didn't spend much time in temples, He often prayed in gardens or the desert. He was an itinerant Preacher. They called His home Nazareth, and everyone knew that not much good came out of Nazareth, though He was born in Bethlehem.

Then there were the stories, unlikely too, of a bright star guiding wise men who came bearing gifts, and of angels and shepherds, and a king who wished Him dead. Surely there was laughter, when they spoke of a virgin birth, and a nasty joke or two. What sort of God would allow His Son, a part of Himself, to be born a Man, to die a Man, to be tortured and ridiculed, to be nailed naked to a cross in public? To be nailed upon a cross with common thieves? Who would believe such a story? What reason could God have to do such a thing?

And the answer the Bible gives, who would believe that, that God sent His Son into the world to die for our sins, yours and mine, to pay a ransom for you and me? It is a story both outrageous and unnecessary. Would the Son of God, God Himself, be born in a stable, rest in a manger, and be wrapped in swaddling clothes?

There is no logic to it. Yet, if there is a God, I would hope that He loved us that much, and I would like to think He walked in dust as we did, that He walked in our shoes. I would like to think he rode a donkey over hard ground, drank cool water from a well, learned a craft at Joseph's side, drank wine at weddings, and knew fear and pain like me. If the story isn't true, it should be.

Quandary: Korea North and the Bomb

2006-10-20T20:31:00.000-07:00

Korea, we need real spies, on the ground folk who work in the shadows. Looking from here to there, I see no solution, by diplomacy or force of arms. We need two things, that I think we don't, good intelligence and people on the ground. We need to know who the key people are, and how to get to them. We need to know the key places, and how to take them out. We need people on the ground who can do the dirty deeds. We need to fight the dirty war. Key scientists, key places, and key leaders...bullets and bombs, OR, "Is there no one who can poison the barbecue?"

A New American Manifesto

2006-10-11T10:12:00.000-07:00

In a time when the Democrat Party has cast aside the concept of individual liberty, and replaced it with class liberty, America founders on the rocky shores of perdition. The Republican Party, intent on self destruction, thrashes about like a madman, while we lose the Republic. Politics in America has become a power game, with position, might, and money as the prize. Government now bows to the engine of special interests. Our elected leaders wear the Seven Deadly Sins as rights of passage.

We must claim again our legacy of Individual Liberty. There is no real liberty but the liberty of a single man or women. We must claim again the Moral Ground. We have no legitimate reason to exist without it. We must claim again Truth and Justice, for no other virtues can sustain us. We must remember that from the very beginning, a respect for the Creator and a deference to Him has guided both national policy and shared values. If we lose our national conscience, we are doomed to the basement of history, to share the damp and dust with other failed societies. We must believe in ourselves, and in the hope that has burned at the heart of our national identity.

We must claim the common ground. We must be willing to fight for it. Yes, to die for it. We must seek out and reclaim what once branded the best of us, Duty and Honor.

Love of our Country, love of its Citizens, and love of Liberty must no longer be standards we hide is dusty closets, or abandon altogether. We must confront those in need with Charity, proclaim Hard Work and Steadfastness as necessary Virtues, and Courage as our heritage. We must begin again. We must begin with Common Sense, Purpose, and Accountability.

To those Citizens who feel excluded by these words, I offer this: you are welcome for who you are, not for what group, class, or organization you belong to. The Greatness of this Nation abides with the individual, and it is our Solemn Duty to provide that citizen with True Liberty. No group or organization is more important than the poorest of us, the weakest , or the most humble.

Most rights have a natural limit. It is reached when they collide with another. Common Sense, Law, and Tradition must be considered when deciding the boundaries.

The Constitution provides Freedom of Religion, including the Right to Not Believe, but does Not provide freedom From Religion. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

A New Beginning

2006-10-06T12:32:00.000-07:00

We still have time, we can do it, if we have the will. Do you think the Democrats so much better than the Republicans? Remember they controlled both houses not too long ago...and did nothing. A better way calls to you and me. Throw all the bums out, send a message. We want honest government, working, not fighting. Throw out the Republicans, and the Democrats. Throw them all out. Then promise to do it again if they don't get their act together. Use the vote for the first time in a Century to really make a difference. We can save the nation, the little folk, like you and me. Join me in a Great New Revolution. Do something so Shocking they will put it in the history books. Make your mark for all to see. Give me Life, Liberty... and a decade of happiness before I die.

The World Undone

2006-10-04T12:20:00.000-07:00

World War III began September 1, 2001. The conflict had its roots in a clash of religions, cultures, and interests between the West, particularly the United States, and the Middle East. With the creation of Israel as a sovereign nation, after World War II, the seeds of war were planted. A clash of civilizations was inevitable.

2001 February-- The nuclear genie, contained since the bombing of Japan in WWII, promises to escape. Israel, India, and Pakistan join Russia, China, England, France, and the United States as members of the club. Iraq had an interest, as well as Iran, and Korea had or was close to having the bomb. The West had reason to worry.

Terrorist threaten the West. Warfare against the West, including the United States, was a regular event. The failed Twin Towers bombing, the Cole, the various embassy bombings, the Marine barracks bombing in Lebanon, all took American lives.

911 and the war begins in earnest. The giant awakes.

What to do, and who to do it to? There are things our leaders cannot say in this time of political correctness. The President could not say that this was a war against a culture that wanted us destroyed, that this culture was based on a religion, and that it was highly ethnic. We attacked where we could,. Afghanistan and Iraq. The first because they gave sanctuary to our known enemy, and Iraq because it bordered on Iran and Syria and we needed a battleground. The fact that it was ruled by a demon, and was a known enemy of the US made it an easy sell to the public. (For a while)

Iraq with its many borders would draw out the enemy from the surrounding nations. We had hopes that we could defeat him there, gain an advantage over Syria and Iran, and a place to launch preemptive war against them if necessary. Obviously it didn't work out as planned.

2006–Iran is only a few short years from a nuclear capability. Korea, already has it. Pakistan, has it. Iran and Korea are in active opposition to the US.. Pakistan is one man away. With three nations that are or could be willing to supply terrorist with atomic weapons, for ideological or monetary reasons, their use may be inevitable. The West must find a way to stop it. The United States cannot act alone, conventionally.

2010 The Future-- Iran is not disarmed and develops a weapon. With new anti-western leadership in Pakistan, and Korea strapped for cash, the US knows rising fear. The US cannot find the political will to act alone. There are no allies willing to do what must be done. The UN cannot act because of the Russian and Chinese Veto.

The new Democrat President awakes early on a Sunday in August.

"Mr. President we have an intercept. Reliable sources say that the terrorists have 3 nuclear weapons, that they have been transported to the United States and dispersed. We don't know the size. We don't know from which country they came. We only know that they were acquired by Saudi nationals, and were transported to the United States. We have several names, and most are in custody, but won't talk. We are questioning friends and relatives but are getting nowhere."

The President against his own morals, and against his own campaign promises, authorizes torture. Millions of live are at stake. The torture provides confirmation, but does not lead to the bombs or the people who are directly involved.

The President asks for options about retaliation. His security chief asks, "against who?"

"Pakistan, Iran, and Korea" he answers."

After debate within the White House, the intelligence community, and the Pentagon, the President is given a single option.

The United States cannot win in conventional battle, and hold by force of arms the three states we suspect. We cannot determine which state did it. Our only option is "Rampage."

The President's plan is to destroy all three states using the nuclear option. Destroying every city and port, driving them into the stone age, and warning every other nation that if they do not cooperate they will be next. It is the last option, the unthinkable option. Worse, it won't stop the attack, just offer punishment.

September 11, 2011, at noon Washington DC time, the president is interrupted at lunch. "Mr. President.......... two... nuclear devices have been detonated.....one in New York.....one in Los Angeles. They....they killed millions...we don't know...we don't know.... how many... yet...but it's bad...God its bad."

The President addresses the Nation and the World. He asks every country to help us find the enemy, and cut him down. He gets a lot of talk, but not much action. No help seems to be coming from the Moslem countries where he needs it most.

The United Nations building and most of the delegates are destroyed in New York.

The stock markets crash, financial dealings come to a standstill, no one knows quite what to do. The President declares marshal law in New York and California. Bordering state governors mobilize their national guard. Congress grants the President unprecedented authority to contain the catastrophe. Despite this, the future of the nation is in doubt.

September 17, 2011–The President issues an ultimatum to Iran, Pakistan, and North Korea. Put down your arms and accept foreign intervention until the culprits can be found. They do not, perhaps cannot.

September 28, 2011–The President activates "Rampage." Three nations are destroyed in 74 minutes.

October–Americans round up Moslems and place them in hastily erected tent cities. Those with known anti-American views are questioned, some don't survive. American troops surround the tent cities to protect the prisoners, but don't release them. The third bomb is found in Boston. It was defective. Those Moslems who have avoided capture are hunted down, and most killed by mobs.

The United States has 17 million dead, 29.4 million seriously injured, and some 61 million who have been exposed to harmful levels of radiation. There is not enough of anything, medicine or hospital beds, or doctors. Most of the wounded will die. Someone in Florida with FEMA estimates that the harm done to the country is equal to a hurricane Katrina hitting the United States every day for a decade.

There is much uproar in the world, and almost universal condemnation of the United States.

The President, his cabinet, and leaders in Congress meet. It is decided that the Islamic Extremist Movement must be challenged and defeated, now. The President will make some unusual demands.

The President speaks to the World. He demands that every country in the Moslem world hold a monitored plebiscite. They must decide in favor of the existence of the United States, Israel, and the West. They must decide in favor of freedom of religion and the separation of church and state. They must agree that all clerics who promote Holy War against infidels and/or the West must be imprisoned, and silenced. They must condemn the taking of innocent life. They have just 6 months to comply.

The world is outraged. As one they reject the demands of the President. One British diplomat is heard saying, "How can they ask that they allow Christians freedom of religion, while locking up Moslem clerics? How can they demand respect for the innocent lives of terrorist victims, when they have just blown up millions of innocent Iranians, Pakistanis, and Koreans?"

March 4, 2012–Armageddon

June 2, 2016--there is silence, no one speaks, there is no one.

Amish Lambs

2006-10-03T14:09:00.000-07:00

a single room Amish school
fresh red blood soaks into the wood
tears flow freely down stalwart faces
faces that don't show much of joy or grief

school girls selected by whim
killed with bullets fired by a man
who with forethought came to kill and die
why, we ask, where does this vileness come from
it is part of the darkness where evil lives

The Election is Over

2006-10-03T09:54:00.000-07:00

The Woodward book, and the emailing congressman have closed the books on the 2006 congressional elections. The Republicans lose. Add to that, the Speaker of the House doesn't tell anyone, and he knew about the emails in 2005. The result is well deserved. The only problem is... we're likely opening the door to the wolves.

The Woodward book screams of hatchet job. Clever and well done but a hatchet job just the same. The truth is a difficult story to tell, and the Bush administration doesn't do a good job of explaining complicated issues. What the public will never hear is that there are many reports that the President and his administration get. Some come from the intelligence agencies, others from various departments of government, such as the State Department. Others are artificial summaries of multiple views, often contradictory. More, the White House has its own national security advisor and staff, its own team. When the President contradicts one of these reports, he is not necessarily telling a lie. He may be getting contradictory information from another source, or he may have made his own judgement. But you will never hear that side of the story.

Homeless Bums

2006-10-01T21:50:00.000-07:00

I listened to a man-child speak tonight on 60 minutes. He was in jail for beating a man to death, he and his buddies. They had found a homeless man, and they beat him, left and came back and beat him again, left and returned again. They beat him until he was dead. He had done nothing. They did not know him. They gained no material advantage by killing him. When asked why, he could not explain. Words came tumbling out about fun, and excitement, and entertainment.

They say that violence begets violence. I don't believe it's that simple. As I listened to the boy speak, I heard no remorse. The only thing he could see, that was wrong, was that he was in jail, that he got caught. I wonder if he has a soul. I wonder if he can be reclaimed. I wonder if we should even bother.

Some of you who read this will say, "more violence is not the answer." I think, perhaps, that you are wrong. When you have weeds in the garden, you don't fertilize them. You pull them up and toss them out. We should pull these people from the company of mankind, put them in dark places, feed them bread and water, and wait until they die. If they repent, so be it. May it bring solace to their souls as they waste away and rot...in the dark...cold, hungry, and alone.

Treason

2006-09-29T11:31:00.000-07:00

In the affairs of humankind and in its laws and customs, there are no clean breaks, no fine lines separating one law, custom, or commandment from another. So it is with the Constitution of the United States of America. There is freedom of speech, and of the press. There is also prohibition against Treason. This leads to a question, "in the exercise of a free press and free speech are there limits?" This leads to the second question, "if there are limits then is treason beyond the limits." I think reporters and the companies for which they work are subject to law, and I believe that breaking the law should have a consequence.

In theory, I support the death penalty. In practice, I fear the BIG mistake, the innocent dying. I put this right up front, because I am about to suggest we kill someone.

Leaking a small part of a classified document, and publishing it. More, taking a quote out of context, that could only slander what our country is doing. Breaking the story about our intelligence agencies listening in on conversations between known and suspected terrorist or terrorist sympathizers without warrant. And more, there is always more. Publishing secrets that put our nation at risk, publishing secrets that give aid and comfort to the enemy, and publishing partial truths and half-truths that hide the true nature of the threat against us.

I see, and believe, that they commit treason. More, when that treason rises to a level where Americans might die because of it, then I believe that a most extreme punishment is in order.
I believe that our government should arrest and publicly try the individual or individuals responsible for treason. If they are convicted, they should be put to death. Freedom of the press does not trump Treason.

To The Reader

2006-09-28T08:54:00.000-07:00

Life is a joke, at best untold,
of tiny folk dressed as giants,
and giants too small to see.

What makes sense to me, might not make sense to you. I might have the facts wrong, the wrong assumptions, or my reasoning might be faulty. If you disagree with anything you find here, don't get mad, post a comment.. We might find time to debate, you might change my mind, we may honestly disagree, I might change yours. Either way, the next reader will have more to ponder.

We Need a Third Party

2006-09-25T09:58:00.000-07:00

What this country needs is a good 3rd party. Not to seek the presidency, not yet, perhaps never, but one that could elect 5 or 6 Senators and 20 or 30 representatives. What they need is the balance of power. What could they do?

1. By deciding with which party to caucus, they could attain power greater than their numbers.
2. By exercising that power they could get on the better committees.
3. They could demand that certain issues come before the floor for a vote.
4. They could provide the balance that could block most legislation or insure its passage.

What is a good 3rd party? It would allow its members a wide range of opinions but would demand observance of certain core principles, a small number to be sure. Its motto, Truth, Independence, and Accountability. Its core platform might look something like this:

1. Temptation removal:
No revolving door–If you regulated it while employed by the Government, you can't go then and work for them, 10 years.

No gifts from lobbyists, not a cent, ever.

Public financing of general elections [the top 5 candidates–take a poll]

Zero-pork barrel spending

Crime by a public official, using the position for gain–an automatic 20 years sentence, no exceptions or suspensions, unless they provide information that results in the arrest and conviction of other public officials for a greator crime.

Mandatory attendance on the floor of congress or in committee meetings at least 85% of the time. They have to listen to the speeches, they have to do the work.

2. A real defense of family act:

Education reform–real penalties for students who don't do the work, removal of teachers who are ineffective, bonus pay for performing teachers, national standards, 4 year college scholarships for the top 70% of passing students, 2 year junior scholarships for the bottom 30% of passing students, non passing students have a mandatory 2 year extension of high school.

A cheap limited National Health program [something the nation can afford, because something is better than nothing.]

A tax on parents who divorce [an abuse exception, but it must be reported and prosecuted], 2% of gross income for 21 years for each child.

A tax on un-wed parents, 2% of gross income for 21 years for each child.

3. A truth in government act:

With a national security exception, closely regulated, the government must tell the truth when communicating with the public. An agency would be created that would examine complaints. Those who lie would be subject to censure, fine, and removal.

Recognized accounting principles for the government–we would know the truth about the deficit, social security, medicare, etc..

A rewards program for those who provide information leading to the arrest and conviction of public employees, elected and not, who commit crimes while in office.

4. A Sound Government Act:

Required balanced budget.

An energy policy that embraces new technology and finances it. An energy policy that embraces conservation, and demands it.

Environmental policy that is effective and efficient.

More immigration to fill the needed gaps in our economy, but legal immmigration.
The securing of our borders, if a Mexican woman can get across so can a terrorist.

Immigrants must be, or must learn to be, proficient in English, with a knowledge of American History, our form of government, and the economic principles that we have followed since our founding.

Two years national Service, no exceptions except for the handicapped.

Voter Identification

2006-09-22T11:27:00.000-07:00

Is it evil to require that a voter be a voter before allowing him to vote? And how do we find out if John Doe is John Doe without identification. We could do it with fingerprints or eye scans, but isn't it easier to just use a picture ID? Most folk have a driver's licence or a state ID or should.

It seems to me that voting is the cornerstone of the republic, and that the ballot is our most precious freedom. Should we give it to someone who is not a citizen, or to some pedophile that has lost his right to vote?

I wonder if those who are so dead set against it, don't have an ulterior motive. Have they hundreds of dead folk ready to cast their ballots? Have they signed up a few thousand illegal immigrants? Have they purchased with free wine or crack the votes of thousands of the unregistered?

I urge every American to vote, but only if you have the right to.

Assimilation and Accommodation

2006-09-21T12:06:00.000-07:00

In many parts of Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, immigrants learn to accommodate themselves to their new country, but they don't assimilate. What does that mean? Well, in many cases they don't learn the language, the culture, the history, or the mores of the country in which they live. They exist much the same as they did in the country and culture they left. They do only what they must, by law, to remain in their adopted country.

This behavior puts up a wall around them, marking them as different. This can lead to all sorts of difficulties. They never, really, think of themselves as French, German, or English. They are forever Iranian or Algerian, or Syrian.

The United States, on the other hand, has a history of assimilating immigrants. Just generations after they first arrived, the Irish and Italians, the Greeks and Germans, assimilated into the culture of America. American English borrowed from their language, we borrowed from their culture, and they joined ours. Both sides changed, but most of the change came from the immigrants, and that was as it should be.

The United States is beginning to fail at what we once did so easily. Uncontrolled immigration and illegal immigration have broken the back of assimilation. When masses come in, and bypass the regular immigration process, the system breaks down. Mass immigration from Viet Nam created little "Saigons" all over the country, where many did not speak the language or understand the culture. Illegal immigration from Mexico and the Mexican/US border is doing the same.

Without assimilation there is a war of cultures, rather than a celebration of cultures. We need a national character. The one we had, the one we wish to keep, has created the greatest nation of the modern world. Its language is English, its laws were, for the most part, based on English common law, and its mores were European. Over the decades newer cultures have added to and modified this slowly. Change is necessary and good, but we must all subscribe to one standard, the American standard. If you wish to live here, then join us,... but join us.

If we don't maintain a national identity we will lose the fruits of that identity, and that includes our freedom. Immigrants must learn our history, understand our political system, and speak our language. In time they shall leave an imprint on us, and that is good. They shall become us, and that is good too.

Sonnet of Sorrows

2006-09-19T20:42:00.000-07:00

We remember the falling down, the smoke.
We sang "God Bless America" and cried.
We remember all the great words they spoke,
They whispered of the common yoke. They lied.

There were dark thoughts, secrets they did not share.
To play the game, they talked in double speak.
They hid the facts. The truth they did not dare.
This time... they did not turn the other cheek.

What was the better way? I do not know.
We did not show our cards; we lost our way.
Still, had we trumped with truth, a caustic blow,
would not the timid world still make us pay?

For Bin Laden's crime, the knock at the door,
was only prelude to a wider war.

The War of Reason

2006-09-19T07:34:00.000-07:00

In a lecture about the coupling of reason and faith, not about Islam, the Pope, in the course of his remarks, quoted something said centuries ago by a Middle Eastern Emperor. The quote was about violence, faith, reason, and religion. Some in the Muslim community thought the Pope was saying that Islam was violent. They thought he was wrong, so they reacted violently. Does this not strike you strange?

Islam, in the past, has been a faith of reason, science, learning, and accommodation, coexisting with many religions. Where has that Islam gone? I once thought that the radicals were a fringe minority, now I am not so sure. I listen, and do not hear the condemnations that should come from within Islam, when atrocities are committed in its name. I have begun to believe that Moderate Islam, the Islam of history, is now the fringe minority, and that radical Islam is the majority. I hope that I am wrong, because if I am not, then the world now wages World War III.

2006-09-18T21:36:00.000-07:00