A Few Observations

Every day I read things that disturb, perplex, amaze, outrage, and occasionally even delight me. Most often I just set these news bits aside with the idea of maybe addressing them in the future. But this week I decided to hold onto some of them and actually jotted down a few notes. Here goes…

Pray for Israel. The surprise attack on Israel by over a thousand Hamas terrorists is among the most brutal of recent times. Hamas is a Sunni Islamic terrorist group, a collection of sadists that governs the Gaza Strip. They seized control of Gaza after a landslide win in the 2006 election. Since then Hamas has done very little for the people, since it is focused primarily on doing all in its power to kill Jews and eradicate Israel. This is Hamas’ goal, and those who think otherwise are fooling themselves. Since Hamas uses Palestinian civilians as human shields, and stashes weapons and munitions in hospitals, schools, and civilian neighborhoods, we can safely ignore its purported love for the people of Gaza. Although I labeled Hamas as sadists, that’s likely an understatement. What Hamas has done in recent days simply confirms its vicious ways. Hamas terrorists not only targeted civilians but were purposely brutal, dragging women and children from their homes, raping and killing them, then emptying their weapons’ magazines into the faces of the dead. They slaughtered nearly 300 people, all civilians, who were attending a music festival, which ironically was dedicated to peace. They also took hostages, more than a hundred, including many women and children. Reportedly they have imprisoned them in the elaborate system of tunnels beneath much of Gaza. Today they threatened to begin executing hostages if Israel continues to carry out its response to the Hamas attack.

Israel really has no option but to destroy Hamas. At the moment the Biden administration has offered its full support to Israel, declaring it has a right to defend itself. I suspect that will change within a few weeks once the global anti-Israel hive begins to call for an immediate ceasefire. The weak, epitomized by the Biden administration, fear using their power, so they might as well not have it. Perceived weakness always enables terror and violence. Unfortunately, groups like Hamas respect only one thing: power, and a willingness to apply it. My concern is that this attack by Hamas is just the beginning. I expect, in the months, and perhaps only the weeks, to come, we will experience similar attacks throughout the world. Our enemies are not stupid and will take advantage of our political confusion and impotent leadership. Keep your eye on Iran, North Korea, China, Russia, and even the minor players like Nicaragua, Cuba, Syria, Venezuela, and so many others. We are entering very dangerous times.

Pray for Israel, good people. They just might need divine power to withstand the future that awaits them. 

Save Democracy! For a few years now the political left has been screaming its latest mantra — Save Democracy! — at high volume. Their attacks are aimed at anyone who believes in and openly defends what I’ll call American traditionalism. If you believe the U.S. Constitution is the greatest secular document every written, or at least humanity’s greatest political accomplishment, you are certainly an American traditionalist, and you will be attacked as a destroyer of democracy. After all, the Constitution is conspicuously anti-democratic because it purposely rejects democracy as a form of government, preferring instead a constitutional representative republic. In truth the founders abhorred pure democracy, for them a system that guaranteed a tyrannical majority would inevitably persecute a nation’s minorities. A constitutional system not only protects the rights and freedoms of the people from their elected government, but also protects the people from themselves. Of course, there’s an irony here. As the left screams its mantra, it simultaneously promotes policies designed to curb the basic freedoms of Americans. If you disagree with their far-left policies, you should be denied the freedom to state your case publicly. If your religious faith fails to promote gay marriage, or so-called transgenderism, or abortion, the legal system must be distorted so it can prosecute you. In a way, then, I suppose next year’s elections just might be a way to save the republic from the left’s skewed version of democracy. Otherwise, as my son said to me the other day, “It’s all over.” That might be an exaggeration, but then again, maybe not.

May Their Tribe Decrease. I suppose here, at the start, I need to explain myself and share a few pieces of my own psyche before I launch into criticism of others. I reveal this, not to impress, but in a spirit of true humility. First, I am not an ambitious man. Indeed, I can never remember being ambitious in a worldly, material, or competitive sense. I was blessed with intelligence, a desire to learn, and have always enjoyed a sense of satisfaction due to accomplishment. I was, therefore, able to achieve a reasonable amount of success at most of what life offered me. And for me that was enough. I had no desire to achieve human greatness; my object was far more confined and limited to the happiness that comes from family and friendships and the joys of daily life. Like the rest of humanity, I am a sinner, but one who struggles to get better at this business of living the Christian life. 

This being said, I trust the comments that follow don’t appear conspiratorial, or irrational, or simply petty. Now that I think about it, though, I don’t really care. So here goes: I don’t trust politicians — not just some politicians, but all of them, without exception. That being said, let me define my terms. To me, a politician is someone who spends the bulk of his adult life in or seeking elected office. This includes those who, having failed to get re-elected, gravitate either to appointed government positions, or to politically oriented jobs in so-called think tanks or foundations, or as temporary executives in the well-paying “military-industrial complex” where they remain positioned for another run at elected office. I suppose it boils down to my distrust of those possessed of unbridled ambition, the “professional” politicians. I find it amazing that so many, when they finally leave what they like to call “public service,” retire as multi-millionaires. Driven by greed and unwilling to sacrifice their personal ambition, these are the politicians who care more about their own re-election than the good of the people. The professional politician will never support term limits.

Our first politicians, the nation’s Founding Fathers, were citizen legislators. They were farmers, lawyers, judges, clergymen, teachers, merchants and traders, men who truly sacrificed to serve their fellow citizens. For example, of the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, five were captured by the British and imprisoned and tortured. Nine signers fought in the War for Independence and either died of their wounds or from the hardships suffered. The sons of two signers joined the Continental Army and lost their lives in the war. The sons of two others were captured by the British and imprisoned. The homes of at least a dozen signers were pillaged and destroyed. Many, far too many, died impoverished. The founders were men who knowingly and publicly called for independence, fully aware of the dire consequences they would face. I wonder how many of today’s lifelong politicians would do the same. 

My advice: never vote for anyone who’s spent more than 10 years in political office.

Happy Independence Day

Sitting here in our living room this evening I can hear the sounds of fireworks, nothing very organized, or very loud, just folks here in The Villages setting off some noisemakers in their yards and in the streets. I also turned on the TV and watched some professional fireworks displays in Boston and our nation’s capital, both truly magnificent. But then I recalled how we were blasted a few days ago by a long and noteworthy thunderstorm that provided a light and noise show exceeding anything devised by man. I think our Creator was just reminding us that His power is far greater than ours. Perhaps He put on that show a few days early just to ensure we got the point, while not interfering with our own festivities tonight.  

Even as we celebrate our independence and our freedom, these same ideals are under attack, but I have hope that the American people, at least enough of us, will realize what is at stake and take appropriate action at the polls in November; and while we’re at it, also turn to God in prayer. As our founding fathers believed, the greatest attacks against this constitutional republic will always come from within. That is why they took such pains to protect us from ourselves. To the founders, pure democracy was anathema, something to be avoided at all costs. Without the rights, restraints, and boundaries defined in our Constitution, our nation would have devolved into a tyrannical state in which an uncontrolled majority suppressed and persecuted the minority. The tyranny of the majority always leads to destruction, and it usually doesn’t take too long.

So many of those who populate our three branches of government seem to have lost their way and forgotten that their primary task is to serve the people while upholding the Constitution. Too many have been enslaved by a Marxist ideology and appear unable or unwilling to throw off the shackles that bind them to this lie. Others are simply self-serving and see their role in government as a means to satisfy their ambition and material desires. They inevitably choose what is best for them rather than for the nation and it’s people. And some are simply cowards, men and women unable to stand up for what is right and because they are afraid of the attacks that will certainly come their way. These all need our correction, which is why you and I cannot be silent. But more importantly, they need our prayers. 

I hope you all had a happy and glorious Fourth of July, as we celebrate our republic’s 246th birthday. And God bless all the unborn children who will quietly celebrate their independence this year.

Descending Into Democracy

Every once in a while I surprise myself. While observing the current political landscape, I happened to recall having written something a few years ago about the perils of democracy. I know...to most Americans this sounds like political heresy, but it's actually very much in tune with the thinking of our founding fathers. These brilliant, prescient men founded not a democracy but a constitutional representative republic designed to protect the people from both their government and themselves.

Somewhere in his wonderful work (I don't have the time to search for his exact words), Democracy in America, Alexis de Tocqueville, said, in effect, that only two types of equality can exist: the equality of all, or the equality of none. Once we chip away at the sovereignty of all, political power will ultimately be wielded by only one or perhaps a few. In speaking of the equality and sovereignty of all, he was not equating either to democracy, for democracy results in the grasping of power by the majority and if uncontrolled becomes only another form of tyranny.

After a brief search, I discovered I had posted these thoughts eleven years ago on December 30, 2009. Anyway, I thought it particularly applicable given what's been taking place in our country during the past decade. I won't repeat it all here since it's much easier simply to provide a link, should you be inclined to read it:

Democracy? No Way!

Pray for the U.S.A., folks.

Football, Education, Congress, Money and Sin

For years now I have argued unsuccessfully for the cessation of intercollegiate sports, suggesting that they be replaced by intramural athletics and other forms of physical fitness training. Of course, here in the South banning college football would be akin to banning fried chicken. It ain't gonna happen. But I will continue to make my case that the stew of education, pampered and coddled athletes, and money -- lots and lots of money -- does not result in virtuous behavior.  

St. Paul reminds us, "the love of money is the root of all evils" [1 Tim 6:10]. And sports at every level, from middle school through the professionals, are increasingly driven by a love for the huge amounts of money that flow from suppliers, corporate sponsors, media, advertisers, alumni and boosters, and even the so-called "gaming" industry. Yes, indeed, those in the know estimate that upwards of $400 billion -- yes, that's billion, and it may well be an underestimate -- is wagered on professional and college sports each year. The high-growth sports apparel industry already generates worldwide revenues approaching $200 billion. TV advertising for sports coverage is now close to $10 billion annually, and that's just on the "big four" networks. And the various tv networks spend nearly $15 billion annually for the opportunity to broadcast professional and intercollegiate sports. Not surprisingly this flow of money increases every year. Anyone who believes that the businesses, leagues, schools, teams, officials, and individual athletes are somehow immune from the negative effects of all that cash obviously doesn't believe in original sin. 

And, trust me, very little of that money contributes to the actual education of those high school and college athletes caught up in this cash-fueled system run by large corporations and organizations that are ripe for corruption. Sadly, most "student athletes" manage to escape uneducated from the institutions for which they play. The most athletically talented among them, the few who make it to the pros, seem to believe they are entitled to the huge salaries this flow of money allows them to command. Apparently this idea of financial entitlement, that their salaries are a measure of their relative worth, has instilled in them an exaggerated sense of their importance. This was evident at Thursday evening's NFL game in Green Bay when the players, former college athletes who probably haven't had an original thought since the third grade, linked arms during the national anthem to show their solidarity for or against what? Social justice? Police brutality? White privilege? President Trump for calling their kneeling colleagues SOBs? I challenge any of them to explain clearly why they did not stand with hand over heart while the fans who pay their salaries showed contempt for the lack of patriotism evident on the field. Watching these self-absorbed millionaires take a stand against the nation that enabled them to achieve such success was remarkable. In their defense I can only suggest that, much like our Hollywood celebrities, they just aren't bright enough to recognize the irony of it all. (Full disclosure: I did not watch Thursday's game, but saw only the reports the following day. In fact I haven't watched a single professional sporting event on TV since the Super Bowl, and I watched only the final quarter of that game.)

I recall once hearing a professional athlete actually refer to himself as a "warrior" because he played in the NFL. His comment offers the near perfect argument for reinstating the universal military draft (among men) so every male citizen will come to understand that the work of the warrior is not a game. There is an existential difference between a block or hard tackle on the football field and having your body riddled by bullets, shrapnel, or an IED. It would be good if more citizens came to witness, if not experience, the difference first hand. This, of course, will never happen because career politicians are cowards, and reinstatement of the draft is an untouchable, a political hot potato. And so the vast majority of professional athletes will remain invincibly ignorant of the sacrifices true warriors have made so they can pursue their lucrative dreams in peace. And those warriors who make these sacrifices are paid about 1% of what many of these athletes are paid.

This leads me to another of my hopes: term limits. Our politicians are too often driven solely by reelection prospects. Reelection is driven largely by money. And money, especially in the amounts that flow in and out of Washington, leads only to corruption. Send politicians back home before they become career politicians, before they are contaminated by the infectious diseases of the swamp. I think a limit of two senatorial terms and five house terms would be reasonable. 

Opponents of term limits often say the real solution involves  the people simply exercising their right to vote. Until recently this hasn't been a very effective solution, but today dissatisfied voters seem to be making a difference. Perhaps voters will inflict their own version of term limits on our career politicians and clean house, so to speak.

The founding fathers didn't include term limits in the Constitution because none considered politics an occupation, much less a career. Most were true citizen legislators. They had businesses and farms to run and, anyway, federal legislators were paid only $6 per day when they were in session. That was the amount both senators and representatives earned from 1796 to 1815. (In 1789 the per diem rate was only fifty cents.)

Our Founders also had much more to lose than today's politicians. The final sentence of the Declaration of Independence is a promise made by the 56 signers to “mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our Sacred Honor.” Nine of them actually did lose their lives in the Revolutionary War and 19 others lost every cent and every piece of property they owned. But none of the 56 ever broke that promise. Would that today's politicians were that honorable. Most are unable to keep even the simplest campaign promise. And when was the last time you heard the expression, "Sacred Honor", uttered by a politician?

Signing of the Declaration of Independence

Today the members of our national political class happily find themselves in the top few percent of "earners." Not only do they pay themselves well, they also give themselves amazingly generous pensions along with a large array of unique perks, all as a self-proclaimed reward for their "public service." And isn't it remarkable how many enter Congress with very little, yet emerge years later as multi-millionaires? 

Perhaps, in conjunction with term limits, we should pay our members of Congress the median income of the average American. This year that's about $51,000. This might encourage them to enact legislation that actually supports economic growth. Then, as the American worker prospers, so too will they. We could also house our senators and representatives in Capitol Hill dormitories freeing them from the need to buy or rent second homes in those expensive D.C. suburbs. Another likely benefit would be shorter legislative sessions, thereby limiting the damage Congress inflicts on the nation. 

These, of course, are mere pipe dreams, but having expressed them I feel a lot better. Yes, indeed, men are not angels, so we shouldn't be surprised by non-angelic behavior. We are sinners and our sinfulness is evident everywhere, even on the football field and in the halls of Congress. I suppose the best thing we can do, other than pray for our nation, is to elect men and women whose fear of the Lord exceeds their love of self.

Happy Independence Day!

Two-hundred and forty years have passed since the Declaration of Independence was signed by the members of the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. That's a very long time; indeed, I can think of few other nations that have existed under the same form of government for so many years. Compared to many other nations, we may be a young country, but we have prospered under one of the oldest, most successful forms of government the world has ever seen. While so many nations have experienced radical changes in government from revolution, coup d'état, uprising, and seizure of power, we have continued under the government defined by the Founders in the Constitution.

Signing of the Declaration of Independence

Whether this uniquely successful form of government will continue is questionable. Instead of supporting the Constitution that has been the bulwark of our freedom, far too many of our politicians consider it an obstacle to the realization of their ideological ends. And so, ignoring the Constitution and the law, they focus on self-aggrandizement and the attainment of power. We have afflicted ourselves with dictatorial executives who usurp the power of other branches, ideological justices who legislate rather than judge, and weak legislators who abdicate their responsibilities.

These dishonorable men are able to continue in power because too many of our citizens are completely ignorant of their own nation's political roots. History is rarely taught in our schools, or it is so distorted by political correctness and leftist ideology that the truth is buried out of sight. Can we turn this around and stop what Constitutional scholar Judge Robert Bork called our Slouching Towards Gomorrah? I'm not very optimistic.

Writing about this I'm reminded of a wonderful little book written almost 60 years ago. My copy was a gift from my father when I was in high school. They Signed for Us offers brief descriptions of the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence, who in their own words mutually pledged "to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor." It's a good read and would make a nice gift to any young person on this Fourth of July.

Here in The Villages, patriotism runs high and our street is lined with hundreds of American flags. Here's a photo I took this morning as Maddie and I returned home from her early walk. Maddie's patiently waiting for me in the lower left of the photo.

Our Street in The Villages - Fourth of July

And my favorite patriotic photo (below) is one I took of our son-in-law, Airton, an immigrant from Brazil, on the day he became an American citizen in 2008. The ceremony took place at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston. Airton's rather remarkable hat was a gift from our other daughter, his sister-in-law, who plopped it on his head once he was officially a citizen.

Airton Santa Ana - American Citizen

Pray for our nation and pray for those we have elected to do the people's work. 

God bless you and your families on this Independence Day.

Democracy...Not!

I keep hearing people, who should know better, refer to our form of government as a democracy. Perhaps they slept through their ninth-grade civics class; you know, that boring course in which we learned all about our representative republic with its three branches of government, its separation of powers, and it's constitutional guarantees and bill of rights. One thing I learned from that class is that our government is in no way a democracy.

Indeed, I dislike the very concept of democracy, never have liked it and never will. Fortunately our founding fathers felt the same way. They believed that unrestrained democracy -- that is, rule by the people without constitutional restraints -- leads only to a mobocracy. Here are just a few thoughts on democracy by our founders and others:

"When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic." -- Benjamin Franklin

"Democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide." -- John Adams

"A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where 51% of the people may take away the rights of the other 49%." -- Thomas Jefferson

"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not." -- Thomas Jefferson

"We are a Republican Government. Real liberty is never found in despotism or in the extremes of democracy...it has been observed that a pure democracy if it were practicable would be the most perfect government. Experience has proved that no position is more false than this. The ancient democracies in which the people themselves deliberated never possessed one good feature of government. Their very character was tyranny; their figure deformity." -- Alexander Hamilton, in the Federalist Papers

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote." (A good reason for the 2nd Amendment.) -- attributed to Benjamin Franklin

"Between a balanced republic and a democracy, the difference is like that between order and chaos." -- John Marshall

"Democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and have in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their death." -- James Madison

"Democracy means government by the uneducated, while aristocracy means government by the badly educated." -- G. K. Chesterton

"The best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter." -- Winston Churchill

"Democracy is the road to socialism." -- Karl Marx

...and so, to believe we govern ourselves in a democracy is to ignore the document that defines our form of governance: the Constitution. Of course some of our political leadership would prefer we do exactly that. It's much easier to govern when those doing the governing can ignore the fact that the people are sovereign and that the Constitution protects the people's rights and restrains the government.

If you haven't already done so, read the Federalist Papers.


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Location:On the road in Georgia