THYME Magazine: Escape from Obamacare

Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor


Volume IX, Issue XI

Escape from Obamacare

The promise was clear: "If you like your plan, you can KEEP your plan." The harsh reality was that many of our friends simply LOST their non-Obamacare compliant coverage. Being self-employed, we had played the individual policy game for years. We had gone through the arduous process of re-qualification just to get a plan with a higher deductable. A $6000 deductable allowed us an affordable policy. We had re-qualified just early enough that our plan was "grandfathered." Even though it did not meet the standards of the so-called: "Affordable Care Act," it was old enough that it did not fall into the group of plans that were simply disallowed.

But the last premium increase notice was a jaw-dropping increase in a premium that was already beyond our means to pay. As our business fell off, our actual earnings often wouldn't even cover it. Our agent simply shrugged: "Go on the exchanges and get Coventry." Friends advised us that that company was horrible to work with. We were no longer sought after customers. Years of faithfully struggling to pay the premiums does not guarantee any loyalty on the part of your insurance company. Their lack of pushback to government intervention is telling. Follow the money. But that, dear reader is a subject for another day.

Some very dear friends of ours had left the system a long time ago. They introduced us to Samaritan Ministries, an ALTERNATIVE to traditional health insurance. Going back to the original concept of underwriting and neighbor helping neighbor, Samaritan Ministries members pay a monthly 'share' to cover each others' healthcare burdens. This 'share' is not sent to the central office of the organization but rather sent directly to the member who needs it. Cards and prayers accompany the 'share.' Bearing one anothers' burdens now has a name and a face.

Though the coverage is pretty basic (well visits are not covered), uncovered items are presented as matters for prayer. My wife is about to send an extra $20.00 to help someone with dental surgery that is not covered by the basic plan. Neighbors helping neighbors. It is a beautiful concept!

How does Samaritan Ministries avoid the dreaded Individual Mandate? The so-called "Affordable Care Act" includes an exemption for Faith-based healthcare organizations in accordance with our country's long-standing tradition of respect for conscience. [1.]


Amish barn raising. File Photo

The Amish and Social Security

In 1935, congress passed The Social Security Act. Included in this legislation was "Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance," provided for those in industry and commerce, and extended to include farm operators in 1955. The  Amish Country News writes:

While the Amish have no objection "paying unto Caesar what is Caesar’s," they do have problems with commercial insurance. In a sense, insurance was seen as not trusting in G-d. Insurance plans were a worldly operation. Plus, the Amish view of separation of church and state normally meant not accepting money from government programs, especially something viewed as welfare. No one could deny that this program was one of paying money to the government and then receiving a benefit in return.

Perhaps most importantly, the care of the elderly is seen as the responsibility of the family and community, not the government. Whether it be additions built onto the main house where grandparents "retire," benefit sales to pay large medical bills, or the community effort of a barn-raising, the Amish truly try to "take care of their own."

The complete story of how legislation was enacted eventually to exempt the Amish from Social Security Tax is told in this article: The Amish and Social Security [click to read].

The Social Security Tax  was administered by the Internal Revenue Service, beginning in earnest during the 1950's Though Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance was clearly in the description, it was collected as a tax. The issue came to a head when the IRS seized the horses of one Valentine Byler for non-payment of the tax. Public sentiment was stirred as Byler depended on these horses for his livelihood as a farmer.

He received letters of support such as this one from Texas: "May I congratulate you on having the intestinal fortitude to stand up for your beliefs. While I am aware that your action stemmed from a love of your religion rather than from defiance, I hope that your example may serve to point out to some of us just how far our benevolent Government will go to reach its goal of making dependents of us all. There seems to be no place for a person who asks merely to be left alone, and to provide for himself and his family."

In 1961, Amish bishops sent the following petition to the IRS: 

We, as representatives of the Old Order Amish Mennonite Church, do herein express our deep appreciation, and with grateful hearts do we recount the favors and consideration accorded our forefathers in the past...

We believe in a supreme being and also the constitution of the USA, and we feel the Social Security Act and Old Age Survivors Insurance [OASI] is abridging and infringing to our religious freedom. We believe in giving alms in the church according to Christ’s teaching.

It has been our Christian concern from birth of our church group to supply those of our group who have a need, financial or otherwise... Our faith has always been sufficient to meet the needs as they come about, and we feel the present OASI is an infringement on our responsibilities; as a church we feel grieved that this OASI has come upon us...

We Bishops, representatives of the Old Order Churches of the USA are appealing to you to prayerfully consider and reconsider this favor. In G-d we trust."

Ironically, relief was finally forthcoming to the Amish in a provision that was tacked on to the 1965 legislation that established Medicare. Wayne Fisher writes: "Tucked into the 138 page bill was a clause exempting the Old Order Amish, and any other religious sect who conscientiously objected to insurance, from paying Social Security payments, providing that sect had been in existence since December 31, 1950. After Senate approval in July, the signing of the bill by President Lyndon B. Johnson on August 13, 1965, made it official and canceled tax accounts of some 15,000 Amish people amounting to nearly $250,000." [2.]

John Jay on Right of Conscience

Consciences of men are not the objects of human legislation…How beautiful appears our expansive constitution in disclaiming all jurisdiction over the souls of men, and securing (by a never-to-be-repealed section) the voluntary, unchecked, moral suasion of every individual.”

— John Jay, the original Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court on the right of conscience in the Constitution

In the Garden
Charles A. Miles, 1913, Public Domain


In the Garden. Photo by Bob Kirchman

I come to the garden alone,
While the dew is still on the roses,
And the voice I hear falling on my ear
The Son of God discloses.

Refrain:
And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

He speaks, and the sound of His voice
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing,
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing.

Refrain:
And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

I’d stay in the garden with Him,
Though the night around me be falling,
But He bids me go; through the voice of woe
His voice to me is calling.

Refrain:
And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.


Oak branches in snow. Photo by Bob Kirchman

A Restful Walk on a Ridge
Shenandoah Mountain Trail


Shenandoah Mountain Trail begins at this overlook on U. S. 250 at the Western border of Augusta County where Confederate troops from Georgia once manned Fort Edward Johnson,... 
Photo by Bob Kirchman


...shivering in a late Spring snow in 1862.
Photo by Bob Kirchman


Snowy trail. Photo by Bob Kirchman


Mountain Laurel. Photo by Bob Kirchman


Restful Ridgetop. Photo by Bob Kirchman

Please Note: THYME Magazine will return to its once-weekly format, publishing midweek. There will be no Saturday edition for the time being.

THYME Magazine: Neil Armstrong Interview

Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor


Volume VIII, Issue XIV

Interview with Neil Armstrong!


The first man to set foot on the moon!

In this rare series of interviews, Neil Armstrong, the first man to set foot on the moon, tells the story of the historic mission from his own perspective. Alex Malley of Australia's EvoTV's The Bottom Line looks at the life and leadership of the lunar mission's commander. Fascinated by aircraft, even at a very early age, Armstrong obtained his pilot's license at the age of fifteen!

He went on to fly combat missions during the Korean War and later became a test pilot. He then became an astronaut as NASA geared up to meet President John F. Kennedy's challenge to put a man on the moon in the decade and return him safely to earth.

The Russians had already orbited the first satellite, Sputnik, on October 4, 1957 and subsequently orbited cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin as the Americans struggled to develop a dependable booster. After Alan Shepard's short suborbital flight in 1961, President Kennedy challenged the fledgeling space agency to go to the moon.

Armstrong is refreshingly honest in his discussion with Malley. The interview is presented in four parts and is worth watching to the very end. Neil Armstrong expresses very real concern that the space agency lacks the vision and sense of purpose it had in those early years. He ends with a challenge that we as a people would do well to heed and pursue in our own time!


Forty-five years ago two human beings changed history by walking on the surface of the moon. But what happened before Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong exited the Lunar Module is perhaps even more amazing, if only because so few people know about it.

Retake the Senate!

It is time for action! Many in this country have been discouraged and have been told that their vote didn't matter anymore. Even when the results were close, many Americans rightfully feel they were given lip service but then ignored as the Progressive Liberal faction took over the governance of our land. Are you shocked that you can't keep your health insurance (after you were PROMISED that you could)! Are you troubled by the weakening of our national defense, as we quickly send 3000 troops to 'fight' Ebola but can't seem to muster the resolve to face ISIS? Obamacare is a disaster and many Virginians feel frustrated that their two Senators voted for it. Ed Gillespie is outspoken in his criticism of the legislation that was ramrodded through the legislature despite many reasonable objections. As more and more of "what's in it" is seen, some provisions are being delayed. Even the most optimistic financial projections have the fully implemented program a financial disaster. Kicking the can down the road is suicidal for an economy as fragile as today's.

The media will likely try to paint Mark Warner as the 'moderate' he is not. Let us not forget that he does not even pretend to represent many Virginians' values. When he thought he was alone with his elite buddies he said: "One of the things you are going to see is a coalition that is just about completely taken over the Republican Party in this state and if they have their way it’s going to take over state government. It is made up of the Christian Coalition, but not just them. It is made up of the right-to-lifers, but not just them. It’s made up of the NRA, but not just them. It is made up of the home-schoolers, but not just them. It’s made up of a whole coalition of people that have all sorts of differing views that I think most of us in this room would find threatening to what it means to be an American."[1.] Is there no journalist curious about what being an American means to Senator Warner? Also the media will make much of the fact that Gillespie is the underdog in this race. What you WON'T hear is how he's closed the gap since he announced his candidacy... and he's brought his party to surprise victory before!

The Washington Post says this of him: "Gillespie believes in things, like conservative ideas of lower taxes and less regulation. These may sound bland, but Ed adds a personal perspective. Having grown up in a working-class family, he believes that the key to restored prosperity lies in a renewed middle class, one that relies on its own work ethic and a business-friendly government, not an expansion of a welfare state. He is, I imagine, rather angry with what he sees as liberals' condescension to the middle class and what he views as their assumption that only government can solve their problems." [2.] Unfortunately, the media will probably not underscore the fact that Gillespie can probably relate to us a whole lot better than many privileged politicians. He is wealthy, but he understands how wealth is ultimately created. He is one of the creators of the Contract with America, so instrumental in the 1994 victories by Republican candidates. He is considered a very important strategist and policy writer. Up to now he has remained largely behind the scenes.

Before running for office the first time, Warner said he got BILLIONS from taxpayers: “As Warner –himself a winner [in the FCC lotteries]- says, ‘The government has basically given away tens of billions of dollars of an asset that is yours and mine and everybody’s in the country.’”
-“Winners And Losers In The Great Cellular Giveaway,” Fortune Magazine, November 5, 1990

Running for Governor, Warner changed his story: “‘Nobody gave me anything,’ he said. ‘I’m proud of my business success . . .’”
-R.H. Melton, “Va. GOP Making Issue Of Warner’s Fortune,” The Washington Post, August 5, 2001

Mark Warner’s Former Business Partner Says Warner Is A “Vulture.” Peter Zecola, a Warner partner in a cellular company, described his former partner’s business practices by saying, “At the same time, these people are called by some ‘vulture capitalists,’ rather than venture capitalists. They’re basically in it to make a buck. They’re always there to grab that last crumb off the table.”
-Peter Baker, “Before Politics, A Run For His Money,” The Washington Post, September 2, 1996

The media Won't tell you that thanks to Obamacare implementation, Warner's support has significantly softened. As people "see what's in it," they realize it is going to have a negative effect on them personally. Many potential voters are disheartened now as Northern Virginia has thrown it's weight into the past few elections. Still, if voter percentages in the heartland of Virginia increased by just a small percentage, Northern Virginia would not be able to dominate the process. The statistics are worth repeating:

Time to Awaken a Sleeping Giant

In 2004, Christian voter turnout increased by 93 percent over the 2002 turnout, and 42 percent of voters identified abortion as an important issue. As a result:

• 63 percent of the freshman U.S. congressmen elected were pro-life.
• 77 percent of the freshman U.S. senators were pro-life.

By increasing pro-life representation in Congress in the 2002 and 2004 elections, America witnessed the first four major abortion-restricting bills enacted since Roe v. Wade:

• Infants Born Alive Protection Act
• Unborn Victims of Violence Act
• Partial-Birth Abortion Ban
• Fetal Farming Ban

In addition, those senators helped confirm strict constructionists John Roberts and Samuel Alito to the U.S. Supreme Court. By 2006, Christian voter turnout decreased by 30 percent from the 2004 numbers, and only 30 percent of voters said that abortion was an important issue. As a result:

• Only 31 percent of the freshman U.S. congressmen elected were pro-life.
• Only 10 percent of the freshman U.S. senators elected were pro-life.
• The Baltimore Sun labeled the 2007 Congress as “the most pro-choice Congress in the history of the Republic.”

Your vote does matter, and you have the opportunity to protect life, marriage and family. Will you commit to cast your vote in support of the family this November?

Virginia Voter Information:

State General Election: November 4, 2014
Virginia polling times: 6:00am to 7:00pm
Registration deadline October 14, 2014
Register Online [click to register].

A Call to Action!

Right around you, in your church or place of business, are the discouraged people who likely share your values but won't bother to vote! Elections have consequences and we are losing religious freedom and basic protections found in the Bill of Rights by our apathy. There are Excellent Resources [click to read] to help you get your friends and neighbors registered. There are voter guides to help them make informed decisions.

"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." -- Galatians 6:9

Solving an Age Old Problem


At Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, items left on a plane are returned quickly as Sherlock sniffs out their owners!

THYME Magazine: Special Election Issue

Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor
 

Volume VIII, Issue XII

INTEGRITY: Special Election Issue


Davy Crockett's speech to Congress about the 'Indian Bill.' We need more like him!

The scene above is one of my all-time favorites from the movie starring Fess Parker. It brings tears to my eyes as Parker's portrayal of Davy Crockett shows us how a man of integrity stands on his word, even when it costs him his political career! As we move toward an important Senate Race it is imperative that we seek out men and women of integrity today. Watch the scene above if you haven't already. It is a model for what we need to restore to our civic discourse today.

The real skalwags in this here capital of the brave and free is us! YOU and ME, and I'm the worst of the lot!" -- Fess Parker as Davy Crockett, addressing Congress regarding the 1830 Indian Removal Bill.

David Crockett's Speech
by Rep. Dana Rohrabacher

Mr. Speaker, below is the text of a detailed report of a speech given on the floor of the House of Representatives that I believe will be of interest to my colleagues. The description was included in a book titled ``Speeches on the Passage of the Bill for the Removal of the Indians,'' published by Perkins and Marvin in 1830. The speech was given by Rep. David Crockett of Tennessee on May 19, 1830, in opposition to the Indian Removal Act. Unfortunately, the Congress disregarded Crockett's objections and passed the bill, which was then signed into law by President Jackson.A Sketch of the Remarks of the Hon. David Crockett, Representative From Tennessee, on the Bill for the Removal of the Indians, Made in the House of Representatives:

Mr. Crockett said, that, considering his very humble abilities, it might be expected that he should content himself with a silent vote; but, situated as he was, in relation to his colleagues, he felt it to be a duty to himself to explain the motives which governed him in the vote he should give on this bill. Gentlemen had already discussed the treaty-making power; and had done it much more ably than he could pretend to do. He should not therefore enter on that subject, but would merely make an explanation as to the reasons of his vote, He did not know whether a man (that is, a member of Congress) within 500 miles of his residence would give a similar vote; but he knew, at the same time, that he should give that vote with a clear conscience. He had his constituents to settle with, he was aware; and should like to please them as well as other gentlemen; but he had also a settlement to make at the bar of his God; and what his conscience dictated to be just and right he would do, be the consequences what they might. He believed that the people who had been kind enough to give him their suffrages, supposed him to be an honest man, or they would not have chosen him. If so, they could not but expect that he should act in the way he thought honest and right. He had always viewed the native Indian tribes of this country as a sovereign people. He believed they had been recognised as such from the very foundation of this government, and the United States were bound by treaty to protect them; it was their duty to do so. And as to giving to giving the money of the American people for the purpose of removing them in the manner proposed, he would not do it. He would do that only for which he could answer to his G-d. Whether he could answer it before the people was comparatively nothing, though it was a great satisfaction to him to have the approbation of his constituents. Mr. Crockett said he had served for seven years in a legislative body. But from the first hour he had entered a legislative hall, he had never known what party was in legislation; and G-d forbid he ever should. He went for the good of the country, and for that only. What he did as a legislator, he did conscientiously. He should love to go with his colleagues, and with the West and the South generally, if he could; but he never would let party govern him in a question of this great consequence. He had many objections to the bill--some of them of a very serious character.

One was, that he did not like to put half a million of money into the hands of the Executive, to be used in a manner which nobody could foresee, and which Congress was not to control. Another objection was, he did not wish to depart from from the foundation of the government. He considered the present application as the last alternative for these poor remnants of a once powerful people. Their only chance of aid was at the hands of Congress. Should its members turn a deaf ear to their cries, misery must be their fate. That was his candid opinion. Mr. Crockett said he was often forcibly reminded of the remark made by the famous Red Jacket, in the rotundo of this building, where he was shown the pannel which represented in sculpture the first landing of the Pilgrims, with an Indian chief presenting to them an ear of corn, in token of friendly welcome. The aged Indian said ``that was good.'' The Indian said, he knew that they came from the Great Spirit, and he was willing to share the soil with his brothers from over the great water. But when he turned round to another panel representing Penn's treaty, he said ``Ah! all's gone now.'' There was a great deal of truth in this short saying; and the present bill was a strong commentary upon it. Mr. Crockett said that four counties of his district bordered on the Chickasaw country. He knew many of their tribe; and nothing should ever induce him to vote to drive them west of the Mississippi. He did not know what sort of a country it was in which they were to be settled. He would willingly appropriate money in order to send proper persons to examine the country. And when this had been done, and a fair and free treaty had been made with the tribes if they were desirous of removing, he would vote an appropriation of any sum necessary; but till this had been done, he would not vote one cent. He could not clearly understand the extent of this bill. It seemed to go to the removal of all the Indians, in any State east of the Mississippi river, in which the United States owned any land; Now, there was a considerable number of them still neglected; there was a considerable number of them in Tennessee, and the United States' government owned no land in that State, north and east of the congressional reservation line. No man could be more willing to see them remove than he was if it could be done in a manner agreeable to themselves; but not otherwise.

He knew personally that a part of the tribe of the Cherokees were unwilling to go. When the proposal was made to them, they said, ``No; we will take death here at our homes. Let them come and tomahawk us here at home: we are willing to die, but never to remove.'' He had heard them use this language. Many different constructions might be put upon this bill. One of the first things which had set him against the bill, was the letter from the secretary of war to colonel Montgomery--from which it appeared that the Indians had been intruded upon. Orders had been issued to turn them all off except the heads of the Indian families, or such as possessed improvements Government had taken measures to purchase land from the Indians who had gone to Arkansas. If this bill should pass, the same plan would be carried further; they would send and buy them out, and put white men upon their land. It had never been known that white men and Indians could live together; and in this case, the Indians were to have no privileges allowed them, while the white men were to have all. Now, if this was not oppression with a vengeance, he did not know what was. It was the language of the bill, and of its friends, that the Indians were not to be driven off against their will. He knew the Indians were unwilling to go: and therefore he could not consent to place them in a situation where they would be obliged to go. He could not stand that. He knew that he stood alone, having, perhaps, none of his colleagues from his state agreeing in sentiment. He could not help that. He knew that he should return to his home glad and light in heart, if he voted against the bill. He felt that it was his wish and purpose to serve his constituents honestly, according to the light of his conscience.

The moment he should exchange his conscience for mere party views, he hoped his Maker would no longer suffer him to exist. He spoke the truth in saying so. If he should be the only member of that House who voted against the bill, and the only man in the United States who disapproved it, he would still vote against it; and it would be matter of rejoicing to him till the day he died, that he had given the vote. He had been told that he should be prostrated; but if so, he would have the consolation of conscience. He would obey that power, and gloried in the deed. He cared not for popularity, unless it could be obtained by upright means. He had seen much to disgust him here; and he did not wish to represent his fellow citizens, unless he could be permitted to act conscientiously. He had been told that he did not understand English grammar. That was very true. He had never been six months at school in his life; he had raised himself by the labor of his hands. But he did not, on that account, yield upon his privilege as the representative of freemen on this floor. Humble as he was, he meant to exercise his privilege. He had been charged with not representing his constituents. If the fact was so, the error (said Mr. Crockett) is here, (touching his head) not here (laying his hand upon his heart). He never had possessed wealth or education, but he had ever been animated by an independent spirit; and he trusted to prove it on the present occasion. [1.]

5th Grader Takes on 'Nanny State'

Eleven year old Grace Karaffa is not exactly a stranger to politics. Her father is Augusta County Supervisor David Karaffa, who ran for the office as an independent to restore integrity to local politics. His campaign stressed open dialogue and the practical addressing of issues, even when doing so was hard. Since second grade, Grace has suffered from bleeding lips and this causes her quite a bit of discomfort in school. When she asked if she could use Chapstick, she was told that it was not allowed. She could not use the over the counter lip balm because it was 'prohibited' as it was considered a 'medication.' Grace was forced to wet her cracked and bleeding lips in the school washroom as an alternative.

This year, encouraged by her father, Grace brought a petition before the Augusta County School Board asking for the ban on lip balm to be overturned. Citing concerns that students might 'share' medications, the board responded saying they would study the matter. We at THYME have covered 'Nanny State' overreach before, most notably the Wendy's Incident [click to read] but it tends to remain a local story, for the most part. Fox News [click to read], however picked up on Grace's petition, as did Independent Journalism Review [click to read]. The eleven year old's campaign had gone viral!

'Of the People'
Public Servants Should Remember Who They Serve

I grew up with Davy Crockett as a hero. I still remember the part where he rode through the night to defeat the Indian Bill, a bad piece of legislation that cost him his congressional career for opposing it. Davy Crockett was one of us! There was no question.

Fast forward to the past few elections and you have two 'public servants' who let their hair down with their elite buddies and say things like: "You go into some of these small towns in Pennsylvania, and like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing’s replaced them. … And it’s not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations." [2.]

Or consider this quote: "One of the things you are going to see is a coalition that is just about completely taken over the Republican Party in this state and if they have their way it’s going to take over state government. It is made up of the Christian Coalition, but not just them. It is made up of the right-to-lifers, but not just them. It’s made up of the NRA, but not just them. It is made up of the home-schoolers, but not just them. It’s made up of a whole coalition of people that have all sorts of differing views that I think most of us in this room would find threatening to what it means to be an American." [3.]

Scary stuff! The man responsible for the second quote is sitting in the U. S.  Senate from the State of Virginia. He once ran ads saying that then Senator Obama "respects" your Second Amendment rights! But even though he claims to be a 'moderate,' Senator Warner's voting record says otherwise. His vote gave us Obamacare, in spite of strong appeals (I went to his office with a lot of other people) to do otherwise. He has voted with the President 97% of the time, yet the media this fall will paint him as a Centrist!

Home schoolers, dangerous?, I've had home schoolers and former home schoolers work in our model shop and I can tell from the above quote that Mark Warner has far less experience with home schoolers than I do. I've seen fifteen year old kids who've developed professional proficiency and have pretty good heads on their shoulders to boot! I think I'll send Senator Warner a copy of Alvin Schmidt's book Under the Influence. I think there are many spiritual underpinnings to what it means to be an American. I don't think Governor Warner's coctail crowd should be so afraid of us.

In the early Nineteenth Century, Crockett's Tennessee was the Alaska of its day, sitting on the frontier with hostile forces beyond. I'll bet you their were no teenagers working out their angst either. Young people were working the farms and defending them. So, once again in troubled times, should we look to the frontier for leadership? I think so!

Still, it is not surprising that the press will repackage Elite Liberals as 'Centrists' as the election approaches. They all read Howard Zinn [1.] together in school and are steeped in his narrative. A recent piece I read by Gerry Warburg preaches: Lessons in the Wake of Watergate. [2.] It is interesting reading. Warburg went to Washington as a young Democrat aide in the wake of Nixon's resignation. He helped write Jimmy Carter's nuclear policy bill. Warburg calls those years: "...a time of national renewal. In crisis there is opportunity: Reformers of all political persuasions helped advance crucial measures..." So, while Warburg admits to the need for deficit reduction his call for "informed voters" to elect "Centrist" candidates needs some analysis.

In 2009, the Tea Party sounded the alarm about rising government debt and the folly of larger government. The media has worked overtime to marginalize it. Does Warburg not see that the activists from all backgrounds today are often calling for a return to Constitutional principles and a reigning in of the government as part of an overall strategy to return health to the country? President Obama took with him to Washington over fifty of the most overtly Leftist Idiologues as Czars. The media yawned. The IRS was employed to hobble the Conservative movement. The media yawned. Eric Holder's Justice Department ignored the New Black Panther Party suppression of white voters in Philadelphia. Rioters 'rightfully' burn down their neighborhood when a white policeman kills a black youth but hundreds of kids die in these neighborhoods at the hands of people the same race and the media yawns. The suspicious nature of Benghazi, 'Fast and Furious' Extortion 17 and the arm-twisting passage of the so-called "Affordable Care Act" might cause one to pause and ask": "What did Nixon do, again?"

Indeed, if one honestly considers Richard M. Nixon's place in history, the Watergate break-ins seem to be JV league compared to the weight of the present documented scandals. Warburg might do well to remember that Nixon, aside from Watergate, actually embodies the true Center-Right candidate. Under Nixon's leadership, the Environmental Protection Agency began. Nixon also is known for the controversial Wage/Price Controls, under which Insurance as an employment benefit became cemented. Rubbing shoulders with Robert C. Byrd, he should have realized where much of the ensconced racism of this country resided. In conclusion, I would have to agree with Gerry Warburg's desire for an informed electorate, but I would caution the media to report honestly and let the informed electorate, not the pundits, decide who is 'extreme.'

Serge Belo's Amazing Mosaic


To raise awareness among the general public about the global clean water crisis, the artist Serge Belo created an image composed of 66,000 cups of colored rainwater. (Contributed by Kristina Elaine Riley).

Wes Stafford in his book: Too Small to Ignore [click to read] speaks with affection of the time he lived in Africa with his missionary parents. One of his most cherished memories was digging out a well for a village with his father. Tired and muddy, they submitted their story to their mission board's newsletter. Sadly the newsletter overlooked this wonderful story and did not publish it. So many people in the world today would be spared so much suffering if they could just be provided with clean water! And clean water is such a practical testimony of G-d's Love!

Stafford went on to found Compassion International [click to read] and they have helped a lot of children with the basic necessities such as clean water, bringing the Love of G-d to their communities in practical acts of service. To this day, Wes Stafford and his partners continue to embrace the muddy work of building the Kingdom of G-d! But still, digging wells and fencing out cattle is often overlooked as a work of the Kingdom.

To raise awareness among the general public about the global clean water crisis, the artist Serge Belo created an image composed of 66,000 cups of colored rainwater simulating levels of impurities found in water all over the planet. This major work of 3,600 square feet, representing a baby in the maternal womb, emphasizes the necessity of water, even before birth, for each living person.

Does My Vote Matter?

Imagine the impact Americans of faith can have on the future of our nation, the character of its leadership, and the health of its families if we all applied biblical principles to every aspect of our lives — including committing to vote.

Commit to Vote 2014 [click to read]

THYME Magazine: Back to School Issue

Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor


Volume VIII, Issue XI

 The Problem of Original Zinn

Last week THYME asked the question: Could it be that the modern activist narrative, perpetuated by writers like Howard Zinn, conveniently ignores the sin, violence and retribution that lies outside of 'Western' activity. His 776 page A People's History of the United States [click to read] is required reading on many college campuses. No doubt, his philosophy has influenced many an aspiring journalist in their own activism. But Zinn must be seen for the Marxist that he is, and his convenient 'omission' of important history needs to be corrected.The problem is that Zinn, not sin, has become the basis for the activism of men like Sharpton and Jackson, who for the media serve as icons of the Civil Rights Movement.

First of all, it must be noted that Zinn himself admits: “Once I was bar mitzvahed, and I had done my religious duty, and my family needn’t be ashamed of me anymore…. that was the end of my religiosity.” He further perpetuates the marginalization of Faith in his works. Bob Cheeks [click to read] writes: "Rhetorician Richard M. Weaver in his essay, Up From Liberalism, explained the spiritual discernment that gave birth to his intellectual epiphany: “Original sin is a parabolical expression of the immemorial tendency of man to do the wrong thing when he knows the right thing.” By acknowledging Original sin, Weaver, abandoned a youthful dalliance with what at that time (the 1930’s) was called liberalism. Unfortunately, historian/activist Howard Zinn had no such epiphany."

The problem is not so much that Zinn has a narrative,but that the academy has embraced Zinn's one-sided narrative as a base for understanding our culture. Daniel J. Flynn sums it up quite nicely: "Who is the most influential historian in America? Could it be Pulitzer Prize winners Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. or Joseph Ellis or David McCullough, whose scholarly works have reached a broad literary public? The answer is none of the above. The accolade belongs instead to the unreconstructed, anti-American Marxist Howard Zinn, whose cartoon anti-history of the United States is still selling 128,000 copies a year twenty years after its original publication. Many of those copies are assigned readings for courses in colleges and high schools taught by leftist disciples of their radical mentor."

That is the problem. Steeped in the narrative that the world was doing fine before the evil white oppressors arrived on the scene, Zinn ignores the sin that has plagued men of all colors and cultures since long ago. Raiding and retribution were seen in tribal cultures and are still seen today in the tragic breakdown of civil society in places like Rwanda. Somehow the only real 'evil' in Zinn's world is that of the Western 'Imperialist.' That is why history, like mapmaking, requires an honest telling. Even America's Romantic period Romanticised the "Noble Savage." Indeed a lot of bloody raiding and retribution was left out even then. Ironically the best anti-colonial emergence of all, the American Experiment, is lumped in with the great empires of Spain and Britian.

No doubt, this is possible because men like Zinn see America as simply a continuation of European Imperialism. What is missed is the bright hope that burned briefly in newly freed African nations who initially modeled themselves after our Constitutional government. I remember that time in the middle of the Twentieth Century where Africans in traditional garb met in gleaming new assembly halls to take their rule from their former colonizers. That seemed such a time of hope and promise. Later I was saddened to see the destruction of Uganda, once known as the 'Pearl of Africa,' by despotic leadership feeding off of the bad feelings and retribution culture of the old tribalism. Rwanda's bloody descent was a terrible playing out of the same scenario.

But the United States Constitution actually acknowledges quite clearly the weakness of man and his propensity to take advantage of his fellows. Thus it enumerates basic rights held by all and limits the restriction of those rights by the institutions of government. Within the framework of Constitution, slavery, long a part of human history, becomes problematic in a way that allows the work of a William Wilberforce to go forward. But, as Bob Cheeks writes: "Zinn’s ideals have a misanthropic ring to them. I don’t believe he loves humanity as he claims. I believe he worships the idea of a state that can transform Americans into that antiseptic android, the socialist’s “New Man.” Perhaps he is angry with a G-d who would allow pain and suffering in this world?"

That last thought of Cheeks, so well dramatized in the movie: G-d's Not Dead [click to read], appears to drive far too much of the narrative at the academy. That would explain the steady stream of socialist solutions coming out of that world and their antipathy for localized initiative outside of government oversight, as in the case of healthcare reform. It may be seen as well in the state's resistance to Faith-based solutions and the desire of the state to create 'compelling public interest' legislation to force businesses run by people of Faith (Hobby Lobby, Conestoga Wood Products) to provide coverage of abortion causing drugs or prohibiting them from refusing service to those who would force them, in providing such service, to violate their conscience (Elane Photography, Sweet Cakes by Melissa). Such is in keeping with the molding of the "antiseptic android," the "New Man." It can be no less than that.

Remembering September 11, 2001

Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)
Alan Jackson

Where were you when the world stopped turning on that September day?
Were you in the yard with your wife and children
Or working on some stage in L.A.?
Did you stand there in shock at the sight of that black smoke
Risin' against that blue sky?
Did you shout out in anger, in fear for your neighbor
Or did you just sit down and cry?

Did you weep for the children who lost their dear loved ones
And pray for the ones who don't know?
Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble
And sob for the ones left below?
Did you burst out in pride for the red, white and blue
And the heroes who died just doin' what they do?
Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer
And look at yourself and what really matters?

I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell
you the difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith, hope and love are some good things He gave us
And the greatest is love

Where were you when the world stopped turning on that September day?
Were you teaching a class full of innocent children
Or driving down some cold interstate?
Did you feel guilty 'cause you're a survivor
In a crowded room did you feel alone?
Did you call up your mother and tell her you loved her?
Did you dust off that Bible at home?

Did you open your eyes, hope it never happened
Close your eyes and not go to sleep?
Did you notice the sunset the first time in ages
Or speak to some stranger on the street?
Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow
Or go out and buy you a gun?
Did you turn off that violent old movie you're watchin'
And turn on "I Love Lucy" reruns?

Did you go to a church and hold hands with some strangers
Did you stand in line and give your own blood?
Did you just stay home and cling tight to your family
Thank God you had somebody to love?

I'm just a singer of simple songs
I'm not a real political man
I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell
you the difference in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to G-d
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith, hope and love are some good things He gave us
And the greatest is love

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day?



Lower Manhattan, New York, New York. Photo by Detective Greg Smedinger
 

Arlington, Virginia.
 

Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

The Southeast Reliability Project


"There are no simple solutions, only intelligent choices." -- Caterpillar Advertisement.

Intelligent Choices, that was the message of a series of advertisements by construction equipment giant Caterpillar in the 1960's. Of course Caterpillar had a vested interest in the construction industry moving forward, but the thought is a good one. Augusta County, Virginia now faces the need, in the case of Dominion Resources' 42 mile proposed pipeline route through the county, to make some intelligent choices.

"Pipelines tear up the land..." "Affordable Energy requires pipelines." Those could be the conflicting sentiments in today's discussion, much like the opposing viewpoints highlighted in the Caterpillar advertisements. And they can guide us, as we consider the impact and opportunity of any project. A badly designed pipeline route will indeed affect us for years to come, but design is a beautiful process and through intelligent considerations we might indeed arrive at a very workable solution.

The first map of the proposed route simply cut across the expanse of George Washington National Forest without regard for terrain or sensitive natural areas. A second map corrected the route to reflect concern for sensitive areas in the National Forest, but cut a swath through the growing community of Stuarts Draft. The pipeline mappers now had created conflict with the county's comprehensive plan. Supervisor David Karaffa also pointed out the need to protect important underground aquifers in the Stuarts Draft area. Obviously more design is in order.

Pipelines are easiest to site in open country. After they are buried and the land is restored you can indeed farm right over them. They are problematic where there is heavy development. They require an open right of way where only roads may cross them and no structures may be placed over them. It might surprise you to know that a gas pipeline runs right through the Virginia Horse Center Complex outside of Lexington Virginia. At one point the center's designers considered covered walkways from stables to arenas and were stopped by the need to leave pipeline right of way uncovered.

Pipelines are least desirable where there is a dense community or in natural preservation areas. The 100' right of way MUST be maintained clear in order to perform necessary inspection and maintenance. Thus it is imperative that the route be sensitively threaded through the mountains by its designers. But that is certainly possible. Just North of Calf Mountain Shelter on the Appalachian Trail, one first crosses a very obvious swath cut for power line right of way. The electricity crackles in the lines overhead, supported by enormous towers... it is a bit eery... but walk a bit farther and you step into what appears to be a wildlife clearing just past Jarman's Gap. Wildflowers and butterflies abound.

You leave the trail and walk to the edge to take in the view a little better. Only then do you realize you are standing on a natural gas line right of way! You can see now that the cleared path extends on past the end of Buck's Elbow Mountain, far in the distance. I grew up with gas lines. In fact, as a boy I walked to my favorite lake, Triadelphia Reservoir, on the gas line right of way. The gas line actually ran right under the reservoir!

One resource I still have from my younger days is a copy of Ian McHarg's 1967 book: Design with Nature. It is a great guide to intelligently siting projects with sensitivity to their environment. McHarg used a series of semi-transparent overlays on which important natural features, historically important sites and existing communities are all colored in. The result of analyzing the composite of McHarg's overlays is the most environmentally responsible design. Such is the process we must insist be applied to the Southeast Reliability Project.

Samuel Truett Cathy: 1921-2014


Samuel Truett Cathy.

No goal is too high if we climb with care and confidence.”

“Nearly every moment of every day we have the opportunity to give something to someone else – our time, our love, our resources. I have always found more joy in giving when I did not expect anything in return.”

“I’d like to be remembered as one who kept my priorities in the right order. We live in a changing world, but we need to be reminded that the important things have not changed, and the important things will not change if we keep our priorities in proper order.”

“You have to be very careful about what you say. More importantly, you have to be very careful about what you do. You never know how or when you influence people – especially children.”

“It is when we stop doing our best work that our enthusiasm for the job wanes. We must motivate ourselves to do our very best, and by our example lead others to do their best as well.”

“I believe no amount of business school training or work experience can teach what is ultimately a matter of personal character. Businesses are not dishonest or greedy, people are. Thus, a business, successful or not, is merely a reflection of the character of its leadership.”

THYME Magazine Special Shutdown Edition II

Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor


Volume VI, Issue XVIII

"What Happened to America?"
A Conversation with Donna Lou Shikel
© 2013 Donna Lou Shickel Publishing Co. Distribute freely with permission

(This is a transcript of This Broadcast [click to listen] of Donna Lou Shickel's program: A Place of Grace. It is a very well researched beginning to a series she is presenting on this program. Here is presented a very concise, but thorough picture of what has happened to our nation. This is essential information for those of us who wish to reclaim it).

A Decline by Diabolical Design? 

What has happened in America in the last half a century? How have the foundational blocks of a Judeo-Christian society, dissolved so quickly? How has the greatest country in all of the world’s history moved toward the brave new world, right under our noses? And are we, without even knowing it, part of her decline? Welcome to A Place of Grace, I’m your host, Donna Lou. I used to think people who spoke of what I’m about to tell you were conspiracy theorists. Back when I didn’t want to listen because somewhere, in my heart, I knew if I did, I would be compelled to investigate, and then do something about it. And regret that I had other matters more pressing – family, faith, and freely sharing that faith even at state sponsored events. Matters which will all play out very differently for my children because I figured someone else would take care of it. This is America. But ever since beginning this program, I have had countless letters from listeners, especially our World War II generation, wanting to share their fears over where America is headed if we as Christians do not stand for America’s Judeo-Christian values and founding principles. I once dismissed people who spoke of America’s decline as alarmists, sky is falling chicken littles. Because that’s what they were so commonly labeled. Today we call them haters. As I’ve researched this progression for the past six months now, in preparation for today’s show, I have been struck by just what one person with an ordinary background can accomplish through lies for the sake of evil. And today, as a Christian, I am convicted that with G0d, as a disciple and ambassador of Christ Himself, how much more can one person do in His Love for the sake of Truth?

You may know, more people were slaughtered in the 20th century than in all previous centuries combined. According to the Congressional record, one hundred and thirty-five million - martyred for the cause of Communism, which says there is no law higher than the state – the government. And in order to achieve that end, they must create new types of human beings who would conform to the blueprint of a world in which they have great faith they will one day control. The Communist Party operates by infiltrating and subverting social institutions like the churches, schools, mass media and government. And according to Vladimir Lenon, founder of the Soviet Union, the first and necessary step toward Communism is to implement socialism – socializing every institution under the nation’s government. And the main thrust of this philosophy is to first destroy all Judeo-Christian culture and values. No longer by force, because that hasn’t worked, but by subverting from the inside out. But we thought Communism was dead. The Berlin wall came down! No, Communism is alive and deadly for one and a half billion people in South and Central America, six countries in Latin America, Africa, China, Cuba, North Korea, Viet Nam, Russia, Eastern Europe, and proponents of its philosophy serve in governments and universities all over the world. How can this be? Well as Whitaker Chambers, former Soviet spy and member of Communist Party USA said after his conversion: “Communism succeeds because most people who promote Communist causes are not Communists—the useful idiots, as Lenin called them—giving an air of legitimacy it would never have if it were identified with communists or Communism.” So are well-intentioned people becoming useful idiots? And why would anyone be in favor of promoting socialism that without exception always leads to communism and the mass murder of more people in times of peace than all of the wars of history combined?

Denying a Divine Design for Society

History has proven that the free society of a Judeo-Christian nation best benefits all people. In my research in trying to be fair and see both sides, I discovered that Socialists and Communists have no hidden agendas. They are wide out in the open, and despite changing their label from socialists to progressives, they are not ashamed not too complacent to promote their agenda. But without having knowledge of this agenda, today in America, have many good people, including the targeted Judeo-Christan populace, cooperated with socialist/communist goals? Do we follow Jesus, Who came to serve? Do we claim the words of the Apostle Paul, 10 I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ (1 Corinthians 12 verse 10) Or have we bought in to the notion that we are entitled to be free from hardship and deserving of being served? All ideologies that set aside God’s plan to “make life fair” for mankind by man’s plan only succeed by devaluing and destroying certain groups of human beings first, then eventually, everyone but those in power. Dictators like Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Castro all came to power by claiming to bring change and make life and the world fair and just for all people. But facts show that there is no example in history that big government does NOT prepare the platform for just such an evil dictator, even using well-intentioned predecessors to prepare the way, that’s what’s so scary, and it’s the reason our Constitution is set up the way it is. But the Constitution, the law, is being broken time and time again, to use against the very Christian faith of DIVINE justice it was founded upon. And we just shake our heads. Because like the nations before us, no one dared even suggest that such wonderful people as their country’s leaders could have anything but the best plan in mind for them -even as they were promised justice for all in the process of having every individual freedom stripped from them to create greater dependency on the state.

Frogs in the pot? No, I don’t think so. Had the frog been told he was the frog in the pot he would have had the sense to at least fight to get out of the pot. Socialism, the first necessary step, is taking things by force, not godly charity and justice, from one person to freely give to another. Up front, it may look fair and just. Most people in our country don’t see the evil behind this at all because it’s the utopian vision that will finally bring world peace and justice. So many good people in our country, and government, are sincere in raising up the down and out. But before you can get people to the place you can take by force, you have to demonize certain groups, elevate others, create divisions between them and by the time they are in so much fear (also part of the plan), all they can think of are their own personal interests, and others are dehumanized. No longer compassion and love of neighbor, but disconnected and even repulsed by certain other groups of human beings. Because as is in their open agendas, socialists know they must get citizens to dehumanize others in order for the plan to progress. History shows us that whether it was Hitler’s National Socialism or Stalin’s Soviet Socialism, the people eventually revolt, and the government, who has already prevented its people from being armed with their own weapons of self defense, responds with mass murders. Could never happen here? Not in civilized Germany either. Ever hear the story of the cattle cars full of Jews that would pass behind a certain Christian church, and in the middle of their worship they would hear the train and the cries for help? The good people, what could they do at this point, would pick up their hymnals and sing as loud as they could to drown it out. People would be too afraid to even make such associations. And not a one of us can judge a person’s heart, or whether their motives are good or evil. Or some of both, we don’t know. We don’t know who is a well-intentioned pawn and who is the wolf in sheep’s clothing. But we do know that what is happening in America is evil. And we have to call evil, evil. Because the nest phase of this evil plan is to create chaos, then government steps in as the solution. Because by this point, in the midst of fear and chaos, people will turn a blind eye to the demise of others while bowing to those in authority. They will cooperate with the very leaders they trust the least to come to their aid!

First, they must destroy family, law, productivity, prosperity, and methodically eradicate individual freedoms. Degrade the culture. Infiltrate education, media, call it political correctness, but it’s really cultural Marxism, then it becomes traditional Marxism which is socialism then it becomes outright communism, where the government controls every institution and individual. But if we remember history, why wouldn’t we look at this and take a stand? Well, much of this history has been removed from our children’s textbooks, and replaced with a vilification of our free market system as evil, along with the magnification of all of America’s social ills while removing her legacy of charity and heroism. And the influence of Christian Judeo values, which once was acknowledged as at the heart of every American victory over evil, for G0d and fellow countryman, has been taught to an entire generation, that now the CAUSE of every civilization’s problems and wars, is religion. You even hear this propaganda from pulpits. We’ve been too brainwashed to cry foul over being stripped of our religious freedoms, we’re the bad guys now. We can only turn the other cheek and convince ourselves that Jesus will return next weekend. Problem is, in doing so, we’re unwittingly cooperating in the destruction of the many souls Christ sent us to reach. A generation has been raised on this, and its founders are tenured, ordained and in public office.

Friends, none of us wants injustice in our world. But few of us want a real leader, because a leader is someone who leads the people to become involved in their plan to move forward. We’ve gotten too complacent to even educate ourselves on the issues, as we see with our government Health Care Plan. (Although no one was allowed to read the bill until it was passed, and if we did? We’d read what it proposes, and say, yea, but that’s a scenario that could never happen.) Most people decide who they will vote for not by doing research, but by “charisma” and charm, and slants from their misleading advertising and the secular media. We’ll go by emotions, not facts. That takes too much time and trouble. Again, the mission of socialists, or progressives, always sound like a good thing. But the agenda, which we’re going to talk about, is a nightmare. In 1992 the Communist party USA split over differences in how to take America down. One side wanted outright revolution. But the other side recognized that all of those efforts throughout history have failed. They saw that the best plan was to infiltrate America from the inside. Because a people united in faith in God and in sacrificial love of their fellow citizens could not be brought down and ruled by government no matter what you do to them. But if you destroy the human will and character, if you work to rot away the sacrificial life of those who would give their lives for the greater good, then people will become so dependent that they will want you to rule and reign. If you can break down individual integrity, destroy and degrade the family, then you can penetrate the culture with a cultural revolution. Precipitate and actually create crisis and government can step in and once the chaos comes, people are very eager to step aside and let the government step in. The more this happens, the more dependency on big government you can create, the more quickly people will compromise their G0d-given values. This is so evil, and contrary to everything we stand for as children of G0d.

 The Forty-five Goals of the Communist Party

If you look up the Communist Party USA, which has chapter members in every state and growing, once you read past their opening mission statements of helping the poor and disenfranchised, you will easily discover their agenda consists of something entirely different, and outrageously evil. And very much in effect in our country today. Their goals, which originated in Europe, were reaffirmed after their split in 1992 and were confirmed in a book called “The Naked Communist” written back in 1958 by Cleon Skousen, a former FBI agent investigating communist activities. The book outlines 45 goals set forth by Communists in the 1930’s, which were updated from the original Communist goals outlined back to the 1880’s in Europe. The first two goals require U.S. acceptance of coexistence as the only alternative to atomic war and U.S. willingness to capitulate in preference to engaging in atomic war. Number three says: “Develop the illusion that total disarmament [by] the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength.” The goals continue with promotion of alliances, free trade and aid to Communist countries. Number eleven says: "Promote the U.N. as the only hope for mankind. If its charter is rewritten, demand that it be set up as a one-world government with its own independent armed forces because (it says), (some Communist leaders believe the world can be taken over as easily by the U.N. as by Moscow. 

12. Resist any attempt to outlaw the Communist Party. 
13. Do away with all loyalty oaths (like the Pledge of Allegiance). 
14. Continue giving Russia access to the U.S. Patent Office. 
15. Capture (infiltrate) one or both of the political parties in the United States. 
16. Use technical decisions of the courts to weaken basic American institutions by claiming their activities violate civil rights. 
17. Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers' associations. (If you look up the National Education Association’s agenda, you would be shocked to see how effective they’ve been.) Put the party line in textbooks (promote communist ideals in US textbooks, and we have many individuals with connections to communist organizations who are in the highest ranks of education – just compare the history books of today with from when you were little . 
18. Gain control of all student newspapers. 
19. Use student riots . . .. 
20. Infiltrate the press. Get control of (book-review) assignments, editorial writing, policy-making positions. 21. Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures. (that was easy) 

Number 22: Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. Eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms. Again, people in these government positions are connected to Socialist/communist organizations. 
23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art. 
24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them "censorship" and a violation of free speech and free press. 
25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV. 
26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy." 
27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with "social" religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity, which does not need a "religious crutch." 
28. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools (again, this from 1958!) on the ground that it violates the principle of "separation of church and state." 
29. Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis. (Again, a generation indoctrinated would agree with this statement.) 
30. Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the "common man." 
31. Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the ground that it was only a minor part of the "big picture." (again, just pick up one of the textbooks) #32. Support any socialist movement to give centralized (government) control over any part of the culture--education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc. 
33. Eliminate all laws or procedures which interfere with the operation of the Communist apparatus. 34. Eliminate the House Committee on Un-American Activities. (abolished in 1975) 
35. Discredit and eventually dismantle the FBI. 
36. Infiltrate and gain control of more unions. 
37. …and of big business. 
38. Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand [or treat]. 
39. Dominate the psychiatric profession and use mental health laws as a means of gaining coercive control over those who oppose Communist goals. 
40. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce. 
41. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents. 
42. Create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate aspects of the American tradition; that students and special-interest groups should rise up and use ["]united force["] to solve economic, political or social problems. 
44. Internationalize the Panama Canal. 
 45. Repeal the Connally Reservation so the United States cannot prevent the World Court from seizing jurisdiction [over domestic problems. Give the World Court jurisdiction] over nations and individuals alike."

That is from the 1958 book, “The Naked Communist.” As I said, most socialists and communists, other than the Communist Party USA chapters, are now labeling themselves “progressives”. They’re even getting rid of the label of “liberals.” Many of whom probably don’t realize they are cooperating with the open agendas of Communism, or if they do, think it’s an acceptable compromise for change. But in any case, the first attack is on all of our traditional Christian Judeo, moral values - the traditional family. These Communist Agendas begun in America in the 1930’s and in Europe in the 1880’s, ratified in the 60’s, 90’s, and you’ll find them when you look up the Fabian Society, from 1880’s still alive and growing, or the Students for a Democratic Society, later the Weather Underground Organization, busting at the seams, ACORN, well you get the point. On our own soil, under our noses, calling members to work to promote infidelity, divorce, co-habitation and sexual immorality and immodesty. Fuel the women’s liberation movement, promote discontent and anger between the sexes. Belittle and degrade the father as head of the family and get women into the workforce to remove children from parental influence and into government programs as early as possible. To increase governmental power, destroy business and the free markets, demonize business owners, both large and small, as “the wealthy and privileged” - enemies of the poor, despite their being the largest source of remedy for underprivileged, I mean 10 percent of nothing is still nothing) and paint businesses as the enemy of the environmental movement which the socialist/progressives in the organizations I cited, state is “as essential to the destruction of capitalism as was the legalization of the birth control to getting women to abdicate their own children” who were then ripe for indoctrination, and to destroy the traditional, bourgeois family, as they labeled it. Discourage business growth with new laws, taxes and red tape. Didn’t business majors at James Madison University (along with other schools) just get singled out to pay thousands more in tuition to make life “more fair” for the other majors? I couldn’t compare the work business majors had to do compared to me as a liberal arts major. The news release called this singling out of business majors as a means to “even the playing field”. Not for science or engineering majors, who generally make higher salaries - no, just business majors. One more link in the chain of imprisonment to make independent business the villain and government the hero.

Class Warfare as a Part of Their Agenda

Another important part of their open agenda is to destroy unity in America by igniting class divisions. Promote hatred between the races, the rich and the poor, men and women, the young and old, between the North and the South, within religions, get behind any discontent and fuel it and vilify anyone trying to heal divisions. Use political correctness to demonize anyone and everyone in your way. Take your biggest swing at the Church, and promote vilification of Christians, and anywhere there is division between Christian entities, jump in and promote it. One method of openly degrading morality I discovered in a Students for a Democratic Society meeting I attended in college, and I’ll have to tell you about that bone-chilling experience next time, but the statement was actually to incite hatred against any churches teaching the virtues and sacrificial life. To promote sexual immorality and the traditional, archaic Christian values, you can accuse anyone who teaches a life of virtue and sanctification of promoting a “salvation through works” theology. Christians just look for reasons to hate each other,” the speaker said. And people laughed. But all these groups call members to incite prejudice and bigotry after maligning and slandering us to the extend that those activists sincerely believe they are crusaders in a cause for what is right and what is good. I’ll tell you also next time of some of the radical, socialist leaders who’ve infiltrated our education system, government, news media, Hollywood and churches to dismantle Judeo-Christian values, morality and to fuel any divisions and prejudices that ordinary people like you and I can participate in and see as “harmless”. Am I being dramatic or alarmist? Or a hater? Well, no one decided one day to simply start throwing Jewish families into ovens.

No soldier with a conscience would participate with a Communist leader forcing starvation on millions of their own countrymen. And no civilized American would tolerate health care that jeopardizes their grandparents or anyone else who can’t speak up. It starts with an insidious plan in which the majority who cooperate with are well-intentioned but blind to. And you can and must do your own research and decide how successful they have been, and consider which of these trajectories we have compromised with that started so small, the lesser evil, but now we see how far from the Truth that we profess, they have taken us. And don’t fear. If you’re involved, praying, believing G0d, and standing firm in His Truth, Who is Christ, you won’t fear. But if you’re doing nothing, if you won’t even take the time to go to your children’s parent teacher’s conference, or you’re too chicken speak to an errant pastor, or take the time to even cast an informed vote, well then, trust me, fearing is all you can and will do. Burying your head is a scawy, dark place. But who feels afraid in the Light? Come on, beloved! As I said in the opening, in six months of researching this topic which we’ll continue with part 2 and 3 if we have to, I’ve been AMAZED at just what one person with an ordinary background can accomplish through lies for the sake of evil. But as a Christian, I am convicted that with G0d, as a disciple and ambassador of Christ Himself, with two thirds of the hosts of Heaven and countless saints cheering us on, how much more can just one person do in His Love for the sake of Truth? Join the battle for Truth and Divine Justice. And know at least, if we go down, we’ll go down on the winning side.

THYME Magazine Special Shutdown Edition

Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor


Volume VI, Issue XVII

Taking Washington Back

Bob Owens [click to read] writes: "We’re cursed with a President and Senate that seems determined to use the law (when it suits them), or ignore the law (when it suits them), or descend into outright criminality (when it suits them), in order to fundamentally pervert this nation’s core beliefs.

Barack Obama has proven useless except for one thing: he has been able to bring the proverbial frogs to a boil and has imposed blatant socialism without spurring a popular rebellion so far.

If the Republicans will stick to their guns—and Obama keeps showing his arrogance to a public that has willfully buried their heads in the sand until now—there is a chance that the rising tide of anger could sweep this administration away.

Keep doing what you’re doing, Barack, and may it spell the beginning of the end of all the crony socialism you hold dear."

As the government shutdown enters its second week, some things are becoming quite clear. We've seen what can only be called pettiness on the part of an administration that is determined to assert how essential it is to our collective well-being.

Flights of Honor bring WWII veterans to Washington to visit the monument, constructed with private donations, in their honor. Can you imagine their feelings when they arrived only to find an open air monument barricaded and patrolled by more park rangers than are seen there on a normal day? The troops, who had stormed places like Omaha Beach and fought heroically to liberate the European continent, broke down the barricades.

The image of elderly gentlemen in wheelchairs taking back THEIR monument [1.] is one of the first memories we take from the current struggle. The Vietnam memorial was barricaded too, along with the Marine's Memorial across the Potomac River. While veterans struggled to get into their monuments and PXs on military bases were closed, President Obama's favorite golf courses remained in operation [2.]... not a great lesson in 'shared sacrifice.'

Park Service personnel admitted to having been ordered to 'make things difficult' for visitors [3.], even going so far as to block private businesses [4.] that had to be accessed from roads like the Blue Ridge Parkway. They even tried to shut down Mount Vernon, which is run by a private foundation. They did so by closing a parking area they maintain for Washington's home. They tried to deny access to Mount Rushmore [5.], forgetting that the STATE owns the road from which one views it!

Terror at Talladega, Government Gone Wild [click to read]: Angie Creswell McGhee has her own tale of bureaucracy run amok. At Talladega, government officials endangered the safety of riders and horses and ignored reasonable pleas from riders in an event that, ironically, was a BENEFIT for a camp in the National Forest! The forced evacuation of their campground sounds like something from Germany in the 1940's! The exhausted riders were TERRIFIED!

Congress, mandated by Congress with control of the public purse, passed individual bills to fund government operations all would consider necessary. Harry Reid and the President refused to consider them. The National Institute of Health was shut down and Congress passed legislation to fund it specifically. Harry Reid found himself opposing clinical trials [6.] that would help children with cancer.

When asked why he wouldn't want to "help one child with cancer?" Reid snapped back: "Why would we want to do that?" Do we REALLY want these people in charge of our healthcare?

Thomas Sowell [click to read] writes: "If Senator Reid and President Obama refuse to accept the money required to run the government, because it leaves out the money they want to run ObamaCare, that is their right. But that is also their responsibility.

You cannot blame other people for not giving you everything you want. And it is a fraud to blame them when you refuse to use the money they did vote, even when it is ample to pay for everything else in the government."

Sowell continues: "When Barack Obama keeps claiming that it is some new outrage for those who control the money to try to change government policy by granting or withholding money, that is simply a bald-faced lie. You can check the history of other examples of "legislation by appropriation" as it used to be called."

Which brings us to the core of the struggle. President Obama and the liberal factions used every trick in the book to "pass" the "Affordable Care Act" over reasonable opposition [7.] The "Cornhusker Kickback" and the "Selling of Stupak" were just a few of the tactics employed to pass the bill that Nancy Pelosi said: "we had to pass... so that we could see what is in it!"

Turns out Ms. Pelosi was telling the truth. The 2000+ page legislation was nothing more than a framework for bureaucrats to flesh out into actual operations. It provided mandates and fines, but did far too little to address actual reforms that would help people with pre-existing conditions and cut medical costs.

Budget projections that exceeded promised limits, unpopular mandates and general confusion led to scores of companies seeking exemption. The administration's 'signature legislation' simply wasn't ready for 'prime time.' As the stalemate continues, Congress' move to delay 'Obamacare' seems far more reasonable than the hysteria the administration seems determined to display in protecting it.

Give us This Day Our Daily Scolding [click to read]
Chaplains "Non-Essential?" [click to read]
Amber Alert Website Closed while Mrs. Obama's Open [click to read]
Park Personnel Ordered to 'Make Life Difficult' [click to read]
Obama's Golf Course Spared in Shutdown [click to read]
Illegal Aliens Can Have Mall During Shutdown [click to read]
NPR and the Power of Narrative [click to read]
Even More from THYME [click to read]