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: Rebuilding the Dream!

Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor


Volume VII, Issue XX

Overpasses for America

In the days that followed the attacks on America of September 11, 2001, American flags appeared on the overpasses leading into Washington DC. Slowly the flags faded and disappeared as the country sank into a period of what can only be called denial. The news media went into a full-court press to discredit the Presidency of George W. Bush as he sought to push back a dangerous enemy overseas. Never mind that they beheaded their captives, we had Guantanamo and the daily reports of troop deaths did little to help flagging support for Middle-East conflict. The mortgage crisis in 2006 created a new wave of panic. Many failed to realize that these bad mortgages resulted from implementation of the Fair Housing Act where government required banks to extend credit in situations where it was not prudent for them to do so. Though some in Congress raised the warning flag, the party in power effectively silenced much needed discussion of the problem which might have resulted in corrective action.

The media became willing accomplices in creating what became one-party rule. Blaming Bush for all ills, they installed the most unvetted President in American History. As fuel prices rose, the administration blocked projects like the Keystone Pipeline, which would have resulted in more economical energy. As America struggled to regain employment, the President rolled out his destructive takeover of American Healthcare. Insurance costs went up. People LOST coverage, and new mandates strangled companies that might have hired more workers. The country has not had such a slump in real estate and construction activity since the Second World War! What is despicable is that the unemployment numbers, public debt and uninsured BEFORE Obama seem pretty good in retrospect. In our last issue we addressed the problem of a Senate where party loyalists represent the interests of their leaders rather than the people. Now we must look at the problem of a media that fails to ask the hard questions. Remember how they were all saying: "We know very little about him," concerning Obama AFTER he was elected.

As people did learn more about the plans Barack Hussein Obama had to 'fundamentally transform' our great nation, many came to Washington to protest. On September 12, 2009 a great gathering occurred on the National Mall. TIME Magazine buried two pages of coverage in an issue who's cover proclaimed organizer Glenn Beck a 'Mad Man.' The great gathering DID begin the popular wave that swept a number of Conservatives into office in 2010. Still, the movement has undergone a deliberate and somewhat effective attempt to marginalize it by old guard politicians and media 'experts.' Clearly the media was NOT going to tell our story.

On March 28th, 29th, 2014 Overpasses For America (formerly named Overpasses for Obama's Impeachment) stepped out to the overpasses and street corners of America for their 11th national protest. Here at the Official Overpasses for America Site [click to read] there is plenty of good reporting. Founder James Neighbors is not afraid of a little honest news, especially if it helps restore the principles upon which our republic was founded. That involves direct opposition to some very UN-Constitutional things going on in our government right now.

Patriot Wave 11, dubbed by the group as Spring Break Out was the first major event of 2014, and thousands of Overpasses members across America participated in the protests. The group, founded in June 2013, is openly calling for the removal of Mr Obama from the White House for many reasons, among them his ineligibility for office, crimes committed during his tenure in the White House, and multiple violations of the Constitution.The full list makes Richard Nixon's alleged infractions look insignificant in comparison.

Signs and banners carried during the rallies cite things such as Benghazi, Extortion 17, ObamaCare, fake birth certificate, voter fraud and much more. Overpasses For America Founder, James Neighbors states the need for Obama's removal from office extends well beyond his criminal actions, that Mr Obama and his collaborators must be made an example of for future generations of Americans, and as a warning to future politicians that the American people are awake, and are none too pleased with politics as usual across the nation. Again, if the prosecution of Nixon was to serve as a warning to future office holders, we do the country a grave disservice by not prosecuting the well-documented abuses by the current administration and its subservient agencies.

On April 15, 2010 I was back in Washington myself. We were in the city to protest the President's Healthcare legislation and when we got to Virginia Senator Mark Warner's office we were herded into a conference room by Warner's staff and basically were lectured to as to why we "had to" pass this flawed legislation. The staffers really had nothing better than Nancy Pelosi's famous statement to give us though. I made the comment: "If the car needs a tune-up, you don't pull the engine!" and was rebuked for it. The protest was a failure as Warner was one of the deciding votes that gave us the ObamaCare legislation. Overpasses for America plans on going the route of Ronald Reagan, who politely but firmly stuck to his relatively simple message. Repeat, repeat and repeat so that if the press wants a quote they get you saying what you want to. Overpasses has big plans now to hold their ground.

The movement has teamed up with Colonel Harry Riley and Operation American Spring, and members are carrying signs and banners about the Washington DC event which begins on May 16th. Organizers for OAS (Operation American Spring) state that over 5 million people have made commitments to be in Washington for the peaceful demand that Obama and many members of Congress step down from their positions, and the return to a Constitution based government in our nations' capitol.Note that I've underlined begins. This is more than a one-day blitz. This is nothing less than great communication of time-tested principle. Neighbors also states that the Overpasses movement is highly encouraging members to find their way to Washington DC for American Spring. He also emphasized that many members of the movement are in dire financial straits due to the failing economy, and those members will be rallying in their area, so the nation is aware of the events occurring in Washington DC.

Neighbors continued by saying that those who will be in Washington for American Spring expect a media blackout as is common by the mainstream media when disgruntled Americans protest to express their discontent and the group believes the protesters across the nation will raise enough questions by the public to media outlets, that they will either report the event or further lose trust of viewers and readers. Never forget the power of those flags waving above Interstate 66. The message will be spread! The people will be heard!

On April 19th, 2014, Overpasses For America held their 12th national event, the Patriots Day Patriot Wave with many more planned for the entire year.

THYME Magazine

Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor


Volume V, Issue XXVII

In the Steps of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein

“I responded in what I thought was the most truthful, or least untruthful manner, by saying no,” -- James Clapper, NSA Director

"All men having power ought to be distrusted..." --James Madison (1787)

The 'other' weekly news magazine this week features The Informers [click to read]. They observe that about half of the people approve of the informers and half disapprove: "Fifty-four percent of respondents said the leaker, Edward Snowden, 29, did a “good thing” in releasing information about the government programs, which collect phone, email, and Internet search records in an effort, officials say, to prevent terrorist attacks. Just 30 percent disagreed. But an almost identical number of Americans — 53 percent — still said he should be prosecuted for the leak, compared to 28% who said he should not." -- Zeke J. Miller in TIME [1.]

Scrutiny of the government, however, is not something we vote on. It is a principle that was established by our Founders and codified in our Constitution. Thus it becomes the duty of the citizen to oversee the operations of the government, rather than the duty of government to oversee the activities of the citizen. In fact, it would trouble the Founders no end to see the revenue agency recast as an agent of 'change,' overseeing the activities of citizens and supressing First Amendment speech. The founders would probably frown on ANY activity of the IRS outside of that of funding government's obligations. Certainly allowing the revenue agency to discriminate between 'good' speech and 'bad' is a serious overstepping of authority.

Even those citizens who feel they have 'nothing to hide' should take heed of This Warning [click to read] from  Scott Shackford. The Founders saw their rights and mandate as given by G-d and believed in a higher truth and its oversight. Now, in a relativistic culture, what is to prevent some bureaucrat from deciding that your church or synagogue is a 'subversive group?' The IRS's targeting of organizations philosophically in opposition to the President's agenda begs us to consider that scenario. Beyond handicapping the election, such actions have a much larger chilling effect.

Director Clapper's 'least untruthful' statement [2.] begs a discussion of the importance of oversight, especially in a world of relativistic thought. As THYME has pointed out before, history bears out the truth that relativism and lack of oversight can lead to Dire Consequences [click to read].

THYME Magazine

Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor


Volume IV, Issue XXVI

America's Revolution... A Model to Emulate
"I consider it an indispensable duty to close this last solemn act of my official life by commending the interests of our dearest country to the protection of Almighty G-d and those who have the superintendence of them into His Holy keeping." -- George Washington

"If my people...shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face...then shall I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." -- II Chronicles 7:14
The 'other' Weekly News Magazine [click to read] features the cover headline: 'The Revolution that Wasn't.' Today's revolutionaries would do well to remember at least a very basic history of revolutions.

The French Revolution (1789-1799) created chaos. The Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 led to another dark tyranny.

Rare in history is the casting off of tyranny successfully accomplished and followed by the creation of a system of government that allows for the peaceful transfer of power... through the ballot box.

It is well known that George Washington inspired his men through the difficult days of Valley Forge and the Battle of Trenton... the nation's future very much in the balance. Perhaps not so well known is that Washington had to put down mutinies by Continental soldiers after the war... unpaid by a bankrupt Congress.

Our nation's survival of those days was miraculous. The creation of her Constitutional government was no less miraculous. Today, Federal judges invoking the Commerce Clause participate in an equally miraculous continuation of that same experiment.

Their Freedom is Not Our Freedom

These Observations [click to read] by Diana West in Jewish World Review give clarity to what 'they' want. Universalists believe all peoples prefer freedom to its absence, which is probably true. But they also believe all peoples define "freedom" in the same way. Is that true?

Celebrate Arab democracy? [click to read] by Caroline B. Glick in Jewish World Review.

No summary will do this damning article justice.


True wisdom. ht/Joy

The Revolution that Wasn't

This week the "other" weekly news magazine laments the "revolution" in Egypt, saying: "the generals are still in charge." I hope, for the sake of Coptic Christians and other miniorities, that some stable heads are in charge. One of our Constitution's unique characteristics is that it limits government and affirms the rights of the individual citizen as G-d given. When Jefferson penned the Declaration of Independence, he wrote:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security." -- American Declaration of Independence

In 1789, the Bill of Rights further asserted: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Carefully making the case that human rights com from G-d, the founders codified limits on the state in keeping with that belief.


ht/Joy.

THYME Interactive [click to read] brings you even more of our famous Nanny State Updates and other  news you need in this crucial election year.

Deists and Atheists? [click to read]. Dr. Roger Shultz discusses the Founding Fathers from a historical perspective. A special Independence Day presentation.

The Dilemmas of Democracy

Problems and Perils Of our Beginnings as a Nation


Montpepier, home of James Madison. Mural in the Charlottesville Hampton Inn by Bob Kirchman and Russ Fisher.

What kind of government did the Father of the Constitution envision? Myron Magnet writes in City Journal on the Challenges of Democracy [click to read] as James Madison saw them.

The House Reads The Constitution...

...and It is a Historic First!


The Constitution.

Lynn Writes in the Washington Examiner [click to read] about the First-ever reading of our Constitution in U.S. House of Representatives. I say it is about time!

The Founding Fathers in Their Own Words

The Christian Foundations of the Founders' Faith


Real authority recognized.

John Adams and John Hancock:
We Recognize No Sovereign but God, and no King but Jesus! [April 18, 1775]

John Adams:
“ The general principles upon which the Fathers achieved independence were the general principals of Christianity… I will avow that I believed and now believe that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God.”
“[July 4th] ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty.”
–John Adams in a letter written to Abigail on the day the Declaration was approved by Congress

"We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." --October 11, 1798

"I have examined all religions, as well as my narrow sphere, my straightened means, and my busy life, would allow; and the result is that the Bible is the best Book in the world. It contains more philosophy than all the libraries I have seen." December 25, 1813 letter to Thomas Jefferson

"Without Religion this World would be Something not fit to be mentioned in polite Company, I mean Hell." [John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, April 19, 1817]

Samuel Adams: “He who made all men hath made the truths necessary to human happiness obvious to all… Our forefathers opened the Bible to all.” [ "American Independence," August 1, 1776. Speech delivered at the State House in Philadelphia]

“ Let divines and philosophers, statesmen and patriots, unite their endeavors to renovate the age by impressing the minds of men with the importance of educating their little boys and girls, inculcating in the minds of youth the fear and love of the Deity… and leading them in the study and practice of the exalted virtues of the Christian system.” [October 4, 1790]

John Quincy Adams:
“Why is it that, next to the birthday of the Savior of the world, your most joyous and most venerated festival returns on this day [the Fourth of July]?" “Is it not that, in the chain of human events, the birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior? That it forms a leading event in the progress of the Gospel dispensation? Is it not that the Declaration of Independence first organized the social compact on the foundation of the Redeemer's mission upon earth? That it laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity"?
--1837, at the age of 69, when he delivered a Fourth of July speech at Newburyport, Massachusetts.

“The Law given from Sinai [The Ten Commandments] was a civil and municipal as well as a moral and religious code.”
John Quincy Adams. Letters to his son. p. 61

Elias Boudinot: “Be religiously careful in our choice of all public officers . . . and judge of the tree by its fruits.”

Charles Carroll - signer of the Declaration of Independence
" Without morals a republic cannot subsist any length of time; they therefore who are decrying the Christian religion, whose morality is so sublime and pure...are undermining the solid foundation of morals, the best security for the duration of free governments." [Source: To James McHenry on November 4, 1800.]

Benjamin Franklin:
“ God governs in the affairs of man. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? We have been assured in the Sacred Writings that except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. I firmly believe this. I also believe that, without His concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel” –Constitutional Convention of 1787 original manuscript of this speech

“In the beginning of the contest with Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayers in this room for Divine protection. Our prayers, Sir, were heard, and they were graciously answered… do we imagine we no longer need His assistance?” [Constitutional Convention, Thursday June 28, 1787]

In Benjamin Franklin's 1749 plan of education for public schools in Pennsylvania, he insisted that schools teach "the excellency of the Christian religion above all others, ancient or modern."

In 1787 when Franklin helped found Benjamin Franklin University, it was dedicated as "a nursery of religion and learning, built on Christ, the Cornerstone."

Alexander Hamilton:
Hamilton began work with the Rev. James Bayard to form the Christian Constitutional Society to help spread over the world the two things which Hamilton said made America great:
(1) Christianity
(2) a Constitution formed under Christianity.
“The Christian Constitutional Society, its object is first: The support of the Christian religion. Second: The support of the United States.”

On July 12, 1804 at his death, Hamilton said, “I have a tender reliance on the mercy of the Almighty, through the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ. I am a sinner. I look to Him for mercy; pray for me.”

"For my own part, I sincerely esteem it [the Constitution] a system which without the finger of God, never could have been suggested and agreed upon by such a diversity of interests." [1787 after the Constitutional Convention]

"I have carefully examined the evidences of the Christian religion, and if I was sitting as a juror upon its authenticity I would unhesitatingly give my verdict in its favor. I can prove its truth as clearly as any proposition ever submitted to the mind of man."

John Hancock:
“In circumstances as dark as these, it becomes us, as Men and Christians, to reflect that whilst every prudent measure should be taken to ward off the impending judgments, …at the same time all confidence must be withheld from the means we use; and reposed only on that God rules in the armies of Heaven, and without His whole blessing, the best human counsels are but foolishness… Resolved; …Thursday the 11th of May…to humble themselves before God under the heavy judgments felt and feared, to confess the sins that have deserved them, to implore the Forgiveness of all our transgressions, and a spirit of repentance and reformation …and a Blessing on the … Union of the American Colonies in Defense of their Rights [for which hitherto we desire to thank Almighty God]…That the people of Great Britain and their rulers may have their eyes opened to discern the things that shall make for the peace of the nation…for the redress of America’s many grievances, the restoration of all her invaded liberties, and their security to the latest generations.
"A Day of Fasting, Humiliation and Prayer, with a total abstinence from labor and recreation. Proclamation on April 15, 1775"

Patrick Henry:
"Orator of the Revolution."
This is all the inheritance I can give my dear family. The religion of Christ can give them one which will make them rich indeed.”
—The Last Will and Testament of Patrick Henry

“It cannot be emphasized too clearly and too often that this nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religion, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason, peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here.” [May 1765 Speech to the House of Burgesses]

“The Bible is worth all other books which have ever been printed.”

John Jay:
“ Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.” Source: October 12, 1816. The Correspondence and Public Papers of John Jay, Henry P. Johnston, ed., (New York: Burt Franklin, 1970), Vol. IV, p. 393.

“Whether our religion permits Christians to vote for infidel rulers is a question which merits more consideration than it seems yet to have generally received either from the clergy or the laity. It appears to me that what the prophet said to Jehoshaphat about his attachment to Ahab ["Shouldest thou help the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord?" 2 Chronicles 19:2] affords a salutary lesson.” [The Correspondence and Public Papers of John Jay, 1794-1826, Henry P. Johnston, editor (New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1893), Vol. IV, p.365]

Thomas Jefferson:
“ The doctrines of Jesus are simple, and tend to all the happiness of man.”

“Of all the systems of morality, ancient or modern which have come under my observation, none appears to me so pure as that of Jesus.”

"I am a real Christian, that is to say, a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus."

“God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are a gift from God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, and that His justice cannot sleep forever.” (excerpts are inscribed on the walls of the Jefferson Memorial in the nations capital) [Source: Merrill . D. Peterson, ed., Jefferson Writings, (New York: Literary Classics of the United States, Inc., 1984), Vol. IV, p. 289. From Jefferson’s Notes on the State of Virginia, Query XVIII, 1781.]

Samuel Johnston:
“It is apprehended that Jews, Mahometans (Muslims), pagans, etc., may be elected to high offices under the government of the United States. Those who are Mahometans, or any others who are not professors of the Christian religion, can never be elected to the office of President or other high office, [unless] first the people of America lay aside the Christian religion altogether, it may happen. Should this unfortunately take place, the people will choose such men as think as they do themselves.
[Elliot’s Debates, Vol. IV, pp 198-199, Governor Samuel Johnston, July 30, 1788 at the North Carolina Ratifying Convention]

James Madison:
“ We’ve staked our future on our ability to follow the Ten Commandments with all of our heart.”

“We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We’ve staked the future of all our political institutions upon our capacity…to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God.” [1778 to the General Assembly of the State of Virginia]

• I have sometimes thought there could not be a stronger testimony in favor of religion or against temporal enjoyments, even the most rational and manly, than for men who occupy the most honorable and gainful departments and [who] are rising in reputation and wealth, publicly to declare the unsatisfactoriness [of temportal enjoyments] by becoming fervent advocates in the cause of Christ; and I wish you may give in your evidence in this way.
Letter by Madison to William Bradford (September 25, 1773)

• In 1812, President Madison signed a federal bill which economically aided the Bible Society of Philadelphia in its goal of the mass distribution of the Bible
.
“ An Act for the relief of the Bible Society of Philadelphia” Approved February 2, 1813 by Congress

“It is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian forbearance, love, and charity toward each other.”

• A watchful eye must be kept on ourselves lest, while we are building ideal monuments of renown and bliss here, we neglect to have our names enrolled in the Annals of Heaven. [Letter by Madison to William Bradford [urging him to make sure of his own salvation] November 9, 1772]

At the Constitutional Convention of 1787, James Madison proposed the plan to divide the central government into three branches. He discovered this model of government from the Perfect Governor, as he read Isaiah 33:22;
“For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver,
the LORD is our king;
He will save us.”
[Baron Charles Montesquieu, wrote in 1748; “Nor is there liberty if the power of judging is not separated from legislative power and from executive power. If it [the power of judging] were joined to legislative power, the power over life and liberty of the citizens would be arbitrary, for the judge would be the legislature if it were joined to the executive power, the judge could have the force of an oppressor. All would be lost if the same … body of principal men … exercised these three powers." Madison claimed Isaiah 33:22 as the source of division of power in government
See also: pp.241-242 in Teaching and Learning America’s Christian History: The Principle approach by Rosalie Slater]

James McHenry – Signer of the Constitution:
Public utility pleads most forcibly for the general distribution of the Holy Scriptures. The doctrine they preach, the obligations they impose, the punishment they threaten, the rewards they promise, the stamp and image of divinity they bear, which produces a conviction of their truths, can alone secure to society, order and peace, and to our courts of justice and constitutions of government, purity, stability and usefulness. In vain, without the Bible, we increase penal laws and draw entrenchments around our institutions. Bibles are strong entrenchments. Where they abound, men cannot pursue wicked courses, and at the same time enjoy quiet conscience.

Jedediah Morse:
"To the kindly influence of Christianity we owe that degree of civil freedom, and political and social happiness which mankind now enjoys. . . . Whenever the pillars of Christianity shall be overthrown, our present republican forms of government, and all blessings which flow from them, must fall with them."

John Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg
In a sermon delivered to his Virginia congregation on Jan. 21, 1776, he preached from Ecclesiastes 3.

Arriving at verse 8, which declares that there is a time of war and a time of peace, Muhlenberg noted that this surely was not the time of peace; this was the time of war. Concluding with a prayer, and while standing in full view of the congregation, he removed his clerical robes to reveal that beneath them he was wearing the uniform of an officer in the Continental army! He marched to the back of the church; ordered the drum to beat for recruits and over three hundred men joined him, becoming the Eighth Virginia Brigade. John Peter Muhlenberg finished the Revolution as a Major-General, having been at Valley Forge and having participated in the battles of Brandywine, Germantown, Monmouth, Stonypoint, and Yorktown.

Thomas Paine:
“ It has been the error of the schools to teach astronomy, and all the other sciences, and subjects of natural philosophy, as accomplishments only; whereas they should be taught theologically, or with reference to the Being who is the author of them: for all the principles of science are of divine origin. Man cannot make, or invent, or contrive principles: he can only discover them; and he ought to look through the discovery to the Author.”
“ The evil that has resulted from the error of the schools, in teaching natural philosophy as an accomplishment only, has been that of generating in the pupils a species of atheism. Instead of looking through the works of creation to the Creator himself, they stop short, and employ the knowledge they acquire to create doubts of his existence. They labour with studied ingenuity to ascribe every thing they behold to innate properties of matter, and jump over all the rest by saying, that matter is eternal.” “The Existence of God--1810”

Benjamin Rush:
• “I lament that we waste so much time and money in punishing crimes and take so little pains to prevent them…we neglect the only means of establishing and perpetuating our republican forms of government; that is, the universal education of our youth in the principles of Christianity by means of the Bible; for this Divine Book, above all others, constitutes the soul of republicanism.” “By withholding the knowledge of [the Scriptures] from children, we deprive ourselves of the best means of awakening moral sensibility in their minds.” [Letter written (1790’s) in Defense of the Bible in all schools in America]
• “Christianity is the only true and perfect religion.”
• “If moral precepts alone could have reformed mankind, the mission of the Son of God into our world would have been unnecessary.”

"Let the children who are sent to those schools be taught to read and write and above all, let both sexes be carefully instructed in the principles and obligations of the Christian religion. This is the most essential part of education”
Letters of Benjamin Rush, "To the citizens of Philadelphia: A Plan for Free Schools", March 28, 1787

Justice Joseph Story:
“ I verily believe Christianity necessary to the support of civil society. One of the beautiful boasts of our municipal jurisprudence is that Christianity is a part of the Common Law. . . There never has been a period in which the Common Law did not recognize Christianity as lying its foundations.”
[Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States p. 593]
“ Infidels and pagans were banished from the halls of justice as unworthy of credit.” [Life and letters of Joseph Story, Vol. II 1851, pp. 8-9.]
“ At the time of the adoption of the constitution, and of the amendment to it, now under consideration [i.e., the First Amendment], the general, if not the universal sentiment in America was, that Christianity ought to receive encouragement from the state, so far as was not incompatible with the private rights of conscience, and the freedom of religious worship.”
[Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States p. 593]

Noah Webster:
“ The duties of men are summarily comprised in the Ten Commandments, consisting of two tables; one comprehending the duties which we owe immediately to God-the other, the duties we owe to our fellow men.”

“In my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government ought to be instructed...No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people.”
[Source: 1828, in the preface to his American Dictionary of the English Language]

Let it be impressed on your mind that God commands you to choose for rulers just men who will rule in the fear of God [Exodus 18:21]. . . . If the citizens neglect their duty and place unprincipled men in office, the government will soon be corrupted . . . If our government fails to secure public prosperity and happiness, it must be because the citizens neglect the Divine commands, and elect bad men to make and administer the laws. [Noah Webster, The History of the United States (New Haven: Durrie and Peck, 1832), pp. 336-337, 49]

“All the miseries and evils which men suffer from vice, crime, ambition, injustice, oppression, slavery and war, proceed from their despising or neglecting the precepts contained in the Bible.” [Noah Webster. History. p. 339]

“The Bible was America’s basic textbook
in all fields.” [Noah Webster. Our Christian Heritage p.5]

“Education is useless without the Bible” [Noah Webster. Our Christian Heritage p.5 ]

George Washington:

Farewell Address: The name of American, which belongs to you, in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of Patriotism, more than any appellation derived from local discriminations. With slight shades of difference, you have the same religion" ...and later: "...reason and experience both forbid us to expect, that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle..."


“ It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and Bible.”

“What students would learn in American schools above all is the religion of Jesus Christ.” [speech to the Delaware Indian Chiefs May 12, 1779]

"To the distinguished character of patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of Christian" [May 2, 1778, at Valley Forge]

During his inauguration, Washington took the oath as prescribed by the Constitution but added several religious components to that official ceremony. Before taking his oath of office, he summoned a Bible on which to take the oath, added the words “So help me God!” to the end of the oath, then leaned over and kissed the Bible.

Nelly Custis-Lewis (Washington’s adopted daughter):
Is it necessary that any one should [ask], “Did General Washington avow himself to be a believer in Christianity?" As well may we question his patriotism, his heroic devotion to his country. His mottos were, "Deeds, not Words"; and, "For God and my Country."

“ O Most Glorious God, in Jesus Christ, my merciful and loving Father; I acknowledge and confess my guilt in the weak and imperfect performance of the duties of this day. I have called on Thee for pardon and forgiveness of my sins, but so coldly and carelessly that my prayers are become my sin, and they stand in need of pardon.”
“ I have sinned against heaven and before Thee in thought, word, and deed. I have contemned Thy majesty and holy laws. I have likewise sinned by omitting what I ought to have done and committing what I ought not. I have rebelled against the light, despising Thy mercies and judgment, and broken my vows and promise. I have neglected the better things. My iniquities are multiplied and my sins are very great. I confess them, O Lord, with shame and sorrow, detestation and loathing and desire to be vile in my own eyes as I have rendered myself vile in Thine. I humbly beseech Thee to be merciful to me in the free pardon of my sins for the sake of Thy dear Son and only Savior Jesus Christ who came to call not the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Thou gavest Thy Son to die for me.”
[George Washington; from a 24 page authentic handwritten manuscript book dated April 21-23, 1752
William J. Johnson George Washington, the Christian (New York: The Abingdon Press, New York & Cincinnati, 1919), pp. 24-35.]

"Although guided by our excellent Constitution in the discharge of official duties, and actuated, through the whole course of my public life, solely by a wish to promote the best interests of our country; yet, without the beneficial interposition of the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, we could not have reached the distinguished situation which we have attained with such unprecedented rapidity. To HIM, therefore, should we bow with gratitude and reverence, and endeavor to merit a continuance of HIS special favors". [1797 letter to John Adams]

James Wilson:
Signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution
Supreme Court Justice appointed by George Washington
Spoke 168 times during the Constitutional Convention

"Christianity is part of the common law"
[Sources: James Wilson, Course of Lectures [vol 3, p.122]; and quoted in Updegraph v. The Commonwealth, 11 Serg, & R. 393, 403 (1824).]

Source: Quotes of the Founding Fathers [click to read].

Clueless in the Capitals

Lawmakers Should Understand the Anger of the People


Demonstration against healthcare bill, December 15, 2009.

These are troubled times. Lawmakers in Washington are reporting threats. Minority Whip Eric Cantor's Richmond office near the Jefferson Hotel was shot at on Monday. There are reports of vandalism at several Democrat's offices and Bart Stupak is being cursed out over the phone.

There seems to be a lot of anger going around. All this after the President promised a 'new tone' in American politics and a 'new spirit of bipartisanship!" Welcome to the world of 'Hope and Change.' Be careful what you wish for.

'Bipartisanship' it turned out was no more than a change in the ball possession arrow. With a controlling majority in the House and Senate, winning the White House meant 'Bipartisanship' was agreeing with the President. People saw the will of the people being ignored. The majority of the people, who are moderate to right on the issues, saw a socialist agenda being put into play and were powerless against it. They went to town hall meetings and tea parties, hoping to be heard. They were informed and passionate, but they were polite and orderly.

They saw votes being bought and their childrens' futures being mortgaged and tried to get their representative's attention and on Sunday night they saw one of the few men they thought operated by principle cave in. After the vote Bart Stupak was partying with the other Dems in a pub. Can you understand the feeling that you have been betrayed?

They tried to make the unrepresented people out to be an 'angry mob' and 'Nazis.' Then they tried to claim that they were the victims of these great unwashed racist masses. They demonized the Republican minority as 'obstructionists,' conveniently forgetting that most of the fight happened within their own party. The Republicans didn't have any answers, they said, forgetting a lot of good ideas that had been laid out in earlier discussion. With a willing lapdog media they painted their opponents as devils who wanted to let people die in the streets. That may help you understand the bullets through Eric Cantor's windows.

So, knowing that one group pretty much controlled the discussion and the mainstream media spin, who should we blame for this rancor?

Clearly the current administration promised a new tone, but failed to deliver.

Right now Democrat leaders are telling Americans: "Your attitude stinks." To quote a line from the movie Remember the Titans: "Attitude reflects leadership."

History Maker II

He Was Father to this Country in Many Ways


Statue of George Washington in the Virginia State Capitol.

Most of us who studied American History when it was... American History know of the Winter at Valley Forge, the crossing of the Delaware and the Battle of Trenton. We know that George Washington was our first President. 'Dangerous' Home Schoolers [1.] even know that he was a man who trusted in G-d and prayed.

Still, there is much to learn about this man. Without his forsight there might not have been a United States of America as we know it. We might have never made it past our own Revolution.

In 1783 Washington gave up his command of the Continental Army and returned to private life. He did not enjoy his retirement for long. Revolutionary soldiers, hearing rumors that they would be dismissed without being paid, surrounded Independence Hall in Philidelphia with fixed bayonetts. No doubt, the members of the Continental Congress were in danger of being killed or taken hostage by angry soldiers.

Washington gathered troops and rushed to Philadelphia as our government slipped away to exile in Princeton, New Jersey. Washington met personally with the mutinous officers, pleading with them not to "sully the glory" they have earned. He successfully stops a military coup in its tracks. A colonel writes him, suggesting that Washington crown himself king, supported by “the universal esteem and veneration of an army.” Washington found the idea repugnant. His noble impulse shaped the nature of American leadership for the centuries to come. [2.]

But Washington did even more to shape our Nation. He wrote: "No well informed mind need be told, that the flanks and rear of the United territory are possessed by other powers, and formitable ones too -- nor how necessary it is to apply the cement of interest to bind all parts of it together... open wide door, and make a smooth way for the produce of that country to pass to our markets..." In 1784 he persuaded the Virginia and Maryland assemblies to pass bills establishing a company to improve the Potomac for shipping.

Just West of Washington DC the Great Falls of the Potomac roar impressively. Of course they stood in the way of Westward travel. The Potowmack Canal was built out of Washington's vision.

In 1785 the Mount Vernon Compact was drawn up to provide for free navigation of the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay. Interstate commerce again prompted talks in Annapolis,Maryland the following year.

A conference was scheduled for 1787 in Philadelphia to amend the Articles of Confederation to allow free commerce between the states. That conference resulted in the drafting of the United States Constitution.

More on George Washington [click to read].


The Great Falls of the Potomac.


Plan and profile of the Potowmack Canal.


Locks 4 and 5, illustration in Great Falls Visitor's Center.


Ruins of lock on Potowmack Canal.


Another lock on the canal.


Stonework detail of a lock.

History Maker III [click to read]. The James River and Kanawha Canal.

Congressional Reform Act of 2010

With The Lowest Approval Record in a Long Time
Return to the Jeffersonian Ideal is Long Overdue...


September 12th, the citizens come to Washington to be heard.

Greg sent this to me. I'm not sure who the source is but I think you'll agree that it is just common sense to push these reforms now!

1. Term Limits: 12 years only, one of the possible options below.
A. Two six year Senate terms
B. Six two year House terms
C. One six year Senate term and three two year House terms

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators: serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.

2. No Tenure / No Pension: A congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office. Set up a 401(k) or IRA and let them contribute during their term like normal people. Better yet, let the government match their 401(k) contribution based on how much the federal debt is reduced during their term.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators: serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.

3. Congress (past, present and future) participates in Social Security: All funds in the Congressional retirement fund moves to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, Congress participates with the American people. And when the system goes belly up, they lose right along with us.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators: serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.

4. Congress can purchase their own health care, just as all Americans should be responsible for their own. If ObamaCare is rammed down our throats, Members should not be exempted.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators: serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.

5. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%. Or again, tie their compensation to defined results such as federal debt reduction and per-capita GDP growth.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators: serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.

6. Congress--and all federal employees--loses their current health care system and participate in the same health care system as the American people.. Let the government sponsor a real group insurance plan with realistic employee contributions to the premiums, as well as deductibles and co-pays.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators: serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.

7. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people. If they don't like school choice, let them send their kids to the DC public schools.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators: serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.

8. All contracts with past and present congressmen are void effective 1/1/2011. The American people did not make contracts with congressmen, we simply elected them to office for a defined term. Congressmen made all these contracts for themselves, not to mention opening all the lucrative lobbying, consulting, and appointment opportunities.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators: serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.

State Sovreignty

This Principle May Save the Union After All!


The Federal role in constructing the National Pike, shown here passing through Ellicott's Mills, was once the subject of intense debate.

Here's an Interesting Proclaimation [click to read] from Governor Rick Perry of Texas.

"A number of recent federal proposals are not within the scope of the federal government’s constitutionally designated powers and impede the states’ right to govern themselves. HCR 50 affirms that Texas claims sovereignty under the 10th Amendment over all powers not otherwise granted to the federal government." -- Governor Perry

State Sovreignty may conjure up visions of antebellum apartheit, but the expansion of the Federal role in the late Nineteenth and Twentieth Century was rightly feared by leaders such as Patrick Henry.

HT/SWAC Girl