Peter King And Obama's Tan Suit

I am not necessarily a fan of Barack Obama. He is our Commander In Chief and I do not hate him. However, he is unlikely to go down in history as one of our greatest Presidents. Nevertheless, Rep. Peter King (R-NY) embarrassed himself and his political party for criticizing the President for wearing a tan suit. How petty can you get? Is King losing his mind? King implied that Obama was not properly dressed to discuss the important issues facing the nation. This is ridiculous. Actually, it is beyond ridiculous.

"If I'm A Cop"

The following post is an excerpt from an article written in the Washington Post on August 19, 2014. It was written by a Los Angeles police officer named Sunil Dutta It is the end of a fairly long article. But as he states: it is his "bottom line." In short, he is basically saying:

"I'm a cop. If you don't want to get hurt, don't challenge me." "Even though it might sound harsh and impolitic, here is the bottom line: if you don’t want to get shot, tased, pepper-sprayed, struck with a baton or thrown to the ground, just do what I tell you. Don’t argue with me, don’t call me names, don’t tell me that I can’t stop you, don’t say I’m a racist pig, don’t threaten that you’ll sue me and take away my badge. Don’t scream at me that you pay my salary, and don’t even think of aggressively walking towards me. Most field stops are complete in minutes. How difficult is it to cooperate for that long?"

Founding Principles

If something has worked for centuries, why do away with it? If certain laws have kept people safe, why do away with them? Yes, times change. But some things will never change. Human nature must be protected from itself. We are not lower animals without a sense of morality. But we are capable of becoming beast-like if we do not keep ourselves "in check." How do we do that? By supporting principles that keep us civilized. Where do we get those principles? From a source that works. From a source that has demonstrated success. From a source that is perfect. From a source that has not only proven to respect humanity, but a source that loves it. I am a pragmatist. If something works, do not toss it out.

"The deterioration of every government begins with the decay of the principles on which it was founded." C. L. De Montesquieu (1689-1755)

Apartheid? Israel? No Way

Israel does not practice apartheid. Ignorant people accuse them of it (keep the races, colors, peoples apart) Israel's government is probably the fairest on this planet. (another reason to be insanely jealous of them) To those who have legally obtained citizenship status, Israel gives full, no nonsense, unconditional citizenship, which includes voting and all other rights. Arabs and Palestinians have received great benefits from this policy. Israel respects others. The same cannot be truthfully said about Hamas. What is their view of Israel? "Israel must cease to exist, and all Jews must die." Hatred and ignorance is a deadly combination. It causes people and groups to make things up and render false accusations. Declaring that Israel practices apartheid is a prime example of such an accusation. Israel just wants to continue to exist. Is that an unjust aspiration?

Mussolini And Common Core

My thanks to Liberty Tree Quotes for the following quote by Benito Mussolini. He was an Italian Dictator during WWII. It reminds me a little bit of where the educational system in the United States is heading with the "Common Core" program. Just something to think about.

"At every hour of every day, I can tell you on which page of which book each school child in Italy is studying." Benito Mussolini (1883-1945)

Do A Great Job! Get Started!

When you have a great and difficult task, something perhaps almost impossible, if you only work a little at a time, every day a little, suddenly the work will finish itself.” (Isak Dinesen, author, Out of Africa) “One of these days is none of these days.” (Old English Proverb) “If you wait until all the lights are green before you leave home, you’ll never get started on your trip to the top.” (Zig Ziglar) “Reward yourself for a job well done. This is positive reinforcement. The reward is an opportunity to stop and smell the roses that bloom as a result of your hard work.” (K. Jeffrey Miller) “People rarely succeed unless they are having fun in what they are doing.” (Dale Carnegie) Don't always wait "for the right time." The "worst time" is sometimes the best time. (Robert Dominguez)

A Martyr Of The Early Church

A MARTYR OF THE EARLY CHURCH Polycarp is a celebrated figure in the history of Christianity. A direct pupil of the apostle John, Polycarp lived between 70 and 155 A.D., connecting him to both the biblical apostles and the age of the early church fathers. Several ancient sources document the contributions of Polycarp to Christianity, including his letters written to the church at Philippi, in which he encourages the members to remain strong in their faith and to flee from materialism. He also instructs the members in the proper handling of financial dishonesty that was creeping into the church. Polycarp served as the bishop of the church at Smyrna (modern day Izmir), and was recognized as one of the early combatants of Christian heresies. He rejected the teachings of Marcion, an influential heretic who tried to create a "new brand" of Christianity by redefining God and rejecting Old Testament teachings. In his well-known thesis, Polycarp combats Gnostic heresies that were beginning to spread throughout the Christian church. A MARTYR FOR TRUTH Polycarp's greatest contribution to Christianity may be his martyred death. His martyrdom stands as one of the most well documented events of antiquity. The emperors of Rome had unleashed bitter attacks against the Christians during this period, and members of the early church recorded many of the persecutions and deaths. Polycarp was arrested on the charge of being a Christian -- a member of a politically dangerous cult whose rapid growth needed to be stopped. Amidst an angry mob, the Roman proconsul took pity on such a gentle old man and urged Polycarp to proclaim, "Caesar is Lord". If only Polycarp would make this declaration and offer a small pinch of incense to Caesar's statue he would escape torture and death. To this Polycarp responded, "Eighty-six years I have served Christ, and He never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?" Steadfast in his stand for Christ, Polycarp refused to compromise his beliefs, and thus, was burned alive at the stake. A RELEVANT TESTIMONY FOR OUR LIVES Polycarp's martyrdom is historical reality. He died for one reason - his unyielding faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ. Yet Polycarp's well-recorded death is only one of many lives that were given to reveal and proclaim the truth of Jesus Christ. In light of the cruel and torturous deaths of the first and second generation Christians, all theories that Christianity is a fabricated myth, created for the personal gain of its followers, must be rejected. Even today, many will die for a belief, but none will die for a lie. God allows the deaths of His saints not because He is a helpless or indifferent Lord, but because their deaths are powerful declarations of the free gift of life that is offered to us through the Person of Jesus Christ. If you have any doubts about the truth of Christ as revealed in the Bible, reexamine the biblical text in light of the willful deaths of nearly all of its writers, men who were eyewitnesses to Christ's life and ministry. Polycarp, like many other Christians to this day, was only able to die for Christ because he lived for Christ. His life was radically transformed by the work of the Holy Spirit -- the desires, worries, pains and fears of this world no longer bound him. Polycarp's life and death provides an inspirational example for all Christians. He gave his earthly life for Christ, and in the midst of his sacrifice, he gained eternal life. (An excerpt from "All About Religion")