May each of you have the heart to conceive, the understanding to direct, and the hand to execute works that will leave the world a little better for your having been here. -- Ronald Reagan

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Aging, Civilization: A Look Through Life's Rear-view Mirror


I've worn it out, but I had a tee shirt the color of red dirt found in "red rock" country, that said on the back "Older Than Dirt". Humorous to be sure, but it's how I feel sometimes as I sit on the cusp of the far side of middle age. I'm in my early 60's now, and the world I came into is passing away. It's not just that my body isn't as dynamic as it once was, but the moral values that contributed to a stable civilization is passing out of existence.

I've thought for many years the Victorians had it right, and the morals and values of the mid-twentieth century were correct. There are behaviors the rend the social fabric, but in previous times these were indulged in quietly, behind closed doors. Now we do such things openly with braggadocio. I can't see we are better off for it.

When I was in high school in the 1960's it was a shock when a girl got pregnant. Premarital sex was something most of us didn't even consider; it wasn't a good thing. I recently saw a vid with Ann Coulter and John Stossel in an auditorium filled with young libertarians. Coulter said divorce was too easy, it's violation of a contract. The idea was met with boos and hisses. I think now people enter into marriage no longer viewing it as a sacred relationship and as entirely disposable. The family is all but destroyed since marriage has become that, and we're moving toward marriage meaning a State sanctioned coupling of anyone. Our schools are being allowed to teach first and second graders that homosexuality is a desirable thing. In my school days, we didn't get sex ed until seventh grade, I think. Homosexuality, and I don't care who you're poking, is not normative, yet it's being promoted over cross sex relationships. 

When I was a kid, most everybody went to church. There we were in contact with all ages, and there was continuity and exposure to other's knowledge and wisdom. It's were we were taught ethics and values that formed the foundation of our society. How we were to treat people, how and why to serve others.  That and our families were the focus and center of our lives. Life was in fact more simple then.

Things fall apart. There now exists the idea since these values can't be lived up to, don't even try. If one does try, and fails, you're a hypocrite. I remember studying existentialism in high school and college, and part of that philosophy was nihilism. From Wikipedia: Nihilism is the philosophical doctrine suggesting the negation of one or more putatively meaningful aspects of life. Most commonly, nihilism is presented in the form of existential nihilism, which argues that life is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value. Moral nihilists assert that morality does not inherently exist, and that any established moral values are abstractly contrived. Nihilism can also take epistemological or metaphysical/ontological forms, meaning respectively that, in some aspect, knowledge is not possible, or that reality does not actually exist.  [emphasis mine]

From that I ponder if our country, our civilization, is too far gone into nihilism. Any behavior is acceptable, even if it destroys the family (the foundation of civilization), exploits kids sexually (pedophilia is on the rise and becoming more acceptable, parents dressing their daughters like street walkers as examples), and destroys the Church, the foundation of care and charity, the source of moral teaching. Now that schools have become the source of that, the moral teaching is any traditional behavior is to be rejected, religion is to be rejected along with the church, pastors and priests are to be reviled and mocked and replaced by the State and politicians. Politicians are now the priests. Judges wear priestly robes, but ignore the law; interpret it anyway they want. Together they enforce the secular religion of the State.

We have degenerated in moral relativity and nihilism. It saddens me that 5000 plus years of tyranny being the norm of civilization, the United States comes along and rights things with the Declaration and Constitution, providing law based on moral Judeo-Christian foundations, and that is being rejected in favor of returning to tyranny and the embracing of a meaningless existence except pleasing one's self, mostly materially.

Despite all the problems existing in my childhood, life was simpler then, and I would say better. Many of those problems were resolved or at least partially corrected, but it was because of Faith, Family, Communion and Service with each other.

Life was simpler then. This is from the Monkey's song “Only Shades of Gray” and I share this lament (though it meant something different when I was a kid).


When the world and I were young,
Just yesterday.
Life was such a simple game
A child could play.
                            
It was easy then to tell right from wrong.
Easy then to tell weak from strong.
When a man should stand and fight,
Or just go along.
                             
 Refrain:
But today there is no day or night
Today there is no dark or light.
Today there is no black or white,
Only shades of gray.
                             
I remember when the answers seemed so clear
We had never lived with doubt or tasted fear.
It was easy then to tell truth from lies
Selling out from compromise
What to love and what to hate,
The foolish from the wise.
                             
It was easy then to know what was fair
When to keep and when to share.
How much to protect your heart
And how much to care.

 In case you're not  familiar with the Monkees

This lament combined with aging and what comes with it. Once again from much rejected scripture.
Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come And the years approach of which you will say, I have no pleasure in them; Before the sun is darkened. and the light, and the moon, and the stars, while the clouds return after the rain; When the guardians of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, And the grinders are idle because they are few, and they who look through the windows grow blind; When the doors to the street are shut, and the sound of the mill is low; When one waits for the chirp of a bird, but all the daughters of song are suppressed; And one fears heights, and perils in the street; When the almond tree blooms, and the locust grows sluggish and the caper berry is without effect, Because man goes to his lasting home, and mourners go about the streets; Before the silver cord is snapped and the golden bowl is broken, And the pitcher is shattered at the spring, and the broken pulley falls into the well, And the dust returns to the earth as it once was, and the life breath returns to God who gave it. Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth, all things are vanity! (Ecclesiastes 12:1-8)

Things fall apart. I lament the falling apart of our nation's traditional mores and values, but don't lament my aging. I embrace it. I'm saddened that following generations may not know the sweetness of liberty and making decisions and judgments for oneself. 


Saturday, February 9, 2013

News the Mainstream Media Doesn't See Fit to Print or Tell


There's lots of news not getting reported by the Jurassic Press. They're successful in under and misreporting events that don't fit their pro Statist and anti-Liberty agenda, but this past week and few days there have been stunning omissions.

There's a madman killing people in California. If he were a Conservative, Republican, practicing Christian, the headlines and stories would be about his political or religious affiliations. He has a manifesto praising Leftists and Democrats; a Leftwing whack job. Thus, no mention of that. Usually, right out of the gate the Jurassic Press blames TEA Party members, Rush Limbaugh, or some other Conservative oriented person or group as the perpetrator or reason for the carnage. Turns out never to be true. Michelle Malkin chronicles those:
 "... including the 2009 massacre of three Pittsburgh police officers (which lib journos falsely blamed on Fox News, Glenn Beck and the “heated, apocalyptic rhetoric of the anti-Obama forces”); the 2009 suicide insurance scam/murder hoax of Kentucky census worker Bill Sparkman (which New York magazine falsely blamed on Rush Limbaugh, “conservative media personalities, websites and even members of Congress”); the 2009 Holocaust museum shooting (which MSNBC commentator Joan Walsh blamed on Limbaugh, Bill O’Reilly and yours truly); the 2010 Times Square jihad bomb plot (which Mayor Michael Bloomberg falsely blamed on tea party activists protesting Obamacare); and the 2011 Tucson massacre, which liberals continue to blame on former GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin." Full article here.
Now the Jurassic Press has nary a word to say about the political, Leftist, racist sources and motivations of the murderer. It's not important this time.

There's a history of sex scandals in Washington DC, and when it's a Republican it's top of the fold, lead story, and usually the person is driven from office. Most recently Sen. Bob Menendez (Statist-N.J.) is under fire because of some stuff involving prostitutes. Jurassic Press's response? Nothing to see here, move along. In about the same amount of time this story has been out, Herman Cain had 99 stories about affairs with no sources, only hearsay, and Menendez with lots of sources...well, crickets.

Testimony this week about Benghazi, four dead Americans because of no response for eight hours, it turns out neither Sec of State Clinton nor the President were to be found during that time. They were absent, no one heard from them or got any instructions. This is a tired old charge, but if a Republican were in the White House and there were Americans killed on foreign soil and he was absent, it would be above the fold and headlining every electronic news program. This is not even being reported by any Mainstream Media outlet I can find.

Obama has killed by drones over 2,000 people, but that number is hard to confirm since the "most transparent" administration covers up everything. Leftwing extremist Newsweek/Daily Beast editor Tina Brown finally get's it, and said on alleged "comedian" Bill Maher's show, " I mean, he'd be impeached by now for drones if he was W. Bush."
Not a word about these drone killings in the Jurassic Press, including an American Citizen murdered by him without due process.

"Newsweek" (Nov 2012) and "Foreign Policy" (about three weeks ago) magazines have Obama as the "Second Coming". Alleged comedian Chris Rock says Obama is our Dad and Boss. Jamie Fox called Obama 'our Lord and Savior': "It's like church over here. It's like church in here. First of all, give an honor to God and our lord and savior Barack Obama. Barack Obama..." And remember "Newsweek" editor Evan Thomas a few years ago" He's ( Obama ) sort of God " - June, 2009.

This is the terrifying mindset of the cultural elite and Mainstream Media. If the press doesn't inform the public and only propagandizes for a particular political Party, political and world view, and man-child, how long can freedom last?



Dr. Benjamin Carson at National Prayer Breakfast: Truth Be Told In Front of Obama


This is a speech given by Dr. Benjamin Carson at the National Prayer Breakfast, with Obama in attendance. It was a remarkable speech, faith filled, and made more remarkable because Dr. Carson addressed political correctness (a Leftist tool suppressing free speech and Obama is a Leftist), education (we are at the bottom of nations), taxation (he advocates a flat tax using Scripture and Leftists advocate progressive taxation), the national debt (increased more in Obama's administration than all previous presidents combined) and privatized healthcare and health savings accounts (vs State controlled like ObamaCare). What he has to say is profound and true and well worth the 26 min. 





Friday, February 8, 2013

So God Made a Liberal

Hysterical! A take off on Paul Harvey's "So God Made a Farmer". Great stuff!





Monday, February 4, 2013

Paul Harvey's "So God Made A Farmer" Used In 2013 Superbowl Commercial-Best Commercial EVER

 This was from a 1978 speech he made.