...but by the color of our skin."

Obviously this is a famous quote from the late MLK Jr distorted for shock value. Did I get your attention? good. Now think REAL hard before you drop down to that comment box- DO NOT mistake me for a racist. I WILL delete any such accusations. The point of this post is not to be hateful to any racial group as I believe that all mankind descends from the same original parents and the only difference between me and those with darker skin- is exactly that- they have darker skin (it's a thing called MELANIN).

Now listen up.

When MLK Jr made that famous speech some 40 odd years ago, he was calling on mankind to go colorblind and recognize our God-given rights and liberties and abilities on the basis of our inherent personhood and our character.

By the way, what is character? http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/character. Notice especially #s 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 15. I would say those are probably what MLK Jr was driving at. And I believe that is the best basis upon which we should evaluate people- especially those we would have in authority over us. Agreed?

So would someone please tell me WHY this principle was turned on its head and swept under the carpet this last campaign season? And when anyone dared to make such evaluations of each candidate they were flamed as racist or bigotted?

When I consider people I'm supposed to vote for I don't look at skin color- I get most of my news through the radio- about as colorblind as you can get. And it's crazy how the news you hear on the radio and the news you see on tv are so divergent. So instead of skin color, I look at background: what they believe, how they view the Constitution, how they view America and her heritage in general, how they treat those who oppose them, ya know- things that give a more accurate picture of what kind of person they'll be in office. Fair enough right?

So here's what I saw- and continue to see in our political milieu:

We elected a man into office whose political career can be summed up in one word : "present."

We elected a man into office- having ignored the fact that he's friends with terrorists, anti-white Nation of Islamists, and preachers that call on God to d*** America. These aren't just acquaintences, either. These are friends our president sought out and maintained close relationships with- though he was forced to distance himself from them during the campaign.
Why would we want a president in office who sympathizes with terrorists? Yah, that helps me sleep better at night.

We elected a man into office whose wife has openly declared America to be a "downright mean country." Nice. And of course he has to go and chime in and call good Americans "bitter Americans clinging to their guns and religion." How quaint.

We elected a president who filled his cabinet with the very people his own VP accused of being unAmerican- cause ya know it's "patriotic to pay taxes," of course unless you're on the right team. How patriotic.

We have a man in office who lacks decorum in formal meetings- embarrassing the US with ill-prepared gifts to our closest ally's prime minister. I'm sure Mr Brown just treasures that DVD set. And don't forget the Queen- I'm sure she listens to those precious speeches every day! Tacky, much??

We have a president who promised his fainting and leg-tingling followers: "no more earmarks" (except for that earmarkulus bill he ramrodded through Congress), and "total transparency"- except we have to go to the drudge report to find out what they're up to next, and other nifty little platitudes that have conveniently been tucked away.

We elected a man hailed as a great orator- except for the fact that he's so addicted to the teleprompter he's read other guests' speeches. MLK Jr ought to be rolling in his grave.

And now he wants us to embrace his Supreme Court justice pick- a bitter hispanic woman known to wrest justice in order to suit her high and mighty ideals. A woman whose track record as a judge is absolutely reprehensible.

Then when myself and millions of others came to the conclusion that this man's character is wanting people accuse us of judging him by the color of his skin. Did I even mention skin color in that list? NO. You see, for some people it's a convenient 2 way street- "judge us not by the color of our skin... except when our character is lacking..." ya know... whatever! "But if you're not a minority- sorry, bigot's the only other option we can politically correctly apply to you... if we don't like your character..."

It's not just a presidential problem- it's a problem I'm seeing all around America. If the minority person doesn't come out on top- it ain't right. And it's precisely because it's a national problem that it's reflected in our presidency- I believe we tend to elect presidents we deserve on the basis of our own moral condition. So a white man can attack a black man and it's a hate crime, but if a black man attacks a white man... well, ya know... It even happened on the 4th of July in Akron, OH- 50 black teens attacked a family of white folk for no reason. How is that NOT a hate crime??

I'm tired of this politically correct ideology about ethnic superiority. I'm tired of gender superiorty. And I'm tired of sexual superiority. Are we a nation that truly truly believes we are created with equal worth or no? Are we a nation that believes in judging by the content of their character or no? I want to see Americans come together as one people again. They can do it- it's called the armed forces. There you don't have time to play the minority game- either you've got each other's back or you don't. And it's precisely because I grew up around army brats that I've come to the conclusion that yankees are more racist than southerners in some respects- because I was an army brat in VA- and my best friends were black. Here in the 'nati? I have to dodge eye contact or risk getting beat up. There's something wrong with that picture... But I digress. I know the real solution and I guess I'll have to dedicate a series of posts toward that end. No amount of social engineering will change hearts and biases. Nope. We're not just fleshy computers. There's a soul problem deeper down. And the only way to change its tune is for the Spirit of God to fall afresh on this nation. I say "afresh" because it's happened before. In fact our nation has been this corrupt before- just without all the materialistic shindigs. The first and second Great Awakenings literally transformed America's heritage and destiny. And I believe, if God might still be gracious, He can and will do it again. And you wouldn't believe how each Awakening began. It's quite simple, really. Prayer. I, you, everyone, needs to seek the Lord while He may be found, need to repent, need to seek His refreshing. Then, maybe then, we can truly realize MLK Jr's dream and join hands singing "Free at last, Free at last, Thank GOD ALMIGHTY, we are free at last."

That settles it. I'll be reporting on past revivals for your educational and entertainment consumption. As far as it looks right now, I'll be heading to VA for 3 weeks. I should be accessible for 2 of them, going to Dewey Beach, DE for the other one.

EDIT

video:)



end edit

If you clicked on this blog thinking this was some sweet or cute post about the pets of various politicians. I'm sorry, you've been misled. This blog is on a much more pointed subject that is likely to annoy or offend some readers, but I'm saying must be said. So if you're still here by the time you've gotten this far into my post, let us proceed with the real nature of this post.

What is a pet? To save time and energy (my internet is unpredictable) I'll allow you to google it or look it up somewhere, but to capsulize it- it is an animal which is dependent on its owner for its needs and therefore blindly loyal to that owner. I can already catch a glimmer in your eyes as those brillant synapses are firing. Work those juices.

Now apply it simply to politics. Statists such as FDR, Clinton and Obama and Pelosi and Reid like to acquire pets. Not just that dog Obama promised his girls... Electorate pets. Statism is basically the idea of creating a state wherein the government increasingly causes the people to become more and more dependent on its programs and then to become blindly loyal to that government therefore forsaking rational thought in their voting process and therefore the unconcious surrender of human liberties.

Whether Obama's voters realize it or not, they were basically affirming to Obama that they want him to decide how their lives should be run, what kind of healthcare they should have, how much money they should make, how much value their lives are worth. That's exactly the Statist's dream. It's the true American's worst nightmare.

What's the essential difference between people and pets? Is it not a free thinking mind, conscious not only of sentience but reason and rationality, morality, and faith? Blind allegience is below human mental capacity. All who believe in freedom and liberty and love what America stands for should make it their privelege to dig and study and learn so as to be informed in all pertinent matters and that includes nitty gritty facts about politics, history and religion.
If you truly believe you are a rational human being PLEASE stop blindly drinking the Obama koolaid and do some independent study into his background and motives and what's REALLY going on at Capital Hill. The truth shall set you free...

I'm not referring to anything spiritual, just acting on a hunch this time. I've had ideas hit me like a ton of bricks that hold potential to be real marketing successes but I've never taken that essential first step- getting patents. Well, I don't have the patents yet, I'm actually in the sub-first step stage- making inquiries into patent companies online. I think I found a good one and I sent in a request form for more info. If it doesn't cost an arm and a leg- I'm gonna do it cuz this company offers the services I need. Next step? Tell hubby and the inlaws, lol! Yah, I know that sounds awful but a lot of good ideas die in the process of trying to win over hubby and I'm not letting it happen AGAIN. I'm also considering writing a dream I once had down as a script for a movie and sending it to a few of my favorite directors just to see if anything comes of it- I doubt it would but you can't know till you try:):)

In other news...

Nathan's a hair'sbreadth from walking totally on his own. He's been taking a few odd steps here and there independently and his balance is REALLY good. He's probably just being over cautious- but I'd really like to see him walk for his 1st birthday which is this Friday! My baby's all grown up and turning 1!!! Waaaaah! (Actually, does that mean he'll stop fussing and whining and clinging to me finally??)

I'm getting better at improvisational cooking. When all you can afford are the basic essentials - recipe books start to become laughable ideas...

I'm supposed to be done with last semester's work by Friday- fat chance on that happening. Full time college + babies = nightmare.

So the weather's been unusually cool for this time of year. Not sure what to make of it yet...

So what's everyone's plans for 7/4? I need to get busy and look into what is available locally. Gotta see fireworks at the very least...

Nathan insists on zapping my brain cells by whining incessantly at me so that's all for now...

Seeing as we're broaching the advent of Independence Day, it came to my mind through various conduits of inspiration to honor our armed forces and American heritage. I'm starting with the Marine's hymn because I've finally learned of the significance of- one of its lines which is the title of this blog. I was reading the Freedom magazine (the NRA's magazine- for those who still believe in the God-given right to self-defense) and the feature story was about the recent pirate controversy and the role of international waters rights to bear and use weaponry for self defense. The story didn't just leave off there but shared a rather fair look at America's history of dealing with pirates and other sea scum.

You guessed it- Tripoli is one of America's earliest military engagements- working to make passage of ships on the seas safer.

History of the Battle of Tripoli:
In October 1803, Tripoli's fleet was able to capture USS Philadelphia intact after the frigate ran aground while patrolling Tripoli harbor. Efforts by the Americans to float the ship while under fire from shore batteries and Tripolitan naval units were unsuccessful. The ship, its captain, William Bainbridge, and all officers and crew were taken ashore and held as hostages. The Philadelphia was turned against the Americans and anchored in the harbor as a gun battery.

On the night of February 16, 1804, Lieutenant Stephen Decatur led a small contingent of the U.S.'s first Marines in the captured Tripolitan ketch rechristened USS Intrepid, to deceive the guards on board the Philadelphia and float close enough to board the captured ship. Decatur's men stormed the vessel and overpowered the Tripolitan sailors standing guard. With support from American ships, the Marines set fire to the Philadelphia, denying her use to the enemy. Subsequently, the bravery in action of Lieutenant Stephen Decatur made him one of the first American military heroes since the Revolutionary War.

Preble attacked Tripoli outright on July 14, 1804 in a series of inconclusive battles, including a courageous but unsuccessful attack by the fire ship USS Intrepid under Captain Richard Somers. Intrepid, packed with explosives, was to enter Tripoli harbor and destroy itself and the enemy fleet; it was destroyed, perhaps by enemy guns, before achieving that goal, killing Somers and his crew.

The turning point in the war came with the Battle of Derna (April-May 1805). Ex-consul William Eaton, who went by the rank of general, and US Marine First Lieutenant Presley O'Bannon led a mixed force of eight United States Marines and 500 Greek, Arab and Berber mercenaries on a remarkable overland march across the desert from Alexandria, Egypt to assault and to capture the Tripolitan city of Derna. This is the first time in history that the United States flag was raised in victory on foreign soil. This action was memorialized in a line from the Marines' Hymn — "the shores of Tripoli." [6]




The Marine's Hymn

From the Halls of Montezuma,
To the shores of Tripoli;
We fight our country's battles
In the air, on land, and sea;
First to fight for right and freedom
And to keep our honor clean;
We are proud to claim the title
Of United States Marine.

Our flag's unfurled to every breeze
From dawn to setting sun;
We have fought in every clime and place
Where we could take a gun;
In the snow of far-off Northern lands
And in sunny tropic scenes;
You will find us always on the job
The United States Marines.

Here's health to you and to our Corps
Which we are proud to serve;
In many a strife we've fought for life
And never lost our nerve;
If the Army and the Navy
Ever look on Heaven’s scenes;
They will find the streets are guarded
By United States Marines.


[edit] Original first stanza
Lyrics in use before 1919 included:

From the halls of Montezuma, to the shores of Tripoli,
We fight our country's battles, on the land as on the sea.
Admiration of the nation, we're the finest ever seen;
And we glory in the title of United States Marines.
This version can be heard in the 1950 film Halls of Montezuma. In 1919, the third and fourth lines were changed to include the "first to fight" motto. In 1942, the second line was changed to refer to the addition of air power to the world's military arsenals.[2]


[edit] Extra verses
Various people over the years wrote unofficial or semi-unofficial extra verses to commemorate later battles and actions, for example[1]:

Again in 1941, we sailed a north'ard course
and found beneath the midnight sun, the Viking and the Norse.
The Iceland girls were slim and fair, and fair the Iceland scenes,
and the Army found in landing there, the United States Marines.
(In 1940, during World War II, British forces occupied Iceland to guard it from possible occupation by Nazi Germany. In 1941, responsibility for the occupation was transferred to the U.S., who garrisoned a brigade of Marines.)

Hey there, ho there. It's the Coach. Coach Z that is....

As you can plainly see from my header, we have finally escaped the oppressive drudgery of our old apartment. Not that we didn't like the tenants or the landlord, but attempting to function normally as a family in a one bedroom apartment had long since eluded us.

Now, thanks to the Lord, we have made the move to a new apartment- 2x as big for only $115 more a month than we were already paying and around the block from Sam's job and school- literally. Unfortunately that puts us right next door to some of the most dangerous crime areas in Cincinnati- but this street is owned by the school so they watch over us, PTL. I'll have pics up soon so you can admire our new crib

Abigail just turned 3 on Friday and Nathan's about to turn 1 in July. Our wedding anniversary is also coming up on the 23rd of this month, so as you can imagine it's an exciting time of year for us.

We don't technically have internet, but we're able to get on our neighbor's network so I may be on here more often, hopefully... I still have my list of books to work through and an entire apartment to assemble, but I'll find a way to work you in... must XANGA.... MUST XANGA!!!

Luvs to all...