SOME FOLKS JUST DON'T GET IT

**A letter I recently wrote to an editor responding to criticism that I do not know my history.** The letter was not published due to length.

Dear Editor,

In reference to four letters that were written to challenge my statement that America was founded on Judeo-Christian principles let me clear the air.

First: I did not say that America is or was a Christian nation. If she ever was she certainly isn't now.

Second: I did say America was founded on Judeo-Christian principles. These principles though not formally a governmental standard, for all faiths have equal legal status in America, are principles that the vast majority of the founders used as their standard and therefore greatly influenced and guided them as they chiseled out the foundation of the United States of America.

One writer quoted an excerpt from a letter Thomas Jefferson wrote to the Danbury Baptist Association allaying their fear that the government was going to establish a formal religion. This letter was written to assure the Baptist that government had no business interfering in the people's religion. It did not state or imply that the citizens could not inject their religion into the government's business. In any case, it was a personal letter and had no weight in law. Jefferson's opinion simply stated was, the Federal government was not to establish a religious sect or denomination. The Constitution did not restrict the states from doing so, and some did.

It is correct that Roman and Greek scholars, as well as others, wrote about the equality of mankind. In fact, our founders had many volumes of writings of these philosophers in their libraries. They also studied Locke, Hume, Montesquieu, and others. British common law was also part of the influence that guided our founders. However, all that they studied did not necessarily negate their Godly beliefs and their fundamental reliance on Him.

Mike Sawyer stated in his letter of June 17, 2010, that George Washington and Benjamin Franklin were Deists. Washington kept his beliefs close to the chest but his few writings on the subject support the fact that he was a believer, albeit not an evangelist. Franklin in his early writings called himself a " a thorough Deist," but later in life he no longer believed in a "Watchmaker" God rather an engaged God, as evidenced by his statement to George Washington when calling for prayer at the Constitutional Convention. Franklin stated, " I have lived, sir, a long time, and the the longer I live the more convincing proofs I see that God governs in the affairs of men." Hardly the words of a Deist. However, Franklin would not have been invited to speak at the Southern Baptist Convention had there been such an organization.

The statement "...the government of the United State is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion" appears as Article 11 in the Treaty of Tripoli. It was drafted by Joel Barlow a disgruntled minister who probably had a grudge against God, passed by Congress and signed by President John Adams. The Article was not a refutation of Christianity, rather it was intended to convey the message that the Federal Government was not officially Christian. However, it was a shameful way to appease the Musselmen and should never have been passed by congress and signed by Adams. As stated, President Adams signed the Treaty of Tripoli but he also made this statement; "The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were....the general principles of Christianity...I will avow I then believed, and now believe, that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God; and those principles of liberty are as unalterable as human nature."

In his June 10, 2010, letter Mr. Ken Lynn rightly stated that there is a difference between the founding of North America and The United States. What Mr. Lynn did not concede, nor did I expect him to, was the fact that the settlers documents (Mayflower Compact, The fundamental Orders of Connecticut, The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America, etc.) and influences were passed on to the successive generations. Therefore, the "principles" were not lost, that is until the last 60 or so years.

It might also be noted that of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence 24 were seminary graduates.

Lastly, if I gave the impression that the pulpit is the "hub of morality" I want to clear that up once and for all. The pulpit is often not the "hub" of morality, but it should be.

Kershaw Getty

A Stange statement that holds truth

A friend recently told me something that set me back on my heels. "What!" I exclaimed as I fell to the floor, unconscious. After the reviving salts were applied she explained. "I voted for McCain'" but I'm glad Obama won." After fully recovering from my swoon I patiently listened. This friend went on to accurately explain that if McCain had won there would have been no uprising of the American people; no vigorous town hall meetings, no Massachusetts Scott Brown upset, and no "Tea Parties." She went on to say she believed it was God sent. UM, I thought as I stroked my beard, "She might have something here."

It is certainly true that a McCain presidency would have been a "business as usual" administration and that is the last thing America needs. "Business as usual" means continuing down the road to socialism, or more accurately a fascist "oligarchy."

So, now that we are where we are the question must be asked. Are we going to continue the momentum of Tea Party-ism or slowly lose steam? Now turn the page.

We as Tea Partiers have seized onto something that rivals or exceeds the significance of the original Tea Party. If the enthusiasm of the movers of the fight for independence had failed we would have still been under a less than ideal monarchy of the British Crown but we probably would have survived. If, on the other hand, this Tea Party movement fails and we as Americans remain on the course we are traveling we will ultimately be destroyed.

I'll continue to consider what my friend has said and do all I can to make sure Obama goes down as a footnote in history and America returns to her ideals of individual liberty, small government, lower taxes, moral fabric, religious liberty and the principles of the founders.

COCKROACHES HEADING FOR THE CRACKS

In an earlier life I worked as a cable splicer for a utility company in southeast Georgia. As a junior member of the team it was my job to pull the manholes covers and place air ventilation hoses and lights in the holes so we could see and breath. Now consider the swampy area of the south and you find lots of BIG cockroaches (palmetto bugs)in every damp and nasty place. I would turn on the lights and these ugly creatures would head for the cracks so the light would not expose them. Keeping in mind these disgusting bugs turn the page.

Pelosi, Reid and their minions are doing exactly what these southeast Georgia sewer dwellers do when the light comes on, heading for the cracks. In this case it's the closed doors of their conference rooms as they craft this debackle we call "Obamacare." Light exposes nastiness and the only way to keep from getting zapped by it is to hide. Fortunatly, for us and unfortunately for the liberal Congress we know what's going on even if we can't see the actual maneuverings.

Well, we know the shenanigans so what do we do? In the sewers the roaches were too stupid to realize we workers knew where they were hiding, so, we got insecticide canisters, tossed them in the hole, put the cover back on and waited for the poison to do its work. Now turn the page again.

The American people know where the roaches in Congress are hiding and we know what insecticide to use. The ballot. The voting booth on Nov. 2, 2010 is the place to call in the exterminators and rid ourselves of some very pesky and disease carrying bugs.

When the Truth is called Whining

Sarah Palin's book "Going Rogue" has been labeled by liberal bloggers as whining, sour grapes, or just plain misinformation. After having recently read the book I find none of these accusations to appear to me to be true. The truth is, the truth is called whining when it doesn't fit the liberal agenda.

Palin explained how so called friends (campaign handlers) directed her life in such a way that the true "Cuda" could not come forth. Her cloths were chosen. Her speeches were edited or tossed altogether and her honest and tough approach to political matters was scraped by political correctness or political expedience. In spite of all this she managed to hang in there.

She explained, with facts and details, how the Hollywood elites and pathetic old comics not only trashed her, but her family as well. However, you would expect that from the California jerks and the so called "main stream media," who have nothing to do of significance and peddle dirt like a supermarket tabloid.

Palin's book was homespun and honest. A fresh approach to how it should be instead of how it is. A tough cookie with a bad attitude against dishonesty and a good attitude toward God, family and country.

Hers is an inspiring story and from which we can all take a lesson.

She made no indications as to where she goes from here but you can bet it will be watched by supporters and enemies alike.

Digging out from Global Warming

Recently in high country of North Carolina where I live Global Warming attacked with a vengeance. On my road we received 15+ inches of "white" heat. The temperature has not risen above freezing for a week and this is the south. I suppose if it were not for "Global Warming" we would not be enjoying this delightfully warm winter wonderland and the mercury would be hovering around zero instead of 18. I recall last summer the temperature soared to 83 degrees and stayed there for 3 days. We had to turn on a fan at our house, stop midday activities and drink lots of lemonade, but we survived.

We shouldn't worry though, Obama went to Copenhagen on the fuel efficient Air Force One to help plan another meeting to discuss planning another meeting to confront the problems of Global Warming and plan another meeting. Or, did he go to bow down to someone? Perhaps he will receive the "bent-knee" certificate of achievement for the most genuflects by an American President to place next to his Noble Peace Prize.

In the meantime try to stay cool in the boiling inferno know as Earth while the great leaders of the world and this country pick our pockets in order to formulate a method to return us to the horse and buggy era. That is except for corporate jets and Air Force One.

Take Tiger, Please take Tiger....AWAY

"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." That includes you, me and Tiger Woods.

So, this article is not about moral failings but about Woods' iconic celebrity.

I have never liked Tiger Woods and am not in the least bit saddened by his departure from golf. In fact I would have been pleased to see him take his billions and fade into obscurity long before now, thus leaving the golf game in the hands of the competitors and out of the hands of big business and the paparazzi.

It is certainly true that his talent has stirred interest in the game but at what cost. We watch a tournament on TV where the leader is 7 strokes ahead of Woods and who do the cameras follow? You got it, ole' sulking (excuse me ...focused) Tiger himself. Will he surge? Is he hurt? Are his adoring fans, whom he ignores, distracting him? Is it possible that he is actually getting beaten?

I feel the game has suffered because of his limelight status and has lost its place in the arena of gentlemen, but then in this modern era who knows what a gentleman is anyway.

I feel sorry for his wife and children, but for him zip.

So Tiger, take your nine iron, sexual proclivity, and attitude on a long sabbatical and let the gentleman's game return.

DO CONSERVATIVES NEED A LEADER?

Leaders can be inspirational, but often they are not. Leaders can be motivators, but often they are not. Leaders can be teachers, but often they are not. If fact, there are times when leaders aren't needed. Such is the case now.


More has been done since the election of Barack Obama to motivate the conservative movement in this country than has been done in many decades, and without a leader. Leaders often tend, whether intentional or not, to enable laziness. In other words the masses wait in their stale little cubicles of life until a charismatic character comes along and stirs them to action. Then, when the immediate excitement is over they return to the mundane and wait for the next order. However, when the call goes out again fewer respond and soon the search is on for a new leader. The cycle repeats itself.


The conservative movement has transversed from a grassroots groundswell to a massive traditional values movement and is doing so without a distinctive leader. There are a few big movers out there but for the most part the movement is an army of patriots who are sick and tired of big government, higher taxes, elitism in Washington and state assemblies, and a well founded distrust for government in general. The army is shouting louder and louder the mantra that enough is enough.


The mainstream media, or as Bernie Goldberg calls them, the fringe media, are downplaying the reality of the movement, for they quake in fear that they will be dethroned and can no longer trumpet progressive liberalism with any real effect. The media have their very survival to fear if the good people win. Good people are winning and without a leader.

The masses often depend on a leader to do the thinking for them and that leader's philosophy and ideals transform the masses to think as he or she. Not so with the current conservative movement with its "Tea Parties" and "Take Back America" drive. No leader, no need for one, don't want one.


It can be noted that most tea parties don't have notable lecturers from the "speakers bureau", rather, regular folks who know the deal in the ditches and that's the way it should be. America is tired of "Hot Shots", with their fat fees, who think they know more about what's good for the folks than the folks themselves.

So, where does all this take us? If the lovers of liberty win, then America is saved. Conversely, if the liberals who hate America and liberty win America is doomed.

This is the greatest war and the most to lost since the War for Independence.

"We must all hang together," (John Hancock)"Yes" replied Benjamin Franklin, "We must all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately."

The question: Are lovers of liberty willing to risk hanging?