MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL THE SAINTS

JESUS IS THE LIGHT! WHERE DOES YOUR LIGHT SHINE?

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (NIV) John 8:12Martin Luther, the famous German church leader, is credited with being the first to illuminate a Christmas tree. The evergreen tree reminded him that life continued through the winter, when most of nature appeared to have died. Luther cut a fir tree and took it home. As he was walking home under a clear night sky lit by hundreds of stars, the sight so moved him that when he returned home He attached a number of small candles to its branches. The illuminated tree was representative of Jesus the light of the world.Do you believe that Jesus is the Light of the world? If so, are you following Him? Are you willing to be obedient to what He asks of you? Jesus also taught us: "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and praise your Father in heaven." (NIV) Matthew 5:14-16How is your light shining before men? Or are you hiding your relationship with Christ? Do others see good deeds in your life? When was the last time that your lifestyle caused others to praise God? This Christmas, don't just light your Christmas tree. . . let the light of God shine through you in all you do and say!
Merry Christmas

LETTER FROM JESUS

Letter from Jesus about Christmas --

It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season.

How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don't care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth, just GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Now, having said that let Me go on.. If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn't allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn If all My followers did that there wouldn't be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.

Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can remember Me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish: I actually spoke of that one in a teaching, explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks were. If you have forgotten that one, look up John 15: 1 - 8.

If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth here is my wish list. Choose something from it:

1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home... They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell Me all the time.

2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don't have to know them personally... They just need to know that someone cares about them.

3. Instead of writing the President complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don't you write and tell him that you'll be praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up... It will be nice hearing from you again.

4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can't afford and they don't need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth, and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.

5 Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.

6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don't know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile; it could make the difference.

7. Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren't allowed to wish you a "Merry Christmas" that doesn't keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn't make so much money on that day they'd close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families

8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary-- especially one who takes My love and Good News to those who have never heard My name.

9. Here's a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no "Christmas" tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don't know them, buy some food and a few gifts and give them to the Salvation Army or some other charity which believes in Me and they will make the delivery for you.

10. Finally, if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Me, then behave like a Christian. Don't do things in secret that you wouldn't do in My presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine.

Don't forget; I am God and can take care of Myself. Just love Me and do what I have told you to do. I'll take care of all the rest. Check out the list above and get to work; time is short. I'll help you, but the ball is now in your court. And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love and remember :

I LOVE YOU,

JESUS

What's on My Mind?

I can't believe it's been two months or more since I've really sat here to blog. Oh I tried a few weeks ago, but I just couldn't seem to get started - I either was drawing a blank or I just didn't feel like commenting on the political happenings anymore.
I suspect there might have been a couple of reasons why I was drawing a blank. For one thing, I'm feeling a little burnt out on trying to make sense of Politicians these days. And the other reason is probably due to the fact that in September, October, and November, I attended a funeral for three persons that I had known for quite some time. Each of them had been members of the same church, along with my family and me, for almost two decades. The first one was a man who was about my father's age (if he were still around). The second person was a woman who just totally and unexpectedly collapsed in her back yard one morning. And then finally, a young woman who practically grew up with my children - she was just 26 years old.
Although I did not show any outward signs of grief at the passing of either of these, my friends, I have come to recognize the subtle signs of what this can do to me in the time immediately following such events. It somehow drains something out of me. The first time it happened to me, I was not even aware of the effects until some co-workers noticed the change in me, even in my facial expression. That was in 2001 at the passing of a rather young brother-in-law of mine.
So I guess I am just having a little trouble pulling out of my slump this time. I'm not worried though. I will be back on my "psychological" feet, eventually. But for now, I will just have to ride it out. TTYL!

No Comment(s)

Yes, it's been a while since "The Mind of McKnight" has posted a new comment. For various reasons, this mind has not been able to settle on any worthwhile topics to discuss. That is, topics other than the Health Care farce or any of the related political battles. So I guess I'd better continue down that road.
After all, today's news is today's news. So, hopefully, I will have new (or renewed) comments this weekend on current events. Tune in then.

Optional Option - SAY WHAT!

It looks like the Duracell batteries are not the only things that keep going and going and going. Our beloved lawmakers in Congress are still haggling over a Public Option for the proposed Health Care Reform Act.

First of all, any reasonably intelligent person knows that the Public Option is good, let me repeat, good for the uninsured and under-insured citizenry. That is the main reason that the "bought and paid for" members of Congress, both Democrat and Republican, have pretended to find fault with it. No one but the greedy and heartless Insurance Industry executives would be against this reform. Any kind of real reform (i.e., Public Option) would threaten their bloated incomes.

That, my friends, is all that this opposition is about. I don't know why the smart politicians, including our beloved President will not just come out and say it. They know it - we all know it.

And now, the Congress is playing along with the opponents by offerring a Public Option with an Opt-Out (for the States) Option. By definition and description, anything that is offerred as an "option" is already optional. You don't need an invitation to "opt-out", only to "opt-in". But, in reality, what does the State need any kind of "option" for anyway? This (the Plan, as well as the Option) is for the individual, not for the State. The individual needs to have an option of enrolling in the Public Insurance Plan or a private insurance plan. Of course, this is the very reason why so many of the people do not currently have adequate insurance, because there is NO option. The Insurance giants gladly take advantage of this by over charging us and what's more, by reducing or refusing coverage of certain conditions. If the U.S. Lawmakers do the right thing, by providing the Government-run (non profit) Insurance Plan, then the private insurers know that they would no longer be free to "fleece the flock", if I may borrow that religious phrase.

So we can only hope that the Congress and President will come to their collective senses and do the right thing. For once, give their constituents more than "lip service". As I said earlier, why would your State need an Option, especially an option to "opt-out"? Again, this is just a smoke screen to hide their "bought and paid for" obligation to the Insurance Giants, who have bankrolled the Politicians' elections. And now they are simply calling in their bets.

Just a Note

Hmm! I guess they got tired of me writing my opinions in the Chronicle. This is the 2nd time I've written something, submitted it for approval and then it disappeared. Oh well, I guess I'll just stick with this blog for now. Perhaps tomorrow I will put down a few words on this Public Option debacle. TTYL y'all.

AMERICA! BLESSED … OR NOT?

During virtually every speech given by the President, he ends it with "God bless the United States of America", or words to that effect.What´s more, it is commonly expressed by Americans, that we are a Christian nation, or at least one that was founded on Godly principles.This gives the impression that we have been and are being truly blessed by God. But just what does that mean? What exactly do we mean we speak those phrases and what do others think when they hear us speaking such? I won´t give a direct answer to these questions here. Instead, let me just point out a few observations.In fact, let me respond with another question or two. Do we really know what a blessing is? Would we recognize one if we saw or experienced it? Our words infer that we certainly do expect blessings from God. But if that is the case, then what do we do – how do we handle a blessing? First of all, we have to recognize that the blessing has come.I would like to discuss only one for this writing. And I will try to look at it from a non-partisan view.For the past 9 months, we have been fortunate to have (indeed blessed with) one of the most brilliant and caring men to ever occupy the Whitehouse. Although he inherited the biggest challenge that a new President has faced, at least in the last 70-75 years, he has accepted the challenge with profound eagerness. If ever a man was made for times like these, it seems that this is what we have in our current President. And if we could make a comparison with previous holders of this office, he has to be one of the hardest working Presidents of all time. He not only has rolled up his sleeves and tackled the job at-hand but he eagerly seeks out new challenges and seemingly never complains.
The points listed in the previous paragraph more than makes my point, but there is one more thing that is noteworthy. It is amazing to me, and I´m sure others too, how he has persevered and performed his work unnerved and almost un-detracted by personal attacks. And it seems like he simply does not even know how to retaliate against his opponents. This is truly amazing! I don´t know how long this will last, for everyone has his or her breaking point. But for now, I must say, God truly has blessed the United States of America.

IS INFLATION INFLATED?

Who invented Inflation? The short answer is, the Government. But common sense should tell you that it was driven, like so many things in our world, by big business.

If we would look up the definition of Inflation, we would find a lot of nice sounding rhetoric pertaining to: goods and services; supply and demand; economic downturn; economic growth; purchasing power; debt relief; job growth; yah-da, yah-da, yah-da. And your economic experts and political spokesmen would make it all sound good, although complicated and not easy to be understood by mere humans.

Of course, I’m convinced that it is just a bunch of baloney that they have to use in order to justify their misuse and abuse of things. There is not now, nor has there ever been, a good reason for the exorbitant price increases on goods and services provided to consumers. I didn’t say that there has never been a reason – just never a good reason. There may be tens or perhaps hundreds of reasons but they are all rooted in the soil of GREED. That’s right, plain old money grubbing greed. And the driving force behind such greedy people is to feed their enormous egos and need to feel superior to almost everyone else. Yes, it is a power trip.

Now, of course my position would be hard to prove and part of the reason is because we would have to go way back in time, perhaps to where most people live off the land. We would have to go back to the time before we became so industrialized and commercialized. You can’t really start in the middle of a matter such as this and make sense of it any more than you can un-fired a gun after the bullet has left the barrel. For now, we would simply go round and round with one merchant point the finger at the other merchant and each one claiming that they are just trying to catch up. And in large part, that would be true.

So when I say that there is no good reason for inflation or inflated prices, I do understand that we cannot actually undo it now. I just want to try and put an end to the lie that we’ve been led to believe, that says it’s inevitable or that it just happen due to circumstances rather than by human design. If you don’t stop to think about it, most of us just believe that prices have to go up simply due to the passage of time. There is not one good reason for a loaf of bread or a pair of shoes or a piano or a chair or a car or a necklace or a pencil or a baseball bat or … to cost any more today than it did 50 years ago. Now before you go and start defending the business community with the lines that we’ve been fed over the years about how it costs more to make or produce these items now, remember what I am talking about. I have already acknowledged that once we started down this slippery slope then, of course it affects every other business connected down the line. But I’m talking about the real reason for price increases in the first place. For we know that it not only does not cost more to produce goods now, in most cases the cost is actually less, due to modern technology. We can even dig ditches today with much less manpower than was needed 50 years ago, though with much greater production due to our advanced technology.

I could go on and on with examples to support my position, but I hope you get the point. It’s all about being rich; and then being richer, and richer, and richer. And it didn’t help matters much when, a couple of decades ago, they started paying athletes and entertainers ungodly sums of money just to “play” and practice their trades. I am sure that this only drove the “greedy” to become even greedier. After all, they couldn’t let a singer or ball player be anywhere near their equals. Being a millionaire didn’t mean much anymore. Now they had to become a billionaire or, at least a multi-multi millionaire. Of course, caught in the middle of race was the middle class and average Joe, being squeezed right out of house and home.

And if that was not enough, all of this has virtually killed the dollar’s buying power. Believe it or not, this hurts everyone, including the ones at the top. I don’t know how all of this is going to play out or if it can be turned around or slowed down, but as the line in the movie goes “something’s gotta give”. Even with our highly publicized economic meltdown of recent months, the Wall Street-ers, the Insurance Executives, the Bankers and others still don’t seem to get it. They are still seemingly hell-bent on that road of callous greed and destruction. Of course, the politicians are in their pockets too. In fact, at this stage, they sort of feed off each other and neither seems capable of sensible or moral behavior. Just this week, a highly paid utility executive in California announced that he is leaving his job as the head of the department to take a position elsewhere. And, believe it or not, the city’s political leaders want to keep paying him his salary for at least the remainder of the year. Then there is also talk of keeping him on the payroll (as a consultant, they say) at his same ridiculously high salary. And this kind of thinking makes sense to your politicians today. That’s SCARY! Well, we could perhaps amuse ourselves for a moment, due to the fact that it is October, and say that it’s because halloween is fast approaching. But no, this is what happens all the time!Boo! Hoo!

What Does Reform Look Like?

I've tried to write about and think about other subjects,but it seems like this Healtcare Reform is still at the top of the list. As I was thinking about the constant news reports coming out every day, the usual things came to my mind. But it seems to all boil down to how can we get around all of the yelling and accusations from (some on) the right. As all of us must know by now, it's easier to "win" this debate by "not debating". Instead one needs only to do and say things that create some level of doubt and confusion among the listeners.

It does not matter whether the accusations are true or not, in fact, it is easier if they are not true. That is because, the goal here is not to engage honest debate with those you disagree with, but to do something (anything) that might confuse others. For, when people get confused or find themselves doubting any proposed CHANGES in life, many of them will simply go with the status quo. The opponents of health care reform know this very well, whether they be politicians or insurance executives.It is ironic but this is perhaps,the best example of how our criminal justice system is supposed to work. You've all heard the old saying, "innocent until proven guilty" or "the burden of proof is on the prosecution - the defendant does not have to prove anything, i.e., his innocence". At least that's what we are told. Of course, that is not always the way it plays out in a real life court of law. But in the healthcare debate, it seems to work quite well.The opponents start off by making false accusations and exagerations of what will happen if the bill is passed. Then these statements are repeated over and over again, sometimes with a few new wrinkles added. This tactic keeps the proponent(s) constantly busy trying to rebut the allegations and defending the bill from the untruths that appear to be, but really are not part of the bill.

Earlier today, I was conversing with an elderly friend of mine and this subject, understandably, came up. Her sentiments, like that of so many others I've spoken with, can be summed up with, "I don't know who is telling the truth. I don't know who to believe". So there you have it: Doubt! The poor citizens don't realize that they are being duped, that they are being used as pawns. But as I stated earlier, the goal is to do just that - create doubt or confusion. For once that is created, many people, perhaps most, will settle for the status quo. And the opponents (who have craftily put themselves in the "defendants" chair) end up never having to prove anything; never having to present their case, just knock down the prosecutions cae. HOW CLEVER!But then it has just recently dawned on me that even I do not know what is in the bill. That's right. I have taken a position IN FAVOR of reform, but I really don't know enough about it. Because I don't know much about it, I am only 51% in favor, but in favor nonetheless. This is because I too have been caught up watching "the side show". I should know more about the contents (of the President's proposal)than I do. I think I know what it basically says, but I don't really know. So from now on, I am no longer going to be ensnared by the sideshow trappings; I am going to become focused and informed. I hope you will too!

Healthcare, Abortion, etc.

I thought you might enjoy reading this piece.

By Ellen Goodman

My favorite moment so far in the health care debate was when Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl argued against mandating maternity benefits as part of a basic insurance coverage. “I don’t need maternity care,” he blurted out. At which point, Michigan’s Debbie Stabenow quipped, “I think your mom probably did.”
For that matter, so did his wife and daughter. But never mind. We had one brief glimpse into the mind of a politician who doesn’t quite see women’s health concerns as equal to his own.
Michelle Obama referred to this connection between health care and equality when she told a group of women that overhauling the system was “the next step” in women’s advancement for opportunity. Women are not only less likely to have insurance at work, but more likely to face discrimination from insurance companies. They also, she added, can be denied coverage just for the pre-existing condition of having had a C-section.

It is becoming obvious that just having a female reproductive system is a pre-existing condition in the health care debate. The up-and-coming sticking point is abortion. The Senate Finance Committee beat back some restrictions, but the question for Congress is still whether the “reform” that is supposed to increase coverage will instead reduce it. Will women who now have coverage for abortion in their private plans end up losing it?
In the days before Roe v. Wade, we had a hodgepodge of different state laws governing abortion. The argument in favor of abortion rights was not just about equality between men and women, but equality along economic lines. It was unjust, many argued, to have a system in which a wealthier woman could find and afford a safe abortion while a poorer woman had to put herself at risk.
After Roe, abortion opponents regrouped and went looking for a restriction that would appeal to the ambivalent middle. They latched onto the idea that taxpayer money shouldn’t be used to pay for abortions. This not only stigmatized abortion, separating it from “legitimate” health care, it reintroduced a two-tier health system for poor women on Medicaid.

Today, those tiers have expanded. Women on Medicaid can get abortion coverage only when states pick up the bill. Women in the military have no coverage, not even if they were raped. Doctors on the military payroll aren’t allowed to provide abortions even for soldiers who can pay their own way. Nor is there coverage for federal employees.
So what now? We were told that health care reform would be “abortion neutral,” that it wouldn’t change the shaky status quo, or rile the troops in the abortion wars. One compromise in the House proposed by California Rep. Lois Capps would keep it that way. Abortion would be neither mandated nor banned. There’d be no federal funds in subsidized plans for lower-income people; the money would be segregated.
But it turns out that finding neutrality in the abortion wars is elusive. We now have pro-life Republicans and Democrats—most notably Rep. Bart Stupak of Michigan—demanding that any health plan offering abortion be banned from the newly created health care exchange.
And guess what that will mean? More than 80 percent of private insurance plans cover abortions. But any insurance plan that wants to be eligible for the huge wave of new clients would have to drop the abortion coverage it offers.

So let’s regroup. The first target was poor women on Medicaid, then came women in the military, now women needing subsidized plans. Next? “The millions of women who presently have private insurance would lose it if they [abortion opponents] are successful in putting in an all-out ban,” says Nancy Keenan of NARAL Pro-Choice America.
This isn’t supposed to happen. The pro-choice president said, “If you like your health care plan, you can keep your health care plan.” Not if folks like Stupak get their way.
No woman expects to have an abortion. But one in every three women has one by the age of 45. That’s a whole lot of women to stigmatize ... or ignore.
The irony is that this attempt to enforce a federal moral rule over everyone’s health comes from precisely the people who are most angry at the idea of a government takeover of health care.
This leads me to my second most favorite moment in the health care debate: when Republican Jim Bunning of Kentucky loudly railed, “I do not support a government takeover of the health care system,” and then fell asleep.
I’m sure he’s covered for narcolepsy.
Ellen Goodman’s e-mail address is ellengoodman1(at)me.com.

© 2009, Washington Post Writers Group

Just a Thought

I have been mulling over the thought of writing a piece in the American Chronicle (Online) Newspaper on the subject of inflation. Or perhaps it will be more appropriately focused on greed. But for some reason, the thoughts in my head won't come out on paper or the keyboard. Perhaps the timing is not quite right. But I hope that I will be able to put something down pretty soon. I'll keep you posted. In fact, maybe I will just post the whole article to this site too.

HALLMARK CARDS YOU'LL NEVER SEE

"Looking back over the years that we've been together, I can't help but wonder ................What Was I Thinking?"

"Congratulations on your wedding day! .............Too bad no one likes your wife".

"How could two people as beautiful as you ...............have such an ugly baby?"

"I've always wanted to have someone to hold, ... someone to love. After having met you, I've changed my mind".

"I must admit, you brought religion in my life; ......... I never believed in Hell, until I married you".

"As the days go by, I think of how lucky I am ...... that you're not here to ruin things for me".

"As we grow older, hon, I think of all the gifts you've given me, ..... Like the need for therapy".

"Thanks for being a part ofmy life. ......... I never knew what evil was before this".

"Someday I hope to get married; ................... but not to you".

"You look great for your age. ....................... almost Lifelike".

"When we were together, you always said you'd die for me. Now that we've broken up, ........ I think it's time you kept your promise".

And lastly --

"I'm so miserable without you, ........... it's almost like you're here".

Inspiration

Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyound the REACH of God's mercy.

Your best days are never so good that you are beyond the NEED of God's grace.

HAVE A GOOD WEEK!

You've Got What It Takes

YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES!

Figure it out for yourself, my lad.
You've all that the greatest of men have had -
Two arms, two hands, two legs, two eyes, and
a brain to use, if you would be so wise.
So stat from the top and say, "I can".

Look them over, the wise and the great.
They take their food from a common plate.
And similar knives and forks they use;
with similar laces, they tie their shoes.
The world considers them brave and smart.
But you've all they had when they made their start.

Courage must come from the soul within.
The man must furnish the will to win.
So figure it out for yourself, my lad.
You were born with all that the great have had.
With your same equipment, they all began.
Get hold of yourself, and say, "I CAN".

George Washington Carver

They may be Religious, But they are not Right

Wow! And they're at it again. It looks like my previous writing was right on time. They call themselves, The Religious Right; and perhaps you call them that too. I'm afraid I must agree with the first part. They are or certainly know how to appear religious. But they definitely are not right.
They are just like the other zealots who would love to see the present administration fail. They don't care what it is, they oppose it. And they oppose it for one reason and one reason, only - He's a Democrat and he's Black. So they must be against every thing that is offered by this President. (Remember, the flap over his talking to the school children, just a few days ago?) Give me a break, please! Oh and just for the record, yes, I am a life-long Democrat. Also for the record, I do and I did agree with some Republican ideas and programs. Except for the invasion of Iraq, I did not oppose most of their ideas, even though I disagreed with them. You see there is a difference between disagreeing with a proposed program and opposing one. If I disagree with an idea, I am merely expressing my opinion. Were it up to me, I would do it differently. But when I oppose an action or idea, I want to prevent it from happening. That is a big difference. I've learned in life, that you don't have to oppose everything that you disagree with. The other person or group is entitled to their opinion just as much as I am. What's more, just because I don't like it or don't think that it will work, doesn't mean that I am right. Guess what? It just my work.
But back to those so-called Religious Right. What irks me is that they take their hidden (and sometimes, not-so-hidden) agendas, and wrap them in the Bible or if necessary, the flag and the Bible, and then put them forth as morally right. They have done this time and time again. So I am pretty much dumbfounded at how many church folk or so-called Christians fall for it.
I didn't want to go too deep into the issue in this writing. But, let's examine their "prized" topic, abortion. How in the world can you be subdued into thinking that these people care about abortion? They don't! But they know that if they use the right words and phrases (just like some of your preachers on Sunday morning), you will swallow it - hook, line, and sinker. The key is not so much to get you to do the right thing, but to make you feel guilty and therefore afraid NOT to follow their lead. If you truly are Christians or if you have read the Bible, you should know what this is all about. Somewhere in the Bible, we are warned about "wolves in sheep clothing". That's all this amounts to.
You cannot be pro-choice and not care about the children who are already born into this world, while at the same time act as though you're so concerned about the unborn. In fact, where's the cry, where's the uproar about the babies and other children of Iraq? Or don't they count?
You need to quit allowing yourselves and your beliefs to be manipulated just for your vote.
Well, since I don't know who will be the people reading this, I had better stop now. If you are Christian, you should have a different view point than a non-Christian. But for those of you who are ...II Timothy 2:15

Religion and Politics

Isn't it funny how our words and our actions can oftentimes oppose themselves. I'm thinking specifically here about the so-called Religious Right, and more specifically still, those that are politically active.

And the deception should be more easily recognized by the masses; but it's not. I'm a thoroughly convinced that, in this country, Religion and Politics are mirrors of each other so much of the time. First of all, just mention either of these two words and most people will clam up. There seems to be an innate fear and awkwardness about discussing either one, by the general public. Consequently, today's leaders, in both of these arenas, can manipulate and mislead their constituents with seeming ease and skill.

This manipulation works so well that some people can tout the Bible, wrapped themselves up in symbolism, and make grand claims to be following the almighty God. Yet these are the same people who spout bigotry and hatred, with ease, against anyone they choose, especially in politics. As long as they flash there Christian credentials (like a policeman's badge) before the people, they will accept hateful speeches and outright lies that these so-called Christians produce.

I just find it intriguing that such double-talk works over and over again and with hardly any rebuke from the listeners. I could go on for a week and a day talking about this, but I won't. I just hope some of you will wake up and smell the coffee.

Chicken Little" tactics on Universal Healthcare

Tactics! That's a good word to use when describing the actions being taken and supported by Republicans in the so-called debate over Universal Healthcare in this country. And I'm being blunt, in this case, by saying "Republicans", rather than conservatives or simply, those in opposition to the plan. It should be clear to everyone that the Republicans, both politicians and citizens alike, are just dead-set against anything that might become a feather in President Obama's cap. It does not matter what the issue is, they are against it. Of course, these actions are stooped in racism, but that's a subject matter for another day. I will not delve into that today.

The opposition to the proposed Healthcare bill, or opposition to any type of Universal Healthcare, could be taken seriously if they would put forth viable options. But they don't have any - that can only mean that they do not care at all about the millions of uninsured and under insured people here, many of which are children.

Instead they have ingeniously disguised criticism as a strategy rather than ideas as an option. And why not try that? It seems to be working. People are swallowing it - hook, line and sinker. Now if we apply such strategies in our everyday life, then we would not find anything to be acceptable. For example, who would drive a car if all you ever considered were the actual and possible negatives it presented? We would fly in airplanes; we wouldn't use our kitchen utensils; we wouldn't use electrical or electronic devices; we wouldn't take in the sunlight; we wouldn't walk across a street; we wouldn't have anything to do with pets or animals in general; we wouldn't ...... OK, I think you get the message. But I want you to see how ridiculous this strategy is when we use only the negative.

Now listen closely to the people who do not want the proposed plan for Universal Healthcare. I'm sure you will see, then, that this is all that they are putting forth as an argument: This is not perfect; there could be a problem with this part or that part; things could go somehow go awry; blah, blah, blah, blah. Well, of course there are risks and there will be probably be pitfalls - but the benefits exceed the risks by far. And the result of doing nothing would be even more disastrous.

Don't let them twist your heads into focusing on the negative only, and acting as it that is it. If we only focus on the negative and possible negatives, then we would not have children. After all, don't they come with problems? In fact don't we take great risks of being hurt and suffering personally because of the many trials and dangers our children will face in life? The logical conclusion would be to NOT have children. But then, what would happen to human life on earth? Hmmm!

Think about it. THE SKY IS NOT FALLING!

Leadership and Toughness

It seems that our good old Democratic politicians in Washington need a dose of courage and backbone. Why are they afraid to take a stand, I mean a firm stand on an issue? Of course this doesn't apply to all of the Dems that are not supporting the President; some are spineless but others have been bought and pocketed by the monies of big business, in this case the pharmaceutical and medical insurance companies.

But the biggest mistake being made here is that the Democrats, including President Obama are not stating their case. They are just sitting (like ducks) on the fence, letting the deceptive ones take pot shots at them. Then, instead of taking the bull by the horns and driving home the real issues in and around the lives of millions of Americans who are uninsured, they get caught in the trap of defending lies and fabrications. What's more, instead of getting tough with the Republicans and his own Congressional Party members, he keeps singing this sad song about bipartisanship. This, by the way, is not true. Bipartisanship means being willing to work with the other side, not cowing down to them. This is quite perplexing, given the fact that the President's party has the majority in both houses. For some strange reason, he doesn't seem to know that. His party has the majority in Congress, he is in the White House, and the people recently decided this, at the ballot box last November.

I know that a politician will make promises when he is trying to get elected that he knows will be difficult or impossible to keep. And I never expect any of them, Republican or Democrat to keep all of their promises. But this is a major issue and I thought / we thought that President Obama was serious about it during the campaign. Now, I wonder ...

Politicians II

Hmm! I hope I didn't lose any of you with that last one. But, yes, I said that it is pretty much impossible to be a politician with moral fortitude and get re-elected to office. That person will either lower his/her christian standards or they will be booted right out of office.
99% of the time, the choice made will be to give in, rather than risk losing a shot at another term. I won't go too deep into the religious aspect of my argument because I can't see my audience, so I don't know who I am talking to here. Spiritual things are not accepted and, indeed, cannot be understood with the natural mind.
In spite of my position on this matter, I am not saying that these are all bad men or women. And from time to time, a really good "politician" can be found in the group.
But I have discovered from a few decades of observation, that he/she will only fit successfully into one of these categories at a time, not both.
Oh! I think I'd better state one more thing, while we're on the subject. Do not get confused about who really is a christian either. The accepted thinking today seems to be that someone who makes constant noise, against "popular" catch phrases and cliches, must be a christian - not necessarily so. As I said, don't be fooled. Almost all of them have hidden agendas and they use patriotism and religion to lure you into joining with them. Beware! Ephesians 4:14

Christian Politician - Really!

Do you believe that there is such a being as a "Christian Politician"?

Personally, I believe that the term is an oxymoron. Do you believe that a politician, especially in modern day society can be a christian, and vice-versa?

Let me clarify, by saying, if a person who becomes a politician is initially a christian, he/she will not remain one (a politician) for long. And if he/she sincerely tries to practice true christianity, then he/she definitely will not be re-elected. In the long run, "something's gotta give" - either the politics, or the christian standing.

Having said that, I don't want to convey that all politicians are bad people, though the number of good ones seem to be deminishing fast.

That is all that I will say on the subject in this writing, unless someone takes the opposing view. Or if anyone has a question, I will be happy to reply.

Political Talk

Hello again, to all my friends and foes. Now that you've had a week or two to look at yourselves and discover what you're worth, let's move on.

One of the hot topics of the day is "Universal Healthcare". Personally, I could really take an ambiguous position on such a subject as this but, I guess I will go ahead and weigh in.

First of all, I think this is much-ado about nothing. You had a few rabble rousers at first, the kind that you might have in any political difference. But in today's environment of 24 hours (so-called) news and tooooo many news channels, it is easy to promote anarchy in the streets, or at least the appearance of anarchy. The rabble rousers know how to exploit and take advantage of the saturation of mass media.

And by this time it really is not about health care. It's more about a competition. It is us vs them - conservatives vs liberals - the haves vs the have nots - my team vs your team. And as I said, it's really not about the issues; it is just competing for the sport of it.

But things have gotten so inflammed until I think that there will be a backlash against the rabble rousing. This bill will pass although it will not be nearly as comprehensive as the proponents had hoped.

Opinion for Today:

Speak WHEN YOU'RE ANGRY, and you might make the best speech you'll ever REGRET!