Much Ado About Nothing

The ever dependable Drudge Report had two separate items this morning which concerned routine behavior treated as news.  To a geezer with a mid-western background raised in the thirties, neither was really remarkable in any way.  Let’s deal with them individually.

“Teen rides his horse to high school.”

Wow, that’s a stunner!  In a story extracted from "Philly.com.", we find Roby Burch atop his Percheron, “Jet” on his way to tony Haverford School for classes.  Roby and his dad arranged for a nearby paddock near the school so Jet could stand and munch oats and a little hay while the boy attended his sophomore classes.  If you click on the link you will learn about Roby’s interest in animals, his Montana experiences, and his family’s support.  The opening sentence of this piece describes this as “routine” for a good reason.

As I type, at 9:30 AM, rest assured that our closest school (approximately 2 miles away) has no less than a half dozen horses--or more--patiently waiting for the riders to complete their absorption of their daily dose of readin’, writin’ and ‘rithmatic.  Unlike Roby, they didn’t shed their jeans, put on slacks and hang up their hard hats when they arrived.  They were dressed alike with dark blue pants, worn blue shirts and straw hats.  Saddles may or may not have been part of the equipment for the horses that are contentedly grazing in the school yard.

At morning recess, they will uniformly check on the horse’s welfare before they take up the continuous ball game which generates more enthusiasm from the participants than the “Phillies” could ever hope for.  From the horse’s point of view, it’s a welcome break from pulling the variety of equipment which waits back at the farm.  We note here that the teacher’s buggy is parked and her horse has joined the others.  Since this school ends with the eighth grade, these kids are all at least four years younger than Roby.

Granted, the traffic encountered by these youngsters riding to school is minimal compared to Roby’s experience.  It does exist however and the locals are very much aware of the presence of riders and buggies in our neighborhood and yield to the slower transportation.  Those who live adjacent to this community respect them as individuals and their “ways” as well.  It does make it very difficult to see a boy riding his gelding to school as “news.”

“Jail for NJ gym teacher who grabbed boy by the ear”

From The Trentonian we find twenty-five year teacher, Allen Rushing, who resigned after a February 2009 confrontation with a student, has been sentenced to 90 days.  His crime: he grabbed a disorderly kid by the ear and threw him out of the class room.  Apparently, he made repeated requests for the student to leave and he did not comply.  The judge, Frederick DeVesa, noted that there was likely “a degree of provocation.” but coupled that with other complaints about Rushing in making his ruling.  Now I fully understand the assertion that; “the lunatics are running the asylum.”

As I recall my school days, even the slowest and most willfully stupid kid at any level recognized that mis-behavior in a class taught by “coach” would not be tolerated.  He might let a non-athlete girl slide but a boy at any level of physical accomplishment was fair game for his wrath.  Considering the large number of convenient appendages available to assist in control of classroom miscreants, the kid got off lucky with the coach’s choice.

As a home experiment, I encourage you to grab your own ear; exert as much pressure as you can and be amazed at how difficult it is to realize any actual pain--discomfort yes; pain—no.  Where the ear goes, the body will follow.  Keep in mind how many kids of both sexes submit to piercing their lobes.  I shudder to think of how many instructors I have known who have used this device to encourage some kid to move.  Reports of ears being torn off or damaged in the process are non-existent.  In today’s world of “politically correct” behavior, the mere act of actually touching a student is unthinkable.   

Finally,

“Kid rides horse to school,” “mother bakes cookies,” “teacher throws kid out by the ear,” “dad goes to work,” “preacher is down on sin,” are not headlines which deserve our attention.  In doing further research, I found that Drudge no longer had either article featured.  He could then focus with clarity on items which reflect the situations, both nationally and regionally, which do matter.  If nothing else, both of these items demonstrate how detached we have become from the realities of life.  Is it any wonder we can view with success the attempts made by some folks to return the nation to fundamentals.  By lending importance to these lame tales, we find only those who are willing to trivialize the real problems facing the country.

As I typed this piece, an old song, revised, kept going through my head.

“If I sent a horse to you,

            for every time you made me blue.

“I’d have a room full of

            horse-sh…..oes.”

In His abiding love,

Cecil Moon

Christine O’Donnell and the RNSC

Before we undertake to understand the last twenty-four hours of electoral activity, let me state clearly that I favored Mike Castle for the nomination in Delaware.  I had read the gossip about O’Donnell and figured that Castle, warts and all, was the better choice.  Those registered Republicans in Delaware disagreed with me and elected Christine O’Donnell as their standard bearer in the upcoming run for the senate seat.  They live there, they read the local papers, they listen to the local talking heads on radio and TV, they have the pulse of the local needs of the citizens of Delaware and they chose O’Donnell.  Apparently, there are more Tea Partiers in Delaware than I imagined and they spoke loud and clear.  As a result, I have no alternative other than to respect their informed judgment and support their choice unequivocally.  To do otherwise would be to act in opposition to what I say and what I sincerely believe.

This was not the general election in the race for Joe Biden’s vacated senate seat so the candidate has her work cut out for her.  What support I can offer will be gladly put forth.  To do otherwise is to shame both the Tea Party and the Republican Party.  In a primary election, the time to debate the qualifications of the candidates is before—not after—the election.  Several highly ranked figures of national importance have failed to recognize this essential truth.  The RNSC went so far as to claim detachment from O’Donnell in moral and financial support for her.  Saner heads prevailed and they withdrew their alienation on both counts.  What are they, nuts?  It’s not like this is the first time they ever had a favorite candidate lose.  Even my guy, Castle, claimed he wouldn’t support her in the general election.  Grow up and get with the program people. 

The Tea Party, rightfully, claims enormous success in defeating entrenched career politicians in this run-up to the general election in November.  Specter, Murkowski, Bennett, and now Castle, to name a few, have fallen to an energized edition of “we, the people.”  Current polling numbers indicate many governors and candidates for the congress are also running behind.  One can only pray that a photo of the new body will be devoid of recognizable faces.   With congressional approval numbers in the basement struggling to get out of the teens it will be closer to the founder’s intent of citizen representatives.  What a welcome change that will be. 

Now is not the time for childish piques and second guessing the voters.  A master politician, FDR, is alleged to have said: “He may be a SOB, but he’s our SOB.”  It is time to form four-square behind the party’s choice and do everything in our power to elect these people.  We the people and the nation can ill afford to do otherwise.  

In His abiding love,

Cecil Moon

Miscellaneous Curiosities

Despite the well-known knowledge that all US District Attorneys serve at the pleasure of the president, Democrats raised the outrage roof when Bush fired eight of them.  They, and their media co-conspirators conveniently forgot the truth of the provisions of the law and demagogued the issue relentlessly.  These same chronic complainers ignored the firing by Bill Clinton of not a mere eight, but the entire lot of them in a fit of partisan pique, when he took office.  In August, the Justice Department quietly announced that no prosecutions or further investigations were planned.  No word yet, has come on news of an apology to George Bush for the inconvenience of the false accusations. 

February 10, 1964.  On this day the Civil Rights Act passed the House of Representatives and, Glenn Beck was born in Everett, Washington.  The next day, the 11^th, Sarah (Heath) Palin was born in Sandpoint, Idaho.   Think about what occupied your life on those critical days.  Were you even born yet? 

The American justice system allows every accused the right of a capable defense.  Each accused is read his rights by the arresting authority and understands his inability to pay is not a criteria for denying an attorney.  In defense of “the blind sheik” (Omar Abdel Rahman) who was proven complicit in the attack on the World Trade Center in 1993, Lynne Stewart, exceeded her authority as a defense lawyer and acted as an information conduit from the perp to his handlers.  In 2005, this act of treason earned a conviction and sentence of a ridiculously low, three years.   She did not see a cell until 2009 through various legal wranglings and for her offense against the nation; the courts upped her time to ten years.  Although an improvement, ten years remains insufficient punishment for giving aid and comfort to an enemy beyond filing the appropriate papers.

While I am certain that falsely claiming military service records which include combat experience are not unique to the Democrat Party, most of the easily verifiable distortions seem to come from that direction.  The now infamous “Christmas in Cambodia by John Kerry, Tom Harkins’s claims of “combat” missions over Viet Nam, and now the AG in Connecticut, Richard Blumenthal who is running for the US Senate, has inferred he served in Viet Nam.  For a close look at the slack Blumenthal, as AG, has offered others, check out William Saleten’s piece in Slate. 

For all the alleged bungling by the military, they do keep remarkable records of actual military service in various theaters.  I am and have known hundreds of vets.  Each of us can relate with amazing accuracy the actual details of that service.  I stand amazed that Blumenthal, who has proven to be a serial prevaricator regarding his military experience, is seriously considered worthy to represent the people of Connecticut in the Senate. There is a world of difference between a combat assignment in Viet Nam and a Viet Nam era vet.  Stolen Valor indeed!

In His abiding love,

Cecil Moon

Election Manipulation

The least heralded and also the least understood problem facing the nation currently is the election process. With a national election only fifty days away, we find a lethargic Justice Department failing its assigned responsibility to enforce the law. The agency with the foremost duty of law enforcement is poisoned with political bias and outright prejudice by selective determination of which laws to follow and which to ignore. As such, we find the republic under an insidious assault which enjoys little effective news coverage, and as a consequence is largely hidden from the citizenry.

No matter how completely capable, intelligent, or popular a candidate may be; if the electorate participate in a skewed election, he cannot be elected. Our congress has passed laws which cover requirements for citizenship, residence, and age of eligibility to cast a vote. Through the military voter protections legislation they also enabled those, who for legitimate reason must necessarily be absent on Election Day, to cast a ballot. There is also legislation which covers the citizens’ rights to be un-intimidated in the process. In each circumstance, the Department of Justice is charged with the enforcement of those statutes. In each, they seem indifferent to the existing law.

The franchise to vote has formerly been restricted only to legitimate citizens. This feature is unambiguous and restricted to those who can actually document their citizenship through proof of qualifications by a birth certificate or naturalization papers duly certified by election officials. At the local level, the gray-haired ladies and gentlemen who supervise and verify your eligibility and pore over the lists of the qualified at the polling place are equally divided by party affiliation to assure fairness in the process. In the town of “East Podunk, USA” this presents an idealized picture of the process at work.

The reality rears its ugly head when certain unseen factors go unnoticed by the routine voters. In a labyrinth of laws which require advance notice of changes in polling places and other details we find challenges from the Department of Justice which appear intentionally designed to prolong investigative results until more favorable courts become available. They accomplished much the same result by allowing loosely justified waivers to the requirements of the military voter protections and thereby disenfranchised military absentees. Add this to the dismissal of the voter intimidations by the Black Panthers and we find a composite of the duplicity so rank in the Justice Department.

Some factions on the left have shown overt signs of hysteria over the prospect of losing the House of Representatives. This may indeed be the case but it will require sufficient voter strength at the ballot boxes to overcome the “kept” Justice Department and Obama lackey, Eric Holder, the Attorney General. Complacency in the face of this powerful force would be suicidal for those who wish to restore the republic to its original intent. It then underlines the absolute necessity to turn out an overwhelming number of voters with sufficient advantage to exercise the public will for the restoration of the nation.

Even Obama is intelligent enough to realize that suspension of the election for whatever reason would get the public’s attention. He does have the executive authority to suspend, or at least delay, the plebiscite. Barring that, he has turned to Holder and given him the responsibility to insure a favorable result. Giving credit where credit is due, one has to admit he is doing his darndest.

In His abiding love,

Cecil Moon

Monday Morning Rant 164

Are we about sick and tired of hearing each and every oppositional position described as “something-or-other – phobic?” According to Webster, “-phobic” is 1: having an aversion for 2: lacking an affinity for”. What it boils down to is just a windy way to say: “I’m agin’ it!” I have an aversion to broccoli so does that make me “broccophobic?” I also have little affinity for soccer as played by the World Cup crowd so am I best described as “soccophobic?” We have a hard enough time being understood in this whirlwind of issues which swirl about our heads; must we rely upon suffixes which have made their way through Latin and Greek to enter our language?

In a related note; I heard the president recently praised for a speech he gave at the end of the week with subsequent Q and A at the conclusion. The reporter remarked how refreshing it was to hear the leader of the free world drop the “g” from nearly every gerund to present a more inclusive face to his audience. Simply saying, “comin’”. “goin’”, and “screwin’ you” hardy seems appropriate for a so-called genius with an Ivy League background. This type of thing is expected from a chameleon who seeks to blend with his background and thus not be noticed. For a person lacking this natural ability to blend comes off as amateurish and clumsy.

While we are on the subject of language and speeches; there is yet one more question which needs be asked. Is “Am I my brother’s keeper?” the only biblical verse which the president has memorized. As one who seeks to provide cradle to grave care and supervision to each and every one of our 300,000,000 plus citizens, to him, it must be the only one worth remembering. There is little in the word “keeper” which implies freedom. It is rather an expression which implies retention and control. Either definition is totally inappropriate when describing any citizen of the United States since free people require neither. On balance, the response in Genesis 4:9 is actually a smart aleck answer to God. It is no less inappropriate as an answer to a question by a citizen. For a guy whose brother lives in a cardboard box in Africa it seems a strange verse to retain.

Who’s a Nobody?

In a controversial piece, Neil Cavuto referred to the president as being a “nobody” at the time of the 9/11 attacks. Many supporters rose to Obama’s defense and claimed that he was indeed, “somebody” and not a person of little influence as Cavuto claimed.

If you live in Illinois, have a rampaging interest in politics, or are a political junkie in a general sense, it is possible that you may have had some evidence of the existence of Barack Obama as an Illinois state senator. For an exercise in evaluating the complaint against Cavuto’s remark, I propose you take a little self-administered test.

Think back nine years, where you were living, and name three of your state senators. Any three will do.

Do you remember who your federal representatives and senators were from that state at the time?

Forget 2001 and just name three state senators from any state where you have ever lived.

How about, you just name two?

Before the 2005 Democrat convention, can you honestly say you had ever heard of Barack Hussein Obama?

When he won the senatorial election in 2005 in Illinois, did you recognize the name?

Certainly, among our readership, someone will score a few of these questions. Granny and I took our little test and I’m ashamed to admit that local politics is not our forte. Over the 26 years of our marriage we have lived in or have roots in New York, Louisiana, Colorado, Wisconsin, Nevada and Missouri. We also have a peripheral interest in Wyoming and Arizona and failed there as well. We still came up empty.

If you score 3 out of 5, you have permission to join Neil Cavuto’s critics. Otherwise, accept the fact that Obama did not become a household name until the run-up to the 2005 election. Neil was right—he was a “nobody.”

And Finally

Breaking news which really matters or isn’t redundant is suddenly in short supply. Liberals continue to defame Sarah Palin in hopes of lessening her influence on conservative politics. Another member of the Congressional Black Caucus has been nailed funneling scholarships to family members. Faux Tea Party members continue to show up on ballots with their only backing provided by the DNC. To burn or not to burn Korans is on an indefinite hiatus limited only by the medias desire to air it or not. The only person who seems subdued through this whole ugly mess is Al Gore. Even Nobel laureates can’t seem to get a break.

Here in the Ozarks, we found our 10th inch in the rain gauge for the month of September. This, after a successful experience mowing the “monster” in between the rain drops. About the only natural feature of any importance has been the appearance of the moon flowers. No, that is not a play on your host’s name. This is a flower which I freely admit I had never, ever heard of before. It is, to say the least, a really showy and spectacular flower. I have been challenged by Granny to keep these plants alive and have kept asking myself; “Why?” It’s a sort of vine with short stubby leaves and little to recommend it until the flower appears. Don’t look for it before midnight. It is unbelievable as it opens and the four separate leaves of the flower finally reach a circle of stark white nearly 9” across! It’s huge. By morning, it’s gone and nothing remains except the hope that another blossom may occur the next night. The wonders of God’s creation never cease to amaze.

In His abiding love,

Cecil Moon

Who Done It?

We live in a world obsessed by crime stories. We have a conditioned reflex to identify the victim and then the perpetrator. The normal process is then to seek, through evidence, motive and ability, proof of the crime and then prosecute the villains. This fascination with solving crimes established Conan Doyle as an author and the reputation of his lead character, Sherlock Holmes, as the master sleuth. Holmes was introduced in 1887 in Doyle’s work the Study in Scarlet and our fascination with crime has never abated but rather provided an avalanche of interest by the public over the next 133 years. Witness if you will, the massive presence of “crime dramas” on your TV menus. People are sympathetic to those who seek justice.

Whether by deranged individuals, self-seeking nations, or ideology; humanity is offended by unrepentant criminality. The willful and unpunished perpetrator then becomes a stain on the fabric of our lives.

Today we commemorate the ninth anniversary of the most heinous crime to ever occur on American soil. The horror of the event is encapsulated in the innocence of the victims. They fell into two general categories: those who were simply reporting for a normal work day with no particular axe to grind and those who lost their lives attempting to rescue them. Although a huge element, the loss of property pales to insignificance in comparison to the loss of life. In total, 2977 persons from 70 separate nations lost their lives in addition to the 19 total suicide perpetrators.

Unlike the December 7th attack on Pearl Harbor, one could not easily assign a national interest to those who carried out the attack on the twin towers. Even the attackers had variant nationality although Saudi Arabia contributed the majority of the highjackers. Various leadership positions have been identified and al Qaeda claimed responsibility but absolute responsibility remains murky still. There is one common element which all the criminals involved share—the ideology of Islam.

As a nation with a constitution which demands respect for a huge variety of religions and protects each of those faiths equally, we have a conflict in seeking retribution. Sorting through the problems of dealing with the ideology of Islam which espouses “death to infidels,” has become a major barrier to action which respects the 1st Amendment. As Americans with a good grip on our history and the founders’ intent, we are hobbled by our understanding of our sacred document and inhibited in seeking justice for those who have sullied our national purpose. It is possible that the time has come to clearly define that which is a religion and that which is an ideology. To not do so may well spell the end of our nationhood as we know and understand it.

If 9/11 were an isolated incident and not accompanied by rejoicing at the time on the streets of various Islamic communities in the world, it would be a completely different matter. Obviously the news of America’s loss was greeted more as a military victory than a successful criminal action among the believers in Islam. The broad smiles of Muslims and signs (in English) proclaiming “death to America” do little to substantiate the allegation of “a religion of peace.” The evidence clearly points instead to an avowed enemy which holds a vision of our complete and absolute destruction in mind.

For those who wish to hide behind claims of tolerance and historic actions of other divergent faiths the time has come to confront the willful destructive force which resides in the hearts of the Islamist ideology. The failure to understand the effectiveness of the surge in the Iraq war is symptomatic of misunderstanding the psyche of the Islamic mentality. When confronted with absolute power they are cowed and respectful. To cede the high ground of superior force is understood in that region as capitulation and cowardice. This is what happens when we declare a withdrawal date for troops in any Islamic theater. Their attitude is based upon having a century’s long history in the region and the patience to wait until we are exhausted. Facing a billion and a quarter protagonists with a millennium of experience cannot be successful unless we continue to the end.

Conan Doyle, through Sherlock Holmes would have remarked: “elementary my dear Watson.” This is not about revenge, or retribution, or retaliation. It is about sustaining the existence of the most benign force this earth has seen since the advent of Jesus Christ. We have made mistakes as a nation but to ignore this particular threat would be the death of life as we know it. To depend upon mounting bureaucratic security measures in lieu of active resistance to the threat is suicidal for our nation. Turning to the United Nations would be the epitome of insanity. We are an exceptional nation because we learned long ago to clean up our own mess. Yes, we have had allies and will continue to have but eventually, it will be our initiative which will win the day.

What better day than September 11, to realize what we must face as a nation and to resolve to summon the will to do so. May God help us!

In His abiding love,

Cecil Moon

Obama and Christianity

Amid the raging controversy over the “Ground Zero Mosque”, burning Korans, and the Muslim outrages world wide, we have an issue of importance to some about the religious identity of our president. Rather than share my opinion, I shall turn to Mychal Massie and quote a post in its entirety which I found at The Vail Spot .

It consists of Massies’s analysis from his position as a Christian and active in public and private life. I encourage you to read on and form your own opinion.

“In the aftermath of Obama's unsolicited, controversial dictates over the Ground Zero mosque debate, White House image-makers are now trying to convince the public he is a devout Christian. Specific to that point, he may not be a Muslim, but I'm convinced he isn't a Christian, either.

As evidence of his devoutness, the White House has entered into evidence that he allegedly prays every day. Let me be clear – praying every day no more makes one a Christian than walking across a stream makes one a fisherman.

A true Christian, i.e., a born-again believer, is a person who has put his faith and trust in the person and work of Jesus Christ – including His sacrificial death on the cross as propitiation/payment for our sins, His crucifixion and resurrection and the understanding that this same Jesus will, at a time appointed return to gather unto Himself His own.

Simply believing there is a God or "god" doesn't make one a Christian. The New Testament tells us, in James 2:19, that the very "demons also believe and tremble." In the Book of Job we have record of God addressing Satan (Job 1:6-12). Ergo, if Satan and the demons are acknowledged as knowing God exists from first-person experience – just believing there is a God simply places a person among a legion of not so pleasant beings.

My point being – prayer and belief sans confession, repentance and acceptance of Christ in one's heart is hot air. Being a "good person" doesn't make one a Christian either, nor does being an outwardly religious person. Being a Christian, devout or otherwise, is more than that – it placing our eternal life in the hands of One we have not seen, based on a faith that many scorn (John 3:1-21, Ephesians 2:8-10, Romans 3:21-28, Hebrews 11:1-3).

Neither do good works make one a Christian. John Gotti and Al Capone did many good works within their communities, and still others convicted of heinous crimes are said to have seemed like good persons. The mark of a true Christian is love for others and obedience to God's word. That doesn't mean acceptance of others' sinful and aberrant behavior – it means love enough for the person committing same not to want to see them perish.

A true believer is a child of God, a part of God's family and one who has been given new life in Christ Jesus. Intellectuality has no place with God; self-anointed "christianship" is a falsehood.

Some will no doubt spew forth the plaintive wail of false teachers and those whose hearts have been hardened, and rail "judge not, less [I] be judged." But that, too, is most frequently misapplied. I'm not judging by appearance – I'm judging according to "life" and what biblically based, Christ-like attributes Obama displays. What one thing has he done or said since taking office that can be unequivocally said to be the words/actions of Christ in man?

Scriptures tell us that by our works we shall be known (Matthew 7:15-20). Where is Obama's fruit? I think it can be reasonably argued that, if he were a Christian following after Jesus, there would be no questions about his faith. If his actions were Christ-like, people wouldn't question whether or not he is a Muslim.

This isn't about color or race. There are many persons of color in very public capacities that do not have these questions swirling around them.

America is in need of truly godly leaders – and the fact that we are lacking same is evidenced by the condition our country finds itself in today. America is rapidly becoming a place where Christians need not apply. The country is the recipient of what the church is producing. If Obama had spent 20 years under a truly God-fearing, Bible-preaching, Christ-filled pastor, would we today have these questions? Obviously, we cannot say with absolute certainty that wouldn't be the case – but I submit the chances greatly favor that we wouldn't.

A true Christian is more concerned about the eternal benefits of service than about endorsing behaviors and teachings that are antithetical to the God of Scripture. God doesn't care what color a person is, nor whether you are a man, woman or child – He cares that we accept His Son, lead others to Him, and live Christ-centered lives that make others want to be like "that" which they see in us.

Specific to that point, I see nothing in Obama I want to be like."

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Mychal Massie is chairman of the National Leadership Network of Black Conservatives-Project 21 – a conservative black think tank located in Washington, D.C. He was recognized as the 2008 Conservative Man of the Year by the Conservative Party of Suffolk County, N.Y. He is a nationally recognized political activist, pundit and columnist. He has appeared on Fox News Channel, CNN, MSNBC, C-SPAN, NBC, Comcast Cable and talk radio programming nationwide. A former self-employed business owner of more than 30 years, Massie can be followed on Twitter and Facebook.

Thank you for taking the time to read Massie’s thoughts on this issue. Personally, I think it is outstanding.

In His abiding love,

Cecil Moon