Tides of Tyranny: Why Not Thanksgiving

Tides of Tyranny: Why Not Thanksgiving: In this globalized world that looks less like a brotherhood of man and more like a simmering cauldron of fractious tribes, our national in...

Why Not Thanksgiving

In this globalized world that looks less like a brotherhood of man and more like a simmering cauldron of fractious tribes, our national indissoluble traditions may be our one saving grace. We should continue to commemorate the celebration meal of Pilgrims and the Native American Wampanoag’s; we should continue to celebrate the feelings of charity and gratefulness essential for our own lives. We as Americans, as a nation are faced with this challenge: Will we remain bonded together in thanksgiving or divided by imagined wrongs. If we desire to have a flourishing future America in which many are bound into one people, Thanksgiving can’t be ceded to those who are working tirelessly to place unbridgeable barriers between us.

If history has taught us little else, it has taught us that others have faced perceived insurmountable grief and challenges before us. However, the highly colorful patchwork of our diverse citizenry is woven together to form a fabric that is as sturdy as it is aesthetically pleasing.  A Nation comprised of individuals living in a land where we are free. Reflecting on the words penned by President Lincoln a century and a half ago, and looking through the lens of freedom, we see that we truly do have much to be thankful for.  In my case it’s Christ in me, the hope of glory, family, friends to include those on Facebook and Twitter, every Soldier, Sailor, Marine, Airman and Coastguardsman who continue to make this possible, and strangers who offer a kind word. The freedom to worship in our own personal ways. The freedom to express our views and listen to the views of others.  Yes, it is indeed a good time to pause to give thanks. Despite those who would abandon historicity, tradition and acquiesce to those who espouse identity politics, historic revision, collectivism under its many guises, and the secularization of America, I am thankful to live in the land of the free and home of the brave.  

Tides of Tyranny: Chick-fil-A ‘s Judas Kiss

Tides of Tyranny: Chick-fil-A ‘s Judas Kiss: To think It all started with “ marriage is between a man and a woman .” From there the battle lines were drawn. Between righteousness an...

Chick-fil-A ‘s Judas Kiss

To think It all started with “marriage is between a man and a woman.” From there the battle lines were drawn. Between righteousness and sin, good and evil, Christianity and secularism, diversity of sexuality and gender identity-based cultures versus traditional faith-based scripture truths. We as a people, as a culture, as a nation must choose the path we walk, for better or worse. It is said: “In each of us, two natures are at war – the good and the evil. All our lives the fight goes on between them and, one of them must conquer. But in our own hands lies the power to choose – what we want most to be we are.” Hence, the battle lines are drawn.

To say I was distressed, disheartened and disappointed, is an understatement when I learned that Chick-fil-A has felt de rigueur to divert funding from the Salvation Army, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and other faith-based charities that are associated with Christianity, or religious groups whose doctrine of faith runs contrary to the LGBTQ community/advocates dogma. Regardless of who donates to what charitable organization, no business should be discriminated against simply because its owners donate to a church, the Salvation Army, or other religious organization(s).

Like many Conservative Christians, I feel the restaurant chain has bitten the hand that has fed it since its inception. Why would those in charge now turn their backs on the values of its founder, Truett Cathy? One can rightly conclude the current Chick-fil-A President and CEO, Tim Tassopoulos has applied the Judas Kiss to the memory of Truett Cathy. Governor Mike Huckabee summed it best when he accused the current Chick-fil-A leadership of “selling out.” Furthermore, one must wonder how long before Chick-fil-A is open on Sundays. Don’t be surprised if your local Chick-fil-A hosts a Sunday morning Drag Queen Story Hour with gender-fluid bovines wearing feather boas and stiletto hooves.

Are we not inviting God’s judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at Him and say we know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage and what psychiatry calls sexual perversion or deviancy (Paraphilia)? Truett Cathy once said; “I pray God’s mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude that thinks we have the audacity to redefine what marriage, is all about.” This being said, there’s still a glimmer of hope that righteousness will prevail at the end of the day.  In the words of MLK, “I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.”

Tides of Tyranny: History or Historical Revision

Tides of Tyranny: History or Historical Revision:

History or Historical Revision

This post was written in response to a progressive friend who took exception on some comments I made on social media as they referred to the erasure of select Civil War and Revolutionary War Icons and memorials erected in their honor. I am one who encourages open dialogue. Without discourse, knowledge and understanding are mere words.

The North should never be "ashamed of winning the Civil War." All things considered; we are a better nation for it. Reference Confederate monuments, why the rush to rid the country of these tangible reminders of the practice of racial segregating within America at the time and the action of arranging laws or rules according to an implemented system of white, dare I say, even Arian supremacism. For the sake of time and subject matter, Arian supremacism is a subject deserving scrutiny that can be shelved until a later date.

Back on topic; we need to be aware that people in power at the time thought it was appropriate to do what they did, to include slavery, even Jim Crow? I believe making these monuments/artifacts disappear allows certain persons to re-write history. Do you think to keep them in place might stand as a salient reminder of times past? Last comment on Civil War monuments: As a society, we benefit from learning about our own historical past in all its complexity.

Now the Founding Fathers are being besieged for some of the very reasons why Confederate Leaders were and are still being targeted. There is a difference between the two groups. Yes, many Civil War and Revolutionary War notables were slave owners. Without, Washington, Jefferson, Adams…there would be no United States of America. The Founding Fathers, a group of predominately wealthy plantation owners and businessmen, united thirteen distressed colonies, fought for independence from England and penned a series of influential governing documents that steer the nation to this day. Why then are there persons/groups advocating Washington and Jefferson’s faces removal from Mount Rushmore? Why are some of these same persons/groups promoting these same Founding Fathers names be removed from public buildings, streets and federal monuments? Even many of our post-secondary education institutions are renaming institutional structures previously named in honor of Washington, Jefferson…One might ask why? Does it have to do with identity politics, political correctness or historical ignorance? It is certainly an immense moral failing on the part of many of our Founding Fathers that they owned slaves, and probably not something we spend enough time recognizing. However, you’ll notice that I used the term “Founding Fathers” to refer to Jefferson and Washington. Whatever their personal failings, these were men who played an undeniable and critically important role in the creation of the United States of America. They did great deeds and shaped our very history. There are, therefore, understandable and reasonable arguments for their public commemoration. Washington owned slaves, but helped win the war, and played a critical role in national stability and shaping the presidency. Jefferson owned slaves, but he also authored the Declaration of Independence.

You can argue that one aspect might outweigh the other, but there is an argument worth exchanging views. There is an exchange of views to be had about whether Washington and Jefferson’s positives outweigh their moral failings. To an extent, that same debate can be made about America’s more recent or more contemporary political leaders/events. The historicity of a claim about the past is its factual status. This being so, does not historicity denote historical certainty, validity, factuality and focuses on the true value of knowledge claims about the past? Historical revision does not alter historicity past.