Shameful Ambassadors

There is a new trend in the world and one that I find quite alarming and shameful. That is this new phenomenon of former US Presidents as "good will" ambassadors. Now I understand that they are important public figures and they should serve a purpose in the ongoing dialogue of our country. However, what I DO NOT agree with is when they take it upon themselves to visit other countries and feel the need to talk openly and critically about the United States. I'm talking about Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton here. Both were undoubtedly two of the worse candidates to ever inhabit The White House in recent memory and yet they are the two that can't help criticizing our country whenever they travel abroad. With Carter's administration you had the gas shortage of the 70's (which I remember) and then the hostage crisis in Iran that publicly humiliated the United States on the world stage. With Slick Willy you had an ongoing parade of scandal after scandal after scandal. Heck, people got so tired of all the scandal's that they even coined a phrase that is used today: Clinton Fatigue. After a while you could not keep up with all of the seedy, dirty, information that was coming to light and it was better to just stop listening. I STILL have Clinton Fatigue and it's been almost 8 years since he left office!! So given that these two "stellar role models" were such disaster's as Presidents what makes them think that they even have the authority to travel abroad and speak on official topics of interest? The truth of the matter is this: once a President, always a President. For better or worse (worse in this case) they keep that title for life. Now I am actually OK with that since they earned it and it IS the highest political office in our country. However, I think that just like MOST former Presidents (Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George Bush, etc) they should remove themselves from policy matters and let the new administration do it's job. Instead these two take every opportunity to travel the world and give speeches (which they get paid very well for I might add) and find it necessary to criticize what the new President and his people are trying to get accomplished at every turn. Do they not realize that when they go and break bread with our enemy (Carter and Hamas) that they are giving a confusing message to the world? They are in effect telling other countries, some of which are enemies of ours, that we are not a united nation but a divided nation. And as the old adage goes "a house divided cannot stand". When they criticize our country and it's leaders abroad all they do is give fodder to the causes of our enemies. Now more than ever we need to be united in our resolve against these Islamic extremists. We need to portray a united, strong, impenetrable front. Otherwise they will perceive that we are divided and weak and that will motivate them to fight harder. Sadly, most of these speeches put down America and levy harsh criticisms toward our country rather than exhibiting to the world that we are still the "beacon of freedom" that all should strive to be. In the name of partisan politics and self-serving glory and accolades these "shameful ambassadors" spread dissent and sow discord in every climb and place and then act incredulous when the world hates us more and more every day. If I didn't know any better I would think that their true mission is to once and for all extinguish this "beacon of light" and replace it with something quite different. Lady Liberty is still standing in NY Harbor with her head held high and she still beckons those that seek freedom....but for how long? For once they should put aside their divisive politics and act as Americans again. They have proven they have the power to lead and for better or for worse people have followed. Let's hope they lead in the right direction and heal this divided land....before it's too late.

Support the Troops?

You may have read about this story over the weekend but it really made me furious so I decided to write about it. A teenager in Texas was suspended for "violating the cell phone policy" of his school. Now let me just say that I am a big proponent of the no cell phones in class policy. Kids are there to learn not to talk with or text their friends. They can do that during lunch or after school. But here's the kicker with this story; the reason the kid answered his phone is because it was his dad calling...from Iraq! Now you would think that common sense would tell the teacher and the school that this was no ordinary phone call. I mean the father is in a war zone half way across the world. Apparently this boy was having some problems that he need to talk with his dad about. The teacher/school should applaud him for doing that NOT punish him. But see we live in a different time. The legacy of the 60's and the Vietnam War is still influencing academia even today. More so these days because the idiots who were out there protesting the war in the 60's are now teaching our kids!!! If this situation had happened at any other time in our history like WWI, WWII or Korea there would have been cause for celebration. But the actions of this teacher and the school in this case reveal the true nature of the agenda here and that is anti-military. Oh sure they claim to support the troops but do they really? In what way do they support them? Do they support the family while the service member is serving? No. Do they allow for celebrations and remembrances of those that have paid the ultimate price? In some cases yes but only so they can use the death of a service member to illustrate how terrible war really is and to push their agenda even further. I spent time in the military and I also recruited for the US Marines and I can tell you first hand the disdain that most teachers and schools have for the military. They look upon the military as a bunch of losers that couldn't make it anywhere else so they enlisted. Never mind that the large majority of service members is better educated than their civilian counterparts of the same age bracket. Or that the vast majority of some of the most successful companies in America were either founded by or run at the executive level by former military members. They still don't realize that our military is composed of volunteers!!! None of our service members is FORCED to join regardless of what some people think. Believe me, if it was that easy I would have enlisted a whole lot more than I did over a four year period. As a matter of fact most of the people that enlist do so out of LOVE FOR THEIR COUNTRY. Wow, what a concept. You mean people would actually risk their lives for their country? Yes, ever day and they love it. If you don't want to support the military then don't. Just don't lie to them and claim that you "support the troops" when your actions and your true feelings show otherwise. Quite frankly they could care less what you think. They will continue to do their jobs and protect OUR way of living regardless of how you feel about them. For those of you who do support our troops, thank you. And for those who do not that's your right as an American. Just don't forget the men and women who put their lives on the line every day so you can have that right. Ask yourself why you live such a carefree life in America. Because no one wants to incur the wrath of our military. As long as they are there doing their jobs we will live in the freedom of the greatest country on Earth. If you enjoy your freedom, as I know most of you do, then take time to thank a service member for their sacrifice. That, more than anything you could do will put a smile on their face and show them that America truly does support her troops.

At what price Fame?

What never ceases to amaze me is the lengths that people will go to in order to be famous. Case in point is this brutal beating of a young 16 yr old cheerleader by some of her fellow classmates here in Florida. I'm sure you've read about it by now because it has been all over the planet in the last 72 hours. What amazes me is the fact that it now appears that the whole thing was set up in such a fashion so that the people doing the beating would get their "15 minutes of fame" once it was broadcast on the Internet. They apparently used multiple cameras in order to get multiple angles of the beating and all the while you have roughly 6 young kids that are in the process of committing a crime with no remorse. A few years ago some other teens went on a "destruction spree" and broke into a home that was empty so that they could destroy it and destroy it they did for hours. And yep, you guessed it, they videotaped the whole thing so that they could eventually post it online. In this modern day of the YouTube and MySpace generation few things are taboo. This generation thinks it's "cool" to act like idiots and then post it on the Internet for all to see. What they do is not really important just as long as someone sees them doing it. That's where the notoriety comes in. But can you really blame them? After all how long have we as adults been watching "reality" TV? It's not enough that we worry about OUR daily trials and tribulations we now have to watch OTHER people's lives as well. Have you seen some of these shows? Big Brother....really? How interesting can it be to watch people just live their daily lives day in and day out? It must be VERY interesting since so many are watching it. What about Real World, The Bachelor, Survivor, The Amazing Race or the Real Housewives of Orange County and the list goes on and on and on and on. Are we so bored with our own lives that we have to tune in to watch other people's lives as well? Now don't get me wrong, I in now way condone this stupidity and I think they should all be held accountable for their actions. However, the problem I see is this: no matter what the situation may be, once you bring in a camera the whole perspective changes. People begin to act differently, they "play" to the camera. Everyone wants to be famous and wants as many people as possible to know their names. The prospect of cashing in on that fame is the big draw. If there is a way for us to make money by just being ourselves then why not? It's not harming anyone is it? Well yes and that is my concern. How far will we push this before we push too far? Have you seen The Moment of Truth? The game show where you get to answer some VERY personal questions and then see if a lie detector agrees with your answer. The more you answer correct the more money you win. I have watched this only once and once was enough. I was amazed at how far some people would go just to be, you guessed it, famous. They would ruin their marriages, destroy friendships or family relationships all for the prospect of money and fame. At what point though do we start paying to watch people die? When does it become the Colosseum of Roman times and we start paying to watch the bloodsport unfold? Will we know when we have crossed that line? Have we crossed it already? As this trend continues I predict that the violence, cold-heartedness and outright criminal behavior will increase until something is done to regulate it. When does "free speech" cross the line and become criminal? Just because someone refers to it as art is it? There are quite a few unanswered questions as you can see and lately there haven't been any answers. So then let me put the question to you: What would you be willing to do for the chance to become famous?

The Death of a Legend

The world lost a big one today: Charlton Heston. You know, Moses!! That iconic figure from the Old Testament that led God's people out of Egypt; the Great Exodus. He wasn't really Moses of course but when I think of Charlton Heston I think of that great epic movie: The Ten Commandments so to me he will always be Moses. At the age of 84 he passed from this world into the next. There aren't many like him around anymore. He was a man's man. I would put him the same category with other such great men as John Wayne, Ronald Reagan and William F. Buckley. Where are the new men that will take their places? These men lived and loved with a voracious appetite for life but they also did it with dignity. They were from another era though where honor, dignity and courage were everywhere. Sadly, as these giants disappear from our landscape so do their ideals. Charlton Heston was married for 64 years and he was one of the biggest celebrities of his day. Sean Connery has also been married to the same woman for decades as well. You would be hard pressed to find a marriage in Hollywood these days that will last more than a few years. These men understood that being an actor was a JOB, not your life. In modern day Hollywood actor's think of themselves as the privileged in society and expect us all to serve them. Both Heston and Reagan also gave more to the country than most while serving as head of the NRA or as President of the United States respectively. They felt a sense of duty to their country and they also felt blessed to be living in such a free and wonderful land. If you ask most in Hollywood today, with the exception of a handful of "outsiders", they will tell you everything that is wrong with the U.S. and how we are a terrible country. Oh but how times have changed. On this day though we should honor a great man for all of his many accomplishments but also for the way he blessed us with his talent for so many years. God keep you Mr Heston, you will be missed.

The Lie of Racism

I know what some of you are thinking "Don't go there; not a good idea" right? Well the fact is I NEED to go there because I am tired of this subject and the absolute evil that has been done it it's name. As you know from my profile, I am a Christian. Because of this I happen to believe that The Bible is the inspired Word of God and because it is, it is infallible. Let me say that in simpler terms: I believe that EVERYTHING in The Bible is true and I believe it literally. Which means that if it says it happened a certain way then that's how it happened. Now you must understand that this is not a very popular belief, even among other Christians. Some believe some but not all believe all. Anyway, back to the subject of racism. You see because of the "world view" that I possess racism is not a problem for me....because it doesn't exist. WHOAAAA!!!! What did he say? That's right, racism DOES NOT exist. The reason is doesn't exist is because there is no such thing as races. If you believe The Bible, as I do, then you know that all of life exists because of the creation of Man: Adam and Eve. This is where it all started. As you read through the Book of Genesis you follow the chronology of man from Adam to Noah. Then the Flood takes place and all humanity is wiped out...except 8 people. Noah, his wife and their children. Still, all the same people. There is NO ONE left on Earth at this point except these 8 people. So humanity begins again to "fill the Earth" and over the centuries more and more people are added to this "family" until we get to where we are today. Still all the same people, right? Yes and no. Here is where the confusion starts. You've heard of the Tower of Babel correct? Did you know that that was a true accounting of history? Do you remember what happened at the Tower of Babel? According to The Bible God decided that man had become too smart for his own good and once again began to see no purpose for Him (just like in the days before the Flood). Instead they would worship themselves; they needed no God. Well, God thought otherwise and stepped in as only He can and instantly changed their languages. Suddenly you could no longer understand your neighbor of your friend. What would you do? Easy, find those like family, relatives, etc who could understand you and band together. That's what happened. These tribes or clans of people would move away and establish their own place where everyone there spoke the same language. Are you seeing where this is going? Because these people would reproduce with their own kind they would all eventually look like one another and THAT is why peoples from the same parts of the world look the same. Trace the DNA and you'll be amazed at what you find. They are all from the same common ancestors. Now fast forward to today. What happens when a person from Asia, say China, marries and reproduces children with another person from Asia? The children will look similar because they are still within the same genetic pool of peoples. But if someone who is from Africa marries and reproduces with someone from say Sweden you will get a very different result. Not the same genetic pool. The more this happens the more the appearance of these offspring will change. You see, with a Biblical world view I am related to ALL peoples. If is only when you start to think in terms of evolution that you begin to see "race". Do you know the true title of Darwin's "Origin of Species"? It actually started out as: "On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle for Life". Did you get that? Preservation of FAVORED Races. Well, who are the favored races? Who gets to make that judgement? MEN decided once again that they knew better than God and the evil began. Racism is a lie that is anti-Biblical that was created so that one group of people could control another group of people. If the peoples of the world could only understand the Biblical truth of the chronology of mankind they would see that we are ALL brothers and sisters. ALL related. ALL one people. Now if we could get a hold of that....it would change the world!!! THAT actually COULD save the planet. (For research purposes I would highly recommend reading "One Blood" by Ken Ham, Carl Wieland and Don Batten)

The Ride

I was thinking about how fragile life really is and how things can turn upside down in just a matter of minutes. Have you ever watched the news and heard about someone that was just going through their day and then "BAM" something happens that completely changes the rest of their life. I sometimes wonder why that person ended up in that position in the first place. Was it the result of bad choices, poor upbringing, reckless ambition, etc? Or was it just life. I think there are a lot of people that get themselves in tight situations and say "Yeah, I figured this would happen sooner or later" but I also think there are a larger majority that just sit back stunned and say "How did I get myself into this position". Life can be a real roller coaster. I have this saying "It's always something" when bad things happen to me because quite frankly it LITERALLY is always something!! Some may think that sounds somewhat pessimistic but the longer I live the more I think it's just a realistic view. There are so many people that I know that are dealing with tough issues and just when one issue seems to be resolved....you guessed it....another rears it's ugly head. I am the dad of two beautiful, teenage girls and I want them to have a great life and be happy like every parent wants for their kids but I also want to prepare them for what is coming. Life is going to be a struggle. Even if you "make it" it's still going to be tough and there will be ups and there will be downs. Life takes it's toll after a while also. Some people claim that they would want to live to be 100 or more years old. Really? Do you REALLY want to fight this world for that long? If life IS a roller coaster than that my friends is a long ride!!! I guess in searching for the right "words of wisdom" for my kids I would just have to tell them to make good choices, treat people well, have fun and just survive the ride. Each day life is going to throw a few curves at you and there will be some big dips and some hard turns but enjoy the ride, survive it and at the end of each day leave it behind. Because one thing is for sure...the ride starts anew when you wake up the next day.

Where have all the role models gone?

Kids really have it tough these days. When I was growing up there were certain people that you could depend on that would be there to provide a great example of what it meant to be an adult; a role model if you will. However, times have changed and not for the better I'm afraid. The people in the community that you could depend on as role models for your kids are no longer providing those great examples...in fact some of them are providing terrible examples that I would prefer my kids DIDN'T follow. Some examples of this would be school teachers. Once thought of as the first real adult that your kids will interact with and who is supposed to provide for them an example of adulthood. Well these days barely a day goes by that we don't read about some teacher/student sex scandal somewhere where most of the seduction was INITIATED by the teacher! Cross that one off the list. Next we have Professional Athletes. These were the shining examples of athletic prowess that would be the fodder for every little boy's or girl's dreams. To play for Major League Baseball or the National Football League...what an honor. Well sadly most kids that aspire to play professional sports these days are primarily there for the monetary payoff later in life. They don't really care about playing the game as much as they care about the SALARY!!! And why should they with some of the salaries that these athletes are getting these days why SHOULD they care about the game. It's a business plain and simple and they mean to cash in. If that wasn't bad enough we have the steroid scandal. Look, if you did it, admit it, take the fine or whatever and move on. Instead there are kids the world over that are watching their hero's LIE on national T.V. because they don't want to mess up their retirement. So, cross them off. Politicians? Don't get me started. I think we can all agree that MOST of us lost faith in these folks long ago and now it's just mainly a freak show enacted out each and every day in the media. Cross them off. What about the clergy? Priests, Pastors and Ministers...men and women of GOD. Well thanks to the Catholic Priest sex scandals and the Ted Haggard sex scandal and the Randy and Paula White monetary scandal why would ANYONE want to look up to these people and believe another word that they say? Cross them off. Maybe parents can save the day? Unless of course you read about the mothers and fathers that starve their children and lock them up in dog cages or leave them alone for hours while they go on a shopping spree or take them along while they buy drugs or while they service their customers as a prostitute. No, I'm afraid that this world has gone loony and unfortunately our kids will pay the price. There is very little that will shock the next generation because they are becoming desensitized to the idiocy on a daily basis. These kids have it tough and we wonder why they lack direction, drop out in alarming numbers or turn to casual sex and drug use earlier and earlier. Take a look around people...who are they modeling their behavior after? Who ARE their role models? If you REALLY want to improve this world forget about trying to save the planet...let's first do something about our children. BE the role model that they need and this world will save itself.