Wednesday
WHAT CHANGE HAS BARACK HUSSEIN
OBAMA ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISHED?
Wednesday, February 29, 2012, of our 10th year of publication
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A thought for today, and the years to come, from the far distant past:
"To put the world in order, we must first put the nation in order;
to put the nation in order, we must put the family in order;
to put the family in order, we must cultivate our personal life;
and to cultivate our personal life, we must first set our hearts right."
Confucius, 551-479 BC
Confucius, 551-479 BC
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AFTER MORE THAN THREE YEARS OF HIS PROMISE OF "HOPE
AND CHANGE," AND HIS THREAT TO "FUNDAMENTALLY
TRANSFORM AMERICA," WHAT CHANGE HAS BARACK
HUSSEIN OBAMA ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISHED?
And an old, but much more recent, thought from Ralph Waldo Emerson, in
his essay on "Self Reliance" in 1841: "Nothing can save our nation but
ourselves. Nothing can save our nation but the triumph of principles."
On the subject of "change," there has been much of it under Obama. But
first, there is this brief soliloquy to consider: "What is the best indicator of the
future? The past." Or George Santayana's often quoted: "Those who cannot
remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Or this from Dr. Robert
Owens, in Canada Free Press, "If we aren’t going to allow History to
instruct us, we should at least be wise enough to allow it to warn us."
They are right. There is much to be learned from the past. Think back to the first
Commander in Chief of the American military -- General George Washington,
who, in 1776, after the Declaration of Independence was read to his troops,
ordered chaplains to be included in each regiment, and said, "The General hopes
and trusts, that every officer and man, will endeavor so to live, and act, as
becomes a Christian Soldier, defending the dearest Rights and Liberties of
his country." Further, after the harsh winter at Valley Forge in 1778, he wrote:
"To the distinguished character of Patriot, it should be our highest glory to
add the more distinguished character of Christian."
As recently as in 1983, President Ronald Reagan summarized this traditional
belief of America's leaders, "The American experiment in democracy rests on
this insight. Its discovery was the great triumph of our Founding Fathers,
voiced by William Penn when he said: 'If we will not be governed by God,
we must be governed by tyrants.' Explaining the inalienable rights of men,
Jefferson said, 'The God who gave us life, gave us liberty at the same time.'
And it was George Washington who said that 'of all the dispositions and
habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are
indispensable supports.'”
But Barack Obama brought "change" to the American way of life. And
his threat to fundamentally transform America is being accomplished as much in
the area of religion as in any other aspect of American life. Let's set aside in this
commentary his attempts to change America politically and economically by
making-over our government to become a socialistic welfare state -- never
minding the fact that socialism has been a dismal failure everywhere it has been
tried, and that the European practice of the welfare state has brought that
continent to the brink of economic ruin.
Instead, let's focus on his changes as respecting religion -- most specifically, his
attacks on Christianity. Very soon after becoming president, he made his first
overseas trip to -- naturally -- the Muslim world, where he assured his Islamic
forebears again and again that America was no longer a Christian nation. Such
a claim (or in this case, a boast) had never been made by any U.S. president,
and was made in the face of the fact that some 80% of Americans profess that
they are Christian, with non-believers in any religion, plus Jews, Muslims and
adherents to all other religions together, represent only 20% of our population.
Mr. Obama's agenda is, and has been, anti-Christian. From the beginning of his
term as president he has promised to repeal DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act)
adopted by Congress and signed into law by Bill Clinton. Through Attorney
General Eric Holder he has ordered the Justice Department not to defend in
court that federal law defining marriage as between one man and one woman.
Contrary to General Washington's encouraging every officer and soldier to be
a Christian, recently President Obama repealed the military's "Don't Ask, Don't
Tell" policy, allowing gays to serve openly in the armed forces. On Dec. 7, 2011
the president said to his homosexual supporters, "I've met my commitments to
the LGBT community. I've delivered on what I promised. Now that doesn't
mean our work is done."
It has become evident that his administration is working harder to promote gay
rights than protecting more recognized universal human rights, such as religious
freedom. The serious violation of the right of freedom of religion as guaranteed
by the First Amendment which has occurred through the ObamaCare mandate,
has brought America's Christian majority -- Protestant and Catholic -- into a
unified conflict with the Obama administration's position.
This anti-Christian position is apparent in every department of the Obama
administration. Recently Tony Perkins of Family Research Council was
disinvited from a prayer service at Andrews Air Force Base. Franklin Graham
was similarly disinvited from a National Day of Prayer service at the Pentagon.
Retired Three Star General William Boykin had to forego speaking at West Point
due to objections raised by atheists and CAIR (Council on American Islamic
Relations).
Tony Perkins summed up the prevailing situation well: “There seems to be
pressure coming from within the administration to sweep Christianity off
the face of military bases.” And all this is from a president who keeps insisting
that he is a devout Christian, who finds in the words of Jesus approval of gay
marriage and increased taxes. He should read Jesus' warning about false
prophets, where He said, "By their fruits ye shall know them" (Matt. 7:20).
And there is this current example of Mr. Obama's anti-Christian views --
the inadvertent burning of some copies of the Quran in Afghanistan brought on
the inadvertent burning of some copies of the Quran in Afghanistan brought on
an apology from the generals in charge, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary
of State and ultimately from President Obama himself. But when Muslims have
been bombing and burning and destroying Christian churches, including Bibles,
he has voiced not one word of objection. And when Muslims in Afghanistan
killed American military because of the Quran incident, he did not seek a word
of apology from Afghan President Karzai. [It seems that Mr. Obama has spent
much of his three years in office apologizing for our nation's greatness. Maybe
it is time for us to tell him: "Stop apologizing for America!]
And when the American National Day of Prayer does not merit any observance
in the White House, but Islam's Ramadan is celebrated by gala banquets, we
can appreciate Franklin Graham's recent observance that he could not say for
certain that President Obama is a Christian. It comes back to those words of
Jesus: "By their fruits ye shall know them."
Yes, there has been change . . . but not for the better.
The position and purpose of American News Commentary: from day-one
ANC has been clearly and unequivocally pro-Christian, pro-American and
pro-Conservative in position and purpose. ANC has not and will not endorse
any candidate for public office; but any candidate who takes a position which is
anti-Christian, anti-American and anti-Conservative, ANC will oppose that
candidate, and this includes the president of the United States. In fact, it may
be said that opposing Barack Obama has become a Christian responsibility.
But this is not solely the view of ANC. Here are summary statements from two
credible observers; first, from The American Dream: "Has the economy
improved since Barack Obama became the president of the United States?
Of course not. Despite what you may be hearing in the mainstream media,
the truth is that when you compare the U.S. economy on the day that
Barack Obama was inaugurated to the U.S. economy today, there is really
no comparison. The unemployment crisis is worse than it was then, home
values have fallen, the cost of health insurance is up, the cost of gas is
way up, the number of Americans living in poverty has soared and the size
of our national debt has absolutely exploded. Anyone that believes that
things are better than they were when Barack Obama was elected is simply
being delusional."
And second, from the Presidential Prayer Team: "America is now in deception
mode. At the Prayer Team, we felt 2012 would be a time of testing, even
trial, for our nation, well before we launched our recent 40-Day Challenge
of prayer. Since then, the political climate and moral compass of this country
has swayed dangerously off course. We need ... Americans, and even believers
in Jesus Christ, to understand again that only the truth of God's Word will
make everything better in this nation... Between now and Election Day and
beyond, your Prayer Team will continue to trumpet this message and call
Americans to unified, humble prayer."
And there is this reminder to ANC readers: in our ongoing count-down of
prayer for the upcoming election, there are, as of today, 251 days until Nov. 6 --
251 days to pray for our nation, for wisdom for our leaders, and for guidance as
we vote to return America to being the nation it was founded to be. And pray
also for fellow Christian believers all over the world, who daily experience
persecution and even death for their faith in Jesus Christ.
It continues to be true that given the Liberal bias of the Main Stream
Media, "What Others Are Saying" becomes extremely important.
Giacomo (in Godfather Politics): "When we turn to the history given us
in the Bible, we see that God raised up a nation who worshipped Him and
whose rulers relied upon Him for wisdom and guidance. Whenever the
rulers and people turned away from God and His teachings, the nation
was brought down and destroyed. We read about this pattern being
repeated over and over again... And people wonder why America is on
the verge of ruin and collapse? If we turn to history, we will readily learn
that the ONLY way to turn America around and save our nation is to turn
to God and His precepts."
David Azerrad (the Heritage Foundation): "George Washington has
David Azerrad (the Heritage Foundation): "George Washington has
much to teach us, in particular when it comes to the presidency, foreign
policy and religious liberty. Although much has changed in the past two
centuries, his sage advice and conduct in office have lost none of their
relevance, anchored as they are in the timeless principles of the Founding
and a sober assessment of human nature."
Conservative News Alerts: "Iran grows more aggressive by the day. Riots
and upheavals, fueled by the Muslim Brotherhood are taking place in Egypt,
Syria and all over the Middle East. What was proclaimed to be an 'Arab
Spring' is now becoming a winter of discontent. Europe is heading into
bankruptcy and Barack Hussein Obama is almost single-handedly
transforming the United States of America into a socialist country."
Mat Staver (Liberty Counsel): "Our religious liberties are being crushed
by the latest health care 'mandate' from the Obama administration. Will
future generations cite the signing of ObamaCare as that moment in time
when Americans were no longer 'Citizens' and became 'Subjects' once again,
subservient to a tyrannical government?"
Jim Campbell (The Western Center for Journalism): "Let us never forget
Obama's historic Bowing tour in which he blasted America’s exceptionalism
while bowing to virtually everyone available. The President of the United
States traditionally bows to no one; in doing so, he shows the world’s leaders
that he is a paper tiger and is not to be taken seriously. Thus with him still
occupying the Oval Office, the US and the entire world have become much
more unstable."
Human Events: "'Islam means peace.' So we were told by our government
and the mainstream media in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. And so, in
one form or another, have we been told ever since by the Obama
administration. The main problem with that statement is that it isn't true.
Islam actually means "submission" — as in submission to the will of Allah,
and submission to Islamic rule (the justification for violent jihad). And that's
just one of many myths about Islam that have gained currency in the years
since Obama came into power."
This has been one of the better weeks for discovering meaningful "One
Liners" while engaging in our research; here are a few of them:
Ned Ryun in the American Majority: "President Obama is wishing from the
18th green that the economy will magically improve enough to make him
appear competent."
Lawrence Sellin, PhD (Col., U.S. Army, Ret.): "Federal governmental
malfeasance fueled by political corruption is the single, most important
issue of the 2012 election."
Former Attorney General Edwin Meese recently commented that the Obama
administration is “…as close to a monarchy as there’s been since the days
of George III.”
Jack Marshall, in Ethics Alarms: "A world that does not have the United
States as its champion has no champion, and a United States that will
not be the world's champion is no longer the United States.".
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (in 1903): "We contend that for a
nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a
bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle."
And to augment all that has gone before, here are a few "Afterthoughts"
It is, of course, too late for this year's Academy Awards, but President
Obama is reported to have signed Oscar-winning director Davis Guggenheim to
produce a film on the president's first three years in office. Guggenheim may be
remembered for his film, An Inconvenient Truth, which won an Oscar in 2006,
and which featured Al Gore's efforts to get support for his global warming theory.
Public riots seem to be 21st century happenings, including America, but
whereas elsewhere in the world they involve tear-gas, shootings and beatings,
here in America they involve people writing for hours to be first in line to buy
athletic shoes at $220.00 a pair. Is this a great country, or what?
Are you wondering about where gas prices are heading? Remember the
words of President Obama's Secretary of Energy, Steven Chu, when he told the
Wall Street Journal in 2008: "Somehow we have to figure out how to boost
the price of gasoline to the levels in Europe." [FYI: European prices for a US
gallon in US dollars at that time were between $8.06 in Britain to $8.63 in France.]
So there you have the Obama administration's goal, straight from the man in charge.
This issue of ANC began with stressing the importance of learning from
the past. What better source for such learning than our Founding Fathers?
Concerning the national debt:
"No pecuniary consideration is more urgent, than the regular redemption and
discharge of the public debt: on none can delay be more injurious, or an
economy of time more valuable." -- George Washington, 1793
Concerning the federal government attempting to regulate religious worship:
"I consider the government of the United States as interdicted by the
constitution from intermeddling with religious institutions, their doctrines,
discipline, or exercises. This results not only from the provision that no law
shall be made respecting the establishment or free exercise of religion, but
from that also which reserves to the States the powers not delegated to the
United States. Certainly, no power to prescribe any religious exercise or to
assume authority in any religious discipline has been delegated to the
general government. It must then rest with the States."
--Thomas Jefferson, 1808
Concerning the usurpation of power by the judiciary:
"It has long been my opinion, and I have never shrunk from its expression ...
that the germ of dissolution of our federal government is in the constitution
of the federal Judiciary; an irresponsible body, working like gravity by night
and by day, gaining a little today and a little tomorrow, and advancing its
noiseless step like a thief, over the field of jurisdiction, until all shall be
usurped from the States, and the government of all be consolidated into one."
--Thomas Jefferson, 1821
And finally, here is a request we haven't made in a long time: If you like
the pro-Christian, pro-American, pro-Conservative position of ANC with
respect to current events -- why not forward this week's issue to your list of
email friends and urge them to join the list of ANC readers? Thanks for your
help . . .
TODAY IS WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY!
Wednesday, February 22, 2012, in our 10th year of publication
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A thought for today and the years to come from one of our great leaders:
"From this day forward, the millions of our school children will daily
proclaim in every city and town, every village and rural school house,
the dedication of our nation and our people to the Almighty. To anyone
who truly loves America, nothing could be more inspiring than to
contemplate this rededication of our youth, on each school morning, to
our country's true meaning."
-- President Dwight D. Eisenhower, in 1954, as he signed into law the bill
adding the words "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance
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A COMBINATION OF OBSERVANCES FOR AMERICAN
CHRISTIANS; PRESIDENT'S DAY ON MONDAY, AND
TODAY IS WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY, AND IS
ASH WEDNESDAY, THE FIRST DAY OF LENT
As a side note to the reminder of President Eisenhower's action in formally
adding the words "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954, followed
by a Joint Resolution of Congress confirming the wording (actually Louis Bowman,
of the Sons of the American Revolution, used those words in 1948), another
law suit has been instituted in Massachusetts by an atheist couple who claim that
their children are "marginalized" by repeating the words. The district school
superintendent explained that reciting the pledge is voluntary, and there is no
penalty for students who choose to remain silent. We are reminded of the many
attempts in recent years by attorney Michael Newdow (who claims to have been
born an atheist) to remove "under God" from the pledge, and "in God we trust"
from our currency. He has failed in every legal action he has initiated, all the way
to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, the most important Christian
observance of all time. Lent continues for 46 days until Saturday, April 7, the day
before Easter. The six Sundays included in the period are not counted among the
traditional forty days of Lent -- each one represents for Christian believers a
celebration of Jesus' Easter victory over sin and death.
We are reminded that the Islamic holy period of Ramadan, July 21 to August 20,
has, in his previous years in office, been accorded gala observances in the White
House by President Obama, whereas he has tended to ignore any recognition of
the Christian Easter. Perhaps in this year, 2012, in line with his more active efforts
to identify with Christians, this pattern will change.
With our nation -- and the rest of the world -- in worse shape today than at any
time in recorded history, in every way: spiritually, morally, culturally, religiously,
economically, politically, militarily, there has never been a more urgent need for
the salvation message of the risen Christ.
As we move through the 40 (46) days of Lent toward Resurrection Sunday,
we must not forget the count-down for prayer for the next election. As of today,
there are 258 days until Nov. 6 -- 258 days to pray about a real change in our
nation's government. And as we pray for America, let us never forget to pray for
our fellow Christian believers all over the world, who are facing persecution and
death because of their faith. In Nigeria, Iraq, Sudan, Egypt -- and other countries --
Christians are being forced to flee. In Afghanistan, where so many American
lives have been lost, there is not a single Christian church left in that country. And
pray for Israel, in missile range of Iran, which considers Israel a cancer that must
be removed. Remember God's Word: "I will bless them that bless thee, and
curse him that curseth thee." (Gen. 12:3)
In mentioning the problems the world faces, religion was referred to, and that
brings to mind the growing threat of Islam. One of ANC's readers sent in this
evaluation of Islam by Winston Churchill, in his book, The River War, in 1899 --
one more indication of the wisdom and foresight of this great British statesman:
"How dreadful are the curses which Mohammedanism lays on its votaries!
Besides the fanatical frenzy, which is as dangerous in a man as hydrophobia
in a dog, there is this fearful fatalistic apathy. The effects are apparent in
many countries, improvident habits, slovenly systems of agriculture, sluggish
methods of commerce, and insecurity of property exist wherever the followers
of the Prophet rule or live. A degraded sensualism deprives this life of its
grace and refinement, the next of its dignity and sanctity... Individual Muslims
may show splendid qualities, but the influence of the religion paralyses the
social development of those who follow it. No stronger retrograde force exists
in the world. Far from being moribund, Mohammedanism is a militant and
proselytizing faith. It has already spread throughout Central Africa, raising
fearless warriors at every step; and... the civilization of modern Europe might
fall, as fell the civilization of ancient Rome."
Those words, written some 113 years ago, are as timely as if they appeared in a
current account of present day world conditions.
It is difficult to keep focused on America's current international situations.
Here Alan Dershowitz, writing in the Stonegate Institute site, summarizes briefly
the world scene: "In a quickly changing world, it is important to ask which
countries the United States can always count on in times of crisis. Recent
events have shortened that list considerably. India has long claimed to be a
reliable ally, but it is now undercutting American efforts to impose
meaningful sanctions against Iran. Its help cannot any longer be counted on
in the struggle against the greatest danger faced by the United States—an
Iran with nuclear weapons. Japan, another ally, is dilly dallying on sanctions
as well. Brazil used to be a reliable partner, until it began to fall under the
sway of Venezuela's Chavez, who is closely allied with Iran and other
American enemies. The 'new' Russia and China demonstrated their lack of
reliability when they vetoed American efforts in the Security Council to help
resolve the Syrian crisis. Egypt, which has received billions of dollars of
American aid, has defied American warnings not to put US citizens on trial
on phony, trumped-up charges. Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the Emirates are
now playing footsy with Hamas and Hezbollah, also Iranian surrogates, as
they worry about the contagion of the Arab Spring and the growing influence
of the Muslim Brotherhood.
"It turns out that other than Europe, Israel may be America's only remaining
reliable ally. And even some European countries, such as France, Sweden and
Norway, are in doubt."
President Obama makes frequent summaries (from his viewpoint) of his
first term of office. Here the Heritage Foundation offers another opinion:
"With tens of millions of Americans watching, Barack Obama stood at the
West Front of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2009, with his left hand on
the Bible and his right hand held aloft, swearing to God and country that
he would preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.
Yet despite that pledge, President Obama has time and time again taken
actions contrary to the principles of the founding document he swore to
uphold, setting forth on a heretofore uncharted path of unconstitutionality
that will fundamentally change the character of this Republic for the worse,
not for the better."
The moral "roller coaster" America has been riding continued, with a three
judge panel in California ruling that Proposition 8, defining "marriage" as between
a man and a woman, was unconstitutional -- a full court review is scheduled. And
in Washington, the governor signed into law the approval of same-sex marriage in
that state. In Maryland, the legislature has begun approval of same-sex marriage,
with the governor promising to sign the bill into law. But as evidence that there is
still some measure of moral values in our nation, New Jersey Governor Christie
vetoed the same-sex marriage bill when it reached his desk.
Week after week, the best counter to the Liberal biased, left wing "Main
Stream Media" is to consider "What Others Are Saying" . . .
Chuck Colson: "Do divorce rates, incarceration, abortion, and low
educational achievement affect the economy and government spending in
America? Of course they do... America's social and economic issues are
inextricably inter-connected! America cannot have a healthy economy
without strong moral values."
Don Feder (in GrasstopsUSA): "Whether it’s called Marxism, socialism,
liberalism or the Obama administration, the left is about compulsion –
forcing individuals to surrender cherished beliefs, compelling acceptance of
the lifestyle choices of others, reshaping our national identity and pulverizing
constitutional protections."
Keith Koffler (in White House Dossier): "What does President Obama
plan to do if he is reelected this year? ... If you can't answer quickly, it isn't
because you haven't been paying attention. Because President Obama has
no agenda. This he made perfectly clear in the budget he released Monday...
Nothing. His agenda is getting reelected."
Matt Smith (Pres. Catholic Advocate): "This is not a Catholic issue, it's an
American one ... and we can't afford to compromise on it. If we do, we're
willingly surrendering one of our Constitutional rights -- the freedom of
religion. And that will open up a can of worms -- which one of our liberties
will the Obama Administration go after next? I'm not willing to wait and see!"
From Wallbuilders: "Don't let anyone tell you that this amendment - or this
issue in general - is about contraceptives or "just" abortion ... This isn't
about an attack on Catholics; this is about an attack on all kinds of faiths.
This is about a three and a half year battle with the Obama administration's
vicious attacks on religious freedoms and brazen disregard for all types of
conscience issues."
Dr. Mike Evans (Jerusalem Prayer Team): "The United States has
provided billions of dollars to prop up Egypt’s struggling economy since the
Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty was signed. Now the new Muslim Brotherhood-
dominated government is warning Washington not to stop the handouts…or
else... They have sent a message to Washington that if U.S. aid is stopped,
they will repudiate the peace treaty with Israel. This poses a grave threat to
the Jewish state... The Muslim Brotherhood doesn’t just hate Israel, they
hate America too ... they still want our money!"
Peter Brookes (in the Boston Herald): "You know what’s so great about
the Obama administration’s record in the Middle East and North Africa —
or Near East as some call it — after three-plus years in office?
Unfortunately, little to nothing. In fact, from the looks of it, the region is a
veritable weather map of nasty storms whose troubling winds and waves
are rattling and pounding our interests abroad — and may very well reach
our shores. "
And from our research came these few enjoyable "One Liners" . . .
Jack Lew, White House Chief of Staff: "There's pretty broad agreement that
the time for austerity is not today."
Also this from Jack Lew: "...you can't pass a budget in the Senate of the
United States without 60 votes and you can't get 60 votes without
bipartisan support...." [Fact: Senate rules only require a simple majority of
51 votes to approve a budget... where do they find these guys?]
Senator Jim DeMint (R, SC): "To protect all Americans’ religious freedom,
and every other kind, the only acceptable 'reform' is for ObamaCare —
the entire law – to be repealed."
Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the "underwear bomber," as he was sentenced
to life imprisonment, defended his actions as based in the Quran, and said,
"Mujahedeen are proud to kill in the name of God (Allah). Today is a
day of victory."
And for a bit of comic relief featuring Rep. Maxine Waters (D, CA), here is a
quote from her speech at the 2012 CA Democrat Convention: “I saw pictures
of Boehner and Cantor on our screens; don’t ever let me see again in life
those Republicans in our hall, on our screens, talking about anything.
These are demons.” [Next thing we know, she'll be practicing exorcism.]
And here, from this week's research, are a few "Afterthoughts" . . .
We earlier mentioned the observance of Ramadan in July - August; those
dates have prompted a problem for the International Olympics Committee. The
scheduled dates for the London Olympics are July 27 - August 12, right in the
middle of Ramadan, July 21 - August 20. Some 3,000 of the participating
athletes are from Muslim countries, and strong protests have been made, even
demands that the IOC reschedule the Olympics.
In case you wondered: Jimmy Carter's view of the "Occupy Movement."
Former President Jimmy Carter said last week that the Occupy organizers have
achieved some success -- “It‘s been relatively successful even acknowledging
there’s no leadership, there‘s no coherence and there’s no single list of issues
they want to succeed,” and added that they have forced recognition that "the
chasm is getting greater than leaps and bounds between the rich and the poor."
The former president said his travels abroad have helped him realize that the U.S. is
“extra stingy” about sharing its wealth with developing nations, particularly when
compared to European democracies that put an emphasis on foreign aid. [He is
apparently completely out of touch with the facts of America's benevolences.]
A note from Huffington Post, Chicago Brief concerning Mr. Obama's
favorite city, and the training ground for his political endeavors: "As our former
governor prepares to head west to begin his prison sentence, Chicago was
given the unfortunate title of 'most corrupt' city in America in a new study
by the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Illinois'
Institute of Government and Public Affairs." [They said it -- we didn't --
and they should know.] Additionally, Illinois is the only state which will have two
former governors in federal prison at the same time when Rod Blagojevich
enters Littleton, Colorado’s federal prison next month.
And here is a light-hearted, slightly humorous bit of information. David
We couldn't have said it better -- from Human Events: "Candidates for
office are always saying that the upcoming election is the most important
ever. In 2012, this truly is the case. This November, America's voters have
a choice between four more years of Barack Obama's disastrous Big
Government agenda or a return to commonsense conservative leadership
for our country."
And from our Founding Fathers -- further evidence that in their wisdom they
foresaw problems this new nation would one day experience . . .
Concerning the ignoring of the three branches of government: "The accumulation
of all powers, legislative, executive and judiciary, in the same hands, whether
of one, a few or many, and whether hereditary, self-appointed or elective,
may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny."
-- James Madison, 1788
Concerning immigration: "Born in other countries, yet believing you could be
happy in this, our laws acknowledge, as they should do, your right to join us
in society, conforming, as I doubt not you will do, to our established rules.
That these rules shall be as equal as prudential considerations will admit,
will certainly be the aim of our legislatures, general and particular."
-- Thomas Jefferson, 1801
Concerning national debt and taxation: "I place economy among the first and
most important of republican virtues, and public debt as the greatest of the
dangers to be feared ... Taxation follows that, and in its turn wretchedness
and oppression ... We must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt.
We must make our election between economy and liberty, or profusion
and servitude." -- Thomas Jefferson, 1816
And that concludes another issue in our 10th year of publication. ANC is,
has been, and will remain a pro-Christian, pro-American, pro-Conservative
voice on the Internet. We have no financial backers to make this publication
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SERIOUS PROBLEMS EXIST!
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 of our 10th year of publication
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From one of our great presidents, a thought for today and years to come:
“Without God there is no virtue because there is no prompting of the
conscience … without God there is a coarsening of the society;
without God democracy will not and cannot long endure…
America needs God more than God needs America.
If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God,
then we will be a Nation gone under.”
President Ronald Reagan, 1984
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ANC CONTINUES TO COMMENT FRANKLY AND OPENLY ON
ANC CONTINUES TO COMMENT FRANKLY AND OPENLY ON
SUBJECTS THE LIBERAL MEDIA IGNORES -- SERIOUS
PROBLEMS EXIST HERE AT HOME AND ABROAD
As our regular readers are well aware, we close each issue of ANC with quotes
from our nation's Founding Fathers for two reasons: [1] they were wise men,
and their vision for America went far beyond the time in which they spoke, and
[2] their words remind us of the kind of a nation they were establishing, which is
something we may tend to forget in the busy pace of 21st century life.
Today's issue will once again close with some of those quotes, but we will also
begin this issue with some statements from those leaders concerning perhaps the
most important issue confronting us as American Christians today. From James
Madison, in 1785: "Religion is the basis and Foundation of Government."
And from John Adams in 1812: "Nothing is more dreaded than the national
government meddling with religion."
The primary subject for concern this week is the attempted attack by the Obama
administration on the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution -- which, by way
of reminder, states: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment
of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof ..." Apparently Mr. Obama
takes the position that he is not subject to any such restraint.
And in support of those concerns, Dr. Michael Milton, Chancellor of Reformed
Theological Seminary, wrote last week: "All other freedoms are grounded in
the fundamental freedom to worship God as we understand it, and to
assemble freely to do so." And to bring this issue into sharpest focus, Brent
Bozell, President of Media Research Center, expressed it in these words: "The
Obama administration is waging war on Christianity. Somehow, the
networks haven't seen this as newsworthy."
At issue is the Obama administration's mandate that would force members
of Christian faiths whose religious beliefs oppose birth control and abortion, to
take part in the provision of such procedures. Siding with Mr. Obama, Senator
Barbara Boxer (D, CA) tried to make it an issue of "medicine," saying: "It's
medicine and women deserve their medicine." [Senator Boxer needs to
understand that children aren't a disease, and the pill is not the cure. Medicine
is prescribed to treat illnesses--and pregnancy isn't one of them.]
On the other side of the Senate aisle, Senator Kelly Ayotte (R, NH) said, "This
is not a women’s rights issue. This is a religious liberty issue." And Senator
Marco Rubio (R, FL) said, "The issue is not contraception, but whether the
government of the United States should have the power to go in and tell a
faith-based organization that they have to pay for something that they teach
their members shouldn’t be done. It’s that simple. And if the answer is yes,
then this government can reach all kinds of other absurd results."
And Timothy Lee, of the Center for Individual Freedom, summarized it this way,
"Freedom of religion is a Constitutional right. Indeed, it is our nation's most
foundational right. In contrast, the convenience of government-mandated
free contraceptives from religious institutions in violation of their fundamental
theology is not. Those two basic truths settle the merits of this week's sudden
collision between the Obama Administration and religious institutions."
But we all know how this flare-up ended, or seemed to end. The Obama White
House and its sycophantic main stream media [remember, sycophant is described
in the dictionary as "a self seeking, servile flatterer, a fawning parasite"] used
all the words in its book of spin words, called the president's solution a "compromise,"
an "adjustment," an "accommodation" and similar. In fact, the president realized that
he had gone too far ... that he was not just attacking Catholic beliefs, but widely held
Christian beliefs, making his mandate a literal attack on the First Amendment's right
of freedom of religion. Now when the mandate takes effect in August 2013, women
will still get the free much-objected-to-coverage, but the religious organizations won't
have to pay for it. Instead, insurance companies will have to provide the service
directly to the employees at no cost. No cost? Who is the president kidding? We,
the general public, will pay for the coverage through increased insurance premiums
across the board.
The Obama "compromise" was not well received by religious leaders. William Donahue,
head of the Catholic League spoke of the mandate as “the most serious infringement
by the federal government on the rights of Catholics and others in 200 years ...
Quite frankly, he’s adding insult to injury. He must think the Catholics are stupid.”
But this is one instance where the "Main Stream Media" got it right. CBS News chief
Washington correspondent, Bob Schieffer, said the White House folded on the issue,
calling it a "political blunder." And even Washington Post editor, Melinda
Henneberger, said on MSNBC: “Maybe the Founders were wrong to guarantee
free exercise of religion in the First Amendment but that is what they did and I
don’t think we have to choose here.” And in the site, Godfather Politics, there
was this hard hitting summation, "The President’s latest attack on the American
people by mandating that employers cover contraception is a blatant attack on
the Constitution and the freedom of ALL Americans, not just those who hold a
particular religious view on contraception. His so-called compromise that
insurance companies pay for birth control pills is one of the most audacious
power grabs in the history of government. What’s next?"
A sobering thought: "Every single day, a silent horror kills more Americans
than were killed on 9/11. Every single year, this silent horror kills about as
many Americans as have been killed on all the battlefields in all of the wars
in U.S. history combined. This silent horror is called abortion, and it is a
national disgrace. Overall, more than 50 million babies have been slaughtered
since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973. We have become a nation with so little
regard for human life that nobody even really talks that much about this issue
anymore." (From The American Dream)
Internationally, the situation is equally deplorable. Here is a brief summary.
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and national security expert Judith Miller says
Christians and other minorities face a "very grim" future as the radical Muslim
Brotherhood inevitably comes to power in Egypt and other Arab countries.
"There is a reluctance to acknowledge what is happening, which is that these
revolutionary movements that were spearheaded largely by secular, liberal
young people have been taken over by Islamist forces..." The United States
now faces a region that is going to be increasingly Islamic, increasingly intolerant to
minorities, particularly Christians, and to alternative ... points of view. According to
Newsweek magazine, a largely unrecognized global war on Christians is underway.
"Christians are being killed in the Islamic world because of their religion,"
writes columnist Ayaan Hirsi Ali, "It is a rising genocide that ought to provoke
global alarm."
In Iraq, less than two months into the New Year, Iraqi authorities have executed at
least 65 people so far in 2012. In Syria, Christians remain wary of what “change”
might mean for their country, looking to Iraq, where their fellow believers in Christ
are now making a mass exodus as a result of the attacks they have faced, and Egypt,
where the prospect of an Islamist government has been matched by on-going attacks
on Christians in a way not previously seen under deposed President Hosni Mubarak.
In Nigeria, the Islamist group, Boko Haram, aims to establish sharia (Islamic law)
and has stated it will kill all Christians in the country. In Sudan, tens of thousands of
Christians have been displaced from their homes, subjected to targeted killings,
kidnapping and bomb attacks. And Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei,
last week announced that Iran will support any nation or group that attacks the
“cancerous tumor” of Israel, and said the opportunity must not be lost to remove
"this corrupting material" and that it is a "jurisprudential justification” to kill
all the Jews and annihilate Israel, and that "the Islamic government of Iran must
take the helm.”
So much for the unfulfilled promise of Mr. Obama's much heralded "Arab Spring."
That brief overview of some of the day's problems should confirm the need
for the count-down of prayer for our national election on Nov. 6. As of today,
there are 265 days till that election ... 265 days to pray for our nation and for
wisdom to be given to our leaders. Jonathan Falwell, son of the late and much
missed Jerry Falwell, spoke this week of the moral value issues confronting us:
"Even when the tides of our social and political cultures change, Christians
must stand firm on the Word of God, compassionately calling all to believe
and follow Him....."
The best way to keep you advised of viewpoints which are totally ignored
by the "Main Stream Media" is to bring you "What Others Are Saying"
Joel Rosenberg: "With our national debt skyrocketing, our politics divided,
many marriages and families crumbling, and the growing threat of another
war in the Middle East, one thing is clear: 2012 is going to be a critical year
for the United States. Will the Church step up and be the shining city on the
hill that Jesus called her to be?...Or will we continue rejecting God's mercy
and see our decline accelerate into a national death spiral?
The Steady Conservative: "Today the Bible and its lessons have been
removed from schools, which certainly was never the intention of those
who formed this nation...Christianity seems to be under increasing attack;
so I do believe it is important for Christians to take a stand in such
matters. We can also pray that God will take situations such as this…
that are meant for evil…and use them for His good."
Kathleen Parker (a Washington Post Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist):
"These immediate battles may be about abortion or contraception, but
ultimately they are about whether we stand firm on our nation’s core beliefs
in freedom of conscience and religious liberty...The fundamental question is:
Who are we? As we individually search for the answer, we know this much:
Coercion and intimidation are the tools of mobs and tyrants and have no
place in this calculus."
Ann Coulter (in re the Dems attacking Romney's wealth): "Democrats are
very proud of the rich, patrician FDR – who inherited all of his money and
then launched a series of federal entitlements designed to bankrupt America
60 years later. JFK also inherited his wealth, from a father who made his
money as a bootlegger and stock manipulator. (In their defense, both men
went on to create lots of jobs for bartenders and prostitutes.)"
Glenn Greenwald (human rights commentator): “The U.S. first kills people
with drones, then fires on the rescuers and others who arrive at the scene
where the new corpses and injured victims lie. The theory is that when
you kill a bad guy, the odds are that bad guys are the ones most likely to
show up at his funeral or to try to recover his body. Nice theory... Whatever
else is true, it seems highly likely that Barack Obama is the first Nobel
Peace laureate who, after receiving his award, presided over the deliberate
targeting of rescuers and funeral mourners of his victims.”
The Heritage Foundation: "Thousands are dead in Syria, with more
blood spilled each day. Iran is within arm's reach of a nuclear weapon,
threatening Israel's very existence. And in Egypt, 19 Americans are
banned from leaving the country, making them veritable hostages in an
unfriendly land. All indications are that the Middle East is crumbling,
and President Barack Obama's foreign policy is collapsing right along
with it."
Jay Sekulow (ACLJ Chief Counsel): "Israel is facing grave danger, and
news reports say that President Obama won't assist in defending Israel.
In fact, he has actually issued a warning to Israel not to take military
action against Iran. Unbelievable. President Obama actually told our
greatest ally in one of the most dangerous areas of the world: don't
defend yourself."
Conservative News Alerts: "Iran grows more aggressive by the day. Riots
and upheavals, fueled by the Muslim Brotherhood are taking place in Egypt,
Syria and all over the Middle East. What was proclaimed to be an 'Arab
Spring' is now becoming a winter of discontent. Europe is heading into
bankruptcy and Barack Hussein Obama is almost single-handedly
transforming the United States of America into a socialist country."
And, as always, in our research we found several interesting "One Liners"
President Barack Obama in an interview with NBC's Matt Lauer: "I deserve a
second term, but we're not done ... One of the things about being president
is you get better as time goes on.”
Former MA Governor Mitt Romney: "Barack Obama is the poster child for
the arrogance of government,"
George Will: "Historians will marvel that American liberalism in the first
part of the 21st century is defined as defense of abortion.”
Cal Thomas: "The president is mistaken when he interprets Scripture to
achieve his political goals."
Black actor Samuel L. Jackson (in Ebony Magazine): "I voted for Barack
because he was black." [No comment as to what degree he was right.]
Human Events: "Barack Obama is willfully, routinely shredding the
Constitution to create national policy literally WITHOUT congressional
approval..."
And this further quote from the above mentioned Obama interview with Matt Lauer:
"What’s frustrated people is that I have not been able to force Congress to
implement every aspect of what I said in 2008. Well, it turns out our Founders
designed a system that makes it more difficult to bring about change that I
would like ... what I’m going to keep on doing is plot away, very persistent."
And here are a few "Afterthoughts" from our research this week . . .
Serious violence close to home. The Department of State has just issued a
new Travel Warning to inform U.S. citizens about the security situation in Mexico.
Crime and violence are serious problems throughout the country and can occur
anywhere. U.S. citizens have fallen victim to TCO (Transnational Criminal
Organizations) activity, including homicide, gun battles, kidnapping, carjacking
and highway robbery. Our government gets tremendously aroused over a few
hundred or even a few thousand killings in Muslim countries, while just below
our common border with Mexico, since December, 2006 some 48,000 people
have been killed. The Obama administration has turned a blind eye to all this
violence -- no, that isn't exactly true. They did something -- they have supplied
American-made guns to the TCO through the "Fast and Furious" program.
In Australia, the need for God is openly observed. This Sunday, Feb. 19,
a National Day of Prayer and Fasting will be observed at Parliament House in
the nation's capitol, Canberra, and in churches, homes and public places all
over the nation. The purpose of this call to prayer is for the renewal and
transformation of Australia as a nation with Jesus Christ as Lord. [We used
to speak like that here in America.]
You may have missed this official announcement by the U.S. Department
of Defense, that the Fort Hood incident in Nov. 2009, where a Muslim soldier
screaming "Allah Akbar" as he shot and killed 13 other soldiers (14 if you
include an unborn child), was "workplace violence." To have considered these
murders to be "terrorism" would have not been "politically correct."
We began and close this issue with quotes from our Founding Fathers
"Human nature itself is evermore an advocate for liberty. There is also in
human nature a resentment of injury, and indignation against wrong. A
love of truth and a veneration of virtue. These amiable passions, are the
'latent spark.'"--John Adams, 1775
From a somewhat unfamiliar Founding Father: "It is not the purpose nor
right of Congress to attend to what generosity and humanity require,
but to what the Constitution and their duty require."
-- William Branch Giles, 1796
but to what the Constitution and their duty require."
-- William Branch Giles, 1796
And there is this week's issue of ANC . . . heavily loaded and presenting
news and evaluations of current events you won't find anywhere else. If you
would like to help keep this publication continuing, please click on one of the
"Support" links and do your part to continue the availability of ANC.
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