Monday
The American News Commentary
Pro-Christian, Pro-American, Pro-Conservative
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Vol. 19, Occasional Issue ~~~September 10, 2012 ~~~ © 2012
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"Once to every man and nation, comes the moment to decide,
In the strife of truth with falsehood, for the good or evil side."
In the strife of truth with falsehood, for the good or evil side."
-- James Lowell, 1845
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AFTER HAVING TO CEASE THE WEEKLY ISSUES OF ANC,
WE PROMISED TO SEND AN "OCCASIONAL" ISSUE.
SO ON THAT BASIS, HERE IS OUR EVALUATION OF
THE TWO RECENT POLITICAL CONVENTIONS.
First, never has any national election been as accurately described as is the
upcoming Nov. 6 election in that 167 year old hymn from James Lowell. Now,
after we compare the platforms of the Republican and Democrat parties, it will
be clearly seen as being a choice between "the good or evil side."
This basic rule still applies: ANC has not endorsed, and will not endorse, any
candidate for political office. However, any person, party or platform which is
"anti" any of the principles for which we are, and always have been, strongly
"pro" -- Pro-Christian, Pro-American and Pro-Conservative -- will meet with
a very "anti" reaction from ANC.
That is what is often described as a "black and white position" -- there is not
any "grey" aspect.
We have endured the latest of the quadrennial political conventions,
institutions which many observers feel are relics of the past, and which serve
little purpose in today's world, dominated as we are by entirely new methods of
communication. This familiar question has risen again: "Does a well established
political party even need a convention?"
Today's versions of the conventions essentially accomplish three major goals:
(1) announce the identities of the party's candidates for president and vice
vice-president; (2) provide a rallying point for the faithful party members to
express their enthusiasm; and (3) agree on a platform which sets forth the core
principles which the party extols. Oh, yes -- there is a fourth: give the media an
excuse to reward their most familiar personalities with an end-of-Summer, all
expense paid trip, and give them something to talk and write about for a week.
Consider those goals. (1) Everyone has known for some time who the candidates
would be . . (2) the participants were enthusiastic before the convention, or they
wouldn't have been chosen to attend . . (3) the platforms, were developed and
settled in smoke-filled conference rooms, and instead of filling 50 or more pages,
as at present, could have been summarized in a page or two. As for (4) -- the
media was already locked-in on support or disparagement of their chosen party.
But logic aside, the two annual conventions have been held. Some 115 years ago,
in 1897, Rudyard Kipling in his epic "Recessional," described the aftermath well,
''The tumult and the shouting dies; the Captains and the Kings depart." And
we are left with the names of the candidates (which we already knew), and the
enthusiasm of the delegates (which they already had) -- and the platforms, which
define the positions, plans and promises of the two parties.
That is all that really came out of the two conventions. So let's look at them, briefly.
On Aug. 27, House Speaker John Boehner commented, "If it were up to me I
would have the platform on one sheet of paper." Unfortunately, that's not what
we have. The two platform documents have much in common -- soaring, inspiring
rhetoric about improving the economy, putting people back to work, reducing the
national debt (which hit the $16 Trillion mark last week), improving America's
status in the world scene, etc. Of course, it is how those lofty goals are to be
accomplished that is in question -- but it is on the religious level that the platforms
are diametrically opposed.
The Republican platform opposes the murder of children through abortion -- over
50 million since Roe v. Wade became the law of the land. This is contrary to
Christian beliefs and the teaching of the Bible, and even our Declaration of
Independence's statement of our God-given unalienable right of life. The Republican
platform supports the traditional family value, and the Bible teaching on marriage,
and thus opposes the concept of same-sex "marriage." The Republican platform
supports our First Amendment right of freedom of religion
By contrast, the Democrat platform supports, endorses and encourages abortion,
(and the "ability to pay" reference has often been interpreted by abortion rights
groups as supporting tax-funded abortion.) And led by Mr. Obama and his
"evolved" viewpoint, it supports same-sex marriage, the first time that either
major party has supported redefining marriage. And through its support and
approval of Obamacare with its religious ramifications, the platform fosters the
erosion of our fundamental Constitutional right of freedom of religion.
Last week this revelation made headline news: any mention of God has been
removed from the Democrat National Committee platform. Not one mention of
God, but at least 38 mentions of Barack Obama. The immediate uproar forced an
embarrassing floor-amending of the platform to restore (from the 2008 platform)
the words "God-given potential" with relation to people's willingness to work.
In support of his claim to be a Christian, and this being an election campaign year,
credit was given to Mr. Obama for insisting that the deleted word be restored.
Gary Bauer, Washington-based Conservative spokes-person, aptly commented:
"I suspect God would have preferred to lose the vote. Why would He want to
be in a platform of a party so committed to the destruction of His innocent,
little unborn children?"
Tad Cronn, writing in Political Outcast summarized the broad situation well,
"Over the past four years, King Obama has worked to divide this country
along race and class lines. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the two
political parties themselves. The unspoken difference underlying all the other
differences is nothing less than belief in God. That observation is not meant
to suggest that God supports conservatives over liberals. But it’s clear which
side of the political spectrum makes an effort to follow God’s wishes. This
presents Americans with a stark choice. Here’s hoping we make the right one."
And there is this last minute report: according to the latest Gallup research, 75% of
swing state voters and 70% of all voters already can't wait for the election to be over.
Respondents say the divisive nature of increasingly negative political rhetoric produces
feelings of anxiety, frustration, and confusion. But there is this good news: A separate
campaign has begun online that offers reassuring daily solace in the form of specially
selected Bible verses paired with beautiful, original nature photographs -- available by
email through election day at UPWORD 2012.
There emerges this implicit question: Can a Christian believer, who accepts and
trusts the Bible as God's Word, vote for the Democratic party platform, or candidates
who support it?
And as we approach Election Day, 2012, our Founding Fathers have said:
"It is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut
our eyes against a painful truth -- and listen to the song of that siren, till she
transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great
and arduous struggle for liberty?" -- Patrick Henry, 1775
"Government is instituted for the common good; for the protection, safety,
prosperity, and happiness of the people; and not for profit, honor, or private
interest of any one man, family, or class of men; therefore, the people alone
have an incontestable, unalienable, and indefeasible right to institute
government; and to reform, alter, or totally change the same, when their
protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness require it." -- John Adams, 1776
With all that is happening on the national scene, it is important to note
What Others Are Saying; the Main Stream Media sure won't tell us.
Editorial, San Diego Union Tribune: "The prospect of a ruinous second
Obama term -- with more unhinged borrowing, more promotion of a culture
of dependency, and more contempt for the people who create jobs and
wealth -- is terrifying.'"
Mark Alexander, in Patriot Post: "It's a great leap of faith to believe there
will be an 'America' in 2016 if Obama is re-elected -- at least one that we
recognize. One need look no further than Obama's America in 2012 to see
that most of what was left of our Republican government when he was
elected in 2008 has been scheduled for demolition."
Jack Marshall in Ethics Alarms (about David Chalian's remark as Washington
chief of Yahoo): "I don’t know why any American, right or left, Democrat or
Republican, is willing to tolerate the sick and vicious level of anti-Republican
bias poisoning coverage of the 2012 election at all levels. It threatens the
integrity of our democracy by dividing and misleading us all. And it will only
stop when good and fair people stop defending or denying it."
David L. Goetsch in Patriot Update: "A recent poll established that 25
percent of Americans are still undecided as to which presidential candidate
will get their vote in November 2012. My immediate reaction to this
information was, “Are you kidding? How could anyone still be undecided?”
... Even if an undecided voter is turned off by Romney, surely that that
individual can understand that only a fool would vote for a president with a
record like Barack Obama’s. After all, the president appears to be bent on
destroying America."
Walter Williams, in New Media Journal: "According to IRS 2007 data, the
richest 1 percent of Americans earned 22 percent of national personal income
but paid 40 percent of all personal income taxes. The top 5 percent earned 37
percent and paid 61 percent of personal income tax. The top 10 percent
earned 48 percent and paid 71 percent of all personal income taxes. The
bottom 50 percent earned 12 percent of personal income but paid just 3
percent of income tax revenues." Or expressed another way: " What the Tax
Policy Center calls 'working class' pay 3 percent of all federal taxes, middle
class 11 percent, upper middle class 19 percent and wealthy 67 percent."
[Oh yes -- it's the Obama people who rant and rave about "fairness" in taxation.]
Vision to America Newsletter: "The Obama campaign’s increasingly
desperate and shrill campaign is acting more and more like a campaign so far
behind and so in fear of losing, they feel they have nothing to lose. From 'felon'
to 'chains' to 'Mitt killed my wife' to one bald-faced lie after another, President
Obama has forsaken the dignity of the office and — should he win a second
term — all hope of bringing the country together after the kind of scorched-
earth campaign only the terrified wage."
Free Republic Forum: "The Obama administration is widely regarded as the
most lawless in U.S. history. This much you already know... Not enough votes
to pass Obamacare? Bribe senators... Don’t like the Defense of Marriage law?
Refuse to defend it in court... Congress won’t pass the “Dream Act” granting
amnesty to a million illegals? Do it yourself by executive fiat... Don’t want to
defend America’s borders? Sue states that do... Don’t like congressional
inquiries? Ignore their subpoenas."
A. J. DiCintio, in New Media Journal: "The NYT's Roger Cohen isn't a
conservative; but to his credit, the insightful commentator separated himself
from the media's groveling liberal cheerleaders when he called Barack Obama
a failed president."
And to put it all in focus . . .
Franklin Graham, in Decision magazine: "I was blown away by the
tremendous response to the Aug. 1 Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day, organized by
the former governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee, an evangelical Christian...
More than 4 million ordinary citizens stood in long lines to show their support
for the biblical values of the restaurant chain ... But the battle in this country
against the biblical beliefs that have helped shape the moral fiber of our nation
for hundreds of years won't stop ... I want to sound the warning now that our
nation is in grave peril... What can the righteous do? We can proactively
support political candidates whose values are founded in the Word of God."
In our research these past several days, we came across many One Liners;
here are just a few of them that you my find enjoyable . . .
"Inflation is taxation without representation." -- Economist Milton Friedman
“For household income, in other words, the Obama recovery has been worse
than the Bush recession.” -- Wall Street Journal, Aug. 25
"You'll never know Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have." -- Christian
author Corrie Ten Boom
"...they have a fundamentally reactionary liberalism party" -- George Will,
on ABC, speaking of the Democrats
"During his entire tenure in the oval office, median household income has
declined by 7.3%". -- Peter Ferrara, Forbes, Sept. 2 (From the Census Bureau
on what Obama has done for the "Middle Class")
"President Obama achieved a milestone you probably didn’t notice. For the
first time in his turbulent presidency, he made it through the month of August
without a major calamity." -- Jonathan Capehart, Washington Post
“Was he talking about slavery? You bet your ass he was. Was he using the
vernacular? Yes, he was. Did he think it was cute? Yes, he did. Was it
something stupid to say? You bet your life it was stupid.” -- Long-time
Congressman Charlie Rangel (D, NY), concerning V.P. Joe Biden's "chains" gaffe
"The Democrats, led by Obama, a man of clearly anti-American values,
have so set themselves apart from the American tradition as to approach
betrayal and tyranny on a scale never before seen in this country."
-- Col. Bob Pappas, USMC (ret)
" She [Mrs. Obama] almost makes you forget that her husband supports
killing babies and destroying natural marriage. Almost..."
-- Alveda King, niece, Martin Luther King
And from here and there, here are a few "Afterthoughts" that you may
have missed, but still may find interesting . . .
In re Obama's release of the formula for beer brewed in the White House:
It appears that the Obama administration is outsourcing jobs in America's brewing
industry to their own facilities in the White House, instead of creating new jobs for
America's workers.
Moscow has banned gay pride events in the city for the next 100 years,
according to the BBC. Under Communism, Russia tried atheism and it failed them.
Now they have acted to defend traditional marriage and oppose homosexuality,
in accord with the Bible. [One wonders how long it will take for America to learn
what the formerly strongly atheistic Russia has apparently learned?]
Politicians are a forgiving sort: Consider Bill Clinton. As president, in 1993 he
instituted the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy relating to homosexuals in the military.
Obama eliminated it. As president, in 1996 he signed into law the Defense of
Marriage Act (DOMA). Obama ordered his Justice Department not to enforce
it, and has pledged to repeal it. And on personal level, there is this account of his
opinion as recounted by Ryan Lizza in the current issue of New Yorker magazine:
"Tim Russert told me that, according to his sources, Bill Clinton, in an effort
to secure an endorsement for Hillary from Ted Kennedy, said to Kennedy, 'A
few years ago, this guy would have been carrying our bags.'” Yet this week in
a TV commercial, that same Bill Clinton says of Obama: "We need to keep goin'
with his plan." [Now that's forgiveness!]
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