A Hope?

This is the last post for America is Lost.I believe if you look back to when this blog was started in October you will find many topics addressed that should provoke thought and concern. It is well worth taking the time to read and consider the facts presented in these 50+ entries. It is my hope that those who have read what I have to say will at least become more aware of what is going on around them.I am still dumfounded when I hear and read things said and written by people who I believe are more intelligent then myself. For instance,in the wake of the near disaster that almost occurred involving a muslim man who attempted to blow up a plane headed for Detroit, there has been resistance by the media and many politicians to accept two necessary courses of action. The first one seems simple enough,describe the man for what he is,a terrorist. Strangely,our president won't do so despite the overwhelming evidence that this man is one. Secondly,due to the consistant similarities among the people who have committed terrorist acts since 9-11,there has finally been a call for increased attention given to potential passengers who fit the profile of what a terrorist is,you know,those who are male,middle-eastern,african,etc.,you get what I mean. It only seems logical doesn't it? Yet,if you watch or read the news you have already witnessed the outcry of many in the media and in Washington against doing this. It sort of reminds me when after the Fort Hood murders, part of Time magazine's coverage of that event included an article about muslims in the U.S. fearing "retaliation". Retaliation? Was there any retaliation after 9-11? Has there ever been any? No! So why is Time magazine writing an article sympathetic to muslims after one of their brethren just committed a terrorist attack? Don't the apologists in the media and government realize that by their actions,or inaction, they are undermining their own safety and well being?
So, is there hope for this country? If there is it's up to the American people. It's up to the American people to rise up and have their voices heard.There has been a hint of this in the form of "tea parties" and the outcry against the immigration bill George Bush attempted to enact a few years back. But, there will have to be a whole lot more people becoming involved before the powers that be will take notice and respond. A WHOLE lot more!
I close with this: read and remember who the forefathers of this country were, read what they believed in and what they did in response to those beliefs.
Wake-up America,it's later than you think!

You Can Tell a Lot About a Nation By the Way....

Today is the second to last entry for this America is Lost blog. The last post tomorrow will pertain to what, if anything, can be done to prevent what appears to be this country's inevitable fall. As I wrote in an earlier entry last October,all empires come to an end.America is right in the range of time when the great civilizations of the past have ended.Again, as you may have read in previous posts, this country has the same things going on in its government, as well as its cultural and social systems that other empires had before they fell.
A quote attributed to Gandhi was, "You can tell much about a country by the way they treat their animals." A true statement indeed. One doesn't have to look very far to see the abominable conditions many animals are raised and kept in as they are prepared for our eventual consumption. You don't have to be a member of PETA to recognize that this is not right.However, I am not thinking of animals as it pertains to Gandhi's quote,I have in mind the treatment of the elderly in this country.I read an article recently that in Japan it is not uncommon for family members to fight over who will have the right to take care of their aged parents. I should clarify this by saying that the children want to have their parents looked after by them.In the Asian culture, with being "old" comes respect and a kind of reverence. This is a far cry from what exists in America where the "reverence" is for youth and what is perceived as beauty(six-pack abs and silicone breasts for starters).Too often,people in this country are quick to have their parents sent to an assisted living center or a nursing home as soon as the inevitable signs of aging and diminishing physical abilities begin to appear. Granted,there are times when the health condition of someone necessitates special medical care that can only be obtained from a medical facility but far too often our elderly end up in nursing or similar homes because their children simply don't want to be bothered. This is indicative of a mindset that is dangerously self-centered. Yet it is the norm in this country. Do Americans not realize that they too will eventually become old? The harsh reality is that the overwhelming majority of nursing "homes" are profit,not patient driven. As one who has worked in a nursing "home" the emphasis is on keeping staffing low thus insuring greater profits.This is the NORM for assisted living and nursing facilities. If you doubt what I say then take a visit to a nursing home,any nursing home, and you will see that what I say is true.So what is the real tragedy here? It's not so much with the corporations that run these facilities,they are expected to be looking for the profit first. It's with the people, who for the sake of convenience and not wanting to disrupt their "lifestyle", send their parents to these modern day gulags. Somehow our elderly deserve a better fate.

A Christmas Prayer and a Question

O God, who makest us glad with the yearly remembrance of the birth of thy only Son Jesus Christ: Grant that as we joyfully receive him for our Redeemer,so we may with sure confidence behold him when he shall come to be our Judge; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost,one God,world without end. Amen.
(from The Scottish Book of Common Prayer,1929)
Since judgement is an essential component of the Christian faith,there is one thing all who call themselves Christian should consider. Do you think Jesus will ask why you didn't do something when His name and faith were being disparaged and marginalized in the country you live?

Merry Christmas USA?

What follows is an excerpt from a column written by Patrick Buchanan in 2001,it is more relevant today than when it was originally written. I ask this,when in the history of our nation have the beliefs,or lack of beliefs of a minority of people, been allowed to overrule the beliefs of the majority of Americans? It's been allowed in recent times whenever it pertains to eliminating references to anything Christian.Where's the outrage and demonstrations from Christians? The incident that is referenced in the following Buchanan quote had to do with a Christmas tradition being removed from the public square, this never would have happened 45+ years ago.A nation that won't stand up for it's rights and beliefs is doomed.

"Indeed, the birth of Christ has inspired more great paintings, music and sculpture than any event in history. “Ultimately,” writes Piatak, “we should be free to celebrate Christmas publicly and joyously, because it is a great holiday, and because it is our holiday and one of the crowning glories of Western culture that gave birth to America and sustains us still.”

But why, then, are we not free to do so? Why may we not celebrate, as we did for 200 years, the birth of our Savior, the day God became man to open up for us the gates of heaven and bring mankind the hope of eternal salvation?

Answer: Because our Constitution has been hijacked by bigots in black robes, who perverted it to de-Christianize America. And we let them get away with it. Second, because Christians have become an intimidated lot, who will permit themselves to be pushed around and even permit their Savior to go uncelebrated for fear of being called insensitive. But if we do not proclaim the Son of God, will He proclaim us before the Father in heaven?

If Jesus was truly God, and the first Christmas was the day he was born of the Virgin Mary, and He came into the world for our salvation, what does it say about us that we would permit a handful of unhappy people to deny us the right to celebrate His birth in our public squares?

But, nevertheless, “God rest ye merry gentlemen, let nothing ye dismay,” not even the ACLU on this coming Christmas Day."

Something to Ponder

"It is easier to desire Truth than to rid one's self of error." (a quote by Mary Baker Eddy).
For Americans,the real challenge isn't in recognizing that something is wrong,it's in doing something about what they perceive to be wrong.

The Necessity of Living What You Believe

The best advertisement for validating what someone believes in or advocates can be found, not in how eloquently one expresses those beliefs,but in the way he lives his life and conducts himself. There is a tremendous responsibility in "walking the talk" of your beliefs and convictions. Sadly,too often people forget this.We most often see examples of this behaviour in people who describe themselves as men and women of faith. Although the following quote refers to the Christian faith,it can apply to other faiths and belief systems as well.
Nietzsche said: "Our statesmen---a body of men who are otherwise so unembarrassed,and such thorough anti-Christians in deed---still declare themselves Christians and still flock to communion."
We may be able to see the hypocrisy in others, but can we recognize it in ourselves?

Quote of the Day and an Announcement

For those who are new to this site,take a moment to go to the first two posts that began this blog back in October,they are entitled Are You a Frog? and Are You an Ostrich?

Abraham Lincoln said: "Our safety,our liberty,depends upon preserving the Constitution of the United States as our Fathers made it inviolate.The people of the United States are the rightful masters of both Congress and the Courts,not to overthrow the Constitution,but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution."
Do you remember what this current president said earlier this year about our Constitution?

Christmas

As we look at the various things that America has done and abandoned in recent years as it relates to its continuing decline,we would be remiss if we didn't include how America now views the Christmas season.No,this post isn't going to be about the excessive commercialization of this holy season or whether or not it should be celebrated,it's about the continuing efforts to dimimish the Christian faith in America.There has been an ongoing effort,particularly over the last decade or two,to push the Christmas season out of public view. I think all of us realize this.Nativity scenes have been removed from local,state and national properties,many stores have instructed sales clerks not to say Merry Christmas,other people who have contact with the public,be it in stores,or on radio or television, are told to say Happy Holidays. We'd be remiss of course not to include our wonderful public school systems who now call the time near the end of December when their students have off, something like Winter Break or some other secular phrase. Our current President,who calls himself a Christian, recently had the traditional tree lighting ceremony at the White House and did not once mention who this season honors,the Prince of Peace,Jesus Christ. Not a Nativity scene to be found anywhere on the White House grounds,something I believe was a tradition at the White House in the past. In addition,as during the Easter season,you will be sure to find television shows and magazine articles questioning the "validity" of even having Christmas. They will be sure to include some member of a "Christian" denomination that will declare passionately that Christmas is "pagan" and people are "damned and going to Hell" if they celebrate it. This of course is foolishness and I don't want to take the time to describe why it is,that's not the purpose of today's message.I want to look at why Christmas,and for that matter Christianity, is being removed from public view in America. Why is it that when we now mention December "holidays" Christmas is always lumped together with the bogus holiday Kwanza and the minor Jewish holiday Chanukkah? I ask this because there was a time not to long ago when Christmas was viewed by everyone for what it was,one of the two major Christian Holy Days.You know, it was given the respect and acceptance by our media that is now given to Ramadan and Yom Kippur.
So what is the problem that those in government,businesses and the media have with Christmas? I used to think it was because it involved the celebration of the birth of a Man who laid down some very specific moral rules of thinking and behaviour. Then I realized that the muslims,Hindus and Jews have rigid rules of conduct and belief as they pertain to their faith,yet they are not being treated the way Christianity in America is today.Not to digress but,could you imagine if on the Larry David HBO program,Curb Your Enthusiasm,the main character had gotten urine on a portrait of muhammed instead of Jesus as happened in a recent episode,what the outcry would have been from the media and the muslim community? Larry David knows very well what he can and can't get away with.The Christian faith is always fair game and given lots of exposure to anyone who wants to insult and disrespect it.
Again why the Christian faith? Is it because the Christian faith holds to the belief that they are The Way? No, other major faiths also hold to this belief.
I believe that those in control,meaning the media and people who want to determine this nation's future,desire to remove the foundation on which this country was built,from which the Constitution,Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights and government were created, this foundation was our Christian principles.Denigrating Christmas is just one small step in this process.
It doesn't take a genius to recognize who is winning the war as it relates to who is determining the direction this country is now taking,only someone who has been watching and is aware.Have you been watching?
Wake up America before it's too late!

Quotes on the Truth

If only we could hear the truth from our politicians instead of statements made to serve their agendas.
Also,this nation,the media,its institutions,our religious leaders, as well as its politicians, have in recent years not always been truthful because it is not "politically correct." What follows are some quotes that relate to the necessity of truthfulness.
"A lie is still a lie no matter who utters it." Scottish proverb.
"Truth is the foundation of all knowledge and the cement of all societies." Dryden.
"The greatest homage we can pay to truth is to use it." Emerson.
The following quote I dedicate to all the "experts" that tell us that global warming is an immediate threat. "The witholding of truth is sometimes a worse deception than a direct misstatement." Lord Napier.
And finally:
"If 50 million people say a foolish thing it is still a foolish thing." Anatole France.
Never has the above quote been so relevant as it is in this present day and age.Americans have been so "dumbed-down" by the media and preoccupied with the satiation of all their senses and desires.We are now just beginning to witness the consequences of allowing this to happen.

The Cold Hard Facts

Contributing to America's decline is the failure,or fear,of the people to face the facts.When you won't admit what the problem is, or confront it,then how can you ever expect to correct that problem?
There was some criticism of my recent post concerning discrimination. The sad truth is,is that we have been so influenced(indoctrinated) by the media that when faced with the truth our first reaction is,am I a racist,instead of responding to the reality of the facts presented.
What follows are some statistics that are the cold hard facts in response to all the hate-crime,discrimination talk that's been going 'round in recent months.
In a 1995 article published by The American Enterprise Institute,it reports that FBI figures show a black offender is twice as likely to kill a white victim as the reverse. Some yearly totals that you might find interesting: for rape---white offender/black victim,100; black offender/white victim,20,204. For robbery,white offender/black victim 7,031; black offender/white victim 167,924. For assault, white offender/black victim 49,800; black offender/white victim 431,670. For all violent crimes, white offender/black victim, 55,301; black offender/white victim 572,458.
So,who has a hate-crime problem?
I say--"You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free."