It sounds valid to me. What Say You?

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The democrats are a funny bunch. If it weren’t so dangerous that most media support Obama’s behavior it’s quite funny to watch and listen to them speak about the blessings of Obama. But there is nothing funny about a President who tacitly approves of his administration and the media for conveying that tea party members are rioters. Let me give a little background. In the book Animal Farm, Boxer, the horse, gets hurt from pulling a load of stones and doesn’t look like he is going to recover. Well, a few days later a horse drawn trailer comes by to take Boxer away to the veterinary surgeon. But alas, on of the animals becomes terrified at the words on the side of the trailer, “Horse Slaughterer and Glue Boiler.” As you can imagine the animals are terrified and begin to yell but nothing could be done and Boxer is taken away. So what do the pigs say, “The veterinary surgeon just bought the trailer and has not had the time to paint the correct logo on it.”

I’m beginning to think that most of the media is doing the same thing. Evidence is no longer important. we are told that Tea Party Protesters are racists and violent. Well, if they’re not violent then they must at least cause others who have not attended a rally to be violent. I have TWO QUESTIONS. If Tea Party Protesters are violent and riotous then why would one guy want the Tea Party protesters to break out in riots? Why is it that when there are riots in Greece because it is financially breaking that we see videos and pictures from it? Why is it that there haven’t been any video of violence and riots from the past two Tea Party rallies. I was there and photographed two of them. Click on the Tea Party Photo Gallery. I didn’t see any riots. I didn’t see any violence. Yes I only went to one but show me the evidence that Tea Party Protesters are violent. Lets consider John Adams’ view of the facts:

Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.

So I must ask, “Where are the facts?” Ah you might say that there are a few incidents of uncouth individuals but does that mean that all Tea Party Protesters are so uncouth. If that is is the case then all black family men must be rich like Obama. Is that so. What about this if Obama causes the economy to get better or worse does that mean that America should either vote for a black man based on his record? What Say You?

One thing that disturbs me is that Obama kept saying that America is not nation of immigrants. I’m not an immigrant and my mother and father were not immigrants. In fact, I am an American and my parents are Americans. So why does he keep saying it. also notice how he starts describing the need for “national immigration reform” just as he spoke about health care reform. I’m not going to go on and on about this but these new citizens should be a little upset that he just told them that more illegal immigrants would be made legal not because they worked to be a citizen but because Obama willed it to be.

I’ve put in bold the sections of the speech that are a little telling about his view of true immigration reform. Oh I did put in brackets the section in which Obama spoke about Arizona’s new law enforcing immigration

Take a read and let me know what you think.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
April 23, 2010

Remarks by the President at Naturalization Ceremony for Active-Duty Service Members
Rose Garden

10:15 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning, everybody. Thank you, Secretary Napolitano, for being here to administer the oath –for making it official. Thank you, also, for leading our efforts to achieve comprehensive immigration reform so that America keeps faith with our heritage as both a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws.

To Director Mayorkas and all the dedicated folks at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, thank you for your help to these men and women, and so many of our troops, to realize their dreams of citizenship.

We are joined by Congresswoman Susan Davis, Deputy Secretary of Defense Bill Lynn and the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Jim “Hoss” Cartwright.

Most of all, to America’s newest citizens — it is a great honor to serve as your Commander-in-Chief, and it is my greatest pleasure to be among the first to greet you as a “fellow American.” To you and your families, welcome to the White House.

Today is your day — a celebration of 24 inspiring men and women and the remarkable journeys that have brought you together on this beautiful spring morning to our nation’s capitol. The paths that led you here began in more than a dozen countries, from Peru to Poland, from Kenya to the Philippines.

Some of you came to America as children, holding tight to your parents’ hands as you arrived in a new world. Some of you came as adults, leaving everything you knew behind in pursuit of a new life. And while your stories are your own, today we celebrate the common spirit that lives within each of you — a spirit that has renewed and strengthened America for more than two centuries.

We celebrate the love of family — your moms and dads who were willing to say good-bye to their own families, their own countries, so they could have an opportunity to give you the opportunity you [sic] never had. Like generations of immigrants before them, they worked hard. They scrimped and they saved. They deferred their own dreams so that you could realize yours. So today is a tribute to their sacrifices as well. And I would ask that you join me in honoring your moms and dads and the families that helped bring you to this day. (Applause.)

We celebrate the spirit of possibility — an ethic that says if you’re willing to put your shoulder to the wheel and apply your God-given talents, if you believe in yourself and you play by the rules, then there is a place for you in the United States of America — no matter where you come from and no matter what you look like.

It’s the spirit that brought a young woman from the People’s Republic of China and inspired her to enlist in the United States Air Force, where she excels as a material management specialist. So today we congratulate our fellow citizen, Yu Yuan. (Applause.)

It’s the spirit that brought a refugee from Ethiopia and led him to enlist in the U.S. Army because, he said, he wanted to give back to the country that “has given me the opportunity to be all that I can be.” And today we congratulate Berhan Teferi. (Applause.)

We celebrate the true meaning of patriotism — the love of a country that’s so strong that these men and women were willing to risk their lives to defend our country even before they could call it their own.

It’s a patriotism of a daughter of Mexico, who came to America in those first terrible days after 9/11, joined the U.S. Navy and says, “I take pride in our flag and the history that forged this great nation and the history we write day by day.” So today we congratulate Perla Ramos. (Applause.)

And it’s the patriotism of a young man from Papua New Guinea, who joined the United States Marine Corps and deployed to Iraq — not once, not twice, but three times. Asked why he would choose to become an American citizen, he said simply, “I might as well. I love this country already.” And so we congratulate Granger Michael. (Applause.)

The four of you can sit down. You represent not only the branch of the Armed Services that you are a part of, but also the other members who are your fellow citizens here today, and we thank you very much. We’re grateful to you. (Applause.)

In short, today we celebrate the very essence of the country that we all love — an America where so many of our forbearers came from someplace else; a society that’s been enriched by traditions and cultures from every corner of the world; a dynamic economy that’s constantly renewed by the talents and energies of each new citizen; and a people who understand that citizenship is not just a collection of rights, but it’s also a set of responsibilities.

Like so many others, these men and women met their responsibilities. They played by the rules. They have earned their citizenship. And so on a day like this, we are also reminded of how we must remain both a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws. This includes fixing America’s broken immigration system.

Over the years, many have attempted to confront this challenge, but passions are great and disagreements run deep. Yet surely we can all agree that when 11 million people in our country are living here illegally, outside the system, that’s unacceptable. The American people demand and deserve a solution. And they deserve common-sense, comprehensive immigration reform grounded in the principles of responsibility and accountability.

Government has a responsibility to enforce the law and secure our borders and set clear rules and priorities for future immigration. And under Secretary Napolitano’s leadership at the Department of Homeland Security, that’s exactly what we’re doing. We’ve strengthened security at our borders, ports and airports and we will continue to do so, because America’s borders must be secure. That’s part of what these young people here today stand for.

Businesses have a responsibility to obey the law and not undermine American workers, especially when so many Americans are out of work. Many businesses work to comply with the law every day. But for those that don’t — those that ignore the law and exploit and abuse vulnerable workers and try to gain an unfair advantage over all the businesses that do follow the law — we will hold them accountable.

And people who are in America illegally have a responsibility — to pay their back taxes and admit responsibility for breaking the law, pay a penalty, learn English, pass criminal background checks, and get right with the law — or face removal — before they can get in line and eventually earn their citizenship.

So responsibility. Accountability. Common-sense, comprehensive immigration reform. I thank Secretary Napolitano for helping to lead our efforts, both on and off Capitol Hill. And I thank Senators Schumer and Graham for working with us to forge a bipartisan consensus on a framework for moving forward, and I welcome the commitment of House and Senate Democratic leaders to take action.

I’ll continue to consult with Democrats and Republicans in Congress, and I would note that 11 current Republican Senators voted to pass immigration reform four years ago. I’m hopeful that they will join with Democrats in doing so again so we can make the progress the American people deserve.

Indeed, our failure to act responsibly at the federal level will only open the door to irresponsibility by others. And that includes, for example, the recent efforts in Arizona, which threatened to undermine basic notions of fairness that we cherish as Americans, as well as the trust between police and their communities that is so crucial to keeping us safe.

In fact, I’ve instructed members of my administration to closely monitor the situation and examine the civil rights and other implications of this legislation. But if we continue to fail to act at a federal level, we will continue to see misguided efforts opening up around the country.

As a nation, as a people, we can choose a different future — a future that keeps faith with our history, with our heritage, and with the hope that America has always inspired in the hearts of people all over the world. For just as each of these 24 new citizens once cast their eyes upon our country from afar, so too, somewhere in the world today is a young boy or a young girl wondering if they, too, might someday share in America’s promise.

In the example of these new citizens, and in the actions we take as a nation, let us offer our answer, with confidence and optimism. Yes, there is a place called America that still welcomes those “yearning to breathe free.” A country where if you work hard and meet your responsibilities, you can pursue your dreams. A society where out of many, we are one — “one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

That’s the promise of America. That is the spirit that all of you are renewing here today. We are incredibly proud of you, God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)

Now, we have one other piece of business. Would Sergeant Ledum Ndaanee please come forward. There he is. How are you, sir?

SERGEANT NDAANEE: Hello, sir.

THE PRESIDENT: Growing up in Nigeria, Ledum probably never imagined he’d be standing on this stage today.

SERGEANT NDAANEE: That’s right, sir.

THE PRESIDENT: Neither did I. (Laughter.) But thanks to the generosity of churches in Virginia, he and his parents found a home in the United States. And Ledum, who says “I always wanted to be in the military,” found his calling in the United States Marine Corps.

He deployed to Iraq, and was serving his second tour when his unit was struck by an improvised explosive device. In the weeks and months that followed, he battled to recover from traumatic brain injury. At a VA medical center, with his parents at his side, he was presented a Purple Heart. And a few moments later, he was sworn in as an American citizen.

This Marine was not only determined to recover, he was determined to help others. He has been a leader and mentor to his fellow wounded warriors. In fact, I hear he’s quite an athlete –

SERGEANT NDAANEE: Yes, sir.

THE PRESIDENT: — he agrees. (Laughter.) He will compete next month in the first Warrior Games at the U.S. Olympic training center in Colorado.

So for his distinguished service to country, and for inspiring us all with his example of what citizenship truly means, I am proud to join the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in presenting this recognition — the “Outstanding American by Choice” award — to Sergeant Ledum Ndaanee. Do we have the award? (Applause.)

(The award is presented.)

With that, I’d ask Sergeant Ndaanee to conclude our ceremony by leading us all in the Pledge of Allegiance.

(The Pledge of Allegiance is recited.)

Thank you, everybody. (Applause.)

END
10:27 A.M. EDT

Here’s the video and transcript of Obama answering the simple question of the wisdom of raising taxes via the health care bill. I don’t think he even answers the question of the wisdom in higher taxes. I’ve highlighted some of the text for an easier read. I will dissect his statements later on but I do want to leave you with this thought. QUESTION: If the problem is with big business not having enough money to pay for their employees insurance then why doesn’t Obama just give those businesses money to do so? It would seem that if that were Obama’s real concern he would do that. As they say….you decide. Do you think he gave reassuring and a wise answer?

Transcript found at USAToday

QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. President. We’re honored to have you here today. I’m Joyce Ravis (ph) from Lake Wiley, South Carolina. I work at Celgard. We have wonderful CEOs that take care of us and have really helped the company grow. My question is, though, in the economy times that we have now, is it a wise decision to add more taxes to us with the health care, because it — we are over-taxed as it is?

OBAMA: Well, let’s talk about this, you know, because this is an area where there’s been just a whole lot of misinformation. And I’m going to have to work hard over the next several months to clean up a lot of the misapprehensions that people have.

Here’s the bottom line. Number one is that we are the only — we have been, up until last week, the only advanced country that allows 15 million of its citizens to not have any health insurance. And the vast majority of those folks work; it’s just that they don’t happen to work for a company that is either big enough or generous enough to provide them any coverage.

So that’s point number one: There is a moral imperative that is important.

Number two: You don’t know who might end up being in that situation. See, those of us who have health care right now ask ourselves, Well, is this something that should be a priority right now? But anybody here who lost their job and then COBRA ran out, or COBRA wasn’t subsidized the way the Recovery Act made sure COBRA — paid 65% of the cost of COBRA, and you had somebody at home who was sick or you had a child who got sick, you’d suddenly say to yourself, Well, now I see the need.

(LAUGHTER)

And so part of what we have to do is always say to ourselves, there but for the grace of God go I, and have a basic — basic safety net.

So that’s point number two.

Point number three is that the way insurance companies have been operating, even if you’ve got health insurance, you don’t always know what you’ve got. Because what has been increasingly the practice is that if you’re not lucky enough to work for a big company that is a big pool, that essentially is almost a self-insurer, then what’s happening is is that you’re going out on the marketplace, you may be buying insurance, you think you’re covered, but then when you get sick, they decide to drop the insurance right when you need it; or when you get sick, they try to find what’s (sic) they consider to be a pre-existing condition that would justify them canceling your policy; or there’s some fine print in there where you’ve got a lifetime limit and it turns out you thought you had coverage but it turns out the coverage only goes up to a certain point and then afterward you have to start paying out of pocket, and even after paying all those premiums, you’re now in the hole for $100,000 or $200,000 and you’re going bankrupt or losing your house.

And the final point is that the cost of health care, setting aside anything we did in reform, I mean, if we just allowed the current trajectory to go on, is out of control.

Now, I haven’t talked to Bob about what his costs are looking like for Celgard employees, but I can tell you that health care costs have gone up, the price of health care has gone up three times faster than wages. So either the company is having to swallow those costs, which means that’s less money that they could use for hiring new workers or investing in new plants and equipment, or they’re passing on those costs to their employees in the form of higher premiums, higher deductibles, higher co-payments.

And what’s happening federally is, because the costs are so out of control, all the programs that we already have — Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program — all those things are completely out of control.

So if you’re concerned about the deficit, what you’re really concerned about is the cost of Medicare, Medicaid and all the other programs that are already in place.

So here’s what we did. What we said is, number one, we’ll have the basic principle that everybody gets coverage. And the way we’re going to do that is to say that most people individually shouldn’t buy health insurance on their own because they have no leverage and the insurance companies take advantage of them.

Instead, what we’re going to do is we’re going to set up a big pool, a marketplace, that allows everybody to buy into this pool — that members of Congress, by the way, will be a part of, so you know it’s going to be a good deal, because members of Congress, you know, they’ve got to look out for their own families. They wouldn’t vote for it if it wasn’t going to be a good deal.

And just like Wal-Mart is able to leverage a really good price from its suppliers for everything, because they’re such a big purchaser, well, this pool will be a big purchaser and it will be able to get a better deal from insurance companies.

So that’s point number one. That will drive down the prices for people who are participating and it will allow everybody to get a decent deal on insurance. And what we do is we provide tax credits to people who still can’t afford it, so that they can afford it. That’s point number one.

Point number two is we’ve got the strongest insurance reforms in history. So all those things I told you about, you not being able to get insurance because of a pre-existing condition, you finding yourself getting dropped even though you’ve been paying premiums for 15 years and suddenly they just decide, Sorry, we don’t want you because you’re getting sick, those policies will be over.

And so you will be protected as a consumer to make sure you’ve got security and protection if you’ve got insurance already. That’s the second thing we do.

The third thing we do is we actually put in place a whole bunch of mechanisms to start reducing the actual cost of health care. So for example, one of the things that we do is to say, We’re going to start encouraging paying doctors not based on how many tests they take, but based on the quality of the outcome, does somebody end up healthy?

And it turns out that a lot of times, you know, if you go to the doctor, you get one test, then you go referred to a specialist, you get another test. Then maybe you go to a third person, the surgeon, you get a third test. It’s all the same test, but you’re paying three times. So what we’re trying to say is, we’ll pay you for the first test, and then e-mail the test to everybody.

(LAUGHTER)

(APPLAUSE)

Right? Or…

(APPLAUSE)

… or have all three doctors in the room when the test is being taken. But — but that’s an example of the kinds of things that save money and will start reducing costs over the long term. So what we’ve done is we’ve embedded in how Medicare reimburses, how Medicaid reimburses — all these ideas to actually reduce the costs of care.

So our hope is that over time, over the next three, four, five, six years, because of all these changes, that we’ve actually saved money from this even though more people are covered.

And so now you’ll — you’ll hear the critics and the Republicans say, Now, that just defies common sense. If you’re adding 30 — 30 million more people, then it’s got to cost more money. And it — you know, you can’t pretend like somehow that’s going to help us on the deficit.

I’ve heard this criticism. I understand it. But let me give you an example.

If you’ve got a house and you’ve got a big hole in your roof, and it’s raining and snowing through that roof, and there’s some people who are inside the rooms where the roof’s OK and they’re nice and warm, and then you’ve got a few — you know, your family members in that room where there’s a big hole in the roof and they’re shivering and they’re cold, if you repair the roof, that’s going to cost some money. But if all the water damage from your floors and all the heat that’s going out of the roof and all — you count all those savings over time, it may turn out that it actually is saving you money and, by the way, all those family members now are warm, too. You’re not the only one who’s warm, right?

That’s essentially what we’re trying to set up.

Now, the last point I want to make: All those savings that we’re anticipating, we don’t even count those when it comes to making sure that this is deficit-neutral. Here are the two ways that we’re pay for this thing.

Number one, we are eliminating a whole bunch of waste, fraud and — and insurance subsidies that were being paid out under Medicare that aren’t making our seniors any healthier. I mean, you’ve got a pretty sweet deal from insurance companies right now in a program called Medicare Advantage where they get $18 billion a year paid to them to manage a Medicare program that about 80% of seniors are getting directly from the government and it’s working just fine. It’s just a subsidy to them that doesn’t make anybody healthier. So what we’re saying is, Well, let’s eliminate the subsidy.

So that’s about how we pay for half of this thing.

The other half of it, it is true that we have identified some additional taxes that we think are fair. And let me describe, just to give you an example. I don’t think this will affect you, but I don’t know — you know, I don’t know your family’s circumstances.

Right now if you’re on salary, you get your salary from Celgard or any of the — any of the companies around here, you’re paying your Medicare tax on all of that, right? You see it on your — as part of your FICA. But if you’re Warren Buffett and you get most of your money from dividends and capital gains, you don’t pay Medicare tax on that.

You’re eligible for it. You’re going to get the same Medicare benefits as anybody else. But because your source of income is what’s called unearned income, capital gains and dividends, you don’t have to pay this.

Well, I’m thinking to myself, how is it that the guy who’s cleaning up the office is paying the Medicare tax and the guy who’s making capital gains isn’t.

So what we said was, look, if you make more than $200,000 and $250,000 a year, then that money that you make over $200,000 and $250,000 a year that’s unearned, that’s from capital gains and dividends, you should have to pitch in to Medicare just like everybody else because you’re going to be using it like everybody else. So it’s a concept of fairness.

(APPLAUSE)

Now, what the Congressional Budget Office has said — I’m sorry, by the way, these questions sometimes are — or these answers are long. But I want to be sure, you guys, that I’m really answering your question. I hope you feel like I really want to respect the importance of your question.

What the Congressional Budget Office has said is that as a consequence of the savings from the waste and fraud, combined with the new revenue sources I just mentioned, that this thing is going to actually reduce our deficit by over a trillion dollars. Over a trillion dollars. We’re actually saving money for the government because we closed the roof, the house is now insulated, it’s warm. And by the way, in the meantime we’ve got a whole bunch of people who were left out in the cold who are now being taken care of.

That’s — that’s the concept. But I know that for a lot of people they’ve got a legitimate concern about, gosh, it just seems like government spending is out of control. I understand that. I feel that.

But understand what happened. When I walked in, we already had a $1.3 trillion deficit. That’s an annual deficit of $1.3 trillion. That’s the day I got sworn in, before I did a thing.

We had $8 trillion in accumulated debt from the war in Iraq, not paid for; the prescription drug plan, Medicare Part D, not paid for; Bush tax cuts, not paid for. So we already had all this debt that had just been piled up, but nobody had noticed because things were going kind of good. Just like a lot of folks didn’t notice their credit card was going up or that their home equity loans were going up because when things are going good, you tend not to notice. So all that debt had already accumulated.

We then had to spend $787 billion on the Recovery Act to do all the things — unemployment insurance, COBRA, what’s called FMAP, which is essentially helping states to keep their budgets afloat so they didn’t have to lay off teachers and cops and firefighters — all of which, if that had happened, would have further depressed the economy and we would have recovered a lot later. The investments we’re making in clean energy and things like Celgard to help spur economic growth, so we had to spend that.

But that’s only a fraction of what our debt was. And in addition, what happens is when the economy goes south, there are fewer tax revenues. And so you’re putting more money out to help people with unemployment insurance and things like that, but you’re getting less money in because folks are out of work and businesses aren’t making money.

Bottom line is, we now have a significant debt that has to be paid down. That’s why I’m freezing government spending. That’s why we reinstituted what is called pay as you go. You can’t start a program without paying for it. Our health care program is paid for.

But the big thing if you’re really worried about leaving debt to the next generation, which I know you are, the most important thing we’re going to have to tackle is our health care costs because Medicare is by far — Medicare and Medicaid — are the biggest things that are looming in the horizon in terms of what our debt’s going to be. Nothing else comes close.

If this health care bill never existed, if I didn’t do anything about it, we’d actually be a trillion dollars worse off over the long term. But even with what — the savings we’re getting from health care, we’re still going to have to do more. And if you don’t believe that, you know, go on our website, www.whitehouse.gov, and you can look at where — at how the federal budget works.

A lot of people think if you just eliminated foreign aid, we could balance the budget. Or if you just eliminated earmarks, you could balance the budget. Earmarks, you know, pork projects, what everybody calls pork, those account for about 1 percent of the budget, less than 1%. Foreign aid accounts for about 1.5% to 2% of the budget.

Most of the budget is Medicare, Social Security, Medicaid, defense spending and interest on the national debt. That — that accounts for about 70% of the budget. And so all this other stuff that sometimes we argue about, that’s not the big stuff. We’re going to have to tackle the big stuff if we’re going to get our budget under control.

Boy, that was a long answer. I’m sorry, but I hope everybody — but I hope I answered her question.

(Posted by David Jackson)

Id be interested to know what you think about his speech in the comments

THE PRESIDENT:  Good morning, everybody.  (Applause.)  Thank you.  Please have a seat.  Have a seat.  What a great honor and pleasure it is to have all of you here today.  Before I begin, I want to just acknowledge two members of my Cabinet who I believe are here — Secretary Gary Locke — is that correct?  Where’s Gary?  There he is — our Commerce Secretary.  (Applause.)  And Secretary Janet Napolitano, who’s keeping us safe each and every day.  (Applause.)

I also want to acknowledge the Mount Ennon Clinton Children’s Chorus for being here.  They’re going to be giving us a medley later on.  There they are up there, looking very serious.  (Applause.)

Before I begin, I want to send my deepest condolences, our thoughts and prayers to the families and the friends of the workers who lost their lives after an explosion took place in a West Virginia mine yesterday.  At this moment, there are still people missing.  There are rescue teams that are searching tirelessly and courageously to find them.

I spoke with Governor Manchin of West Virginia last night and told him that the federal government stands ready to offer whatever assistance is needed in this rescue effort.  So I would ask the faithful who’ve gathered here this morning to pray for the safe return of the missing, the men and women who put their lives on the line to save them, and the souls of those who have been lost in this tragic accident.  May they rest in peace, and may their families find comfort in the hard days ahead.

One of my hopes upon taking this office was to make the White House a place where all people would feel welcome.  To that end, we held a Seder here to mark the first Passover.  We held an Iftar here with Muslim Americans to break the daily fast during Ramadan.  And today, I’m particularly blessed to welcome you, my brothers and sisters in Christ, for this Easter breakfast.

With us are Christian leaders from all across America, men and women who lead small-town churches and big-city congregations, and major organizations in service of others; folks whose sermons are heard and whose examples are followed by millions all across the country.  So I wanted to join you for a brief moment today to continue the Easter celebration of our risen Savior, and to reflect on the work to which His promise calls all of us.

I can’t tell any of you anything about Easter that you don’t already know.  (Laughter.)  I can’t shed light on centuries of scriptural interpretation or bring any new understandings to those of you who reflect on Easter’s meaning each and every year and each and every day.  But what I can do is tell you what draws me to this holy day and what lesson I take from Christ’s sacrifice and what inspires me about the story of the resurrection.

For even after the passage of 2,000 years, we can still picture the moment in our mind’s eye.  The young man from Nazareth marched through Jerusalem; object of scorn and derision and abuse and torture by an empire.  The agony of crucifixion amid the cries of thieves.  The discovery, just three days later, that would forever alter our world — that the Son of Man was not to be found in His tomb and that Jesus Christ had risen.

We are awed by the grace He showed even to those who would have killed Him.  We are thankful for the sacrifice He gave for the sins of humanity.  And we glory in the promise of redemption in the resurrection.

And such a promise is one of life’s great blessings, because, as I am continually learning, we are, each of us, imperfect.  Each of us errs — by accident or by design.  Each of us falls short of how we ought to live.  And selfishness and pride are vices that afflict us all.

It’s not easy to purge these afflictions, to achieve redemption.  But as Christians, we believe that redemption can be delivered — by faith in Jesus Christ.  And the possibility of redemption can make straight the crookedness of a character; make whole the incompleteness of a soul.  Redemption makes life, however fleeting here on Earth, resound with eternal hope.

Of all the stories passed down through the gospels, this one in particular speaks to me during this season.  And I think of hanging — watching Christ hang from the cross, enduring the final seconds of His passion.  He summoned what remained of His strength to utter a few last words before He breathed His last breath.

“Father,” He said, “into your hands I commit my spirit.” Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.  These words were spoken by our Lord and Savior, but they can just as truly be spoken by every one of us here today.  Their meaning can just as truly be lived out by all of God’s children.

So, on this day, let us commit our spirit to the pursuit of a life that is true, to act justly and to love mercy and walk humbly with the Lord.  And when we falter, as we will, let redemption — through commitment and through perseverance and through faith — be our abiding hope and fervent prayer.

Many of you are living out that commitment every day.  So we want to honor you through this brief program, celebrating both the meaning of Easter and the spirit of service that embodies so much of your work.  And our first celebrant today is Reverend Dr. Cynthia Hale, who will deliver our opening prayer.

Thank you all for being here.  (Applause.)

Ha, Ha, Ha…now this is a surprise! Michelle Obama states at :45 seconds that Obama’s home country is Kenya. This speech took place in August, 2008 before Obama had received the nomination. So here are a two observations I have.

1. The context points to the fact that if she literally states she and Barack went to Kenya and got literally tested for HIV then it would seem that Kenya is literally Barack’s “home country.”
2. If Barack is working towards the nomination then Michelle would have known that only natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States at the signing of the Constitution can be President. If that is the case then why would you help bring into question Barack’s legitimacy?

Concern:

1. Obama took the Oath of Office to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. I’m not sure how you could do that if you have allegiance  to another home country? If I’m wrong then please let me know.
2. I don’t think and Obama is going to publicly say that his home country is in the USA and that other than the fact he has history and family in Kenya his sole purpose is to help and protect the Constitution.

What Say You?
Seems to correlate with the Kenyan Ambassador:


What are you’re thoughts?

Sixty-eight years ago today, Franklin D. Roosevelt (32nd President of the United States) addressed the country after Japan decided that it would be a good idea and in their best interest to bomb the United States at Pearl Harbor. At the time, we were not interested in entering  World War 2 but Japan thought that if they were at war then so should we.

What I love about FDR infamy speech is that it is short and to the point. The speech was only a few minutes long but it laid out why we were going to war, the justification of war with Japan, the objectives to accomplish during the war and why we would win the war. It was truly inspiring and honestly it was an era where men were given permission to protect the interests of their faith, family, and country. It’s sad to think that our government does not abide by that same philosophy and perception. What Do You Think?

Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, members of the Senate and the House of Representatives:

Yesterday, December 7, 1941 – a date which will live in infamy – the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

The United States was at peace with that nation, and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its government and its Emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific.

Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American island of Oahu, the Japanese Ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. And, while this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack.

It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time the Japanese Government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost. In addition, American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.

Yesterday the Japanese Government also launched an attack against Malaya.
Last night Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.
Last night Japanese forces attacked Guam.
Last night Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.
Last night the Japanese attacked Wake Island.
And this morning the Japanese attacked Midway Island.

Japan has therefore undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.

As Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense, that always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us.

No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people, in their righteous might, will win through to absolute victory.

I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us.

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger.

With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph. So help us God.

I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire.

Franklin D. Roosevelt – December 8, 1941

I am continually impressed with Tom Price and his passion and desire to preserve freedom from economic tyranny. What do I mean by that?  Money gives you choices and opportunities that you wouldn’t normally have.  For example, if you have the opportunity to make $300,000.00 but know that you are going to be taxed higher then you would if you made $200,000.00 then you are not going to be that interested in making $300,00.00.  As a result, $100,000.00 will be lost that could have been used for business R&D, purchasing, and employment.

Consider this $100,000.00.  If used for R&D for efficiency and innovation then that would mean the products made would be cheaper in overhead and to the customer.  The $100,000.00 for purchasing would mean that it would increase production to keep up with demand.  Without an available supply the the customer will just go somewhere else to find that product.  If this is the case then the customer demand would be down and thus a higher chance for layoffs.  This brings me the final point of unemployment.  That $100,000.00 that the government forced the business to not make is thus forcing the business to layoff employees that could increase the business’s profit 10 fold.

So Tom Price is right that they should hold a moment of silence for those they know are going to lose their jobs.

What Say You?

I stopped by and watched Transformers 2 at the IMAX theatre and here are a few of my thoughts.  Here are a few shots from the movie that I took.

1. Gratuitous sexuality (do transformers really hump legs or have sex organs?)
2. Very tight shots and difficult to visually process
3. not optimized for IMAX and thus blurry
4. Extremely unrealistic so far as “hiding in plain sight”
5. Felt all 2 hours 30 mins of it
6. I won’t buy it on DVD

What Do You Think?