"When Are You a Person?"

Psalm 127:3- Behold, children are a gift of the Lord; the fruit of the womb is a reward.

I am the eldest of six children. Italians are very big on family, especially babies. I don’t remember any time until my 12th or 13th birthday when there wasn’t a high-chair in our home. It seemed as if my Mom was always taking care of babies, or waiting for a new baby to be born. Each new member of the family was met with great celebration as family gathered at our house waiting for Mom to come home from the hospital with our new sister or brother. Funny faces and baby talk was rampant from everyone from my Grandmother to all of us kids. As I write this, I remember the new baby smell of powder that permeated the house. Aunts, uncles and cousins all showed up to celebrate our new addition. Nona prepared food, and there was pastry with strong coffee and Chianti for everybody. We all regarded this as a blessing from God!

Currently, abortion is legal in America, and our President is a supporter of this practice. Nancy Pelosi, who is supposedly a practicing Roman Catholic, is also a supporter of this procedure. I have strong feelings about abortion, both as a Christian, and as an American. I don’t know what price we are paying for each loss of an aborted child. I don’t know how many great doctors, lawyers or professors are left in a dumpster because of this evil practice. How much promise is cast into a trash can because of the “inconvenience” of a child? Our proposed “Obamacare” covers what is called “therapeutic abortion”: this term is liberally interpreted, and most “abortion doctors” will find a reason for the deadly procedure. It’s too bad about those “inconvenient” children.

Yesterday, I read one of the most disturbing articles I have read in quite a long time. If you are a proponent of abortion, you may want to rethink your feelings after hearing this. In Australia, two ethicists are working on the possibility of “post birth abortions”. This is a polite way of saying murdering a living, breathing baby after a successful delivery! This proposal cites reasoning like “putting the well being of the family first, even if it (the baby) had the potential for an acceptable life”. These advocators of murder also said a fetus or a newborn cannot be considered a PERSON in the morally relevant sense. Listen to this statement and try not “throwing up”: “Merely being human is not in itself a reason for ascribing someone with a right to life.” This sounds quite a bit like the NAZI philosophy of racial cleansing to me. The fact that this is being discussed at all should disturb us.

We continue to devalue human life when it seems to interfere with the “convenient” flow of our lives. To deny personhood to a living child (from the moment of conception) is the advocating of murder! I fear that if this becomes an acceptable theory, we will soon see further, more reaching theories of “acceptable” murder, perhaps the denial of treatment for certain ailments for those who have “outlived their usefulness”.

We stand at the brink of treating human life as a disposable commodity. In a civilized world we must take a stand against, even the thought, of this type of philosophy, or we will soon be facing “death panels”!

"$4, $8,$10; STOP!!!"

I remember when I was a young boy, whenever we were taking a long trip, my Dad would stop at a service station and buy $3.00 worth of gasoline. Back then, $3.00 was about 12 gallons of gas; now that was “the good old days”. America was one of the world’s oil giants with production in Texas, Oklahoma, California and Kansas, plus several other states supplying our energy needs. In later years, we have had our domestic production limited because of some concerns about environmental impacts on plant life and certain animal’s migration patterns. We are currently producing a little more oil due to some policies instituted during the George Bush administration (sorry Barack, it wasn’t you).

The current mantra from most of the Republican hopefuls is “DRILL, DRILL, DRILL AND DRILL”. I must say, that with current technology, we have a real chance to drill our way out of this mess. It won’t be an overnight cure, of course, but it will help America in more ways than just finding more oil. Obama has rejected the Keystone Pipeline, which cost America over 40,000 jobs. America hasn’t built a refinery in over forty years; what could be accomplished if our oil companies were allowed to renovate and build new refineries in conjunction with expanded domestic drilling. We have enough oil and oil shale under America to dwarf OPEC, yet it remains untouched because of certain outdated environmental regulations, which are unnecessary with today’s modern drilling techniques. According to the National Resources Defense Council, the earliest we can expect any real production of bio-fuels will be in the year 2050; that is only if we jump headlong into research right now! President Obama says our future lies in bio-fuels produced through algae. This lab experiment is far from a realistic goal at this time.

Those of you reading this are probably between the ages of 30 and 70 years old. Those of you 30 year olds will be 68 years old when you can buy some “Obamagas”, and if you are 70, YOU WILL BE DEAD!

I have been fact checking this relentlessly, and can find no expert that believes bio-fuel will be of any type of immediate relief to the American people. The continued stonewalling of domestic drilling from the Barack Obama Administration is in direct correlation with the spiraling cost of fuel at the pump! I personally believe Barack Obama is using this fuel crisis to, once again, divide the American people, casting some type of perverse blame on the oil industry which only has a profit margin of 4%! Yes, my fellow Americans, that “evil monster” has a 4% margin of profit; to put it simply, they make $.04 on every dollar!

America, we must ask ourselves, who the real villain is in this situation? We are literally standing on top of the cure for our energy problems, yet we have a Chief Executive who is committed to ignoring what lies beneath America’s feet! The next time you “filler’up” at the pump and pay $100.00+, you can thank a “Do Nothing President” for that unnecessary cost, and think what it means to the guy working at McDonald’s!

"It's Just My Style"

I am now retired, but I still remember what it is like to be in the “working world”. I remember my first job when I was 16 years old, and having a very disagreeable boss; I believe he must have had a cup of sauerkraut juice with his breakfast every morning, but he was my boss and I had to listen to him. As I progressed through life I had many supervisors, some friendly and amiable, some cranky and nasty, but they were all my bosses and I did what I was told. Everybody has somebody to answer to in the “working world”.

I have people from all over the world who read this blog on a daily basis. I doubt if everybody agrees with every point I make, and that is a good thing; who wants a bunch of comatose clones that do nothing but nod in approval at everything one says. I appreciate all comments that are made on any post, be they positive or negative. My only proviso is that anything said be backed up with fact, and if I am proven wrong, I will be happy to yield to facts. I admit I use sarcasm and wit to make some of my points, and they sometimes cut “close to the bone”; I will not apologize for this, it is my “style”.

My criticism of President Obama is obvious throughout my writings; we are politically polar opposites. Whenever I see Mr. Obama doing or saying things I don’t agree with, I will say something about it; if feelings are hurt this is not my intention, it is to shed light on an important issue. A person very dear to me said I am tearing down the President in most of my writings, and that person is probably correct, as I don’t endorse 99% of what Mr. Obama has done since he entered office. Mr. Obama has been prominently mentioned in my prayers, regardless of my personal feelings about him; I continue to hope that God directs his life. This being said, I cannot sit by like a mute while situations take place that I believe are detrimental to the well being of the United States of America.

I’m concerned that some people are fearful of criticizing this President because they will be branded a racist. If you are a racist, it will be reflected in much more than your criticism of an elected official; you will probably “live it out” in other actions of your life. For those of you who aren’t “racists”, don’t allow that appearance to dissuade you from honest observation in your government. Whether Mr. Obama likes it or not, he works for us, and he will have to get used to having his “feet held to the fire”; this comes with the territory!

As soon as I see Barack Obama do something I believe is for the good of America, I will write about that too!; unfortunately, I’m still waiting for that to happen. I still have hopes that Mr. Obama will wake up and see what his policies have done to America thus far, but “I’m not holding my breath”.

"Justice, Bought and Paid For"

Have you ever gone to court for any reason? I have had jury duty, and have had to attend a hearing at the National Labor Relations Board in front of an Administrative Law Judge. In both cases, the proceedings were handled very carefully as to make sure there were no irregularities that could prejudice the cases.

When a jury is appointed, each prospective juror is questioned to make sure they have no preconceived feelings of guilt or innocence, or that they have had no involvement with the litigating parties. To put this in a much simpler form, it is as if you are playing baseball and the umpire is your best friend; it doesn’t make for a good situation when a close call is made, you need another umpire!

The most prestigious position in the American Legal System is that of a Supreme Court Justice. No court is higher, and it is the final stop in all litigation, both civil and criminal. Ethics are to be the highest on this court over any other court in the land; there should never be a conflict of interest in any decision made by these judges.

This is an election year, and one of the hottest topics of this election is “Obamacare”. Several states have filed litigation questioning the constitutionality of this program, and as they have been moving up the judicial ladder, there have been mixed interpretations on the program’s constitutionality. Most of the big name Republican candidates say they are focused on the repeal of “Obamacare” as soon as they are elected, and this position seems very popular with most Americans when surveyed. Whether pro or con, you will get heated arguments about “Obamacare” whenever it comes up in conversation.

This program is on the schedule of the United States Supreme Court. The 2000+ page document will come before the nation’s highest court to have its constitutionality decided. This program represents billions of dollars in taxpayer’s money and a debt that will last for the next 30+ years if it passes muster from the court. The actual question is: Can the federal government force a citizen to purchase health insurance against his will?

Most of you know the name Elena Kagan; she is the newest appointment to the Supreme Court. Justice Kagan has never been a judge before this appointment; not even a parking violation has been brought before Ms. Kagan! Ms. Kagan was Solicitor General when “Obamacare” was passed. What this situation presents is a definite conflict of interest, as Ms. Kagan must have been involved in possible defense strategies for this program; in fact, she admitted to this herself. That statement, in itself, should disallow her from participating in a decision on this issue. Ms. Kagan has the option of recusal from this decision, yet she has decided against that.

Twenty-six states are involved in this decision, millions of Americans are involved in this decision and Ms. Kagan has a vested interest in the final decision of this issue. Real ethics are in question about Ms. Kagan. It seems Mr. Obama has a “ringer” on the Supreme Court.

The Senate can call for the impeachment of a Supreme Court Justice, yet Reid and his lackeys are sitting with their arms folded. The more I see of the most “transparent administration America will ever have”, the more I see a pattern of unethical conduct and denial of rule by the people. From the Congress to the White House and even the Supreme Court, our citizens have been “short-changed” since Barack Obama has taken office. I only hope that when November finally comes, we can rid our nation of this unethical and unconstitutional administration!

"Are You Kidding ME?!"

Romans 16:18 - For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

The above Bible verse is only one of many that speak about false teachers and prophets. The Bible gives all believers warning after warning about those who use the words of Jesus for their own gain or agenda, yet are not working for God’s purpose. I remember several years ago, Steve Martin made a movie about a phony healer who used fake healings to fleece those who came to his revivals. Being a Bible believing Christian, I believe we must always be on the alert for people who distort the Gospel for their own personal agenda and gain.

It has been said that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, and that is truth. Anyone can take certain words or phrases out of the Bible and turn the meaning to fit a purpose for which they weren’t intended; as we have said in Sunday school, there are few Christians who can quote the Bible as well as Satan. The Bible also says a man should be judged by his fruit, the works that exhibit his faith and does it follow God’s intention.

I have been an elder in church for several years, and I had to model the biblical role that describes that position. I am not “holier” than anyone else; I am just given certain abilities to employ God’s work in that position. A major qualification is “wisdom and discernment”, and this can only be attained through the study of God’s word and prayer. If you don’t know your Bible, you shouldn’t be on this job! I have seen many professing Christians during my life, and the true Christian “lives it out” in word and deed.

Recently, I read an article written by a college professor, John Fea, from Messiah College, who said “Barack Obama may be the most explicitly Christian President in American History”. He went on in his article to say ”If we analyze his language in the same way that historians examine the religious language of the Founding Fathers, or even George W. Bush, we will find that Obama’s PIETY, use of the Bible, and references to Christian faith and theology put most other American Presidents to shame on this front.” Now I’m not Billy Graham or Charles Stanley, but I can’t understand where this man draws his conclusions from. Mr. Fea believes Obama’s conflicts with Bible believing Christians is a political matter, when I, as a dedicated Bible reader and follower, must differ with this conclusion. Mr. Obama’s fruit doesn’t reflect Christian value. He is a proponent of abortion. Even before his election, Obama said he wouldn’t want his daughters “punished” with a baby for one mistake. A true Christian would never look at a child as “punishment”; each child is a gift from God! He said he is reconsidering his position on gay marriage, and the Bible specifically says a marriage is a union between a man and a woman. Deviance from the Bible is rampant throughout Obama’s view of Christian faith. This is like saying Heinrich Himler could have been a Rabbi! Obama has exhibited much more belief toward Islam than Christianity over the last 37 months. I think Messiah College should take a hard look at Professor Fea; maybe they should see if he actually has a Bible in his office!

"What Are You Allowed To Hear?"

Virtually every Sunday, with few exceptions, my wife and I get up and go to church. Those of you who have been with me for a while know that I am a Christian, and not just the “Sunday kind”; I believe I know the true word of God preached in the Christian church, and I try to conduct my life in a way that will bring honor to God, and spread the gospel of Jesus. I enjoy going to church, but the reason I attend is that I believe God wants us to worship Him as a body of believers. It is good to pray at home and read His words, but a message from the pulpit can be a moving and educational experience for an entire congregation. We are fortunate to live in a nation where we can get up on Sunday and worship as we like, without interference from an oppressive government.

Freedom of religion is a cornerstone of the American Constitution. Our Founding Fathers were very careful about protecting that freedom. What many people believe about separation of church and state is in error. What our Founding Fathers wanted to do was to avoid the establishment of a state religion. Actually, Hitler tried to establish a NAZI religion with “Mein Kampf” as its holy book; not only Jews suffered under Hitler, many Catholics and Protestants were taken to death camps too. Words that threatened government authority or policy were unacceptable. Hitler viewed those theological differences as treasonous and seditious. I guess in NAZI Germany, a minister had to weigh his words carefully.

By now, everybody has heard about the stir caused by Barack Obama’s edict to the Catholic owned hospitals, in which abortion and birth control must be covered in their health insurance. The leaders, all the way to the Pope, said it was unacceptable and would send a letter to be read to every congregation saying they would not obey Obama’s edict. This policy was in direct conflict with Christian core belief, making it a law which they couldn’t follow.

Here is the kicker to this whole deal!: our fine and brave soldiers who happen to be Catholic are about to have their sermons censored by the government! Yes, my fellow Americans, those men and women who put their lives on the line to protect your freedom to worship are having that same freedom denied to them!

A directive was sent from the Pentagon to Army chaplains telling them that if they do not change some of the language in that letter, those chaplains will be charged with TREASON OR SEDITION, followed by a court-martial! This is a direct attack from the Obama Administration against EVERYONE’S CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS. Whether a civilian or a member of the military, the government has NO RIGHT to dictate the words that come from the pulpit, or they would be “establishing a state religion” and that is UNCONSTITUTIONAL!

What will happen next from the Obama administration? Perhaps, he will write his own version of creation and salvation that America can follow, with him as the “chosen one”! Yes America, you may be a traitor, if you don’t follow the words and policies of Barack Obama, even to the point of denying your faith!!

"Sorry, No Fries Allowed!"

Growing up in an Italian household, I enjoyed some of the best food on planet earth. Chicken parmigiana, lasagna, meatballs, giambotte, antipasto and ravioli is just a small sample of the food that graced our plates on any given day. When a person grows up in an Italian home, you get a “doctorate in delicious” that no other school can duplicate. Along with all of the Italian delicacies, we had roast lamb, roast beef and fried chicken; I have yet to find a rival for anywhere. My Mother and my Grandmother were wizards in our kitchen and they have given me some of my fondest food memories. They have given me the benchmark for measuring what good food should be. I like going to different restaurants with my wife and sampling the fare that is offered. Barbeque, Mexican, Chinese, country cooking, burgers and even Korean food all fall into my “wheelhouse” when we think of eating out for a meal. I don’t always make the healthy choices; melted cheese, hot butter and red meat are among my favorite things and I do indulge myself.

I would like to propose a scenario for you. The scene will open with you and your spouse getting ready for an evening out, perhaps an anniversary or birthday celebration. You have both spent time deciding where you would like to go, even to the point of discussing which dishes you would order and what appetizers you would share. You both put on your nicest clothes and drive to your destination, you are seated and order your cocktails and begin to look at your menu; upon ordering, the waiter informs you that the dishes and the appetizer you ordered could not be served to you because it has been determined that your choices aren’t healthy enough, and a pre-selected meal will be prepared for you this evening. What reaction do you think you might have to the waiter’s statement? It would probably be “ARE YOU NUTS!” Do you think this could actually happen?

Last week, a pre-school child had her “homemade” lunch confiscated by her school when a FEDERAL INSPECTOR opened the lunch and determined that it didn’t fulfill government nutritional standards! When I heard of this, I was actually speechless for a while. This inspector had absolutely no right to “search” that child’s lunch. When did the government suddenly get the right, or permission, to usurp a mother’s prerogative as to what she should be able to feed her children? The child appeared healthy, clean and there were no visible signs of any type of abuse. This was a plain invasion of personal property from an intrusive government employee! The government decided what this child was ALLOWED TO EAT! I heard the contents of the child’s lunch, and I believe it was a turkey sandwich, juice and some chips! Tell me what you think of this lunch; it’s not “raw hot dogs” or cat food; it is a typical kid’s lunch! How do you think a pre-school child might feel as some stranger fumbled through her food, some person she didn’t know, someone she didn’t trust. This is the “Nanny State” in action, and the rest of our lives are the next target for this overreaching socialist government.

The next time you want to make a choice at “Burger King” or “McDonald’s”, you might want to look over your shoulder to see who is watching you!