Happy Birthday President Reagan

Today mark's President Ronald Reagan's 100th birthday.  Although by no means perfect, Reagan's legacy shines brightly today. Perhaps his most enduring trait - and quite unique at the time - was his tireless optimism about America and our role on the world stage. When he took office, many thought that America's best days were behind us. The dominant political and media culture looked down upon America's accomplishments, and questioned our ability to be a force for good in the world. Reagan rejected that perspective, and boldly declared that America's best days were in the future and that the march of progress would mean that our values would eventually prevail across the globe.

We often forget that at the time, the USSR and communism was spreading, and many believed that socialism or communism was the wave of the future. Reagan steadfastly - and most charmingly - told us that communism would end up in the ash-heap of history. More quickly than anyone imagined, he was proven right.

Reagan also warned us in his farewell address that we could only survive as a free people if we educated our youth about America's Constitution and First Principles. This warning has yet to be heeded. As revealed in America's Survival Guide (americassurvivalguide.com) studies upon studies show that our youth are not being taught essential civics and history, and we are at grave risk of losing our liberties. As we rejoice in Reagan's success, lets dedicate ourselves to preserving his - and America's - legacy by renewing the spirit of America.  One way to do this is to participate in Patriot Week (patriotweek.org).

God Bless Reagan and God Bless America.

Martin Luther King, Jr.: Champion of Equality & Justice

Martin Luther King, Jr. stated it more eloquently than anyone: "When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.".  Let's spend his holiday reflecting on those powerful sentiments and how we can fulfill that promissory note.

Chief Justice Roberts' Statement on Shooting Death of Judge John Roll

United States Supreme Court Chief Justice Roberts released the following statement on the murder of Judge Roll:

“The violence in Arizona today has senselessly taken five lives and inflicted tragic loss on dedicated public servants and their families. We in the judiciary have suffered the terrible loss of one of our own. Chief Judge John Roll was a wise jurist who selflessly served Arizona and the nation with great distinction, as attorney and judge, for more than 35 years. I express my deepest condolences to his wife Maureen and his children, as well as the other victims and their families. Chief Judge Roll’s death is a somber reminder of the importance of the rule of law and the sacrifices of those who work to secure it.”

I concur.

Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America”

Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America”

Liberty Depends on Us

"Show me that age and country where the rights and liberties of the people were placed on the sole chance of their rulers being good men, without a consequent loss liberty."  Patrick Henry (1788).

James Madison put it another way - if men were angels, there would be no need for government - but since men are not angels, they need a government - but who is to watch the government?  We must.

The simple reality is that human history clearly bears out that, as Lord Acton stated, power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.  That is why we have a government of laws - established under a written Constitution - with certain protections for everyone - including tremendous checks on the power of the government.  Still, that is not enough.  The people must always guard their liberties, or the protections in the Constitution will be meaningless.  Americans, stay on guard - if you want to be free.

The Need for Courage

In response to a corrupt plan to protect the Virginia speaker of the house for making personal loans with public money, Patrick Henry (then a brand new legislator) harked:   “What, sir? It is proposed then to reclaim the spendthrift from his dissipation and extravagance by filling his pockets with money?”  Henry has a great deal to teach us.

In particular, at the time, Henry's questioning was an affront to the elites of Virginia.  The speaker had made loans from the public treasury to his political allies in the House.  When losses mounted, they decided to create a public loan office to bail out the speaker.  Most would simply have looked the other way, but Henry would have none of it.

His effort failed, but Henry's bold questioning of the top political and social leader of his state not only gained Henry great allies, but it established his reputation as a courageous leader who put the public good first.  Later, Henry would would be the first to challenge the Stamp Act (i.e., taxation without representation), which eventually led to the American Revolution.

This is the leadership we need today.

America - The Exceptional Nation

"To live under the American Constitution is the greatest political privilege that was ever accorded to the human race." President Calvin Coolidge.

The truth of this statement is no cliche - and it is often overlooked today.  America really did turn the world upside down by making the protection of unalienable rights the very purpose of government. Most governments in the past did quiet the opposite.

During this wonderful holiday season, take a few minutes to recognize the brave men and women protecting our liberty, and the blessings we have been given by our Founding Fathers and others who have struggled for us over the generations.