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Politics-AB-AY

08 Aug

It is strange that all through the past four years  Vice –president Harris has been dropping in the polls. Her ratings were even worse than President Biden’s. Now all of a sudden she is being promoted as the presidential  candidate and they say she has great ratings. Why the switch. She still has the terrible record of failing to carry out her duties of monitoring the southern border and for her promotion of abortion up to birth, as well as other liberal programs. Is it because she is a woman and the women feel she will promote the cause of women? They elected Obama president because he was Black and it set the status of Blacks back some 40 years. President Obama caused more division between Blacks and Whites through promoting Black Lives Matters and the attacks against police. In addition, he caused more fear among Whites of Hispanics and Muslims with his open border policy which allowed large numbers of Hispanics and Muslims to enter and we have no idea who they are. Many could be criminals and terrorists and we wouldn’t know it, unless  they come through proper channels and are screened. Vice-President Harris may be a woman but she promotes transgenders in women’s bathrooms and in women’s sports which will definitely hurt women. Margaret Thatcher in Britain showed that there are capable women who can effectively lead a country but Vice-President Harris is not one of them. Like Obama, she will cause more harm than good.

 

 
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Politics-AB-AX

08 Aug

It is hard to understand why Democrat voters are not outraged at the way the Democratic leadership has run their primaries this year. All opponents were shut out of the Democratic primaries in a lot of the States so only Joe Biden’s name was on the ticket. As a result, voters did not get to express a preference for anyone else, in spite of the fact that numerous top Democrats said he was unfit to run. It seemed there was doubt in the beginning whether he should run, yet voters were not allowed to express their views.  Now suddenly, at the last moment, Biden removed himself from the running and Biden’s replacement is being picked by party leaders with no input from voters. Was that the plan all along? It seems that the Democratic Party is not being very democratic. It remains to be seen if Democrat voters will rebel against their leadership in November.

 

 
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Senior Citizens-F

03 Aug

The administration has also cut Medicare reimbursements resulting in doctors being increasingly reluctant to treat Seniors. In addition, as expenses mount, Medicare is rejecting procedures which they feel will cost more than its benefit. While that is common in all government funded medical care, it is especially true for Seniors since they are no longer working. Liberals value individuals only as long as they are productive and since many Seniors are no longer gainfully employed,  they are considered a burden on society.  As a result, the Senior continues paying copays for office visits while not getting relief. Many will die from conditions that could have been cured. Canada illustrates the end game of socialized medicine. Their death rate, especially among Seniors has risen sharply due to delaying or withholding treatment. In addition, they are pushing assisted suicide for those whose conditions are too expensive to be economically worthwhile. That includes a large percentage of Seniors. It is the natural conclusion of the belief that it is alright to terminate someone’s life, whether before birth or after, if they are going to be a burden or will get in the way of your happiness.  Abortion was the easiest to start with because the baby is not seen, but their goal is to do away with all those who are a burden, including the critically ill, the severely disabled, the elderly, and those with mental deficiencies or disabilities, just as Hitler did. To avoid the cost of long term care, they simply push the individual to terminate their life. If the person refuses, the doctor may proceed to kill the individual without securing their approval. In the United States, we have been slow to accept abortion and so assisted suicide has not been pushed vigorously, however some States like Oregon have approved physician assisted suicide and other States are considering it.

 

Senior Citizens-E

03 Aug

President Biden’s administration has been hard on Seniors. President Biden’s massive spending has fueled increasing inflation like we have not seen for a long time. Seniors are hurt by it since they are on a fixed income. While they give Seniors a cost of living increase, it is only after the fact and does not return the loss. If the Social Security is considered adequate at the beginning of the year, and inflation increases costs 4% during the year, the Senior income buys 4% less at the end of the year. If they get a 4% increase, it brings them up to adequate but doesn’t reimburse them for the past year’s loss. That continues every year, but the Senior is never reimbursed. In addition, the cost of Medicare increases and is taken out of the Senior’s check so his income is not really being brought back up to adequate. Due to wasteful spending, the inflation rate has far exceeded 4%. Worse yet, the cost of living is based on across the board increases while increases in food, and fuel for heating and travel have increased far more than the estimated cost of living and make up the bulk of Senior expenses. Auto fuel alone has risen over 100%. It is requiring many Seniors to dip into their life savings at an increased rate and those savings will not be adequate given the increase in years Seniors now live. As a result, an increasing number of Seniors will reach the point where they can no longer afford to live in their own home and will be forced to move to government subsidized housing. Since many of their homes are paid for, it will be far more costly for the government.

 

Twelfth Sunday of Pentecost-Aug 4

31 Jul

Many churches have large Vacation Bible Schools in their church but often only those from church come. Usually there are only a few visitors unless the church makes a great effort to reach those in the immediate area of the church. Kids can not come without transportation and often parents are busy or not interested. In addition, churches often have difficulty getting enough volunteers to staff it. By having small neighborhood VBS at homes of members, it enables members to reach the children in their neighborhood. More children can attend because they don’t need transportation. Since they can walk to it, their parents don’t have to take them. Parents are more likely to let their kids go and kids are more willing to attend since it is in their neighborhood and those attending are from their neighborhood. It also requires a lot less volunteer staff. The church member hosts it and can help with it and those who feel called to teach can conduct several VBS sessions on different weeks in different areas. Members can also get to know their neighbors as they hand out invitations. It also costs less because kits can be ordered as needed rather then planning for a big group that may or may not show up. In a neighborhood VBS, you have a good idea ahead of time how many are coming so you don’t have to order a lot of extra.

 

Immigration-VII-F

31 Jul

We are seeing a record number of arrests at the border. That means that border patrol are more burdened then ever in catching them, screening them, housing them, and processing them. It means they have less time to pursue drug dealers, human traffickers, criminals, and terrorists. As a result, it means an increased danger as more people enter the country illegally and Democrats are frustrating attempts to build the wall to keep them out and fighting attempts to export them. As a result, there are more of them roaming the country. The border states have born the brunt of the increasing inflow, though the country as a whole is suffering as the migrants fan out across the country. In fact, Democrats have introduced the “Climate Displaced Person Act” that would open our borders to people who are displaced by climate change. Since Democrats claim every disaster is the result of climate change that will open the doors to just about anybody effected by a disaster. You name it, fires, floods, droughts. snowstorms, hurricanes, if they are all caused by climate change, anyone effected could move to the U.S. Since records are often destroyed in disasters, and the sheer numbers involved would make proving former residence difficult, people could claim they were residents when they were not. It is apparent that Democrats have no concern for what the flood of refugees, many penniless and unable to support themselves, would do to our economy. The same money could benefit more by helping them rebuild and modernize their country. Now Texas is fighting back. They have started busing illegal immigrants to liberal strongholds. Suddenly the liberals are starting to see the problem as it lands on their doorstep. Hopefully it will spur them to act. It is easy to ignore a problem when someone else has to deal with it but harder to ignore when you have to deal with the problem yourself.

 

 

Immigration-VII-E

31 Jul

Immigration has risen to the front but there is very little factual information being supplied by the media. We need immigration to supply workers for jobs Americans don’t want but blanket amnesty is not the way to go. Crossing the border without getting caught should not be the only criteria for citizenship. To grant them citizenship without going through the normal channels says that it is alright to commit a crime (cross the border illegally) as long as you do it in sufficient numbers. They should go through legal channels and apply for citizenship like anyone else. It is just one more instance where liberal politicians are saying that laws don’t matter as long as they serve their own self-interest. President Obama sought to weaken our border defenses and open our borders to encourage people from Mexico to flock to the US and promised to give them amnesty so they would vote for him, with no thought in regard to protecting Americans. By leaving the borders open it allows Hispanics to cross the border without registering. As Democrats move to ease election laws allowing for increased voter fraud, it will be easier to register illegal immigrants and have them vote illegally. In fact, studies of jury selection records in Virginia have shown that thousands of people who were registered to vote were rejected for jury duty because they were not U.S. citizens. Studies of those rejected show that many of them voted. In California, millions of illegal immigrants were found to be registered to vote and many voted. That is only two States. When you consider how many may have voted illegally in all 50 States, you are looking at a large number of illegal votes, possibly enough to throw a close election.

 

 

 

Immigration-VI-S

31 Jul

President Obama gave promises of citizenship and other benefits which lured a lot of people to come to the United States in the hope of cashing in on the promises. When President Trump signaled that he was going to close the border, the number coming dropped off, even before he started work on the wall, because they realized it would be more difficult to get in. but picked up again as soon as President Biden took office and ordered construction stopped.  Since President Biden took office, he has increased promises of benefits, so the number flowing across the border illegally has reached record numbers. In addition, drug dealers, gun runners, and those dealing in human trafficking have taken advantage of it by encouraging people to flood the border in order to overtax the border patrol and provide cover for them. As a result, the border has been overrun by people trying to get in. As a result, the courts are so overwhelmed, they release many into the United States, rather than deport them, on the promise to appear on their court date, but many just disappear and never show up for their court date. In addition, the White house ordered many asylum cases removed from the records, so they no longer have to check with authorities, effectively granting them amnesty, if they did not have a criminal record or appear to pose a threat to the security of the United States. In 2022, 100,000 people were removed from the legal system, compared to 36,000  who were deported, and 31,000 granted asylum. In 2023, 150,000 have been removed from the books , 56,000 have been deported, and  43,000 granted asylum. While that includes only those who were caught, a lot of them were able to get in without being caught. As long as liberal politicians continue to promise open borders and numerous benefits, they will continue to come.

 

 

Schools-I-AK

26 Jul

Some States are beginning to mandate that the Ten Commandments be taught in the public schools and many people are saying it violates the teaching of religion. However, the Ten Commandments are not strictly a product of Judaism and Christianity. Just about every culture has laws that forbid killing, stealing, lying, and others. The difference  between the Ten Commandments and other laws is that the Ten Commandments are given by God. It is generally accepted that those who make the laws can change them. If God made them, no man can change them. Those made by man may be changed by those that make them, or by those called to interpret them. We are seeing the difference in the United States today.  Judges who believe in the Constitution and the rule of law restrict themselves to interpreting the laws passed by Congress and the people while those who believe laws are man-made feel they can ignore the law when it interferes with what they want to do, or they can use it to harass their opponents and overlook it when it affects their friends. In the mid-1900’s, the Ten Commandments were firmly imbedded in our government and judicial system and people generally respected the law. There were those who disobeyed the law and they were usually punished but they made up a small portion of the population. Today, the Ten Commandments is banned from many schools and court rooms and the Constitution and laws passed by Congress and the people are often ignored or twisted to fit the person’s purpose. As a result, we see widespread lawlessness on our streets and in our political arena. Many judges and politicians feel they are above the law and the people follow their leaders.  The police can only do so much.  Laws may prevent killing or stealing, or lying when they are enforced, but they cannot prevent the hatred that produces killing, the greed that produces stealing, or the deceitfulness that prevents lying. Those feelings can only be contained when a person respects his neighbor, their property, and their reputation. It is that respect for man, his possessions, and his reputation that are taught in the Ten Commandments. If a person does not respect his neighbor, he will lie, steal, and even kill if he thinks he can get away with it. I wrote a series of study courses based on the values set down in the Ten Commandments to illustrate the difference between man’s values and the values God set down in the Ten Commandments.

 

 
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Eleventh Sunday of Pentecost-July 28

25 Jul

 Children’s activities  My wife and I have lived in Trailer parks (now called Mobile Home parks) throughout our marriage. Previously, trailers were usually small and easily moved and many residents moved frequently. People rarely bother to get to know their neighbors because they would move soon although more trailers are becoming bigger and harder to move. There is rarely anything for the kids to do. Many parents let their children roam the neighborhood without any supervision and they often get into trouble trying to create their own activities. The same goes for large apartment complexes where there are a lot of families. Parents and managers of mobile home parks and apartment complexes are often happy to see someone organize supervised activities for children to keep them out of trouble. Managers may be reluctant if an outside group wants to start it but are more willing if it is headed by a family in the park. Other managers may just be glad someone wants to start it. Many mobile home parks and apartment complexes now have community rooms for activities but they are seldom used because there is no one to organize activities. Such activities draw kids and provide contacts with their parents that open the door to developing a relationship with the parents. People in general are becoming more isolated from those around them, even in  neighborhoods o permanent houses. Many neighborhoods have become more dangerous and parents don’t want their kids running the neighborhood without supervision and keep them cooped up in the house. As a result, many people in permanent housing neighborhoods are becoming as isolated as mobile home parks and apartment complexes and need children’s activities as well. Such activities should be out of concern for the lost, not just to keep the kids out of trouble. When I first went to work with the Salvation Army, I saw a lot of clients from a low-income housing project. I knew from experience that there was little for the children to do and little contact between mothers and so I organized an after-school program for the kids during the summer. I enlisted a church nearby to run it and enlisted a woman from the church to assist me in visiting the mothers to organize a mother’s club. The after-school program attracted a lot of kids who eventually started attending the church’s Wednesday night children’s program. Unfortunately, the church did not support the work to reach the mothers in the complex. It also dropped the after-school program once they got a good number of kids from the project attending their Wednesday night program. Unfortunately, while having active children’s programs make churches look good, the programs are expensive and not very effective if they don’t work to reach the parents as well. It has often been difficult getting churches to support the trailer park ministries. Many churches don’t do outside ministries because they don’t want “THOSE” kind of people (the unchurched) in their church and unchurched kids are often unruly since they weren’t raised by Christian parents.