Sad but true! I show this to my students in my US history class for the sole reason of pointing out why they should take my class seriously!
Yes, the Problem is Immigration
With the recent terrorist attack in Boston, our distinguished leaders in Washington should finally learn a simple but vital lesson. The main problem with Islamic terrorism in the United States is not internal security but immigration. Decades of liberal policies have allowed our enemies to live among us and left us open and vulnerable for deadly attacks by those who hate us.
Rather than profile Muslims in our midst, and break up terror cells and kick preachers of hate and violence out of the country, we are more concerned with not offending the Arab world than we are with actually protecting our people. This is a recipe for disaster. Continue reading “Yes, the Problem is Immigration”
Happy Birthday to Mr. Jefferson!
On April 13, those of us who love liberty and value the ideals of the American Revolution should reflect on the birthday of Thomas Jefferson, one of our greatest presidents.
After penning the words of the Declaration of Independence, and serving in a variety of public offices, Jefferson stood for election to the presidency in 1800. Americans were more than ready for a change after twelve years of Federalist rule, and as a result, Jefferson’s Republican Party swept into power by taking over both houses of Congress in addition to the Presidency.
Many historians erroneously claim that President Jefferson did not institute much change once he entered the White House. This is wholly untrue. Jefferson made monumental changes during his presidential tenure, beginning with his inaugural ceremony, completely altering the decorum of the presidency. He wore simple clothing and walked to the Capitol rather than arrive in grand style. Today newly inaugurated presidents walk part of the way up Pennsylvania Avenue as a tribute to Jefferson. Continue reading “Happy Birthday to Mr. Jefferson!”
Time for a GOP Knock-Down Drag-Out
The recent moves by the establishment Republican Party are enough to give any true conservative a major case of heartburn, if not feelings of outright disgust, contempt, and abandonment. The GOP seems poised to continue on its well-worn path of political cowardice, backing down at every turn each time Democrats raise a controversial issue.
Now it seems that the new issue is gay marriage and the Republican Party seems over-eager to have that volatile question off the table for 2014 and 2016, and every election after that. Establishment hacks have indicated that the next Republican nominee for President might support gay marriage, much to the chagrin of traditional rank and file conservatives. Continue reading “Time for a GOP Knock-Down Drag-Out”
Why do Americans have to learn the hard way?
It seems we never learn. Every now and then, the American people hand some poor soul, undeserving in many cases, the national levers of power. And in each and every instance, it has cost us dearly. There are several historical periods of note.
John Adams, himself a political giant, was imminently qualified for the presidency, at least on paper. But he had the most unenviable of tasks, perhaps in all of American history. He had to follow George Washington as president. And he did a lousy job.
Rather than reverse course from what Washington and Alexander Hamilton had begun, Adams built on it, continuing an oppressive system of taxation and top-down management of the nation’s affairs. A people who had just fought a war of independence over taxation now saw the imposition of an even more draconian system, one that included direct federal taxes on everything from whiskey and tobacco to land and homes. Continue reading “Why do Americans have to learn the hard way?”
Campaigning for the Presidency
In the good ole days of the republic, during the 19th century, it was a cardinal principle of American politics that the man did not seek the office; instead, the office sought the man. This was especially true in presidential elections when candidates never took to the stump, especially if one held an office and was seeking a second term. That’s not to say that they were not involved, just not openly and actively involved.
Today it seems we have come full circle. Rather than concentrate on his work as president, like say, attending all of his intelligence briefings so he can know what’s going on in hotspots like Libya, President Obama has spent the better part of this year doing nothing but campaigning. Continue reading “Campaigning for the Presidency”
RIP Neil Armstrong (1930-2012)
Neil Armstrong was a class act. As the first man to walk on the moon, he was quiet, reserved, never sought notoriety and didn’t crave attention. He preferred to live a peaceful life back home in Ohio after leaving the astronaut corps.
As a young man, he earned an engineering degree at Purdue University, served in the Navy for three years as an aviator, including 78 combat missions during the Korean War, and then became an experimental aircraft test pilot at Edwards Air Force Base as a civilian. During his time there, he flew the X-15 rocket plane right to the edge of space, more than 207,000 feet above the earth.
In 1962, Armstrong joined NASA in its second group of astronauts, dubbed “the New Nine,” which also included Jim Lovell, Frank Borman, John Young, Ed White, and Pete Conrad. Continue reading “RIP Neil Armstrong (1930-2012)”
Independence Forever!
On a warm summer afternoon, June 30, 1826, nearly fifty years to the day of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, a small, informal delegation led by the Reverend George Whitney paid a visit to 90 year-old John Adams in his Quincy, Massachusetts home. In four days the town would celebrate half a century of freedom from British rule.
Though the Founding Father was very old and feeble, and certainly unable to attend the ceremony, the delegation sought from him a toast to be read on his behalf. Seated in his library, the former President gave them a simple phrase, “Independence forever!” Astounded, the visitors asked if he might like to add something to his meager statement, to which Adams replied, “Not a word.”
What President Adams understood, that his visitors obviously did not, was that his toast was far from simple; it was a powerful declaration of American sovereignty. Such a treasure was priceless and Adams had lived through the entire struggle to gain it. He desired nothing more than to see the United States of America, a free and independent nation, endure throughout the ages. Continue reading “Independence Forever!”
The Return of Sedition
“The whole aim of practical politics,” wrote famed journalist H. L. Mencken, “is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.”
Truer words were never spoken, which begs important questions: Will our “War on Terror” ever end? Will our need for national security ever diminish? Most likely not, as Washington is always on the lookout for more ways to protect us from our “enemies.” As Vice President Biden told recent graduates at West Point, “Prepare for new threats.”
But new laws designed for our safety threaten to reach deeper and deeper into our private lives with more intrusive surveillance, as many in our government have taken to heart words attributed to Cicero, “In times of war, the law falls silent.” Continue reading “The Return of Sedition”
Ryan S. Walters 