TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE IMPEACHMENT

THIS WILL APPEAR IN THE FARMERVILLE GAZETTE AND THE RUSTON DAILY LEADER THE WEEK OF 12/22/2019

‘Twas the night before impeachment, when all through the house
Not a congressman was stirring, not even a mouse;
The articles were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that McConnell soon would be there;
The Democrats were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of removal danced in their heads;
And Nancy in her ‘kerchief, and Chuck in his cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter’s nap,
When out on the mall there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the TV I flew like a flash,
Turned on the set and listened to the trash.
The image of the moon on the new-fallen snow
Gave the luster of impeachment to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver, so lively and plump,
I knew in a moment it must be President Trump.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
“Now, Abraham, now Richmond, now Higgins now Johnson and who knew!
On, Graves, Scalise, McCarty and VanDrew too
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
It’s time to adjourn; Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!”
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of surprises, and President Trump too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof                                                                             The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Down the stairs came President Trump with a bound.
He was dressed to the fours, from his head to his boot,
And his wife was with him, so elegant and cute;
A bundle of agreements he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a President just opening his pack.
His eyes — how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the hair of his head was turning white as the snow;
The stump of a pen he held tight in his hand,
And the power it emitted was anything but bland
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know the Dems had everything to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
His team was in place in order to teach
It takes true crimes for Congress to Impeach.

And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the stairs he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT,  WITH A SPECIAL MESSAGE TO ALL REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS, LETS END THIS DESTRUCTIVE FIGHT!

Merry Christmas everyone and may the true meaning of Christmas exude its’ love and peace on all of us.

SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE DURING MEMORIAL DAY

THIS WILL APPEAR IN THE BERNICE BANNER THE WEEK OF 5/21/2023

One part of our great nation’s celebration for those that gave their lives for America is a reverent look at our country.  One illustrious man of God that delivered a speech to America in remembrance of Memorial Day captures the spirit of America.  This speech, delivered by the late Billy Graham, follows.

“In all the American idiom, there is no more endearing word than “buddy.” It is warm, with intonations of friendship, brotherhood and common purpose. We are assembled today to pay tribute to those, our “buddies,” who poured out their full measure of devotion upon the altar of freedom.

Thousands of you gathered here could tell dramatic stories of heroism which you yourself have seen acted out by your buddies on the grim stage of war’s theater. They have left this realm of time and space, they have out-stripped us in life’s races, but the sacred memory of their selflessness and the freedom they died to obtain will live forever.

Three weeks ago, I had the privilege of spending an afternoon with President (Dwight D.) Eisenhower at Gettysburg. He took me on a personally conducted tour of the Battlefield of Gettysburg, explaining the strategy used by both the Confederate and Union forces. Both of my grandfathers fought at Gettysburg. This famous battlefield, and hundreds of others like it, have become hallowed soil, where thousands of Americans have died either to preserve freedom, prevent aggression or keep intact the union of American states.

Some months ago when President Eisenhower was touring the Battlefield at Valley Forge and was being shown from one historic spot to another, he made this statement at the conclusion of the tour: “This is where they got it for us.”

What did he mean? He meant that those men, and thousands of others in all the wars that America has fought, purchased by their blood the freedoms that we enjoy today in “the land of the free, and the home of the brave.” That terse statement from the lips of our president has rung in my ears for many months. …

These battlefields of the world today are hallowed and holy to every American, and we pause to give them our highest honors, humbly realizing the sacred trust that these, our war dead, have handed to us.

I stood by the bedside of a boy in Korea whose spine had been torn away by a shell blast the night before, but by some miracle he was still living. He was unable to change his position; and if he lived, the doctor informed me, the rest of his days would be spent lying on his stomach. The army medics had patched him up the best they could. I gripped his cold, perspiring hand and said words of comfort to him. He made a statement I will never forget. He said: “It was worth it if it will keep America free!”

That’s what you call “getting it for us”! As we think of the selflessness and heroism of such fellows, we are reminded of the words of Jesus Christ who said: Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

The freedoms we enjoy, the freedoms we take so much for granted, the freedoms we so often trifle with were bought not by the gold of our millionaires, nor altogether the genius of our scientists, nor the sacrifices of the people at home, but primarily by the blood, sweat and agony of those whose names on this day we honor—those who died that we might live!

They found, as have brave men of all ages, that there are principles well worth dying for. Their noble, unselfish sacrifice is a silent, eloquent rebuke to the self-centeredness of this generation. Let those who want “peace at any price” remember this day that thousands have died for honor and freedom and that what we have today has come at the price of shed blood. …

As I stood in the hospital quarter of the Danish ship “Jutlandia” in Korean waters by an American boy scarcely 20 years of age and watched helplessly as this young life ebbed away, I thought: What right have thousands of pleasure-seeking Americans to go on living when this lad in the early flower of youth has to die? And in that moment, the fact dawned on me that if he had to die for America, some of us must live for America. Sometimes it is far more difficult to live than it is to die. They have handed us a torch, and we have a responsibility to see that they have not died in vain. …………..…

Yes the bells of liberty ring in America today because these men we honor today got through for us. The sacred memory of their sacrifice will always live in our hearts, and we have a sacred and holy trust—and we cannot fail them!

If we are to be strong spiritually, it will be through Him. Thousands today are finding a fresh, new meaning of life through Him. They are learning to say with confidence, “I can do all things through Christ, which strengthened me.” We can best keep faith with those who have gone before by keeping faith with ourselves, with our highest ideals and with God.

Wishing you a Happy Memorial Day and God Bless America and Pray for the Ukraine.

Take A Moment to Reflect

THIS WILL APPEAR IN THE FARMERVILLE GAZETTE AND THE RUSTON DAILY LEADER THE WEEK OF 5/21/2023

We are about to embark on another summer in the greatest country in the world. Smoke from charcoal smokers will fill the air as music drifts through the back yards, camp sites and homes across the country. Baseball games will be played and parents and grandparents will cheer on the children on the field of play. The holiday that officially ushers in a summer of fun is Memorial Day, the day America begins the party; but wait there is more to this than barbeque.

America is having a delima. Many people have taken time out of their lives to serve our nation. Others have become valiant men and women volunteering their time to better our society. These sacrifices without requested fanfare helped to build our country. Unfortunately, there are those in our country that would love to do nothing more than erase all that has predated us, tear down a noble nation and rebuild nothing less than a totally socialistic and communistic nation. This can never happen.

Man has gone to war since time immemorial  It appears that over the history of our planet war was a right of passage for man. Men would pick up their weapons of war and march off to fulfil some inherited need to do what was thought to be right. Many returned but some remained on the field of battle to become the food for scavenging animals. Eventually society would become more civilized and the fallen would be returned to their homes for final burial. The American Civil War brought in a new dimension to repatriating those that died on the battlefield; bodies were embalmed and returned home to a family that wanted no more than to say good bye to one that gave the ultimate sacrifice to a noble cause.

As America grew up and became noble and just. Americans were sent overseas to fulfil a mission to make the world free and provide the opportunities to oppressed that a democratic society allows.  Again, many did not survive and thousands rest in graves around the world. Colin Powell, former Secretary of State, stated that America never desired any property from war; only enough land to bury our dead.  Quite a valiant statement and this epitomizes the American ideal.

The highest loss of life for American servicemen was the American Civil War.  Soon after it ended it was determined that America needed to honor those that died for their cause; regardless of the side they died for. The somber celebration was known as Decoration Day. The first celebration was commemorated by a speech by President Garfield at Arlington Cemetery.  Five thousand gathered to hear the speech and then decorate the graves of the twenty thousand Americans buried there. The holiday was celebrated on May 30^th until 1968 when Congress changed the day to the last Monday of May and thus a three day holiday came into existence.

This brings us to today.  Enjoy the holiday and welcome in Summer with a whoop and a holler but, let’s take a moment to remember the real purpose of the holiday and the reason that we live in the country that millions want to immigrate to. Let us lift our glasses to the many thousands that gave their lives for America. To those that wish to destroy us from within let them live their pathetic lives spewing venom and destroying themselves with hate and discontent. If you want a real feel good event to watch turn on the Memorial Day celebration in Washington D,C. that is hosted by Gary Sinise and take in the closing ceremony with the armed forces melody. There is nothing better.  Happy Memorial Day.

Enjoy your holiday and God Bless America and pray for the Ukraine.

Dispense With The Negativity

This will apper in the Farmerville Gazette and the Ruston Daily Leader the week of 5/15/2023

A good friend recently told me that he is through with television news. He had been a news junkie and would binge watch events, especially the political spectrum. Finally, he realized that regardless of what he watched there were slants, drama and emotion. This is not an isolated case. 

Recently I have noticed that we have many that like to take an opportunity to go to social media to attack those in the community that are making an effort to make this a better place to live. We are all human and as such there are speed bumps along the way and there may be even be failures; however someone is trying but we have far more successes than failures. It is these attempts at bettering our community that makes the municipality a better place to live for children and seniors alike. The most aggravating aspect of this condemnation is that those that throw the stones do nothing more than throw stones. For the most part they do nothing to solve problems. They only sit in the stands and ridicule the players. I would suggest that those that have a problem with some event in life climb out of the stands and move onto the field and help win the game. Perhaps there will be a better understanding of the game and the negativity can be channeled to positive results.

Former President Theodore Roosevelt addressed the person that moves forward and tries to make a difference. He or she may not win but at least they are trying and should be accorded the respect of being in the “arena”.  Roosevelt’s speech follows:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

Today in our time of fear and anxiety it is good to know that we do have leadership that is doggedly and tirelessly working to maneuver America through these unchartered waters. These leaders are truly in the arena and can be found from the local mayors, town councils and local organizations across America through the governors that are leading our states and on to the President of the United States. As much as these valiant men and women of America do, there are those that sit in the stands of the noble coliseum and do nothing more than find fault and try to tell the populace what failures have been made.

We find these malcontents on our televisions, in our social media programs and occasionally in person, though most hide themselves behind artificial curtains so as not to have to face the public. When a public official speaks on television, these malcontents are quick to pounce like a pack of jackals on an unsuspecting animal. When the message from the official is clear and logical the malcontents focus on the style of the speech instead of the important content of the message. Second guessing, innuendo, fabrications and unfounded speculation is put forth as truth and does nothing to pull our great country out of this dire crisis. In truth, this negativity formulates despair which leads to stress at a time when we need positive reinforcement and leadership.

Unfortunately, those members of the crowd that are attempting to pass judgement are, in most cases, the least qualified to do so. Many news anchors or reporters spout venom against those that are sacrificing themselves to protect and serve. Men and women that never put on the uniform to protect, or picked up a hammer to build, or worked the fields to feed, or held a newborn child in their arms; these men and women who never set foot into the arena consider themselves worthy to condemn and second guess those that are fighting in the stadium.

Instead of attacking a person simply for political affiliation or for personal demeaner, it would be so refreshing to present victories and view the glass as half full instead of half empty. If a person is a part of the problem and not a part of the solution it is time for the problem to stand up and leave the coliseum.

God Bless America, God bless our you the fabric of our future and Pray for the Ukraine.

TURNING A PAGE IN THE CHAPTER OF LIFE

THIS WILL APPEAR IN THE BERNICE BANNER THE WEEK OF 5/14/2023

Life is a journey.  It can be viewed as a large book.  Past experiences have been written in the book of life book but the pages that represent the future are blank and yet to be documented.  As we move from one major event in life to another event a new chapter begins.  Birth is a chapter that begins the book while other major events such as marriage are new chapters in this book of life.  As one event ends the page in the book is turned.  This happened recently for over three and a half million Americans.  What I am referring to is high school graduation.

This month a vast number of American youth closed out one chapter on their life’s journey, turned the page and have started a a new chapter.  What they do in this new chapter will document not only  their personal journey but the impact these young men and women will have on society and the future of our noble nation. 

It is so important that the family supports this youth and guide them in a direction that will build their self esteem and provide guidance for a full future.  Many do not have a strong family unit so it is up to the community to embrace these children and provide the moral support that is needed.  The return on this investment to our youth will be returned many times over.

These young men and women will chart the future for America.  They will be strong and they will be weak.  They will provide the guidance America needs and they will provide negative impacts to their community.  What is important is that they must realize their mistakes and make changes that will insure these mistakes are not repeated.  It is equally important that they repeat and grow on their successes.  What is most important is that this youth gets out and tries and experiences life and no one should be criticized for trying.  President Theodore Roosevelt embraced this concept in his speech, “The Man in the Arena”. 

The future of America resides in the hands of our youth.  Being the nation’s youth, it is doubtful that they realize the impact they will have on forging the future of America.  Let us hope that as they write this chapter it will be written with empathy, leadership and without criticism of their fellow man.

Good luck to the graduating class of 2023 and God Bless America and Pray for the Ukraine.

Don’t Blame the Cartel

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is manufactured legally for pain and is prescribed by a licensed health care provider. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is illegally manufactured by criminal elements and is used to lace drugs that are sold to those in America that are illicit drug users.  The legally provided drug is manufactured under extremely high quality control standards while the illegally manufactured drugs have little or no quality control and this has consequences that are dire to the users specifically and America’s cult in general. Fentanyl is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Today over 150 Americans are killed from Fentanyl every day. This number represents Americans killed every year from the illicit drug as we saw killed in the entire Viet Nam war. The elicit drug is manufactured in Mexico from material provided by China which are then trafficked across our Southern border and sold to Americans by Mexican cartels.

Children and women crossing the southern borders are being coerced into human traffic narratives that bear no resemblance to the culture of America. Instead of protecting those that are vulnerable and in need of help and support, we are hearing of children being forced into prostitution, pornographic movies and forced labor in deplorable working conditions Many times these people are working off a debt; a debt owed to the Mexican cartel for passage to the land of milk and honey, the land with a future, a land of the free, The United States of America.

America is a large country with over 300 million legal citizens. The majority of these believe in America and the ideals of our nation that produced the greatest country in the world.  It is the small group of citizens that are causing the problems of drug abuse and human trafficking in America. Unfortunately the number of these participants is growing. 

We have a tendency to look at someone else to blame for failures and shortcomings. In the case of illegal drugs and human trafficking coming from Mexico it is justified to look at the cartels and blame them for our problems. These cartels represent the scum of the earth but let’s take off the rose-colored-glasses and take a close look at the underlying cause of the problem. While the supply is in Mexico the demand is in the United States. The cartels are huge organizations and actually represent a market economy.  If there is a demand for a certain goods or services, the cartel will provide it. They are ruthless, have no conscience and have become extremely wealthy and this wealth comes from America.

There was a movie called the Right Stuff.  In the movie Chuck Yeager, the first man to break the sound barrier asked a group of pilots what is will take to get into space. One pilot said the small bar they were sitting in couldn’t hold the physics books involved in the space program to which Yeager refuted the comment. He stated, “No bucks, no Buck Rogers. Funding is what it will take to get America into space”. The same is true of the Cartel.  No demand for what the cartel is selling there is no money for the cartel and the supply will dry up and the cartel will become inconsequential.  If we want to look for the root cause of our problems in America with the Mexican cartel we need to look no further than our own back yard. It is time to do some soul searching and look inward into our own culture and what we are allowing to take place within our own borders.

If there is no demand for items that demean and corrupt the fabric of America, there will be no desire to sell illicit drugs that harm and kill  or use children and women that are nothing more than slaves. It is up to America to teach its children the values of truth, honor and respect. It is so very important to have a father figure in the home; a good father figure and if not a father then a male figure.  Showing love to one another is a virtue that must be shared openly. If we can grow a generation of children to respect authority and one another we will have a good start to gaining the respect the world once had for America. Fiscal responsibility, paying bills and managing government budgets, will make the future for our children and grandchildren a much brighter world to live in. Respect for law and order and understanding that if you do the crime you will do the time will make for a much better and enjoyable life for the citizens of our great nation. 

As much as we think that government should be the great provider, the true teacher must be the family unit. When our children feel comfortable and protected within the home, then we will remove a reason for the cartel to exist and thus it will waste away. But, this will be a generational process. No easy or quick finish.

God Bless America and Pray for the Ukraine.

And The Winner Is – China

THIS WILL APPEAR INT HE FARMERVILLE GAZETTE AND THE RUSTON DAILY LEADER THE WEEK OF 4/16/2023

Some of you may remember a trip made to China in 1972 by then President Richard Nixon. This trip followed a year of back-room diplomacy that was led by Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.  Nixon had actually mentioned normalizing relationship with China as early as 1968 while he was Vice President. This meeting ended a world isolation of the mega-country of China and the world was finally able to view the geographical and architectural landscape via American television. Many Americans, myself included, thought this was a golden opportunity for world peace. China had broken ties with the USSR and the two great communist alliances were no longer a monumental joint threat to our great nation. While we felt that the world could breath free air and while we thought that China would slowly morph into a capitalistic economy; nothing could be further from reality. Instead of being the end of confrontation with China, the true confrontation was just beginning; and China used our own ideals and philosophies to slowly and quietly attack us.

After the trip to China and normalization of relations, certain items began to appear on our store shelves.  Small figurines and other items were stamped made in China. Cheap tools were introduced but quality lacked what America produced but China was learning. The economy grew and much of the central management indicative of communism was reduced. Then American companies realized that China was the new large market that would become a mega-market. Cheap labor was available in the country and the ability to provide goods and services was exploited by American countries; however it became apparent that American countries became slaves to the profits and China was the country exploiting the American consumer. Many years ago an anti-China advertisement was seen on television where Chinese officials were laughing at America as the Chinese were buying American bonds. The message was that China was buying America.

China placed restrictions on companies that did business in China while America’s economy was wide open for China.  In essence, we gave away the farm. American technology that took generations to build had to be given to China or was stole by China when the American companies landed in the country. Everything from light bulbs to medicine is manufactured in the communist country. I shook my head in sadness as I looked at Christmas religious figures and saw “made in China” stamped them. How bizarre to see that printed on so many items we used in our everyday lives. Today China’s TiikTok lives in the computers of millions of American children while Twitter and Facebook are either restricted or drastically curtailed in China.

Then we saw everything from cars to Nike shoes being made in China. Some items came from slave labor and American industry ate it up. Then when America society woke up to the realization of what was happening, industry sided with China or did little to support American values. Even the NBA, an organization that has experienced great success in China, refused to support America when China or human rights became an issue. 

China has not been satisfied with destroying America from the outside. China is injuring America from within as well. Amid a drug crisis inside the borders of the United States we are witnessing massive amounts of drugs come across the border with Mexico.  To make matters worse, the drugs that were manufactured in Mexico from material originating in China are toxic and are killing our youth across our country.  If they can’t beat us in the economic world they will attack us through our youth and racial divide.          

The next great attempt to enslave America will come from electrical vehicles.  The majority of metals used in EV batteries come from China.  What happens when 50% of American vehicles are electrical and China suddenly decides to stop selling the rare earth metals that are needed to build the batteries. 

Let us wake up and realize that we are in a War and today China is winning.

God Bless America and Pray for the Ukraine.

THE EASTER EGG – EARLY SIGNIFICANCE LOST

THIS WILL APPEAR IN THE BERNICE BANNER THE WEEK OF 4/9/2023

Easter is over and many will have a warmer feeling about life in general.  This is especially true this year as three of the largest religions, Christianity, Jewish and Muslim, celebrate during the same time period.  With our Christian celebration of the execution and resurrection of Jesus ending, I thought it would be nice to take a less spiritual look at the Easter Holiday.  It would be fun to take the Easter egg, I thought, and discuss the religious neutral act of dying and then hiding eggs so that the children could look for, find, and eventually devour the hard boiled delights. What I thought would be a non-religious story of recent invention was quickly dashed.

Egg decorating is anything but recent.  Archeologist have discovered decorated ostrich eggs in Africa that are over 60,000 years old.  In the very early days of Egypt, early Mesopotamia Iraq and on the Mediterranean island of Crete, eggs were associated with death and rebirth.  Gold decorated ostrich eggs were placed in the graves of ancient Sumerians and Egyptian nobility. 

There has been discussion that the egg carries the tradition of the Trinitarian; the shell, the yoke and the albumen.  Some scholars believe that the custom of the Easter egg came from the early Christians in Mesopotamia.  The eggs were stained red and represented the blood of Jesus.  From Mesopotamia the custom spread to Russia and Siberia via Orthodox Christianity.  From the Greek Orthodox church, the custom was adopted by either the Protestants or the Roman Catholics.  The association of eggs and Easter possibly came from eggs being forgone during Catholic Lent but then being allowed to be eaten at Easter.

The Easter egg has quite a bit of symbolism with the religious world.  The Greek Orthodox Church will bless the eggs at what is the equivalent of Holy Saturday.  Some Christians believe that the cracking of the egg is symbolic of the empty tomb of Jesus.  In the Roman Catholic Church in Poland there is a blessing of the Holy Basket which contained eggs.  This blessing takes place on Holy Saturday.  In Egypt eggs are decorated for the Sham el-Nessim Holiday which falls every year after the Eastern Christian Easter.  In the Jewish tradition, a hard boiled egg is placed on the Passover ceremonial plate while the celebrants eat hard boiled eggs during the ceremony.

Two Christian Legends are enjoyable and promotes with mysticism surrounding the egg.  Eastern Christianity has a story that Mary was taking cooked eggs to share with the other women at the tomb of Jesus.  When she saw the risen Jesus the eggs immediately turned blood red.  Another legend tells of Mary trying to spread the word of Jesus.  She visited the Roman emperor and proclaimed that Christ had risen to which he stated  “Christ has no more risen than that egg is red.”  At that moment the eggs turned blood red. 

And we thought that the Easter Egg was nothing more than a hard boiled egg, decorated and left by the Easter Buddy to be discovered by the kids on Easter morning.

Hope you had a wonderful Easter and I will never take for granted anything so simple as an Easter Egg.

God Bless America and pray for the Ukraine.   

So Proud

THIS WILL APPEAR IN THE FARMERVILLE GAZETTE AND THE BERNICE BANNER THE WEEK OF 4/3/2023

I recently talked to a lady who was being called for jury duty. She told me that she was happy to be a part of the judicial process of our great and wonderous country. Others had been called and it seemed that for some it was more important to get out of serving the community than it was to being selected as a juror. The lady said she showed up for jury selection, was selected  and spent five days serving her community. When the judge came into the court room as the selection process began he noticed how extraordinary it was to find so many citizens showing up to go through the jury selection process. He noted that Union Parish should be proud of so many who are willing to volunteer for this service. So proud of this lady and so proud of this community.

This was not her only sense of duty for the community. She happily accepted an invitation to become a poll worker for elections and served during a recent election cycle and she is happily ready to return during future elections. I was impressed with her willingness to serve and the joy she received while performing this important task for the community and the nation. The lady told me she received payment for her service but that was not why she was a poll worker, it was the intrinsic reward she obtained. Some expressed dismay that she was required to work so many hours for elections to which she dismissed the negativity with a wave of the hand and a smile. So proud of this lady.

She was a military wife having been married to a sailor. The lady walked out of high school and three months later she was living on an American naval base. It is little wonder that she joined the women’s group that supports the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Farmerville. Amid jokes of spending early Saturday morning making breakfasts she exudes smiles outside while an inner glow shows how happy she is to help those that sacrificed for our country. So proud of this lady.

As if her volunteerism to her community was not fulfilled, she was talked into helping with the local event, Christmas in the State Park. She explained that she truly enjoys working with the churches by supporting their exhibits and their choirs at the caroling sessions. This event has not garnered jokes or comments of extra work but has instead received appreciation from local houses of worship. So proud of this lady and our churches.

This lady is not the lone voice in the wilderness. Our great nation is filled with the people whose self-sacrifice does so much to support our country. This sense of volunteerism has been a part of America since its beginnings. When our founding fathers made the noble gesture to declare independence from the mighty British empire and then a rag tag group of militia stood toe to toe at Lexington and Concord against the strongest army in the world; the dye was cast for a noble, just and supportive nation. 

So proud of this lady and she made me think of those that have volunteered in our nation. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, recruiting stations were packed with volunteers that wanted to defend our great nation and save the world for democracy. Some volunteers were identified as not being physically fit for service. Of those, some were so distressed that they went home and committed suicide. During the half time of the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, members of the Texas football team were inducted into the United States Army. Such was the sentiment of our great nation. So proud of this nation. We have seen the long lines at the military recruitment offices following the attack on America at the World Trade Center. I recall leaving the CenturyLink offices in Alexander the day of the attack and seeing cars backed up along the highway waiting to give blood at the blood bank. So proud of this country.

When we hear negativity and we think that our great nation is on a path that we cannot recover from, we need only to look at those that are the glue of our country. During this Easter season let’s give thanks for our blessings. Instead of being the cynic lets take time to thank God for what we have and go forward with help and support of our fellow man. 

As for this lady, I am so proud of my wife.

Happy Easter everyone.  God Bless America and Pray for the Ukraine.

RAMADAN DURING EASTER

THIS WILL APPEAR IN THE BNERNICE BANNER THE WEEK OF 4/3/2023

When I was considering what to write this week my first inclination was a cross country trip I made to the fort of Al Uquair on the Persian Gulf coast.  Then a friend and driller working out of Kuwait recommended Ramadan since it was about to begin.  A flood of memories returned and I thought this was a very good topic for this week. This Ramadan marks a special time in my own life.  So, this week lets take a look at the Muslim’s Holy Month of Ramadan and the sacrifices that practicing members of the Islamic faith must make.

Wouldn’t it be unique if the two of the holiest holidays of two of the largest religions would coincidentally be celebrated at the same time.  And then wouldn’t it be unique if the world could learn tolerance from the misrepresentation the two religions hear about each other.  Then wouldn’t it be unique if we could adopt this sense of tolerance to each other in our day to day lives.

Ramadan is considered by the Islamic faith as the month that Mohammad revealed the Quran.  Thus the writings of Mohammad, believed to be the prophet of God, were identified to what would become the largest religious group in the world.  According to Islam God, or Allah as it is identified in Islam, spoke to Mohammad and told him what to write.  Every month this revelation is celebrated as the Holy Month of Ramadan.  This is where we see one of the quirks in the Western World and the Mid-Eastern world.  The Western World uses the solar calendar and identifies a year as the time it takes to go around the sun.  The Mid-East uses a calendar based on lunar cycles and  each Muslim year and thus Ramadan falls 11 days earlier each solar year.  This means that every 33 years Ramadan would make a full trip around the solar calendar and begin on the same day it had 33 years earlier. 

While it is readily known when the first glimmer of the new moon will begin and ushers in Ramadan, it is the religious leaders that make the announcement and the sound of a cannon in the distance officially announces that Romadan has started.  Then every morning as the sun breaks the horizon the cannon goes off and fasting must begin.  As the sun drops below the horizon the cannon proclaims that the fasting is now lifted.  This fasting lasts for one month and is meant as a period of purification, inward searching and spiritual reflection.

The fasting is a true sacrifice for anyone that performs the ritual.  From the time the sun rises until it sets, drinking and eating are not allowed.  Considering the temperatures in summer reach well over 110 in many parts of Saudi Arabia, the laborers working outside endure a major hardship.  They can rinse their mouth with water but can not swallow.  Tobacco is not allowed and physical contact between a man and a women is not tolerated. Fasting is said to divert the thoughts away from worldly materialistic thoughts.  Most Islamic countries stop work at noon during the month.  If a Muslim is traveling he can break his fast during this period but must make it up at a later time.  Westerners working in the Muslim countries are required to not eat, drink or smoke in front of a Muslim during Ramadan.   Fasting is not optional.  All Muslims are expected to do this with a couple of exceptions.  These exceptions are children, pregnant women, the mentally ill, the chronically ill and the elderly; however the last two groups must make up for fasting by trying to feed the poor.

This year Ramadan began when the first light of the new moon was visible on March 22^nd and should end on or about April 20th.  I say on or about because technology is thrown out and it is the decision of the religious leader to note when the moon becomes visible.  I recall a friend coming into the office and telling me that his mother called very early and said that Ramadan started a day early and not to eat breakfast and come over to her house for supper.  At the end of Ramada a large celebration is held known as Eid al-Fitr.  This three day celebrates the end of the penance cycle.

This year Easter falls in the middle of Ramadan.  Would it be a testament to the two largest religions if  they find it possible to live in peace.  If this can happen then perhaps mankind can throw off the yokes of prejudice, hate and violence that hold us back from peace and tranquility.  Would it not be a testament of our religions that we lie down together like the lion and the sheep and discover true peace.

Wishing a happy Easter to all my friends and neighbors and Eid al-Fitr to my Muslim friends. 

God Bless America and pray for the Ukraine.

SPRING IS A TIME FOR REBIRTH

THIS WILL APPEAR IN THE BERNICE BANNER THE WEEK OF 3/26/2022

I love spring. There is so much going on at this time of the year that makes spring such a fun time; for both the body and the soul.

When the first of March begins to pull us out of the doldrums of winter there is an internal clock that tells me it is time to roll out of the slumber that I have been in for the last several months, look up at the bright sky, breath in the pollen that assures us that the plants are repopulating and feel the warmth of the life giving sun as the earth performs the yearly swing toward the life giving star that gives life to this beautiful blue planet.

By the end of March spring has officially arrived and we are being reinforced with the knowledge that life continues. The warmth from the sun has heated the soil and the grass peeks its’ head up and magically photosynthesis takes place; chlorophyll is produced and the brown and drab of winter becomes a bright and inwardly pleasing green. Flowers bloom, trees bear fruit and the soul is refreshed. The animal kingdom brings forth life. Unlike humans, the animal kingdom is on a reproduction schedule and spring ushers in life and a reassurance that a species will continue to survive.

Human history has a way of mimicking nature. John Locke, the religious writer that predated the founding fathers, influenced the writers of the Constitution. He wrote of the State of Nature and the 3rd Treatise of Government and thus his writings helped to guide the writers of our Constitution. For those that are of the Christian faith, a major aspect of our belief structure centers around birth, death and rebirth and it is this rebirth that we are about to celebrate.

If nature can go through a cycle that can promise a fresh start to life then why can’t our nation rejuvenate itself.  Instead of being in a place where America is being demonized from within let’s relish what we have accomplished.  Instead of pointing fingers in an attempt to tear down, let’s put our hands around a shovel or a hammer and lets take a chance to build. Instead of thinking that we are in a state of despair, the winter of our nation, let us think that this is our Spring.  Let be an optimist and not a pessimist.  Instead of being a cynic let’s become a motivator.  The future of our nation is in our hands.  Let’s take a lesson from Mother Nature.

Just as winter brings death, gloom and doom to our planet; so did the death of Jesus do the same for the believers of Christianity. Jesus’s presence had provided hope to a people that had been oppressed by Roman rule while his teachings promised everlasting life. At his death the winter of the religion took place. Certainly, there was great anguish as the realization that Jesus was dead swept across the Christian enclaves. Then just as Spring follows Winter and life renews itself, the Christian religion sprang back to life with the rebirth, the resurrection, of Jesus. Imagine the excitement and the renewal in the Christian belief as the religion regained its’ leading light. Spring had sprung and just as new bright green sprouts emerge around the yard ushering in a new year and refortifying our belief that there is truly a future, the prophets and other religious teachers sprouted around the world and continued to grow and spread the new religion.

If a person wants to truly experience the rejuvenation of nature and the good feelings that spring ushers in, go out to a sunrise service that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus and the assurance that life continues. Happy Easter everyone.

God Bless America and Pray for the Ukraine.