The Man-Made Global Warming Hoax

I’ve had it with all of this global warming stuff. Every day there’s something new about the Copenhagen Climate Conference, leaked emails of scientists manipulating data, Al Gore saying the ice caps are melting (which is a lie), the EPA saying they will unilaterally regulate carbon dioxide emissions if Congress doesn’t do something about the problem, etc.

Let me state this clearly. There is no man-made global warming.

It is a hoax created by the environmental wackos on the left side of the political spectrum. The hoax is designed to promote panic and fear to force people to go along with their liberal agenda. The whole issue is chocked full of lies and deceit. It’s sad that now even science has been politicized. Anyone with half a brain can do some research on the internet and come to the conclusion that the Earth is not about to burn up, and we won’t all die if we don’t do something immediately! The truth is the earth goes through NATURAL warming and cooling cycles all the time. When I say cycles, I’m talking about variations in tenths of a degree. In the 70’s these alarmists wrote articles about the coming of an ice age due to a few cooler years. Now this comes after some high temperatures were recorded in 1998.

I believe that this issue is as big as the earth is round/flat disagreement over 2,000 years ago. This is our generations’ quintessential issue, and I’m getting tired of liberals trying to shut up debate about it by saying, “the science is in on this, and anyone who doesn’t go along with us is a “global-warming denier.” The only sane people besides us “deniers”, appears to be the Chinese who thumb their nose at the whole Kyoto treaty and Copenhagen mess altogether. They say that if you want to willingly punish your country and roll back your economy, go ahead, we won’t stop you. They have to be laughing at this whole hoax.

The ruse goes something like this. Humans naturally breathe out carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas. (It’s not even the largest one in our atmosphere). Greenhouse gases contribute to a greenhouse effect, which in turn, warms the earth (this is by design). Man-made inventions like cars, factories, and industrialization don’t help either as they emit carbon gases. The result is man-made global warming.

They just jump straight to man-made global warming seeing an opportunity to implement their agenda. They take a couple of facts, a little bit of science, a lot of liberal agenda, and a bunch of lies and voila! You have a full-fledged world-wide panic called global warming. Of course, they neglect and discount water vapor’s role as the most prevalent greenhouse gas, the sun’s influence and variations on temperatures, animal’s methane (a greenhouse gas) emissions, volcano’s and other natural events’ carbon emissions, and other simple facts like global temperatures have declined since 1998. You notice they have cleverly and conveniently changed the terminology from global warming to “climate change” over the last few years. This way any extreme temperatures, abnormal number of hurricanes, or unusual weather storms like El Nino can be linked to climate change. Then conveniently, the left says they can fix this problem with some treaties and legislation. But if we don’t act now, it may be too late.

The ultimate goal of the “sky is falling” mania is to convince people of the necessity to agree to the liberal agenda. It’s an agenda in which countries belief the hoax and sign on to submit themselves to regulations of carbon emissions. In this country, the mania has manifested itself into something called cap and trade. This regulation has already been passed in the House, but not in the Senate yet. It would restrict freedom, harm businesses, and kill jobs. This is where the government would set a fictitious number for carbon emissions for each business, and if they don’t comply or buy some silly offset credits from an Al Gore company that plants trees or something, they will face a tax. It’s just designed to give more control and revenue to the government. On a global scale, the more-advanced, industrialized countries (the polluters and oddly enough the countries that have the money) would pay into a fund that would be distributed to third world countries who, of course, don’t pollute because they’re so poor. The bottom line ultimate goal is nothing more than an unjust redistribution of wealth and power grab.

My personal belief is that the creator of the universe, heavens, and Earth is God. He placed the Earth at exactly the precise distant from the sun to sustain life. He also insured that our climate, seasons, and atmosphere were made in such a way as to promote life. He set up all the rules and conditions which govern this great planet which we are still learning about each day. He then put man on the Earth to cultivate it, enjoy it, and marvel at His creation. There is nothing that we could do to disturb that perfect balance of nature that God so ingeniously created. Only a pervasive arrogant attitude can cause man to convince ourselves that we’re somehow in control. I don’t even believe that nuclear weapons could destroy this Earth. They could kill most of the people, but not all. We aren’t allowed the power to disrupt this beautifully made, awe-inspiring planet we affectionately call Mother Earth. Take heart my fellow Americans and citizens of the world, God is still in control.

Is there a homosexual gene?

Is there a genetic reason or a chromosome that hardwires someone to be a homosexual? Do people have a choice about their sexuality? I will answer these questions using the most reliable, truthful source I've ever read, the Bible.

I simply combine a few scriptures and use basic logic to prove my answer. Keep in mind these passages aren't my words, they are the apostle Paul's words which were inspired by the Holy Spirit. Let's first read one of the most straight-forward passages in the Bible, 1 Corinthians 6:9 (ASV). "Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God." Along the same lines Galatians 5:19-21 says, "Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who PRACTICE such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." The keyword here is "practice", which I capitalized. That doesn't mean that if you get drunk one time, have one outburst of anger, or have one sexually immoral encounter that you'll be condemned to hell. Practice means these behaviors are repeated over and over without any desire for repentance.

Now read 2 Peter 3:9, "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance." This verse brings me comfort, but that's another story. The point here is that God clearly wants EVERYONE to come to repentance and ultimately be saved. Unfortunately, we know that everyone will not do that. The question is how could God predetermine or "hardwire" a soul for eternal damnation through a chromosome or gene thereby giving them no chance for repentance and the hope of everlasting life?

The obvious answer to this question is that he doesn't. No, there is not a homosexual gene. If there was, these scriptures could not coexist and both be true. The truth is we all have obstacles to overcome that the devil uses to keep us from God. Looking at the long list of sins in the Galatians passage, some people struggle with their anger, others with drinking, some with sexual immorality, etc. Each person struggles with different sins in their life, but we are all given an opportunity for repentance. There is an avenue to overcome those sins that lead to eternal death and to be forgiven by God. Of course, that all happens only through Jesus Christ. If you believe the Bible and all that it teaches you can only arrive at this conclusion about homosexuality. Any other answer is just man-made gobble-dee-goop. I quote 1 Cor. 1:25, "Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men." Additionally, 1 Cor. 3:19 says, "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God."

Any comments on this or reactions would be greatly appreciated.

Our country is yearning for conservative leadership

America needs a young, passionate, courageous candidate who can articulate conservatism. Please see my previous post titled “Conservatism at its core” for my definition of conservatism. He or she needs to be able to clearly explain how conservatism is best for ALL Americans. They should show them how conservative principles will help improve their lives. They should be bold and challenge the establishment with unyielding ideals and principles. The country would rally around them, and they would be swept into the Presidency in 2012.

Let’s face it, the blueprint for winning landslide elections has been established by none other than Ronald Reagan in the 1980’s. I believe the country in 2012, unfortunately, will be in a similar state like it was after the late 1970’s at the end of the Carter years. Jimmy Carter was one of the worst presidents America has ever had. There was stagflation, long gas lines, high interest rates, price and wage controls, and high unemployment. In general, the country was in an economic malaise.

As more and more people realize who Barack Obama really is and what he’s trying to do they will begin to clamor louder and louder for the country to go in a different direction. Only then, will conservatives (hopefully Republicans and Democrats alike will come along, too) have a chance to make real change and shrink the size of the federal bureaucracy simultaneously diminishing the power of the government. It takes a person who is driven, humble, and courageous to shrink the size the golden goose known as the federal government of which they are in charge.

I don’t know if there is a modern-day Ronald Reagan out there, but let’s hope so.

Conservatism at its core

Here are the basic tenants of conservatism in bold.
I believe that conservatism is generally defined by as little government intervention in our lives as possible.
Our Declaration of Independence prescribes that each citizen has certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Right to Life: Abortion laws obviously restrict a person's life and have been incorrectly inserted into our legislative system. To restate, you can't enjoy any American freedoms or rights if you don't make it out of the womb!
A strong national defense helps ensure life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness
Private property rights provide incentive for citizens to pursue happiness, work, and live freely
Low taxes and free markets help ensure a thriving, capitalist economy (Additionally, capitalism doesn't discriminate on the basis of skin color, age, gender, or other handicap)
Strong belief in the first and second amendments (Right to free speech, religion, press, bear arms)
Belief in self reliance, personal responsibility, and the potential within every American life. We are all capable of so much more than we usually imagine. If we just push ourselves, we can accomplish greatness.
There are others issues like the sanctity of marriage between a man and woman, immigration, and support of strict constructionism judges which are important.
In closing, I think the 10th amendment of the Bill of Rights is often forgotten. "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

This tells me that a federal government that has taken over our income (IRS), our property (eminent domain laws, tax assessors, and closing paperwork), our retirement (Social Security), our health care (Medicare, Medicaid and now nationalized health care), our private industries like automobile manufacturers, banking, mortgage, and insurance, etc. is way, way too big and powerful. This huge bureaucracy called the federal government is still growing and has already violated this 10th amendment to the US Constitution.

In short, get out of the way, big brother, and allow Americans to live our lives in happiness and freedom!

My thoughts from the 20-year reunion ...

My 20-year high school reunion that I attended this past weekend was very enjoyable. The only negative thing that I could say was that it wasn't very well attended. By my count, only about 60-65 classmates from a graduating class of 247 attended. However, everybody there seemed to have a good time. Most people were more interested in where you lived, marital status, and how many kids that you have rather than what line of business you were in or where you work. Then, they were eager to reminisce about funny stories and days of the past. Overall, I thought most people had taken care of themselves and looked good, although, there was a few that "let themselves go". As a good friend of mine just mentioned to me, it was not as "clique-ish" as the 10-year reunion. My guess is as we all get older those barriers and imaginary walls that divide people in high school instinctively break down. The fact that a person smokes, drinks, dresses a certain way, is athletic, smart, funny, or popular seems not to matter at age 38 like it did at age 18. People are naturally more aware of who they are as they age.

What really hit me was the words "we will all go in different directions from here" that are always spoken at a high-school graduation, really rang true. After graduation, people literally scatter throughout the country and world. They have completely different experiences, some get married and maybe divorced, have kids or not, travel the globe, and develop expertise in different areas of their life.

In summary, one thing remained true. The personalities and activities that defined them in high school still manifest themselves in their lives in the late 30's. Despite everyone trying to be on their best behavior at an event like a high school reunion, those innate characteristics and personality traits continue to define us as we age and approach the age of 40. Even over 20 years time, people don't change much.

Interpersonal Communication

Here is another interesting article by Charlie Cleaver about our growing obsession with electronic communication.
In the last few years, there has been an overwhelming emergence of electronically based communication between America’s youth. This, for many reasons, is not a good thing. In today’s world, kids and adults can carry out entire relationships without any type of personal interaction at all. Myspace, Facebook, chatrooms, email, twitter, and texting are all the rage it seems. Phone conversations are becoming a distant memory. This has several damaging ramifications. Without a decent understanding of how to meet someone and personally interact we are robbing individuals of the basic understanding of how to live, love, and build a real relationship with someone. When the youth of America begins to grow up, we can’t expect them to know how to conduct themselves in an interview. We also can’t expect them to be any type of a success in any job unless it is internet based. Kids are afraid to talk on the phone now. They would much rather tweet about their lives in a childish attempt at attention and hope to gain followers. This is now such an overwhelming issue, I am now uncertain how this will all come out. If we as a people restrain from a basic understanding how to build and keep a real relationship, then we may have some serious problems ahead. We need to encourage our youth to go outside once in a while and try and make friends, play sports, and volunteer. Selfishness is at the base of this entire problem. It may be more convenient for a child to talk to someone over the internet, but it is in no way better. This also leaves a child in danger of being a target of a sexual predator, not to mention identity theft. If an individual is not able to look someone in the eye, then there is not even the faintest glimpse of a friendship. Today, we can get online and read about John Mayer’s latest relationship problems, regularly announced on his myspace, which borders on the edge of stalking. We can also download a clip of famous ESPN anchor Erin Andrews’s nude in the privacy of her hotel room. These problems are all linked. There is no such thing as privacy in today's age. Encourage youth to get off the internet and go out and experience life. If this is not done more often, I believe things can only get worse.

Hooray for James Crowley's "butt out" Obama!

America is a great land because we have freedom of speech, even when that speech is contrary to the President's speech. Obama, as the chief law enforcement office of the Executive branch of the USA, told Cambridge police Sgt. James Crowley that he "acted stupidly". This comment came as Obama was trying desperately to have a press conference to save his failing take over of our health care system. He seemed more eager to mention this supposed injustice that to discuss details of the health care bill. (Psst! He knows once more and more Americans find out what's in the bill, it will never pass). James Crowley was responding to a call at Henry Gates' home. Gates is Obama's Harvard Law Professor liberal crony. When Crowley asked Gates for some identification, Gates went off on a tyriad calling Crowley a racist and saying this only happened because he is a black man. Gates was eventually cited for disorderly conduct and ultimately, the charges were dropped. Then, a week later Obama opened his big mouth after he admitted that he didn't have all the facts. Crowley responded courageously with "butt out" to Obama, saying this incident was a local issue. More power to you, Mr. Crowley! Obama has much better things to focus on besides inciting race relations in this country. Furthermore, as the head executive in the country he should support his police, not berate them. I applaud Mr. Crowley's actions and courage. It's easier to be strong and brave when you have the truth on your side.

P.S. I told you last week that the Obamacare, nationalized health care was going down. The funny thing is that the Democrats don't need one single Republican vote to get it passed. Ultimately, we may get some slight health care reform, in order for Obama and the Democrats to claim some type of victory.

Andrew Jackson, a true liberitarian

Here's a paper by Charlie Cleaver reviewing the book, "Liberty and Power" by Harry Watson which talks about our country during the early 19th century and the Jackson administration.


The book Liberty and Power provides a great deal of insight into the Jackson administration and its surroundings. It also provides intricate details into the years and events prior to the election of 1828. The author, Harry L. Watson, presents this period from not only a political aspect, but from a more personal view of those who were most influential during this time. Politically, Watson discusses the different parties and explains their goals and ambitions as well as a variety of other issues coherent to the Jackson administration. He goes through the years and events chronologically and explains their significance. Throughout the book, readers get a glimpse of what issues truly mattered. This provides the basis for understanding their importance.
The book begins by opening the curtains on America just after the war of 1812. The first chapter gives an overview on different things going on in America during this time. For example, the book spends some time examining the trends of U.S citizens and where they decided to migrate. Economics was no less an important issue to Watson as he addresses the political controversy in relation to economical development in 1815. From here, readers get an idea about the formation of the theory and practice of the Republican Party. While readers learn about the political practices of the party, they also gain a better understanding of what the relevant issues were at that time as it pertained to Andrew Jackson.
At this point, Watson spends some time on the election of 1824. This is better known by Jackson as the “corrupt bargain”. While this chapter proved to be one of the more interesting chapters in the book, it gives readers a more broad view of the matter as a whole. It examines Jackson political career up to this point and gives the perspectives of the men involved in the “bargain”. After the incident, the book goes into detail about the different sides that people naturally took. Those supporting Jackson were naturally angry that the incident even took place, while those in favor of Adams were quite pleased with the arrangement and the outcome. While the result of the 1824 election would anger Jackson, he would have the last laugh.
The next two chapters deal with Andrew Jackson’s inauguration and the events following. The book goes into some detail about how radically different Jackson was than his predecessors by outlining some of the different ideas the new president held. One particular varying ideal was Jackson’s vendetta against the Bank of the United States. Regardless of his motives, Jackson’s war with the banks was more than a small issue. The book states that thousands stood against Jackson in order to stop this from happening. Jackson however; would not be deterred. In the chapter about the Bank of the United States, the author explains some of the negatives in regards to the federal bank. This may have been the authors attempt to capitulate Jackson’s reasons for ending its career.
After dealing with the Jackson Presidency, the next chapter goes into detail about the circumstances following in the years after he stepped down as commander in chief. The aftermath of Jackson’s presidency would leave an everlasting impression on the office and America as a whole. That appears to be what the author is trying to get across to the readers. The Democratic - Republican Party was now embodied in the next president, Martin Van Buren. The book then discusses the different political parties. It is interesting to note that an importance was now being placed into the political parties for the first time. Both Van Buren and Jackson had already begun to realize this.
Watson’s next chapter deals with Van Buren’s presidency as well as his relationship with the Whig party. Van Buren had a very interesting relationship with one Whig in particular named William Henry Harrison. John Tyler is no less a character in this chapter as it discusses his relationship with other likeminded southerners such as Henry Clay and Daniel Webster. This then leads into the last chapter which surrounded the topic of political rivalry, specifically between Jackson’s Democratic Party and the Whig’s. This was called the “Second American Party System” because it was very similar to the previous political rivalry between the Federalists and the old Republicans.
Overall, this book provided an interesting outlook into the lives of so many influential people that lived and worked within the political spectrum during this time. The author presents the relative topics in a fair and non-discriminatory manor. Watson also offers up an immense amount of specific information about these topics as well as the individuals involved. The book begins by setting the stage for Jackson and takes readers through the years and the issues that faced politicians at that time. In looking at the period as a whole, it appears impossible to understand without the detail that Liberty and Power, goes into. The Jacksonian era was truly a ground breaking period in American History. This book helped explain its importance as well as its significance pertaining to future events in the years to come.

Machiavelli and Saint Augustine writings are compared

in this posting. "City of God" by Saint Augustine and "The Prince" by Machiavelli and affectionately called "The Prince and The Saint" in this book review by Charlie Cleaver. He's an esteemed writer with a history degree from Lipscomb University. I hope you enjoy.


The Prince and The Saint

Throughout history, there have been several books that brought forth new perspectives on issues that related to a specific time. Both City of God by Saint Augustine and The Prince by Machiavelli are excellent examples of this. While City of God may concentrate more on the religious side, each book has its own unique opinions in terms of morals that broaden the minds of readers. With that being stated, it is also important to note that each author is trying to bring about a specific element of change that may be motivated by each individual’s personal views. Although these books bring out many different views and ideas that could potentially suggest that each individual’s view is supreme, it is neither practical nor realistic to expect either of these states to be an overall success given the challenges they would face in a modern world.
In every book, the author is trying to stress certain points that they believe make the work worth writing. In City of God, Augustine is no exception. The point of this book would appear to be an attempt to gain the attention of the citizens of the Roman Empire so they might turn from their evil ways and accept Jehovah as their one true God. Augustine uses an example of two cities to make this point. One city is filled with evil and is “damned”, and then another is a city of God and full of righteousness and virtue. The book explains that the city of God will receive heavenly blessings and will be rewarded for their efforts by doing the will of God; however, not all men striving to do good in the world are viewed as those striving to do the Lord’s will. On page 112 he states: “When our Lord said: Amen I say to you they have received their reward, He had in mind those who do what seems to be good in order to be glorified by men.” With this in mind, it is interesting to ponder the overall motive behind Augustine making that statement. One possible reason could have been to make a statement about the way Rome had been conducting itself. He might have believed that Rome could one day be a “city of God”, but would first have to retract all of the evil qualities that it had.
Although The Prince is not focused on how to make people godlier, it does deal with morals. Machiavelli proposes a semi-disregard for morals and attempts to explain that a ruler must innately do what is best for himself. The main point of this book would be to explain how to be an effective ruler by using any means necessary. This book uses descriptive language to best ascertain the ways in which to be an effective ruler. No method appears to be out of line as long as the ruler is gaining some sort of edge over others. One idea is to gain control of all surrounding lands. Once this is achieved, Machiavelli then goes into detail about how to properly govern the lands. It also explains how one man’s good nature might also be his demise: “…because a man who might want to make a show of goodness in all things necessarily comes to ruin among so many who are not good. Because of this it is necessary for a prince, wanting to maintain himself, to learn how to be able to be not good and to use this and not use it according to necessity” (pg 48). With the main ideas surrounding these books recognized, it is now possible to go into further detail about the accreditation for both Machiavelli and Augustine.
In City of God, it is not plausible to expect an entire nation to find unity in a national religion. While his intentions may be quite sound, his methods are not. The only major beneficial aspect of this book’s criteria is to help everyone grow closer to the “one true God.” One particular bias would be Augustine’s personal view of how Christianity is perceived and how to implement a “city of God.” It simply does not appear to be a reasonable idea to suggest that any one society can be perfect if they simply use his ideas. While historically Augustine wrote this book to make a statement that would somehow transform Rome and outlying areas into this idea of a perfect city, it simply would not happen. In later times, other men and women would attempt to create a city for God and try to isolate themselves from sin and do whatever is necessary to prevent becoming an earthly one. This notion also failed. Time will always prove to discredit this idea because sin will always find its way into whatever men believe is impenetrable.
Machiavelli’s book will not be vastly different from Augustine’s as far as surviving the tests of time. In order to have a successful state or county, it is simply unethical to behave the way Machiavelli suggests. Having a country run entirely by the selfish motives of a tyrant does exist in today’s world, but is looked down upon much more than it might have been in the 15th century. As far as any biases that the author might have, it is plausible to suggest that this is how Machiavelli himself ran things. He wanted others to know why he behaved the way he did and what his overall motives were. Therefore it is reasonable to suggest that The Prince might be a bit more realistic than Augustine’s work. It is easy to see countries in today’s world that hold true to some of the principles of this book. It is impossible to say whether or not this influences those who might rule in such a way like Machiavelli, but it is not out of the realm of possibility.
In an attempt to connect these two ideas of states with the 21st century, it becomes apparent that in order to make certain parallels to bridge the gap, one must apply these ideas to today’s world and question whether these could work. The notion suggested by Augustine in City of God would be almost impossible to accomplish with such an opinionated and idealistic world. If attempted, before long this state would be corrupted with conflicts and politics. While the idea may be innocent enough, the city would almost certainly fall into behaving more like an earthly city rather than a Godly one.
Machiavelli’s The Prince might stand a better chance of surviving the centuries than Augustine’s work. This is because of the self-centered attitude that it possesses. The author’s ideas about conquering can still be seen today by the selfish notions of rulers. It is not hard to imagine anyone behaving in this manner today. Machiavelli’s methods are certainly more realistic than Augustine’s work. This is because of the selfish nature of the book. The ideas presented are all about how to be an effective and powerful ruler. There is nothing about how to be a good Christian in the text. However unfortunate, this book reflects human nature.
Inasmuch as humans create ideas surrounding a perfect or ideal state, it simply cannot exist under the circumstances surrounding today’s world. It is possible, however, to find similarities in some of today’s states. The ideals from The Prince can be seen in almost any culture in the world today. Especially now it is not hard to find a ruler who wants more power. It does not seem likely that anyone would want to live in a state run like either one of these ideas. However, the one with the most promise is Augustine’s. His idea has good intentions and would appear to be a very beneficial place to live so long as the people of the city worked on making it a success. Following a Godly model for a city sounds like a wonderful idea at first glance. If people would not be so fixated on protocol, this might be a possibility.

Minorities in America have more

opportunities than in any other nation in the world. Our capitalist system is by definition color blind. If you have a great business idea or business model, you have the same opportunity to grow a successful business and earn a living as anyone else. Capitalism doesn't see your race, gender, age, or physical appearance.

Unfortunately, our country does have a history of racism and slavery. Here is another great paper called "The Many Faces of Racism" written by Charlie Cleaver on February 6th, 2005.

The Many Faces of Racism

In many ways, history simply proves to the masses that life is not fair, and after reading chapters two and three of the book “The Strange Career of Jim Crow” I too, came to this obvious conclusion. I think it’s safe to say that more than any other minority in the U.S thus far; the African American has had to overcome more obstacles. Since the foundation of the country they have been discriminated against and looked down upon. This book gives many examples of this, but the one in particular that the two chapters focus in on is the idea of disenfranchisement. It seems as though during and even after reconstruction the south took the lead in segregation and enacting these Jim Crow laws and although other areas took part in this form of racism, the former slave states looked for ways to avenge the “Old South” for the rise of the Negro. Simply put, had the north not put such a hard reconstruction phase upon the south, they might have not blamed the African Americans for all of the turmoil caused after the civil war.
Hope springs eternal for the African Americans as almost immediately after the civil war they had the opportunity to vote and even hold office. This no doubt took white southerners back as they held almost no respect for the blacks seeing as how not long ago they were working for the whites as slaves. This more than likely even created a bit of bitterness towards them. The period where blacks in the south had a plethora of rights ended not long after the compromise of 1877. This was the beginning of the end for African Americans who wanted to vote. It didn’t end yet however as Tom Watson, one of the leaders of the Southern Populist party, encouraged blacks to take advantage of the opportunity to vote and to be apart of the democratic process. He also hits up the race issue on page 63 of the book and is quoted as saying “You are made to hate each other because upon that hatred is rested the keystone on the arch of financial despotism which enslaves you both”. Watson apparently didn’t have enough influence to keep his party on the side of the African American forever however. Soon the Populist Party carried a different message to the blacks.
At the beginning of chapter three the “The Charleston News and Courier” talks about one of the first Jim Crow laws to sweep the western states which would be the segregation of whites and blacks on the “Jim Crow Car Movement” (pg 67). The author then talks about the other things that could be segregated, from the “Jim Crow Jury Box” to the “Jim Crow Bible” (pg 68). Then the author talks about the court case Williams v. Mississippi. The book discusses how this case then opened up the process of disfranchisement. The book also explains this as being the door that opens up the process of segregation and proscription (pg 71).
It seems interesting to me that only after the compromise of 1877 the south felt that it could get away with such things as beatings, lynchings, and even murder. If I had to explain how the disenfranchisement process took place as well as segregation, I would point to this even in history. With the south now having gained the right to govern itself in its own choices, it’s no wonder that they almost immediately took their hardships out on the African Americans. The south looked at the Negro as being the central cause of the south’s demise and after the war the north knew that there would be some bitter feelings towards the African American. This is when they decided to keep troops in all states but Tennessee. This simply prevented disfranchisement or any other type of discrimination, but when the compromise of 1877 took place and the troops were removed it was now up to the southerners to maintain civil rights for everyone. History shows us how well they enforced the act.
If I had to pinpoint a specific event when the disenfranchisement process started, I would say the court case of Williams v. Mississippi because it held parts of the civil rights acts as unconstitutional. This sent a direct message to the African Americans that there time as “almost equals” was coming to an end. They can’t hold any disillusions at this point given the fact that things just continue to go downhill for them politically and eventually altogether. They once had political weight, but as the book explains on page 74 that many professionals in different parts of society began looking at blacks “as inferiors and that the Anglo Saxton or Caucasian was the superior to them all”. With this kind of attitude it’s easy to see how the African Americans fell from at least slight favor so fast.
After recognizing when such as disfranchisement and segregation began to really take place, it’s important to understand why they did as well as when and how. Explaining why is a much more important task than the other two because you have to look into the minds of these simpleminded people. They were a generation of men and women who had always viewed blacks as property and nothing more. Then they saw these people and how well they were doing and more or less just got jealous. When the troops were gone that left no excuses for the south to allow the blacks to continue living with such privilege. So they removed privileges one by one using a multitude of excuses. Reading the book proves this to be true time and time again as I noticed that the further I got the worse it got for the blacks and the more ridiculous the excuses. In summing up the reasons why I think the south stripped the rights and privileges away from the African Americans, I will add a quote that I found interesting in the book on page 108 that not only sums up the Jim Crow Laws, but also the true intentions of the south all along. The book says that “The Jim Crow laws, unlike feudal laws, did not assign the subordinate group a fixed status in society. They were constantly pushing the negro further down”.
Now I will take the opportunity to explain what I think, if anything, could have stopped this atrocity.
After reading the chapters, I kept thinking about they way the north pushed so hard for integration directly after the civil war. This to me seems ridiculous since there is obviously going to be a large group of bitter southerners still sore about the war just looking for someone or something to enact there anger upon. I believe had the north simply not pushed to hard and so fast for change within the south’s already instilled mindset and simply not given so much so quickly everything could have been better. Rather, simply allow African Americans to gain more and more rights as time passes. I think had this been done there would be no need for disenfranchisement or segregation.
In a perfect society no one would discriminate or judge anyone else upon color or race or religion. Simply, we would all accept others as equals and everyone would get along with acceptance of our differences. This is a pleasant fiction. No one could really expect that the south would let all be forgotten and just let the blacks come in and do as they like. It’s a no brainier that the north would know the south would harbor bitter feelings towards the blacks. Allowing such things as voting and the rights and privileges of any other man is no doubted the right of every man regardless of race, but this was not the best course of action in the best interest of the African American. Slowing down this process would have simply been much more beneficial in the end. When enough time had passed and feelings subsided then all rights and privileges to these African Americans would have been allowed because no one would care. Obviously racism is always going to be a problem, but keeping the black man out of the spotlight for a few years would have done much to keep the true racist at bay.
In as much we have learned thus far about the progress from slaves to freemen, from war to reconstruction, and from north-south to the revised United States, the progress in our cultures racism problem has changed for the good and bad several times. In attempts to create one perfect society you must accept the fact that there will be differences between the people in this society. Segregations idea of “Separate but Equal” is another pleasant fiction. It could never have been equal as long as men and women kept such contempt for the African Americans in there heart, but taking the time to slow down this reconstruction process might have stayed off the need for segregation all together.

America allows the freedom to practice any religion

in this country we choose. We are guaranteed not to be persecuted for our beliefs by the establishment clause of the First Amendment.

Here is a great read from Charlie, a good friend of mine. He was a history major at Lipscomb University and wrote many papers for his classes. Many of them will be featured here. This artice is called "The Dark Side of Islam", by Charlie Cleaver.


Islam has proven time and again that it is a religion to be taken seriously and deserves respect. In the book The Dark Side of Islam by R.C Sproul and Abdul Saleeb, readers see a similar depiction of this powerful faith. Overall, the books title appears to present more of a negative connotation than a positive one in order to make the case that any religion is capable of massive destruction as history has proven. Today, it appears that more people fear this religion than respect it.
In this country, this might be because of the terrorist attacks that took place on September 11th 2001. This day forever defined Islam as a religion to be respected and feared. This book makes the case that in order to respect Islam; we must no longer ignore it. We must accept this great faith for what it is and attempt to avoid discriminating against it.
Throughout history, Islam has been around bringing forth a great deal of insight into the spiritual world. Whether it be peaceful rulers like Saladin who always tried to be fair, even to attacking crusaders or Muslim extremists who strap bombs to themselves then go into public areas to kill in the hopes of a happy and blessed afterlife. It seems as though the Muslim faith has the capability of reaching the top of the socioeconomic ladder or hover below the poverty line under fierce dictators. While this book makes the case of adding respect rather than fear, it is a necessary issue to assume that discrimination will not be a problem. These issues are important to anyone with different religious beliefs, but currently it seems as though the Muslim faith catches the worst wrap on religious extremists. This book attempts to clear up some of the common misconceptions about the Islamic faith, but presents that any faith can be dangerous when fundamentalists are controlling a body of believers.
The opening sentence within this book explains that since the terrorist attacks of 9/11 there has been a large amount of political and theological interest in the Islamic faith and what essentially leads so many extremists to use this faith to excuse acts of senseless violence against innocent people. What’s even more frightening to many people is the fact that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world today. With this in mind, knowing that between 5-7 million of these Muslims live within the borders of the United States today must scare most people who have generalized the Muslim faith as being full of extremist’s who’s primary goal is one to destroy Christians and the American process as a whole.
While the book lacked a certain historical standpoint about the Islamic faith, it did elude to enough of the recent history of the current “jihad” against the U.S and its allies. Leaving out the history between Christians and Muslims really conflicted with the overall feel of the book. It more or less failed to paint the entire picture of the matter for readers who might not know the entire story. For those interested enough in the matter, they might already know what had in fact happened between these two great faiths. Other than a chapter in the history of Islam, a brief history of the crusades might have also been interesting. It might have helped readers understand that the history between Christians and Muslims has been rocky before.
With Christians, Muslims and Jews all living within the “holy land” it seems inevitable that these three religious sects would be at odds with one another. From a historical standpoint; they have always been at odds. Recently, books like The Dark Side of Islam have been written to answer some of the questions that people wonder over. While this exists, the book spends a great deal of time and resources trying to disprove of some of the common misconception about the overall relationships between Muslims and Christians. While this is being explained, the book then goes into the differences and similarities between the two faiths. When reading this book, it is necessary to remember that this is being written from a bias Christian perspective. While each body of words all represent a bias, this one in particular represents this because one of the primary writers is a convert.
The first seven chapters of the book seek to meet certain standards that these types of book must meet to gain any credibility. The books first seven chapters cover the relationship between the sacred doctrines that both Christianity holds onto dearly. They are scripture, the fatherhood of God, the Trinity, sin, salvation, the death of Christ and the deity of Christ. While each of these in contrast to Islam all wring true within the minds of Christians, they also spark controversy in the minds of those within the Islamic faith. The obvious differences between ideas about these topics proves that differences are not the only thing that separate Christians and Muslims. Fundamental ideas and politics are the primary areas that create so much conflict. Abrasive behavior has not helped the matter; in fact it has escalated the overall feelings between the two faiths in a negative way.
When one looks at the basic differences between Christianity and Islam, their beginnings appear to be similar. They differ somewhat after the Abraham story. While these primary seven chapters discuss different things, they each work to explain and prove the overall morality of Christianity, and the disillusionment of Islam. One specific instance that proved to be very interesting was the different ways that both Christians and Muslims reference God/Allah verbally. While Christians have little to know reason not to reference God verbally, those within the Islamic faith look at this action as a sin. This is just one of the many differences between the faiths, but they each add up to prove something very relevant. The God of Islam and the God of Christianity are two very different ideas. While Christianity speaks about a God that’s loving, kind and forgiving no matter what, the Islamic idea of God can be vengeful and basically pretentious. To some readers, Allah appears to be calling for so much discipline, yet shows so little patience. While each idea of God varies in many other ways, both offer up the promise of a great reward for penitence.
The final chapter includes some of the more interesting aspects of the book. It covers the basics on terrorism and the call of so many extremists to take life into their own hands. When reading this chapter, one might assume that the current world situation might be the reason so much interest has been sparked of late on what truly makes those fundamentalists chose to behave in such a violent manor. As could also be expected, we get a recap about what drives these men and women to engage in such acts. While so many people will never be able to relate to Islamic fundamentalists and their worldview, it is sufficient to say that those who engage in this book might have a better idea about this practice.
While these fundamentalists exist, it appears as though they almost always come from similar backgrounds. Those with some political weight in a Middle Eastern country typically fit the mold. The book adds some detail into the life of someone who might chose to behave in this way. It seems almost hypocritical to many that someone in today’s world would call upon fellow worshipers of a faith to wage a private or even public war against a group of people for political reasons. However; it happens every day and in many different circumstances.
Once the Islamic faith had rulers like Saladin and others who were strong in their faith, but offered mercy and kindness to those who opposed them. Today, this attitude is not as main stream as it once was, but it does carry some members in their Islamic faith past those who preach violence. While Christians have not always been blameless either, it seems as though both need to put their differences aside and live just and peaceful lives.
While each religion has a “dark side”, it is important to remember that differences are not always something to fear. While everyone has something that differs from the next person, religion always seems to strike up the most controversy. Recently a cartoon was published about the Islamic prophet Mohammed that angered many Muslims. Actions such as these only add to the growing divide between western culture and those within the Islamic faith. While no peace is ever certain or promised, it is something that each person should strive for. This book presents a variety of different viewpoints of Christianity in contrast with Islam. It provides a good deal of information about what truly goes on in the Islamic faith. While in parts the book appears to be somewhat critical, it provided a good basis and beginning for someone who wants to truly learn more about this rapidly growing religion and the people who remain so loyal throughout the centuries.

America's greatness

America is the greatest country in the history of mankind. We have achieved more than any other civilization on the face of the earth. America has contributed more inventions to move the human race forward than any other county. Our lifestyle and freedoms are the envy of the world, and we are the lone superpower. People from all of the world literally die to get into our country just to get a taste of our freedom and American culture. How have we accomplished so much in less than 250 years? I believe the main reason is the greatness of our founding documents. Our founding fathers had the foresight and wisdom to ensure our freedoms by establishing a limited government, a capitalist economic system, and a system of checks and balances.
Hopefully, this blog will inspire, rekindle, or edify your love for our country. Lots of topics will be covered like Christianity, conservatism, NFL football, NBA basketball, NASCAR, current events, Georgia Tech, and American history. All these topics will be discussed among the backdrop of our great country.