Oberlin College Tires to Smear Local Business

“Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely”, John Acton. A well known phrase and the article below is another example, a college tries to smear a local business because they exercised their rights to prevent students from stealing from them. Because the owners were Caucasian, the students mixed race, they were racist. Over 2 1/2 years enduring multiple protests in front of their 130 year old business, being black listed from doing business with the college and tons of hate speech the facts finally came out that the students actually did try to rob them; the students stated they did and the business was not racist, the college trying to buy their silence before a jury awarded the business damages.

Power in our country was designed to be distributed so that one person, or group could not use it to subjugate others. Concentrated power is what people came from others countries to avoid, to have the freedom to pursue happiness based on their own decisions.

Progressives throw out the “fascist” word regularly when trying to label those who disagree with their desire to gain power over others. The quote above applies to all who try to accumulate power to make others do what is “in their best interest” but they are too stupid to realize it-whether they are progressive or conservative. Fascism started in Italy by Mussolini, it was praised by the progressive movement in this country for 20-30 years as the way of the future.

Oberlin College has been stopped in its’ tracks by a jury who looked at what they did and said, “Nope!” Good for the jury. Distributed power, let us not ever abandon it.

 

https://www.dailywire.com/news/48169/ohio-family-bakery-stopped-shoplifter-protesters-hank-berrien?utm_source=shapironewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=060819-news&utm_campaign=position4

 

 

 

Separation of Church and State

I am a christian, a member of the Episcopal (Anglican) tradition, on my mothers’ side to before the American Revolution. There are things my church does that I do not agree with, but more I do agree with. We, in most cases, do not preach politics from the pulpit; we preach the message of the gospel which to love God and your neighbor. Still a good message. Then, follow your heart and engage in politics in whatever way you see fit, remembering the two directives above.

“One of the penalties of refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.”  Plato

I read a piece this morning I resonated with, a mixed race preacher talked about the church’s role in politics. An excerpt and a quote from the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King is below.

“In 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave this direct warning to people of faith:

The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool. If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority.

Today, we forget that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was the Reverend Dr. Marin Luther King Jr. The organization he founded, SCLC, stood for the Southern Christian Leadership Council. It was as a Christian leader, standing unashamedly on the authority of Scripture, that King spoke truth to power and called out racism and bigotry in society.”

The preacher highlights the following: “The phrase “separation of church and state” does not appear in either the Constitution or the Bill of Rights. What we have is the First Amendment’s “establishment clause,” which prohibits setting up an official state church. Somehow, “separation of church and state” has soaked into our collective consciousness and brainwashed us into thinking the church must never insert itself into political discourse or public policy. It is actually the other way around: The point of the First Amendment is that the government must get out of the church’s business.”

“The conscience of the State”, what a nice idea.

Why I, as a Black Pastor, Must Speak Out on Abortion

 

Accountability-June 6, 1944

75 years ago our country was united behind our need to eliminate a clear and present threat to our, and the world’s, way of life. Fail, and hundreds of millions of people would live under tyrannical leaders whose vision excluded vast classes, races, political freedoms from their vision of a “1000 year rule.”

Luckily the German, Italian and Japanese fascists were defeated, the communists were not engaged and in various forms still exist today. China is implementing facial recognition Ala “Minority Report” as well as social scores that control what benefits you receive-they are growing rapidly in military might; Russia is rearming, taking land that legally isn’t theirs per the UN, threatening bordering countries; Venezuela has descended from one of the highest GDP per person in South America to beggar status; Cuba remains Cuba; many in our country think giving government more power over individual freedoms is a solution; and the list goes on.

Our political leaders on both sides refuse to meet in the middle;  pursuing political wins versus doing something. They are accountable to themselves only. This isn’t new; after G. Washington left office he warned of the divisiveness of party politics. That happened in the next election, and continues through today.

General Eisenhower was confident in the plan for “Overlord”, but also realistic. He penned the below prior to the landings.

“Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops. My decision to attack at this time and place was based on the best information available. The troops, the air and the Navy did all that bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt it is mine alone.”

How I wish those in Washington had an iota of the same kind of courage to be accountable. We live in a dangerous world. Our fellow citizens are not our enemies; many outside our borders are-whether economically or militarily.

Strange Fruit

The WSJ had an article on May 1st, pg A13, about the song “Strange Fruit” sung by Billie Holiday in the 30’s, and other musical protests concerning the lynching of mixed race people in the Jim Crow era.

It is a haunting song musically and even more so lyrically. I love Billie Holiday, not only for the music but for her courage in those times. The article mentions that lynching although illegal, was under-prosecuted by the states. The Senate passed a bill in 2018 making it a federal crime, the House has yet to pass it.

We tend to forget how we collectively allow injustice to continue, whether conservative or progressive, we are all guilty.

“First They Came for the Jews”
By Pastor Niemoller

 "The smallest minority on earth is the individual. Those who deny individual rights cannot claim to be defenders of minorities." - Ayn Rand
First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.

Controversy over Trump statements about Charlottesville

“there are good people on both sides”  A quote that has created overwhelming volumes of criticism, mostly from progressive news outlets and some from conservative ones. (I no longer just say new outlets because all now are opinion outlets–less a few pure journalists on both sides)

I think President Trump lets his mouth get way ahead of his brain, or in some cases just says dumb stuff and should be criticized. However, the creator of “Dilbert” came out recently with comments on what was said that some should take to heart and issue a retraction of their vile commentary.

Read for yourself from “TheHIll” https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/413801-dilbert-creator-defends-trump-remarks-on-charlottesville

 

 

AOC

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is getting a huge amount of press. I went back the records for her district of 711,000 people. In that district there are 214,000 registered democrat voters in that district, 33,000 republican.
The primary election had 28,000 Democrat voters come out, she won 17,000 to 11,000. In the general election she won 110,000 to 20,000. The long term democrat man she beat in the primary got 9,000 votes, I guess a write in.
Why are we so intent on listening to a person who got so few votes, and was voted for in the general just because she was a democrat?
I think we should pass an amendment that says, if 50% of the eligible voters do not turn out for a primary or general election, it must be held again.

The “Sacred”

From “First Things”, “A religion of Activism”, April 2019

Sociologists find that all functional societies have a sacred tradition that is required in order to promote its’ goals. When those tradition’s are trashed, what then takes their place so that the society can continue to function for the benefit of its’ members?

The law of unintended consequences is powerful. Change is always needed to adjust practices when power is abused, as it always will be no matter who is in power, but, trashing everything has been proven to create turbulence and suffering.

Think ahead before ripping something up. What will you put in its’ place?

THe Southern Law Poverty Center

The SPLC has done incredible work in the past bringing light to inequities in our “Justice” processes. They have now become a hate organization, like those on their list published annually.

You Tube now uses them to filter posts. Yet, many of the “Hate Organizations” just have a different opinion than they about how to solve a problem. So, suppressing speech you don’t like is, fascist.

Mussolini sort of invented fascism in the 30’s and was quoted and feted by American progressives until he threw in with Hitler. “Liberal Fascism” is an interesting book about this actual history. But, he was as suppressing of speech he didn’t like as Hitler.

Anyway. National Review’s Kyle Smith did an interesting article, https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/03/southern-poverty-law-center-bias-hate-group-labels-scam/.

We need to talk, not judge. Henri Nouwen has a great quote, “It is impossible to be compassionate when you judge.”, that is a paraphrase. http://henrinouwen.org/meditation/a-nonjudgmental-presence/.