Liberty Bell

“In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person’s becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American…There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn’t an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag… We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language… and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.”

— Theodore Roosevelt

The Rune of St Patrick

At Tara today in this fateful hour
I place all Heaven with its power,
And the sun with its brightness,
And the snow with its whiteness,
And fire with all the strength it hath,
And lightning with its rapid wrath,
And the winds with their swiftness along their path,
And the sea with its deepness,
And the rocks with their steepness,
And the earth with its starkness
All these I place,
By God’s almighty help and grace,
Between myself and the powers of darkness.

The Rune of St. Patrick is a variation on the much longer Lorica. Tradition tells us that Patrick said this protection prayer as he walked from the Hill of Slane to Tara to confront the High King who he believed to be representing the powers of darkness. Also according to legend, St. Patrick and his followers were turned into deer when they were being pursued by the king’s men early one morning. As the Lorica of St. Patrick–a lorica being a type of prayer of protection (literally meaning “breastplate”), which was popular in Celtic countries–it is used not only as a morning prayer, but as a prayer of protection.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

“Usually the nonsense liberals spout is kind of cute, but in wartime their instinctive idiocy is life-threatening.”
— Ann Coulter

“If liberals were prevented from ever again calling Republicans dumb, they would be robbed of half their arguments. To be sure, they would still have “racist,” “fascist,” “homophobe,” “ugly,” and a few other highly nuanced arguments in the quiver. But the loss of “dumb” would nearly cripple them.”
— Ann Coulter

(This post is not meant to be taken seriously. I am not “Liberal Bashing.” I try not to do that unless I have straight facts to be used against them - it’s very effective. I have a few close friends who are Liberals - some who are smart and able to argue their side fairly well. The only thing that annoys me, is they really don’t like admitting it when they’re wrong… )

H. L. Mencken (1880—1956), was known for his tough and rather cynical style and wit. Probably America’s most influential journalist, he began his career on the Baltimore Morning Herald at the age of 18, became editor of the Baltimore Evening Herald, and from 1906 until his death was on the staff of the Baltimore Sun or Evening Sun.

Mencken’s Creed

I believe in the reality of progress.
I -
But the whole thing, after all, may be put very simply. I believe that it is better to tell the truth than to lie. I believe that it is better to be free than to be a slave. And I believe that it is better to know than be ignorant.

“A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of the user.”
–Theodore Roosevelt

Voting has always been a source for debate. Should women be allowed to vote? Should people of different race be allowed to vote? Both of those have been answered ‘yes’.

AMENDMENT XV
Passed by Congress February 26, 1869. Ratified February 3, 1870.

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

AMENDMENT XIX
Passed by Congress June 4, 1919. Ratified August 18, 1920.

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.

And in 1971, Amendment XXVI ruled that:

The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age.

A recent article from the Guardien, “We can have sex, so why can’t we vote?”, explores the British voting age. Currently the British voting age is 18 - same as in America. While teens under 18 (in Britian) are old enough “to have sex, get married and join the armed forces with their parents’ consent, work and - crucially - pay taxes” they are unable to vote. Many adults believe teens are too immature or irrationaly minded to vote.

In 2003, teens led a protest in London’s Parliament Square. They were organized:

“These young people had organized themselves, leafleting at school gates, recruiting via email networks and cultivating the attentions of the media. Their understanding of how the news worked and their alertness to propaganda was impressive. These children were sceptical, but not cynical, and well informed about why they were there.”

Near the end of the article, the author mentioned:

“For a country that often appears to pride itself on how much it worries about its younger generation, we are remarkably bad at listening to what it has to say.”

~*~

Unfortunately, I don’t have time to present my opinion right now . Hopefully I will be able to soon .

“As nightfall does not come at once, neither does oppression. In both instances, there is a twilight when everything remains seemily unchanged. And it is in such a twilight that we all must be aware of change in the air, however slight, lest we become unwitting victims of darkness.”

William O. Douglas

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
by Emma Lazarus

“Beneath the rule of men entirely great, the pen is mightier than the sword.”
— Edward Bulwer-Lytton (1803-1873)
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Sir Edward Bulwer-Lytton was an English author, playwright and politician. He is well known for the above quote as well the opening phrase, “It was a dark and stormy night.”

Other quotes of Sir Bulwer-Lytton are:

“One of the sublimest things in the world is plain truth.”
and
“When people have no other tyrant, their own public opinion becomes one.”
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America has been a free country for many years. Since the Revolutionary War (1775–1783), America has had a government chosen “for the people by the people.” America became a stable country. Now, America is one of the largest, and strongest, countries in the world.

While I was writing a previous post – “In the name of religion…” – I realized I was more upset at the way Americans were acting over the cartoon riots than upset at the ones who started them. I took out my anger at the Muslims, at religion. But I was mad at America: at Bill Clinton, at the MSM, even at Ted Kennedy and others unrelated to the cartoons.

I was mad at America for picking themselves apart. I still am.
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A wise man and a U.S. president, Abraham Lincoln, said:

“America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves. ”
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I realized the pen is mightier than the sword.

When 9/11 occured, Americans had to support each other. Afterwards, life went on, but one thing had changed: we had experienced one terrorist attack, and would not face another without being prepared. So you could argue that America is actually stronger now then it was before 9/11. The “sword” failed to defeat America.

But now the words of American citizens are taking up the task the terrorists left. Through the pen, America is destroying itself.

The pen is not just mightier than the sword - the pen is a lethal weapon that can destroy the greatest nations.
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Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it.
— Martin Luther King, Jr.

I don’t understand why Cupid was chosen to represent Valentine’s Day. When I think about romance, the last thing on my mind is a short, chubby toddler coming at me with a weapon.
— Unknown

Greater love hath no one than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
— John 15:26

If all my friends were to jump off a bridge I wouldn’t jump with them, I would be at the bottom to catch them.
— Unknown

It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible. Do not ever let anyone claim to be a true American patriot if they ever attempt to separate Religion from politics.
— George Washington