Obamacare by Any Other Name…

The great liberal political scheme to make more Americans dependent upon government for their well-being, the so-called Affordable Care Act, has turned out to be the disaster its original opponents said it would be.  President Obama once proclaimed that he was rather fond of the nickname given to the Affordable Care Act—Obamacare.  But, alas, that pleasure has turned into chagrin.  After the disastrous roll out of the latest liberal scheme to have the government take charge of your personal health care, the name Obamacare has disappeared from the lips of the President and all those who supported it.  This, of course, includes the compliant whores of the national news media who have abandoned any sense of objectivity in favor of becoming Obama’s top cheerleaders.  Obamacare is no more; long live the Affordable Care Act they proclaim.  With apologies to William Shakespeare, Obamacare by any other name still smells like a pile of moose dung.

George Orwell was prescient.  The liberal answer to solve the problems of something that doesn’t work is to simply change the name.  But, simply reverting to the official name, the Affordable Care Act, is like putting lipstick on a pig.  A pig is still a pig, no matter how much lipstick it wears.

The failure of Obamacare has little to do with a bad website that is neither secure, nor workable.  It has nothing to do with the fact that the President lied when he said, "If you like your health insurance, you can keep it, period!"  The problem is not that some of the so-called health navigators are former and future criminals.  Neither is the problem the high cost, the low quality, or the death panels (yes, it turns out that Sarah Palin was right and the New York Times was wrong, there are death panels).  Nor is the trouble with Obamacare the fact that you will not be able to keep your doctor, or that there will be a shortage of hospital beds, and medical practitioners.  It's not even the fact that Obamacare and other socialist schemes are outside of the Constitutional purview of Congress, and the President. 

All those problems associated with Obamacare are just symptoms of the underlying cause of the failure of all socialist schemes.  It is an actuarial fact that both Social Security and Medicare are financially insolvent.  In fact, the official name of what we call Social Security is the Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance Program. In other words, it was sold to the American people as an insurance program.  Now, as you may know, insurance companies are heavily regulated by the federal government.  One very important requirement the feds place on insurance companies is that they maintain sufficient reserves to cover all future claims.  If an insurance company does not maintain such reserves, it is not only closed down, its officers and directors end up behind bars.  They go to federal prison.

But, while the federal government imposes these safeguards on insurance companies, there are no similar safeguards imposed on members of Congress.  To put it quite bluntly, Social Security, like all socialist fantasies, is a Ponzi scheme.  Actually, that’s unfair to Ponzi and even to Bernie Madoff.  Both Ponzi and Madoff were pikers compared to the politicians who created and continue to promote and maintain Social Security, Medicare, and now, Obamacare.

Instead of sending the socialist bamboozlers off to prison, we continue to elect them each year.  And, they pride themselves for their compassion, their caring, and for their concern for others.  While some of their followers actually believe in these bad ideas, most of today's politicians are far beyond that.  They know they don't work, they know these schemes are failures, but for them, the goal is not to create workable programs, but to gain power over others.  It is not without justification that politics is often referred to as the second oldest profession in the world.

Why is it that all socialist schemes are financially unsustainable?  Why won't they ever work?  Why, when you compare them with free market solutions to a myriad of problems, do government programs not only fail, but get progressively worse as the years go by?  And, why, in stark contrast, do solutions to problems provided by the private sector, i.e. free market capitalism, continue to get better and better as time goes by?

For example, televisions that were invented by private entrepreneurs have continued to become better and less costly as the years have gone by.  Telephones and automobiles have continued to get better and better.  Charles Edison, Henry Ford, and Bill Gates revolutionized the world.  They did so because they were visionaries who worked hard and took risk that greatly improved the lives of American citizens. 

In contrast, the US Postal Service (and all bureaus, divisions and departments of government) continue to decline in efficiency and performance.  And, while the cost of televisions and other technology continues to decline as quality improves, the price of mail delivery continues to rise while the reliability of delivery declines.

Why is it that government services are always poor and inferior while free market capitalism always works?  Whether it is medical care, retirement benefits, or mail delivery, government always comes out in a distant second place.  The choice is really between freedom and government.  The free, competitive marketplace demands that businesses focus on the needs and desires of consumers.  Government has no such focus.  The goal of those in government is to perpetuate themselves in power.

Are the people in government worse and more easily corruptible than those outside of government?  No, they are all mortals, cut from the same cloth.  They are the same flawed individuals, but the outcome is totally different.  Why?

The answer is simple.  It is easy to permanently corrupt the political process, but it is extremely difficult to corrupt the free market process.  Think about it.  When Social Security first passed, it was relatively sound financially.  In fact, it remained so for a number of years.  Yet, the ultimate trajectory was absolutely predictable.

It turns out that the political process is relatively easy to corrupt.  Politicians, no matter the party, always have one primary goal in mind—to get re-elected or to move up the political ladder to a higher political office.  By the early 1900s, politicians realized that they could perpetuate themselves in power by raising taxes and then doling out goods and services to political groups who, in return, support them for re-election.  Never mind the fact that there was absolutely no authority in the U.S. Constitution to support such a process.  Once they got over that hurdle, the gold rush was on! 

A good example of this process exists at the state level.  With the advent of unionization of state government employees (another brilliant idea courtesy of California Governor Jerry "Moonbeam" Brown), political corruption was raised to a new level.  It works like this.  Let’s say I work for the State of California.  By law, I am required to join a union in order to hold a state government job.  The union boss in charge of my union approaches state legislators and demands higher pay and platinum retirement benefits.  In return, he or she agrees to donate heavily to the re-election of those legislators who support such compensation and benefits.  That's corruption, pure and simple.  And, it's legal.

At the national level the political game works like this.  The Democratic Party identifies a voting bloc that it can capture by giving them some benefit, such as Social Security, Medicare or Obamacare.  Once that voting bloc becomes dependent on that benefit, the Democrats can count on getting their votes each election day.  It is bribery, and the irony is that the people have been bribed with their own money!

Unlike the constraints imposed on businesses in the free marketplace, there is no objective, fair mechanism to set compensation or benefits for government workers.  Neither is there any incentive to make the system work better or more efficiently.  And, lacking any incentive or job insecurity, the system continues to erode and decline as the years pass. 

It's all there, sitting right in front of us.  I’ve had jobs in government (City of St. Joseph and the U.S. Army) and in the free market.  The contrast is shocking.  There is incredible inefficiency and disorganization in government, including the Department of Defense.  In contrast, a business competing in the free market must work hard, and scramble to stay competitive.  Entrepreneurship is a high wire act, focused on serving your customers better than your competition, knowing that failure to do so means closing your doors.  It's a struggle that never ceases.  But, liberals just don't get it.

In fact, a liberal would argue that the allocation of goods and services based on success in the free market is neither fair, nor just.  They tell successful businessmen and women that they are just lucky in the lottery of life.  The fact that a successful person works long hours, takes great risks, and has educated himself or herself to the level needed for success is immaterial.  After all, a liberal would argue, successful people were born with advantages of intellect, risk taking, capital, or drive that others do not have.  In short, liberals conclude that business people achieve success strictly by luck.  As President Obama said, "You didn’t build that."

I know, it's a strange, almost weird argument that is out of touch with reality, but it is the only argument liberals have.  In short, liberals believe the world is unjust and imperfect.  Duh!  Early on I tried my best to disabuse my children of the idea that the world was just and fair.  It’s not, and it never will be, and if a few control the lives of many, the more unjust and unfair it will be. 

The idea that the individual decisions in regard to health care, retirement, transportation, communications, and more are best decided by a few powerful politicians and bureaucrats will work better than the individual decisions of millions of Americans is pure nonsense.  Socialism has a very consistent track record.  Never once has it worked anywhere.

Liberals seem to be mad at God (that is, if they believe in God) because He didn’t create every man and woman equal in circumstances, talents and ability.  God, for whatever reasons of His own, did not create all men and women equal.  I wanted to play baseball and throw an 85 mile per hour curve ball, but I was not blessed with the God given ability to develop such skills.  There are no two human beings alike.  We are all unique and different.  We are only the same in the eyes of God who blesses us as He chooses with the talents He desires.

So, that while men and women who work in freedom (the free market) are all subject to the same potential corruption and failures of those who work for government, they simply do not have as many opportunities to defraud the public as do public officials and bureaucrats.  The marketplace is simply too demanding.  In the free market, Social Security would have gone out of business as soon as its cash reserves were insufficient to cover future claims.  Its officers and directors would have gone to jail.  Yet, it continues to go forward with no financial reserves, using the funds that come in each year to cover the outflow to those long retired.

Medicare is, like Social Security, financially insolvent.  One wonders why, if both Social Security and Medicare are bankrupt, we would pass yet another failed socialist scheme.  But, politicians are not subject to the same constraints and countervailing pressures of the free market.  They don’t care about success, they just care about getting re-elected, and about gaining more power.

In the marketplace, a businessman or woman has to compete to gain success.  They have to be innovative, efficient and hard working in order to survive.  They can't print money to cover their stupidity and mistakes.  Entrepreneurs always walk along the edge of a financial cliff.  No matter how successful they are, they are never far away from failure and bankruptcy.  If they don't operate efficiently and offer goods and services at the right price, they go out of business.  If they offer shoddy goods or services, they also go out of business.  Freedom is very demanding.

Freedom demands that workers work hard.  It demands that business owners deliver superior products and services.  It demands self-reliance and self-responsibility, by worker and employer alike.  Freedom creates a permanent state of uncertainty, yet in reality, freedom is our only security.  All security offered by the government is illusory.  The government can only give to you what it first takes from you, with a big slice taken out for the politicians and the bureaucrats.

Social Security is really no security at all.  Medicare does not provide security.  And, Obamacare will not provide security.  None of these government schemes are sustainable.  They are simply liberal fantasies designed to delude and seduce voters into supporting candidates who seek power and denigrate individual freedom.

It turns out that our only real security lies with God.  It's the same security the Pilgrims relied upon.  It's the security that the signers of the Declaration of Independence relied upon.  It's the security that the Founders relied upon.

But, freedom is fragile.  If you strip away freedom's foundation—faith in God—it cannot long survive.  When faith dies, compassion dies, self responsibility dies, and nations become ripe for tyranny.  Hope never rests with government or with men, it always depends on God. 

Could it be that Obamacare is the high water mark of the ill conceived ideology that has festered in America since the turn of the previous century?  Like Pickett’s charge at Gettysburg, historians may look back upon the Obama presidency as a similar futile episode that threatened our land.  And, Lord willing, Obamacare may turn out to be the straw that broke the camel’s back, and steered our nation back toward the Constitutional republic designed by our forefathers.  May God continue to bless the United States of America.

Why I’m Not Listening to the State of the Union Message

The Constitution mandates that every year the President of the United States shall report to Congress the state of the union.  Such reports as prescribed by the Constitution have long since disappeared.  In their place we have political speeches.

George Washington gave the first State of the Union message to Congress on January 8, 1790, in the provisional capitol of New York City.  The topics of his address are illuminating.  He dealt with the performance of the federal government as specified by the United States Constitution and the preamble to that Constitution.  It was not a political speech, but rather a report to Congress as to how effective the government was in fulfilling its very limited responsibilities under the Constitution, and how successful it was in avoiding interference into the lives of the citizens of the land.

Since one of the two enumerated responsibilities of the new government was to provide for the common defense, President Washington commented directly on that matter.  He said, in part…

"Among the many interesting objects, which will engage your attention, that of providing for the common defence will merit particular regard.— To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace."

In other words, his advice was an early version of Ronald Reagan's axiom, peace through strength. 
Washington talked in his address about trade relations with other nations, and about the importance of uniform currency, weights and measures.  He also reminded the Congress that the future of the nation depended upon informed, free citizens, saying…

"And by teaching the people themselves to know and to value their own rights; to discern and provide against invasions of them; to distinguish between oppression and the necessary exercise of lawful authority; between burthens proceeding from a disregard to their convenience and those resulting from the inevitable exigencies of Society; to discriminate the spirit of liberty from that of licentiousness, cherishing the first, avoiding the last, and uniting a speedy, but temperate vigilence against encroachments, with an inviolable respect to the laws."

Edmund Burke, the great British member of parliament and philosopher, could not have said it better.  Liberty is fragile and exists only when government is minimal, law stands above the rule of man, and the people understand the foundations of freedom.
President Washington concluded his address with these simple, yet profound words…

"The welfare of our Country is the great object to which our cares and efforts ought to be directed. And I shall derive great satisfaction from a co-operation with you, in the pleasing tho arduous task of ensuring to our fellow-citizens the blessings which they have a right to expect from a free, efficient and equal Government."

Although the Constitution directed the President of the United States to make an annual report to Congress on the state of the union, it did not say that report had to be given in person.  Washington’s successor, John Adams, followed his lead and spoke to Congress in person.  In his speech, he addressed national security issues and the problem of piracy that threatened American commerce.  He went on to say…

"Although I can not yet congratulate you on the reestablishment of peace in Europe and the restoration of security to the persons and properties of our citizens from injustice and violence at sea, we have, nevertheless, abundant cause of gratitude to the source of benevolence and influence for interior tranquillity and personal security, for propitious seasons, prosperous agriculture, productive fisheries, and general improvements, and, above all, for a rational spirit of civil and religious liberty and a calm but steady determination to support our sovereignty, as well as our moral and our religious principles, against all open and secret attacks."

President Adams provided a thorough accounting to Congress of issues specified as the responsibility of the federal government under the Constitution.  He ended with this admonition in regard to public debt…

"Since the decay of the feudal system, by which the public defense was provided for chiefly at the expense of individuals, the system of loans has been introduced, and as no nation can raise within the year by taxes sufficient sums for its defense and military operations in time of war the sums loaned and debts contracted have necessarily become the subjects of what have been called funding systems. The consequences arising from the continual accumulation of public debts in other countries ought to admonish us to be careful to prevent their growth in our own. The national defense must be provided for as well as the support of Government; but both should be accomplished as much as possible by immediate taxes, and as little as possible by loans."

Adam's successor, Thomas Jefferson, abhorred the rule of Kings, and to him, giving a public address to Congress smacked of a monarch addressing those he ruled.  Thus, he declined to speak, but sent a written report instead.  This practice of sending a written report continued until it was broken by the father of the income tax, Woodrow Wilson.  Wilson felt very comfortable in the role of a monarch and, in fact, ushered in the relentless growth of government above and beyond the constraints intended by the Founders as written in the Constitution.  Wilson’s presidency was the beginning of the end of the rule of law in the nation, and it was the beginning of the growth of government into a powerful, all-controlling state.

However, Calvin Coolidge, who became President upon the death of Wilson's successor, Warren G. Harding, reverted to the policy of Thomas Jefferson, that of sending a written report to Congress.  Since that time, with the advent of radio and then television, State of the Union messages by the President have gone far afield of their Constitutional intent, and resemble instead a political speech directed not at Congress, but at the voters across the nation.

It is worth recounting the state of the union message of President Coolidge, in regard to the fiscal status of the government…

"Our main problems are domestic problems. Financial stability is the first requisite of sound government. We can not escape the effect of world conditions. We can not avoid the inevitable results of the economic disorders which have reached all nations. But we shall diminish their harm to us in proportion as we continue to restore our Government finances to a secure and endurable position. This we can and must do. Upon that firm foundation rests the only hope of progress and prosperity. From that source must come relief for the people."

It was this type of common sense that enabled Coolidge to lead the nation away from a very precarious financial situation and back to the kind of broad prosperity that is unknown by a socialist system, but is the hallmark of a free market that is minimally restricted by regulations and taxes.

So it is that President Barack Obama will once again give a so-called State of the Union message to Congress and to the nation.  As with virtually every President before him, he will pronounce the state of the nation to be good.  But, I will not be watching.

Why will I not be watching?  The answer is that there is hardly one word uttered from the mouth of this President that can be trusted or believed.  His lies are public and as many as the stars in the sky.  There are so many, it is impossible to recount them all.  He and his political team almost certainly instituted the Fast and Furious gunrunning scheme for political purposes.  As a result, one border agent, Brian Terry, died and hundreds of Mexicans have died.  The goal was to constrict your right to keep and bear arms, but instead it exposed a corrupt president and corrupt Attorney General.

Barack Obama lied about Obamacare, saying, "If you like your insurance, you can keep it, period." It was a lie and he knew it was a lie from the beginning.  He knew it would not become law if he did not tell this lie.  That's why he told this lie over and over and over again.  As a result, millions of Americans have lost their medical insurance coverage, and millions more will lose it in the future.  In addition, the financial burden of this socialist fantasy will further delay, perhaps permanently, a return to economic prosperity.

We now know that Barack Obama lied about Benghazi.  He knew from the very beginning that the attacks had absolutely nothing to do with an anti-Muslim video, yet he repeated the bald faced lie that it was for two weeks after an American Ambassador and, other brave Americans were murdered.  Our president was willing to let men die in order to get re-elected.

The President lied about the IRS.  First, he said he knew nothing about it and promised to get to the bottom of it and correct it.  Now, he has changed his story, saying that the targeting was correct and it was to protect the public.  This undoubtedly was another scheme cooked up by the White House political team to help the President get re-elected.

On and on and on it goes.  President Obama repeatedly says one thing and then does exactly the opposite.
So, that's one reason I won't be listening to the State of the Union message.  The words the President utters mean absolutely nothing.  It's no wonder that more than 70% of the American people don't trust the President.  They shouldn't!

The second reason I won't be listening is that this President is completely and totally ignorant of economics.  He has no clue whatsoever of how things work or that freedom is the secret strength of America.  Nor does he understand that freedom is not divisible.  You can't pick and choose your freedoms.  Either freedom exists in the marketplace or all freedom vanishes.  Either freedom of speech exists, or all other freedoms disappear.  Either freedom of religion exists, or all other freedoms are endangered.

His circumvention of Congress on the day of his State of the Union message by issuing an Executive Order setting a new minimum wage for federal employees, not only exhibits his contempt for the Constitution, but also his total ignorance of economics.  The so-called minimum wage law is the primary cause of limiting access to the ladder of opportunity to poor Americans.  It denies opportunities, especially to the poor, to obtain their first entry level job, and without a first job, there can never been a second job, or an opportunity for advancement at your first job.  It is abject economic ignorance to believe that government can set prices or wages.  Only the free market can set prices and wages fairly.  And, when government interferes by trying to set a minimum wage, it hurts the very people it will supposedly help. 

When the price of wages goes beyond the free market value of that job, the employer either has to employ automation, or terminate the service in order to survive.  Government intervention into the marketplace may benefit a few at the expense of many.  Often, a so-called black market appears, but in reality it is simply the free market serving suppliers and consumers at the best possible prices.  It is clear that President Barack Obama is totally ignorant of how an economy functions.  Government is an impediment to universal prosperity and to lifting people out of poverty.  Since government is not subject to the marketplace, the impact of President Obama's Executive Order will be limited to higher taxes on Americans.  But, while the passage of a new minimum wage law by Congress may be good politics for the uninformed voter, it is bad law.  It will destroy jobs and opportunity.

It is because of government that extensive poverty continues to exist in our land.  Let us not forget that the origin of minimum wage laws is racism.  They were designed by unions to deny employment opportunities to minorities, especially African Americans.  If you read the Congressional Record of the debate that took place about the Davis Bacon Act (the 1931 act requiring that only union labor be used in government construction projects), you will find blatant racist comments by Democrat Congressmen from New York, as well as from other parts of the nation.  It was designed expressly to deny black Americans an opportunity to participate in construction projects funded by the federal government.  Up until that time, African Americans were heavily involved in the construction industry, but thanks to that law, they have never fully recovered their position there. 

Similar to the Davis Bacon Act, minimum wage laws were created to artificially benefit union workers.  And, remember, each and every time wages are artificially inflated due to government preference in the form of a union shop, all consumers are penalized.  And, foreign competition benefits, as it did in the auto industry.

Up until this Administration, all Presidents did their best to unify our nation.  They encouraged productivity by both employees and employers.  They respected the heritage of our nation and revered the wisdom of America’s Founders.  This President has made it clear that he has no use whatsoever for the wisdom and counsel of the Founders.  He is a Marxist through and through.  Only Marxists talk about redistribution of income and inequality of outcomes.  Those who love and cherish freedom talk about the opportunity that comes from living in a nation of low taxes, few regulations, and limited government.  We encourage love and understanding, not division, envy and jealousy.  We form the backbone of compassionate America, the individuals who voluntarily give generously to help their fellow man, and to fund a myriad of nonprofit organizations that enrich the fabric of our nation.

Conservatives don't use the agency of government to compel our fellow citizens to support charitable cause that we deem worthwhile.  Rather we use persuasion and encouragement and our own dollars to intervene in the lives of others to help them overcome adversity.  We don't believe that taking tax dollars at the point of a gun is compassion, no matter how worthwhile the cause. 

Americans believe in unity, and common respect for others, and they believe in traditional moral values as enumerated most clearly in the Ten Commandments.  We trust in God's wisdom and justice, not in the vagaries of fallen man.  We revere America's Founders and share their understanding that all men are imperfect. 

We endeavor to tell the truth at all times and to rely upon integrity and honor, rather than cunning and scheming, to accomplish our ends.  And, we reject the idea that the end justifies the means.

Barack Obama has little to nothing in common with the values and principles of the Founders.  It has nothing whatsoever to do with the color of his skin.  It has everything to do with the corruptness of his ideology.  It is an ideology that is antithetical to American values and tradition.  It threatens to undo the greatness of America and turn this nation into just another soft European tyranny, or worse.

When President Barack Obama says that "I can't wait for Congress to act" and that he has a phone and a pen that he will use to go around Congress, he is violating the rule of law and acting like a dictator.  To go around Congress is to circumvent the Constitution of the United States of America. 

Make no mistake about it, corrupt politicians like Barack Obama will use the power of government to deny health care to those who oppose them.  They will spy on them, they will restrict them, they will harass them, they will stomp on their liberties. They will sic the IRS on them, and do whatever is necessary to maintain political power.  Power, it’s what all politicians lust after and once the people surrender their power to the bureaucrats and the politicians, our republic will be dead.

No, I will not listen to a liar, nor will I listen to an authoritarian wannabe.  Instead, I will continue to work hard to save this nation for my children and my grandchildren.  I want to restore this nation to the land of the free, where every child has an opportunity to climb the ladder of success as far and as fast as they can go based on their willingness to work hard, to take risk, and as God blesses them.  That is the America I grew up in, and by the grace of God, that is the nation my children and all the children of America will inherit.

Baseball

In about 35 days Major League pitchers and catchers report to spring training camps in Florida and Arizona.  It’s a ritual that has been going on since the 1800s.  The Cincinnati Red Stockings and the Chicago White Stockings held spring training camps in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1870.  The Washington Capitals held a spring training camp in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1888.

By 1900, virtually all teams held spring training camps in Florida and Arizona.  Thus began the annual ritual not only of the teams themselves, but also of the fans getting out of the cold weather in the North to sit in the warm sunshine and watch their team prepare for the regular season that opened in early May, or in mid April, as it does today.

Early on, spring training was typically tied to barnstorming tours where the major league teams played local clubs who wanted to see how they stacked up against the big boys.  Barnstorming was also a way for major league baseball players to make some money.  Even after World War II, the salaries of the typical major league player were very modest.

In his book, White Rat, Whitey Herzog talks about getting along financially as a baseball player in the mid 1950s through the early 1960s.  When Herzog was playing for the Washington Senators (1956-58) he lived in a trailer, because that was the most he could afford on his salary.

When Herzog played for the Kansas City Athletics (1958-60) he lived in a home that he built.  But, even then, during the off season he umpired at high school basketball games and operated a small construction company just to pay his bills.

Herzog was never a great player, but he was dedicated.  His lifetime batting average was .254.  He hit 25 home runs and had 172 RBIs in 634 games.  Of course, he went on to be one of the greatest managers in the game, being inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010.  One of Herzog’s greatest lines was, “Baseball was good to me after I quit playing it.”  And, indeed while he never really made any significant money as a player, he was well compensated as a field manager.  After short stints as a base coach, interim field manager, and in charge of player development of several teams, Herzog became manager of the Kansas City Royals in 1975.  There he won three straight American League Western division titles.  But, his greatest success was as the field manager of the St. Louis Cardinals where he was famous for “Whiteyball,” the nickname for the team he built on a foundation of base running speed.  In St. Louis he won the 1982 World Series and the National League Pennant in 1985 and 1987.

Until 1947, the vast majority of Major League teams held spring training in Florida for the practical reason that the farthest team west was the St. Louis Cardinals.  It made no economic sense to train out west, when Florida was much closer to the fan base of the teams.  But in 1947 the New York Giants and the Cleveland Indians were persuaded to train in Arizona.  It is true that a number of MLB teams had trained out west prior to World War II, most notably the Chicago Cubs, who first trained in Santa Monica in 1905 and then trained on California’s Catalina Island from 1922 to 1942, and again in 1950-51.  The incentive for the Cubs to train on Catalina Island was the fact that the team owner, William Wrigley Jr., the chewing gum magnet, was the owner of the Cubs and the owner of Catalina Island where he wintered.  Other teams trained in California so that they could barnstorm their way back home, earning money for the players and expanding support for the team.

Similar to the draw for the Cubs to Catalina Island, was the draw of Arizona to the Cleveland Indians.  The Cactus League became a reality in 1947, when Horace Stoneham’s New York Giants and Bill Veeck’s Cleveland Indians took up residence in Phoenix and Tucson, respectively.  Veeck (Veeck as in wreck he would say) owned a ranch near Tucson.  Bill Veeck went on to be the most innovative and future looking, if madcap, owner in baseball.

During his time in baseball, Veeck was the owner of the Cleveland Indians, the St. Louis Browns and the Chicago White Sox.  In 1947, he signed the first black baseball player in the American league, Larry Doby, and later that year signed the ageless Satchel Paige, who became, at the time of his signing, the oldest rookie in the history of baseball.

In 1948, Lou Boudreau hit .355 and that propelled Cleveland to its first pennant and World Series since 1920.  Not afraid to be wacky, Veeck famously buried the 1948 pennant once it became obvious that the team would not repeat in 1949.  One of Veeck’s most memorable publicity stunts was the hiring of the 3 foot 7 inch Eddie Gaedel.  On August 19, 1951, Veeck sent Gaedel to the plate to pinch hit.   Gaedel’s uniform number was “1/8” and yes, he walked on four straight pitches and then was pulled for a pinch runner.

But, back to spring training.  Today, baseball spring training is bigger and better than ever before.  The facilities are nicer and bigger than they have ever been.  And, it’s often difficult to get tickets to spring training games because the demand continues to grow each year.  Tens of thousands of fans make attending the spring training of their favorite team an annual ritual.  There’s a special camaraderie among both fans and players as practices begin.

And, then when the actual games begin, the stands fill up.  No one wants to miss the first appearance of a heralded rookie, or see their favorite player take the field or hit one out of the park.  And, at the beginning of each regular season, every fan holds out hope that “this is the year” for his or her team.

Of course, there are lots of great sports played in the United States.  There are the timed rectangular sports of football, soccer, basketball, rugby, hockey, etc. where you score points by making it to the other end of the rectangle and dropping your ball, puck, or whatever in a hoop, a net, or score simply by bringing it across the goal line.  These sports can be lots of fun and bring lots of excitement.

But, as for me, give me that special green diamond that is unlike any other sport in the world.  It has a special magnetism, a special draw that is different than any other sport.  And, I must not be alone in this feeling since the number of people who annually watch baseball at all levels far outnumbers any other sport.  For instance, the annual attendance of several triple A baseball teams is much higher than the annual attendance of the highest attended National Football League team.  I know, a NFL team only plays 16 games per year, just one tenth of those played by the fellows on the diamond.  Nevertheless. Baseball has a certain long term drawing power that no other sport can match.

While the NFL has seen a decline in television viewership and attendance over the last few years, attendance at MLB games has continued to grow.  And, the fascination of Americans with baseball isn’t just as a spectator sport.  Millions of Americans—young, middle aged and even older—play baseball each year.  And, across the globe, in places as far away as Russia and Italy, baseball continues to grow in popularity.  Of course, in Latin America and in the far East, baseball is huge.

And, this doesn’t even touch on the fact that more money is spent on salaries of US baseball players than on players for any other professional sport.  Nor does it cover the fact that revenues to professional baseball far outstrip any other professional sport in the USA.  And, let’s not forget that the most money ever paid for a professional sports franchise is $2 billion, the amount paid to purchase the Los Angeles Dodgers.
But, baseball is not about money, it’s about the love of the game.  It’s about hitting an 85 mile per hour curve ball.  It’s about the most difficult play in sports, turning a double play.  It’s about miracle catches, and late inning walk off home runs.  It’s about seeing a young pitcher throw a perfect game.  It’s about seeing your son or daughter play the game and come to love it as you do.

Baseball is truly as American as apple pie.

Yes, professional baseball had its problems with drug use.  But, I believe that is gone for good.  Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire and others dishonored the game by using performance enhancing drugs, but last year baseball writers uttered their verdict.  They bypassed both Clemens and McGwire for entry into the Baseball Hall of Fame.  They sent a stern message to all professional baseball players, if you want your shot at getting into the Hall of Fame you can’t use performance enhancing drugs to get there.

This year the Hall inducted some all-time great players, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Frank Thomas.  These are great choices and great players who understand what baseball is all about.  It’s about loving and  respecting the game of baseball.

So, as for me, I’m packing my bags and heading south, looking forward to seeing the St. Louis Cardinals in spring training in Jupiter, Florida.  I’m going to enjoy the warm sunshine, and the gentle breezes, but most of all, I’m going to relish the crack of the bat, the pop of the glove, and the amazing athletic skills of the players on the field.  And, while I’m at it, I’m going to root, root, root for the Cardinals.  There’s just nothing like a baseball game.

Joy to the World! The Lord has Come!

Christmas is that wonderful time of the year when we pause from all our hectic activities to celebrate the birth of Jesus, God’s Son. What was God’s purpose in sending Jesus to this earth?  It was to rescue us. Why do we need rescuing? What do we need to be rescued from?

Well, God has created heaven, a perfect place, with no squabbling, no anger, no pain, no disagreements, no relationship problems, no money worries, or any other problems. It is a place of peace and happiness. Sounds great, right? 

But, there’s a problem. I hate to tell you, but you’re not perfect. Neither am I, or any other man or woman that has ever lived. It’s pretty obvious, isn’t it? We all fail, do bad things, think bad thoughts, and just plain sin. God is blunt about it. He says, “Because all people have sinned, they have fallen short of God's glory.” (Romans 3:23) And, “Certainly, there is no one so righteous on earth that he always does what is good and never sins.” (Ecclesiastes 7:20) We are all in the same boat when it comes to righteousness before God. We stink.

The question is how do we imperfect human beings get to spend our next life in a perfect place? If we place imperfect people in a perfect heaven, it’s no longer perfect. That’s where Jesus comes in. Jesus was born in a manger in Bethlehem in very humble circumstances, and for 33 years he lived the perfect life that you and I cannot live. Finally, he took all our shortcomings, and failures—our sins—on himself as he went to the cross and died for us. But, he wasn’t finished. He rose victorious from the grave to send you and me a strong, clear message that death is not the end, it really is the beginning our life in heaven with Jesus. All he asks of us is to believe in Jesus as our savior and to acknowledge our failures, shortcomings, sins, and thus our need of a savior. In Ephesians 2:8 & 9 he says this very clearly… “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast.”

And, did you know that the birth and life of Jesus was precisely forecast hundreds of years before it happened?  The Book of Isaiah was written between 701 and 681 years before the birth of Jesus. This is what Isaiah wrote in Chapter 7, verse 14…

“So the Lord himself will give you this sign: A virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and she will name him Immanuel [God is with us].”

There are many miracles recorded in the Bible, but of all of them, Jesus’ virgin birth and his resurrection from the dead are the two greatest and two most important. Upon these two miracles hang all our hopes of passing through the portal of death to our next life in heaven.  That is why Christmas is celebrated and why it is so important.

This is how God describes the time leading up to the birth of Jesus in the Book of Luke…

The Angel Gabriel Comes to Mary

“²⁶Six months after Elizabeth [the mother of John the Baptist] had become pregnant, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a city in Galilee. ²⁷The angel went to a virgin promised in marriage to a descendant of David named Joseph. The virgin’s name was Mary.

²⁸ When the angel entered her home, he greeted her and said, “You are favored by the Lord! The Lord is with you.” ²⁹She was startled by what the angel said and tried to figure out what this greeting meant. ³⁰The angel told her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary. You have found favor with God. ³¹You will become pregnant, give birth to a son, and name him Jesus. ³²He will be a great man and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. ³³Your son will be king of Jacob’s people forever, and his kingdom will never end.” ³⁴Mary asked the angel, “How can this be? I’ve never had sexual intercourse.” ³⁵The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come to you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy child developing inside you will be called the Son of God. ³⁶“Elizabeth, your relative, is six months pregnant with a son in her old age. People said she couldn’t have a child. ³⁷But nothing is impossible for God.” ³⁸Mary answered, “I am the Lord’s servant. Let everything you’ve said happen to me.” Then the angel left her.

Mary Praises God

⁴⁶Mary said, “My soul praises the Lord’s greatness! ⁴⁷My spirit finds its joy in God, my Savior, ⁴⁸because he has looked favorably on me, his humble servant. “From now on, all people will call me blessed ⁴⁹because the Almighty has done great things to me. His name is holy. ⁵⁰For those who fear him, his mercy lasts throughout every generation. ⁵¹“He displayed his mighty power. He scattered those who think too highly of themselves. ⁵²He pulled strong rulers from their thrones. He honored humble people. ⁵³He fed hungry people with good food. He sent rich people away with nothing. ⁵⁴“He remembered to help his servant Israel forever. ⁵⁵This is the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and his descendants.” ⁵⁶Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back home.

Jesus Is Born

1At that time the Emperor Augustus ordered a census of the Roman Empire. ²This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. ³All the people went to register in the cities where their ancestors had lived. ⁴So Joseph went from Nazareth, a city in Galilee, to a Judean city called Bethlehem. Joseph, a descendant of King David, went to Bethlehem because David had been born there. ⁵Joseph went there to register with Mary. She had been promised to him in marriage and was pregnant. ⁶While they were in Bethlehem, the time came for Mary to have her child. ⁷She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger because there wasn’t any room for them in the inn.

Angels Announce the Birth of Jesus

⁸Shepherds were in the fields near Bethlehem. They were taking turns watching their flock during the night. ⁹An angel from the Lord suddenly appeared to them. The glory of the Lord filled the area with light, and they were terrified. ¹⁰The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid! I have good news for you, a message that will fill everyone with joy. ¹¹Today your Savior, Christ the Lord, was born in David’s city. ¹²This is how you will recognize him: You will find an infant wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.” ¹³Suddenly, a large army of angels appeared with the angel. They were praising God by saying, ¹⁴“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those who have his good will!” ¹⁵The angels left them and went back to heaven. The shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see what the Lord has told us about.” ¹⁶They went quickly and found Mary and Joseph with the baby, who was lying in a manger. ¹⁷When they saw the child, they repeated what they had been told about him. ¹⁸Everyone who heard the shepherds’ story was amazed. ¹⁹Mary treasured all these things in her heart and always thought about them. ²⁰As the shepherds returned to their flock, they glorified and praised God for everything they had seen and heard. Everything happened the way the angel had told them.”

This news of the birth of Jesus is the best news I will ever hear and it is the best news that you will ever hear.  Have a wonderful, joyous Christmas celebration!

One Word Made Nelson Mandela Great

I have truly enjoyed reading all the stories about the life of Nelson Mandela since his death just a few days ago. There have been fanciful ones by people who did not know him, interesting stories by people who did know him, and several very insightful stories by folks who studied him. I confess that my knowledge of Nelson Mandela was limited prior to his death.  I knew that he had communist leanings for many years. I knew that he suffered greatly in prison for 27 years, and, I knew that he became President of South Africa just a few years after his release from prison.

Mandela was born into the Thembu royal family. After attending Fort Hare University and the University of Witwatersrand where he studied law, he became involved in anti-colonial politics. He joined the African National Congress, a decidedly Marxist, Communist organization dedicated to the overthrow of the white South African government. Initially he was committed to non-violent protest, but after more than a decade of unsuccessful attempts to obtain a government controlled by the black majority, he gave up and formed the militant Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) that was affiliated with the South African Communist Party (funded in part by the Soviet Union).  The MK advocated violence and it led a sabotage campaign against apartheid. However, in no instance of sabotage did anyone die.  In 1962 Mandela was arrested and convicted of conspiracy to overthrow the state, and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Commentators have noted that Mandela was offered release 27 times if he would agree to forego violent acts. However, undoubtedly that was just a part of the conditions for his release from prison. In all likelihood, the other terms included nonparticipation in any activities, nonviolent or violent, seeking to end apartheid in South Africa. That was an unacceptable term to Nelson Mandela and one for which he was unwilling to compromise.

The Soviet communists saw in Mandela and the ANC an opportunity to establish a foothold in Africa.  That was the only reason that they supported his efforts. While Mandela was a socialist, however, and perhaps even a Marxist, he did not care about advancing Soviet communism, he only cared about freeing his people from apartheid.  He supported the communists only to the extent that they benefitted his cause.

For 27 long years Nelson Mandela was a prisoner. But, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela didn’t fade away. He became a symbol of white oppression and white racism. Mandela did, however, have lots of time to contemplate. Raised as a Christian, Mandela concluded that there was a conflict between his faith and his violent past. He realized that he could not be both a Christian and a communist or a Marxist.

While Mandela was still in prison, pressure continued to mount, both inside and outside of South Africa, for an end to apartheid.  One of those working to end apartheid was President Ronald Reagan.  As this excerpt from an article by Arnold Steinberg (used with his permission) points out, Reagan sought not to overthrow the government of South Africa, but to bring an end to apartheid. 

"In fact, the [Reagan] policy was strategic and allowed for Reagan’s philosophy…of seeking change within authoritarian regimes as opposed to isolating totalitarian regimes like the Soviet Union, which required full confrontation.  And, at that time during the Cold War, Nelson Mandela’s African National Congress was a Marxist, if not pro-Communist, organization, so prudence was required.

In 1986, Chet [Chester Crocker] recommended to Secretary of State George Shultz the appointment of Ed Perkins to be U.S. Ambassador to South Africa.”

This was significant because not only was Edward Perkins a career foreign service officer serving as U.S. Ambassador to Liberia, he was an African American. For President Ronald Reagan to send a black man as the US Ambassador was a crystal clear message to then President of South Africa, P.W. Botha, that the United States did not condone or approve of apartheid.

“In his book, Ed [Perkins] says, quite simply, that neither George Shultz nor Ronald Reagan have been given credit for their determination to change apartheid in South Africa. Shultz told Ed, ‘No one has the right to ask you or any other black person to go down there.’  Some thought the Afrikaners might try to assassinate a black ambassador. And ‘black leaders’ here, he was told, would attack Ed as a sell-out to a “racist” president…

…when it came to Reagan himself, Ed and the President had immediate rapport. Ed recollects how informed Reagan was on Africa and also Reagan’s moral clarity. …[Reagan] told Ed that he was personally appointing him U.S. Ambassador to South Africa and, almost unheard of, giving him authorization to make American policy from the embassy. Ed recalls that in subsequent meetings during his ambassadorship, Reagan was …thoroughly analytical and well engaged — hardly the detached caricature drawn by liberals.

[The] South African press predictably blasted the appointment. …But Ed became, in his words, ‘a change agent’ from the moment he set foot in South Africa… …in the first official private meeting with South Africa’s President P.W. Botha, [Botha] directly insulted him and indirectly insulted President Reagan.  

…But the bottom line is that President Reagan’s personal envoy made policy from the moment he refused to accept segregated housing for the black State Department employees.  And, he reached out to all groups, from rigid Afrikaners to black Marxist revolutionaries, while making clear the U.S. position was against apartheid and against violent change and for a market economy.  

…By selecting a black American to be ambassador, President Reagan sent a message.  And by sending Ed Perkins, Reagan showed that his selection was not some politically correct symbol of diversity but the real deal. In South Africa, [Perkins] celebrated the U.S. Constitution and its genius of a democratic republic of limited, balanced powers.

At times, Ed even gave Embassy or consular sanctuary to political dissidents… When challenged by the South African government, Ed Perkins declared that the dissidents were on sovereign territory. And when Botha (who, ironically, would later become part of Nelson Mandela’s government) …repeatedly became belligerent, Ed Perkins replied with his ace-in-the-hole line — that he was acting on behalf of the President of the United States — Ronald Reagan.”

President Ronald Reagan was walking a fine line in South Africa. By instituting the Reagan Doctrine, he sought to bring down the dictatorship of the Soviet Union. The ties of the African National Congress to the Soviets only made that fine line even smaller. Other Presidents, like Jimmy Carter, in their haste to achieve human rights actually empowered harsh dictatorships that still plague us today, such as Iran. Without Carter’s bumbling, we would not have the danger of a nuclear war that is posed by the current Islamic fascist regime of the Ayatollah in Iran. It is not a stretch to say that without the quiet, but firm intervention of Ronald Reagan in South Africa at a critical time, that South Africa could have made the peaceful transition to a majority rule nation that exists today.

But, let’s get back to the story of Nelson Mandela and the one powerful word that made him a great leader. When Mandela eventually was released from prison in 1990, President F.W. de Klerk was serving as Prime Minister. It was a time of great civil unrest. Demands for an end to apartheid had reached a boiling point.

After so many years in prison, Nelson Mandela had a right to be an angry man, a man filled with bitterness and bent on revenge. But, he wasn’t. His commitment to his Christian faith overrode his potential rage against his mistreatment and abuse in prison. Instead of anger, Mandela did the unthinkable thing.

The then President of South Africa was F.W. de Klerk. While de Klerk was no saint, he was not the racist firebrand of his predecessor, P.F. Botha. Nelson Mandela had not given up the fight for justice and freedom, he had just rejected hatred, anger and violence as a means to that end. But, much more than that, his faith compelled him to do was Jesus did, forgive his enemies. He obviously knew these passages well…

Then Jesus said,

“Father, forgive them. They don't know what they're doing."—Luke 23:34

“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked him, "Lord, how often do I have to forgive a believer who wrongs me? Seven times?" Jesus answered him, "I tell you, not just seven times, but seventy times seven.”—Matthew 18:21-22

The ability of Nelson Mandela, a man who had served 27 years in prison, to forgive his enemies was what made him a truly great man and a great leader.  His ability to forgive was a powerful force for good. With genuine, heart-felt forgiveness he united his nation, a seemingly impossible task. By being able to purge the anger from his heart, he was able to reach out to both blacks and whites with a message of reconciliation.

Amazingly, just four years after release from his long imprisonment, Nelson Mandela was elected President of South Africa. The times were still dangerous with a possible civil war rumbling just below the surface. While Mandela was willing to forgive, many black South Africans did not want to forgive, they wanted revenge. But, Mandela knew that vengeance belongs to the Lord, not to man. As it says in Romans 12:19

“Don't take revenge, dear friends. Instead, let God's anger take care of it. After all, Scripture says, "I alone have the right to take revenge. I will pay back, says the Lord.”

Once again, it was the wisdom of God that led to the wise and prudent decisions made by Nelson Mandela. It would have been oh so easy to give in to the demands of black South Africans to seek revenge against white South Africans. It would have been easy to take revenge on those white South Africans that insulted him and belittled him, but Nelson Mandela did not give in to his lower desires. Of course, it would have been so easy to do so and the result would have looked something like today’s Zimbabwe, a totalitarian dictatorship where everyone suffers, black and white.

The movie Invictus by Clint Eastwood, starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon, which by most accounts is an accurate rendition of what really happened, provides insight into the wisdom of Nelson Mandela. Here is an excerpt from a synopsis of the movie as told by Wikipedia…

“…[President] Mandela is particularly concerned about racial divisions between black and white South Africans, which could lead to violence.

While attending a game between the Springboks, the country's rugby union team, and England, Mandela recognizes that the blacks in the stadium are cheering for England, as the mostly-white Springboks represent prejudice and apartheid in their minds; he remarks that he did the same while imprisoned on Robben Island. Knowing that South Africa is set to host the 1995 Rugby World Cup in one year's time, Mandela persuades a meeting of the newly black-dominated South African Sports Committee to support the Springboks. He then meets with the captain of the Springboks rugby team, François Pienaar (Matt Damon), and implies that a Springboks victory in the World Cup will unite and inspire the nation. Mandela also shares with François a British poem, "Invictus", that had inspired him during his time in prison.

Many South Africans, both black and white, doubt that rugby will unite a nation torn apart by nearly 50 years of racial tensions, as for many blacks, especially the radicals, the Springboks symbolize white supremacy. Both Mandela and Pienaar, however, stand firmly behind their theory that the game can successfully unite the South African country.

Things begin to change as the players interact with the fans and begin a friendship with them. During the opening games, support for the Springboks begins to grow among the black population. By the second game, the whole country comes together to support the Springboks and Mandela's efforts.

Before the game, the Springbok team visits Robben Island, where Mandela spent the first 18 of his 27 years in jail. François mentions his amazement that Mandela ‘could spend thirty years in a tiny cell, and come out ready to forgive the people who put [him] there.’

Supported by a large home crowd of both races, Pienaar motivates his team. The Springboks win the match on an added time long drop-kick from fly-half Joel Stransky, with a score of 15–12. Mandela and Pienaar meet on the field together to celebrate the improbable and unexpected victory.”

In many ways, Nelson Mandela reminds me of another great Christian leader, Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn. Solzhenitsyn never became the President of Russia after the peaceful defeat of the Soviet Union, but like Mandela, Solzhenitsyn was a man of great leadership based on the strength of his ability to forgive. Because of their ability to forgive, both Mandela and Solzhenitsyn were able to heal. Those who bear grudges, who seek retribution and revenge, may gain power, but they will never be great. In fact, theirs will be a leadership that destroys, divides, and encourages envy, hatred, jealously, and even violence. It will be a legacy of failure and shortsightedness.

Let us celebrate the greatness of Nelson Mandela and his willingness to forgive.  He would, of course, point to the one who makes it possible for us to forgive, Jesus, the Savior of the world.  Nelson Mandela, RIP.

Thanksgiving 2013

The Thanksgiving celebration we celebrate this week is a remembrance of the Thanksgiving celebrated by the Pilgrims in the Colony of Massachusetts.  The Pilgrims had fled to America for religious freedom.  The celebration they held was for the express purpose of thanking God for preserving them through a harsh winter and blessing them with abundant crops.  These Pilgrims arrived in Plymouth on the Mayflower on December 21, 1620.  Here is the story of what happened according to the actual writings of the Pilgrims as narrated by Barbara Curtis, a www.crosswalk.com contributing editor.

“In the early 1600s, the Wampanoag (Wam-pa-NO-ag) Indians covered the coast of what we now call New England. They raised crops, living close to the ocean in summer for seafood, moving inland in winter to set up hunting camps. Their encounters with Europeans over the years were mostly friendly.
One exception: In 1614 Captain Thomas Hunt captured several Wampanoag, along with a Patuxet named Squanto, to be sold into slavery in Spain. A Spanish monk purchased Squanto's freedom, taught him English, and introduced him to Jesus Christ. In 1619, Squanto returned to his native land, only to find his tribe wiped out by an epidemic. Thereafter he made his home with the Wampanoag.

Meanwhile, in 1608, a British group called the Separatists fled to Leyden, Holland. There they found religious freedom, but also poverty, grueling work hours and a secular culture that threatened to undo the values they had carefully instilled into their children. In 1620, they sold everything and indentured themselves for seven years to finance their journey to America.

On the Mayflower, the Separatists were joined by those seeking the new land for other reasons; these they called the Strangers. The two groups, 102 altogether, were called the Pilgrims.”
Their journey lasted nine weeks. In one of those "accidents" which change the course of history, the ship lost its course and landed far north of its destination at what we now call Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Once outside the territory covered by the King's Charter, the Pilgrims became responsible for their own government, and so they wrote a set of laws called The Mayflower Compact.

On December 21, 1620, they began their new life at the place they named Plymouth.
It was a devastating winter -- whipped with wind and sleet and snow. Half the Pilgrims died. Still the Separatists clung to their faith; not one chose to return to England with the Mayflower that spring.
But spring brought unexpected relief with the help of a noble and generous Christian brother -- Squanto. He taught them how to grow corn, use fertilizer, stalk deer and catch fish. William Bradford, the governor of Plymouth, wrote of Squanto that he was "a special instrument sent of God for good beyond their expectations."

And so their first harvest was good. Governor Bradford proclaimed a day of thanksgiving to God and the Pilgrims invited their Indian friends. Chief Massasoit and 90 members of his tribe came, along with Squanto, bearing venison and wild turkeys for all to share. Together in harmony, the Pilgrims and the Indians feasted, played games, ran races and showed their prowess with bow and arrow and musket.

This is the true story of the origin of today’s American Thanksgiving holiday.  It is a unique holiday.  It’s not celebrated in Europe, and its origins are thoroughly American and Christian.  At this first Thanksgiving, the Pilgrims gave thanks to God for their deliverance from the terrible winter weather, for the blessing of Squanto’s friendship, and for their abundant harvest. 
This Thanksgiving celebration created a tradition of Americans thanking God for their many blessings, even in time of war, time of devastation, and time of plenty.  Here is George Washington’s 1789 Thanksgiving proclamation…

“Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to "recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

Although President Thomas Jefferson declined to issue a Thanksgiving proclamation, the tradition of a Presidential Thanksgiving Proclamation continued throughout the years.  On October 3, 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln issued this Thanksgiving Day proclamation…

“The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consiousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.”

Even in the midst of a great civil war that was tearing the nation apart, Abraham Lincoln found, as the Pilgrims found, time to thank God for their many blessings.  It was this perspective of America’s great leaders over the years that helped to keep Americans focused on the one to whom all thanks belong, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Thanksgiving Day Proclamations during the Great Depression, and during World War II.  In each case he gave thanks to God.  This is what he said on November 30, 1933 during some of the deepest days of the Great Depression…

“I, Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States of America, do set aside and appoint Thursday, the thirtieth day of November 1933, to be a Day of Thanksgiving for all our people.
May we on that day in our churches and in our homes give humble thanks for the blessings bestowed upon us during the year past by Almighty God.

May we recall the courage of those who settled a wilderness, the vision of those who founded the Nation, the steadfastness of those who in every succeeding generation have fought to keep pure the ideal of equality of opportunity and hold clear the goal of mutual help in time of prosperity as in time of adversity.

May we be grateful for the passing of dark days; for the new spirit of dependence one on another; for the closer unity of all parts of our wide land; for the greater friendship between employers and those who toil; for a clearer knowledge by all nations that we seek no conquests and ask only honorable engagements by all people to respect the lands and rights of their neighbors; for the brighter day to which we can win through by seeking the help of God in a more unselfish striving for the bettering of mankind.”

On October 27, 1961 President John F. Kennedy said, in part in his Thanksgiving Proclamation... 

“It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord.” (Psalm 92:1a)

“More than three centuries ago, the Pilgrims, after a year of hardship and peril, humbly and reverently set aside a special day upon which to give thanks to God for their preservation and for the good harvest from the virgin soil upon which they had labored. Grave and unknown dangers remained. Yet by their faith and by their toil they had survived the rigors of the harsh New England winter. Hence they paused in their labors to give thanks for the blessings that had been bestowed upon them by Divine Providence.

This year, as the harvest draws near its close and the year approaches its end, awesome perils again remain to be faced. Yet we have, as in the past, ample reason to be thankful for the abundance of our blessings. We are grateful for the blessings of faith and health and strength and for the imperishable spiritual gifts of love and hope. We give thanks, too, for our freedom as a nation; for the strength of our arms and the faith of our friends; for the beliefs and confidence we share; for our determination to stand firmly for what we believe to be right and to resist mightily what we believe to be base; and for the heritage of liberty bequeathed by our ancestors which we are privileged to preserve for our children and our children’s children.

I urge all citizens to make this Thanksgiving not merely a holiday from their labors, but rather a day of contemplation. I ask the head of each family to recount to his children the story of the first New England thanksgiving, thus to impress upon future generations the heritage of this nation born in toil, in danger, in purpose, and in the conviction that right and justice and freedom can through man’s efforts persevere and come to fruition with the blessing of God.

Let us observe this day with reverence and with prayer that will rekindle in us the will and show us the way not only to preserve our blessings, but also to extend them to the four corners of the earth. Let us by our example, as well as by our material aid, assist all peoples of all nations who are striving to achieve a better life in freedom.”

Continuing the long tradition of Presidential Proclamations, President Barack Obama will again this year issue a Thanksgiving Day Proclamation, giving thanks to God for our many blessings.  And, no matter our circumstances we can all enthusiastically thank God for his preservation of our free land, the abundance of our crops, and the many other blessings, both material and spiritual which we enjoy.

My wife, Kathi, and I and our children and grandchildren will join in that tradition again this year, giving thanks to the God of the Bible for his many blessings.  We wish you and yours a wonderful, warm Thanksgiving celebration.

Virginia Elects "Huey Long"

The Virginia off, off year election was a thud.  The left can’t crow because their guy barely squeaked through after reputedly spending more than $30 million to buy a four year stay in the Governor’s mansion, and the right can’t crow because their guy lost.  The only winners were the folks selling advertising and they won big.  The bad news is that Virginia just elected a modern day Huey Long, the long departed colorful, yet infamous governor of the great state of Louisiana.  If you are not familiar with the antics of Huey and his brother Earl, I recommend you read a little bit about him.  Like Terry McAuliffe, the Governor elect of Virginia, Huey Long was a shameless self-promoter.  The Long and McAuliffe view of government is as a source of power and personal enrichment.

I had the opportunity in late 1970 to give a speech on the campus of Louisiana State University (LSU).  I was living at the time in Port Arthur, Texas, so it wasn’t a long drive to Baton Rouge, where LSU is located.  I was driving there after work on a Friday, so I stopped for dinner along the way.  For some reason I had an opportunity to glance through some post cards and was intrigued by the fact that while Governor Ronald Reagan had to move out of the California Governor’s mansion because it had become a dangerous fire trap, the State of Louisiana had had three Governor’s mansions since the 1930s.  I thought it ironic that wealthy and prosperous California had not replaced its old Governor’s mansion that was built in 1877, yet Louisiana had three different Governor’s mansions in a period of less than 50 years.  It sounded like there must be a story behind these three executive residences in Louisiana, and there was.

Huey Long had accumulated nearly absolute power as the Governor of Louisiana.  He hired and fired at will and he continued to run the state even after he was elected to the United States Senate.  Huey successfully maneuvered his puppet, Oscar K. Allen, into the Governor’s chair.  There is a well-known apocryphal story that Allen was such a willing stooge of Long that one day a leaf floated through an open window and he picked it up and signed it.

Huey Long was just one of many in a long line of corrupt Louisiana politicians.  It was not too many years ago that Louisiana Governor, Edwin Edwards, proclaimed “Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez!” (Let the Good Times Roll!).  This has potential as the theme of the new McAuliffe administration.

In addition to being self-serving, Long and McAuliffe have many other traits in common.  Long was not above using State of Louisiana funds to politically benefit himself.  One of his favorite tricks was to pave a highway half way to another town and then tell the citizens that he wanted to pave it the entire way, but he was blocked by the state legislature.

Like Long, McAuliffe has used tax dollars to benefit himself and his cronies.  It was McAuliffe who came up with the scheme of selling a night in the Lincoln Bedroom at the White House during the Clinton Administration to raise funds for the re-election campaign.  Selling passports also became a specialty of McAuliffe, who is still under investigation for other shenanigans.  Huey would have applauded.

And, like Huey Long, McAuliffe is a man of the left.  During my trip to Baton Rouge many years ago, I had the opportunity to meet and talk with the grandmother of a friend who lived there.  Up in her eighties, she was a delightful person.  She told me lots of personal stories about Huey Long and about the grand celebration that was Huey’s funeral.  It was quite an affair.  The silver-tongued racist, Gerald L. K. Smith gave the funeral oration.  Smith was a leader of Long’s Share Our Wealth redistribution program that sought to tax and spend more to benefit the poor.  Of course, Huey and his cronies would not suffer financially either.  It was estimated that more than 100,000 people attended Huey’s funeral.  The elderly lady I meet in Baton Rouge said that she was there as a little girl, selling flowers.  She attested to the fact that it was more like a holiday celebration, than a funeral service.

Huey was gunned down in the State Capitol Building.  To this day they are not sure who it was that shot him.  A physician, Dr. Carl Weiss, certainly tried to kill Huey that day, but when he pulled out his gun, Huey’s body guards unleashed a fusillade of bullets that ricocheted off the marble walls inside of the Capitol building.  It may well have been these bullets that actually killed then Senator Huey Long.

Long was a demagogue among demagogues and, his funeral service reflected it.  He was buried right on the Capitol grounds, in front of the new state Capitol building.  Fittingly, carved on the side of the monument are images of rogues such as Earl Browder, an official of the Communist Party USA.

Now about those three Governor’s mansions.  The first one was built in 1887 and was used until 1929.  Huey planned on becoming President of the United States (no doubt McAuliffe has the same ambition).  Huey had his eyes set on running against fellow Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936.  When the legislature would not appropriate funds to build a new Governor’s mansion, Huey simply had it demolished.  The legislature then had no other choice but to build a new one and Huey designed it to look just like the White House.  He did it he said to get the feel of what it was going to be like living in the White House.  Please look at the picture at right and decide for yourself if Huey was successful in his attempt to build a model of the White House.

And, for the record, this Governor’s mansion was abandoned in 1963 for yet another Governor’s mansion built (with taxpayer funds, of course) by then governor  by Jimmie Davis, former country and western singer and the first Governor since Huey Long without any ties to the Long family.

So, let’s get back to the 21st Century Huey Long, i.e. Terry McAuliffe.  McAuliffe is best known as Bill Clinton’s bag man.  Like Long, with McAuliffe, politics and money always come first.  In fact, in his book, What a Party! he recounts a startling story.  It seems that McAuliffe is taking his wife and new baby home from the hospital, but he makes a stop along the way.  This is what he says in his book…

 “Dorothy [Terry’s wife] was starting to well up in the backseat.  She was having trouble understanding how I could be taking my wife and newborn baby to a fund-raiser on our way home from the hospital.  We got to the dinner and by then Dorothy was in tears, and I left her with Justin [Terry’s aide] and went inside.  Little Peter was sleeping peacefully and Dorothy just sat there and poor Justin didn't say a word.  He was mortified.  I was inside maybe fifteen minutes, said a few nice things about Marty [President of the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters who were hosting a Sons of Italy dinner], and hurried back out to the car.  I felt bad for Dorothy, but it was a million bucks for the Democratic Party and by the time we got home and the kids had their new little brother in their arms, Dorothy was all smiles and we were one big happy family again.  Nobody ever said life with me was easy.”

That may have been unbelievable, but the story he tells about when his wife was in labor with another child is no better…

“We got there a little after noon and spent the whole afternoon in her room.  I was trying hard not to appear restless, but I am not one to sit still for long and soon I was going stir-crazy, which drove Dorothy nuts. 'Isn't there something you need to do?' she finally said.  I told her The Washington Post was having a party that evening for Lloyd Grove, who wrote the 'Reliable Source' column. 'Go!' she said. 'You're like a caged animal here.  I'll call you if I need you.'  I went flying out the door and drove to the party.  I kept calling Dorothy to make sure she was fine.  I made the rounds at the party and ran into Marjorie Williams, who was writing a story on me for Vanity Fair Magazine.  She was shocked to see me at the party.  'Isn't Dorothy having a baby today?' she asked.  'That's right,' I said, 'but she threw me out of the room.'  Marjorie just couldn't understand how I left Dorothy alone.  I almost told her about the night I was born and how my mother wanted my father to stay at home to watch Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo, but decided against it.  I went back to the hospital after the Washington Post party and at 3:33 A.M. little Sarah Swann McAuliffe was born.”

What a creep!  Virginia didn’t just elect a Huey Long as its next Governor, we elected a creepy Huey Long.  And, let’s not forget that both Long and McAuliffe are from the party that brags about their compassion and caring.

So, what can we expect of Governor Terry McAuliffe (shown at right in an Edwin Edwards moment)?  Fortunately, the people re-elected a strong majority of Republicans to the Virginia House of Delegates, and they may yet retain control of the State Senate.  If the Republicans remain strong, they should be able to limit the damage of the McAuliffe administration.  But, there will be damage.  There will be new rules and regulations, there will be new taxes, and there will a loss of jobs.  Thomas Jefferson, the second Governor of Virginia said, “The government you elect is government you deserve.”

Indeed.  Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez!