Editor's Chair -- September 11, 2004
"Patriotism, and other issues"

We are presently being conditioned to withdraw from public mention of any displeasure with our current administration. Our president has not united our country; he has in fact divided it. Those who now oppose him and his policies are increasingly demonized as treasonous. That is ridiculous. Let me set the record straight--PATRIOTISM is defined in Webster's as "a zealous love of one's country."  That's love of one's COUNTRY. Not one's country's leaders. Not one's country's policies--either foreign or domestic. It is not love of a political party. The privilege to openly disagree with governmental policies is a constitutional right fought and died for by our forefathers and mothers. I am unaware that the first amendment has been repealed. Also, for the record, there *are* more than just two political parties in America. That is AMERICA, folks, not the Soviet Union. Not Iraq.  Why are we behaving as if there are only two political parties, and that they are "right" and "wrong"? Very Hegleian. Such thinking is divisive. Please, please wake up.

Those of you with children and grandchildren 18-26 years of age, male and female alike, now make note--while you were preening yourselves and back-patting one another on your partisan pedigrees, please note: there is current legislation pending for a "universal draft". No deferments accepted. Email me and I will send you to the legislation. You will not have a voice if it is ratified, regardless of your partisan inclinations. Such legislation has already successfully passed the Senate and is currently awaiting ratification in the House.  By the time I post this it will no doubt be in the news.  (I warned you eighteen months ago, didn't I?)  And, please---spare me your contempt re: a need to increase our military to continue fighting.  So far, we know of around American 1000 servicemen dead, 15,000 sick and wounded, yet ZERO WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION HAVE BEEN FOUND. Those who oppose this war on terror ("Saddam has WOMD...bin Laden is public enemy #1") -- make no mistake about it------WE DO INDEED support out courageous troops serving in this horrific and ill-conceived war. Many of us even have family members who are veterans of several wars. My brothers all served in the Army; my uncle Paul worked at the Pentagon. I and all of my family and friends DO support our brave soldiers--they far more courageous than anyone in our current administration. If the truth be known, only Colin Powell honorably served.  And for those still under the illusion that there are only two candidates to vote for in the coming election, go here to compare war records of your current 2 picks: http://www.awolbush.com/kerry-vs-bush.asp.

Those merely interested in reading GWB's available uncensored military records (not those given the press in Feb. 2004) please go to: http://users.cis.net/coldfeet/document.htm

Those interested in who the other numerous candidates are in November's election, go here:
http://www.vote-smart.org/election_president_party.php?party_name=All&PHPSESSID=d7fed7a10b2c58f83543572810c0134d

Those interested in having a PAPER RECORD of your vote (NOT currently available with our new electronic voting),
go here: http://www.fec.gov/pages/faqabsentee.htm

What is now happening to our planet, our country (has everyone lost their mind, you ask) seems to have started long ago and far away.  FYI, I presently concur with those fools who believe that those powers currently moving and shaping events (which may or may not be be hurling us all toward a Pan-American Union via Pax Americana--like Pax Romana--or the template of the Bush/Cheney Project for the New American Century, a NWO or global governance) all spring from a single odious reservoir, whether such forces be part of an Illuminati, the CFR, Bilderberg-ers, international bankers, Club of Rome, Freemasons, Round Table-rs--regardless of the label, all heads of the same goat----all are but individual parts of an uglier whole. 
All exhibit the same depraved indifference for humanity as a whole, as well as individually. 
All participants serve the same god.....self.

In the Bible, Jesus talks of a time when God will permit His own order on earth to be nearly overthrown and destroyed by the "beast's system", symbol of the anti-Christ.  Jesus states that such a time will come upon us bringing a deception so strong as to deceive even God's children, if that were possible.  That means, many won't know they are being deceived.  Judging from Americans' blind adulation of GWB right now, I'd say this shoe fits, presently.  They do not read history.  Hitler demanded similar devotion to himself and his vision of the new vaterland (homeland, fatherland).  All who disagreed----well, you know what happened.

In the Bible, Matthew, chapter 24, verses 3 to the end, refer to a time of certain civil/spiritual chaos.  But, as with all biblical prophecy, such words warrant both a near or present interpretation, as well as a future interpretation.  Jerusalem, along with the Israelites' primary temple, was indeed razed in 70 A.D. after a period of intense persecution, suffering, and tribulation.  But we know, both from older prophecy and from Jesus' own words, that such prophecy is intended for a future context as well.  So while it may appear to us today that, given the current growing unrest, we may indeed be living in an end time scenario, one could certainly observe as much regarding nearly every oppressed or divided civilization, and/or climactic cataclysm.  It is just particularly odious when so illumined and well educated a civilization as our own appears so efforltessly deceived by its (elected:-) leaders.

Those of us who *trust* God's Handbook-to-Survival to guide them through impending chaos and disorder, may at least experience His calm in the eye of such a storm, and may even find themselves able to lead others to a place of peace despite the fit-hitting-the-shan around them.  In other words, we who trust the Lord, though certainly not to be spared tribulation ourselves, may still be able to provide safety, reassurance, and encouragement, despite what may befall us all.  It is my belief things are soon going get a lot rougher than they are.  I also believe that right after the 2004 election Americans will be surprised to find many things out of their personal control.  They may too soon find their own sons and daughters, 18-26 years old, drafted into mandatory universal military service beginning next Spring or Summer--no deferments accepted; no medical exceptions made. Unless such legislation is thwarted.
This bill for a universal draft,  S 89, has already passed the Senate and is currently poised to be ratified in the House.  The President is bringing pressure to bear on our congress to quickly ratify it.  (He did the same thing with the USA Patriot Act.  Perhaps it is time you bothered to read that, now, too.) 

You may read the wording of  S 89 and all other current and pending legislation at the Thomas Law web pages, our definitive source for congressional goings on. Or just type it into Google, and pack a lunch..... 

Yet, this will be but the beginning of sorrows.....

When things begin changing rapidly before your eyes, and you realize it made little difference who actually sat in the White House, that both parties and leaders were both heads of the same self-serving goat, then you may finally start to wake up and panic because things truly are not as they seem.  And when you realize you were sleeping through life drugged by your own comfort and complacency you may panic.  And when you realize you have indeed been profoundly lied to, you may begin to despair. 

But please do not lose hope.   Humans, leaders, and political parties were never worthy of your trust/faith, but there is One who is.  Whether or not we are headed for a NWO, politicians and pundits may eternally disagree on--historians may disagree on--theologians may disagree on--and--as you have read, many who post opinions here will certainly disagree on.  Regardless, I believe wherever our world is headed, there is something in that contentious book--the Bible--that IS now worthy of our consideration.  Especially when we begin to wonder from where will we obtain sufficient strength to sustain us. 

Let me offer the following:

According to the Bible, on the day of Pentecost, a once-cowardly-disciple, now emboldened-apostle--Peter--opened his mouth and began to shout the following to a startled and confused crowd:

"And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:  And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:  And I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:  The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awful day of the Lord:  And it shall come to pass, [that] whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved."  (Acts 2:17-21)

Such words, however, were intended to comfort and reassure us.  They are called the Gospel of Christ.  To those who despair such words truly are "good news."  

God's Word is said to be infallible.  We could use a little infallible good news right now.  We could use One to trust who, unlike our politicians, is truly trustworthy.  And simply by turning to Him, He offers all who need Him help, freedom from fear, hope, and His own peace which transcends our intellectual understanding.  All at no cost to us.  The price for asking has already been paid in advance by another...

I personally have "known" such things.  They are yours, too, for simply asking Him. 

If any of you doubts this, and wishes to read what the God of scripture truly requires of us, go read John 6:28, 29.  Jesus' words are concise, succinct, and to the point. Then read John chapter 14, all of it.  If that doesn't begin a work of calming in your heart, I don't know what will.  Let CNN, ABC, CBS, Fox, and those "more knowledgeable"--the thinkers, the pundits, the politicians, and those philosophers of our current age--all argue among themselves, ad infinitum.  Let them prognosticate, prevaricate,  and calculate, ad nauseum.

In the end, however, there will be only one thing which will truly matter. 

It is my prayer you each will find it.

Pray for our soldiers in harm's way....

And may now God help us all...
--Betty
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