09.17.05
Inspirational Story
We are currently looking for inspirational stories. I am particularly interested in stories from either the war in Iraq or Afghanistan or related to Hurricane Katrina.
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09.09.05
Why I Am a Republican
Many reasons have been given over the years as to why so many people are moving to the Republican party. Our ranks are growing rapidly as was seen in the last elections. More and more people are choosing to join the Republican party and make a positive difference in our nation. While people with opposing views are always welcome in the Republican party, it is important to note that these are the reasons I believe in the Republican party. I will stand with them even if I don’t agree with every policy decision. I will point out some of the differences between the two major parties and add other comments to further make the point.
I am a Republican because…
1) I believe in the sanctity of human life. While there are some pro-life Democrats, the numbers are dwindling. The mainstream of the Democratic party strongly supports abortion on demand (aka choice). On the other hand the Republican party strongly supports life and has even written that into the party platform. I also believe that it is wrong to experiment on human embryos. All of the advances in stem cell research have come from adult stem cells. There has not been anything beneficial that has come from embryonic stem cells. Therefore, I support the president’s policy of using existing stem cell lines only and oppose cloning embryos for the purpose of destroying them.
2) I believe that reducing the tax burden on all Americans helps to stimulate the economy. Republicans, under the leadership of president George W. Bush, have worked hard to reduce the tax burden. Many of the Democrats have claimed that this is “a tax break for the rich.” While this sounds good to the people in their audiences who haven’t taken time to learn the facts, it is far from true. The recent tax relief has greatly helped our family (and we are very far from rich).
3) I believe marriage is between one man and one woman. I support equal rights for all Americans and if someone wants to create their own type of union then they should be free to do that. However, government should not be in the business of endorsing their lifestyle. The Republican party has opened their arms to people who have chosen the gay lifestyle but that doesn’t mean we need to alter Marriage as has been practiced for thousands of years. Marriage, by definition, is “a union between one man and one woman.” The Republicans are the party willing to defend the traditions and institutions that have made America great.
4) The Republican party believes in a strong defense and if necessary a strong offense. Ronald Reagan advanced the notion of “Peace through Strength.” Without a shot being fired his brilliant strategy ended the Cold War and brought the Soviet Union to their knees. In short order the Berlin Wall came tumbling down and statues of Lenin and Stalin were destroyed. Most of the Baltic states have formed their own sovereign nations and are no longer under the communist nation (who’s undergone her own transformation).
5) It is the Republicans that most strongly promote the idea of personal responsibility. There are too many people who are victims; or at least they are convinced of that. The Republican party is always there with compassion to help people who need it, but at the same time wants to “teach them to fish.” The Republican led fight to reform Medicare during the Clinton administration was brilliant and has been hugely successful. This is the one thing I think president Clinton did right - he signed it into law. You may be leary of his motives but the important point is that he signed it and it has helped thousands and thousands of people get off the welfare rolls.
6) I believe in the equality of all people regardless of race or gender. It was the Republican party that led the fight to free the slaves under the leadership of president Lincoln. It was the Republican party that passed the Civil Rights legislation of 1964. Many Democrats voted against that bill. Senator Robert Byrd was heavily involved in the KKK and was actually a leader of that racist organization. While Republicans are not without their problems in this area, I am committed to the Republican party because they overwhelmingly support treating all people as equals. The Republicans do not believe in giving someone a job just because of the color of their skin. It is our belief that that demeans a person. It’s much better to give a person a job because they are the best qualified. It is the Republican party that has led the way in trying to get rid of racism. It is the Democrats who try to find racism in everything. President Reagan was the first president to appoint a woman to the Supreme Court. Did he do it just because she was a woman? I believe he did it because he believed she was the most qualified. It was also the Reagan administration that made Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday a national holiday, signifying the importance of the work that he had done. President Bush #41 appointed the first black man to the Supreme Court. Was it because he is black? Again, it’s because he’s well-qualified and has proven to be a great Supreme Court justice. President George W. Bush has appointed more minority people to positions of power than any other president in our history. The tide is turning and many blacks and Hispanics are beginning to see that the Democrats truly do not have their best interest in mind. It’s time for all Americans to stop seeing racism in everything and start judging people by “the content of their character” rather than “the color of their skin.”
7) I believe in the right to “keep and bear arms” which is laid out for us in the second ammendment. While the Democrats seek to reduce those rights, Republicans seek to preserve them.
8) I believe in private property rights. The Republican party has fought to protect property rights for all Americans. The courts should not be allowed to take the rights away. In recent years they have done that very thing. The Republicans have tried to put an end to judicial tyrrany. Much of this will change once president Bush gets some Supreme Court justices in that will respect the constitution rather than legislating from the bench.
9) Limited government has traditionally been one of the hallmarks of the Republican party. In that last few years that trend has reversed somewhat but I am confident that we will once again get back on target.
10 ) America’s free market economy continues to be the envy of people around the world. Even though Hong Kong has reverted back to ownership by the Chinese government, they have kept their free market principles. Why? Because they can see that it works. Did you know they just built a Disneyland in Hong Kong? The entrepreneurial spirit of the Republican party is another reason that attracts me to them.
11) The Republicans accept people from all faiths and protect their rights to practice their personal faith. Likewise, they also accept people who choose not to practice any faith. On the contrary the Democrats cater mainly to liberal Christians and support organizations that want to remove every shred of our Christian heritage from public life. There has been a significant shift in the Jewish and Catholic communities towards the Republican party. What people of these two great faiths have come to realize is that the Democratic party has been coopted by extreme liberals and no longer represents their interests (not that they ever did that great of a job in the first place). Under the leadership of president George W. Bush there has been an increase in awareness of all the good that Christian, Catholic, Jewish (and other religious) organizations do. There has been a significant increase in funding to assist those organizations that provide food, shelter, drug rehabilitation, counseling, job search, or other help.
The Bottom Line: It’s the Republican party that has a positive vision for America. The Republicans are the party of ideas, compassion, and action. That’s why I’m a Republican!
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09.08.05
My Testimony
Do you ever wonder who you are, what you’re doing here, or where you’re going? Do you sometimes feel like nobody loves you or cares about you? Please take a few minutes to read this, it could change your life!!!
Allow me to share with you what took place in my life. My parents got a divorce when I was 15. I decided to start drinking and smoking pot. It wasn’t long before I drank and did drugs every day. My dad kicked me out of my house two weeks after my 17th birthday (It was also the day after Christmas). I joined the Army. By the time I got out of the Army I was doing acid, coke, valiums, hash, etc. People thought of me as an airhead. I was into partying and listening to heavy metal music. I was filled with bitterness and self-pity. I felt like no one cared about me and I didn’t see a very bright future. I had heard about Jesus all my life and one day I promised Him that I would never do drugs again if He would only help me. He did and I have been clean for nearly 22 years as of this writing. I feel loved now and have a peace that passes all human understanding.
Since that time God has healed my mind. I graduated from a 4-year college Suma Cum Laude with nearly straight A’s. God called me into the ministry and I was a youth pastor at an Assemblies of God church for several years. I am now a Network Administrator at the place I work and volunteer my time at my church. I have a nice home, a wonderful wife, and two kids that I love very much.
The fact is that God loves you and cares about you. He loves you so much that 2,000 years ago He sent His only Son, Jesus, to come to this earth and die for the sins of the world. All He asks is that you turn from your sins and accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. You can have the assurance that you will spend eternity in Heaven if you do this.
Many people in this world want to tell you that there is a different way but Jesus says, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him” (John 14:6,7).
The Bible also says, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).
You may be pursuing riches, a career or some other goal, but what will it get you if you were to gain everything in the whole world but lose your own soul? (See Mark 8:36).
There’s so much more I could tell you but I’ll close with this: If God did this for someone like me, think of what He can do for you. God really does love you!!!
09.07.05
Video Editing
Video Editing is a passion of mine and one that I pursue on a daily basis. I enjoy creating videos that entertain, move people to laughter or tears. I have been editing videos on my PC since January 2001. My primary editing software is Avid’s Liquid 7.
I have created videos for concerts, birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, funerals and other events. I have also used my abilities for schools, prisons, ministries, and homeless shelters.
For more information please check out my web site: Visual Appeal.
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A Lot of Wind
In any crisis the primary concern should be to rescue those who are in danger. It is also important to provide food, shelter, and medical assistance for those who need it. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, while people are suffering in the Gulf States, liberal Democrats have taken the opportunity to do some jaw-jacking and lip-smacking about who’s to blame. This isn’t the time for accusing people of ineptness, racism, willful misconduct, greed, or even a lack of concern for the environment. There will always be plenty of time to contemplate what went wrong. After all it’s a whole lot easier to look back and see what should’ve, could’ve, would’ve been done if only…
At the risk of doing the very thing I’m criticizing others of, here are some ideas of what I would have liked to see:
1) Mayor Nagin should have ordered an evacuation on Saturday when it was clear that a category 5 hurricane was headed towards New Orleans.
2) Governor Blanco needed to authorize the Federal Government to come in and assist rather than delaying. Thousands of troops were ready to come in but were not allowed. Imagine what people would have said if president Bush ordered them to go into a sovereign state in spite of the governor’s wishes.
3) It would have been more helpful for mayor Nagin to offer some strong leadership to the citizens of his city that were suffering tremendously. I don’t believe cursing and accusing the president and others of total failure was the answer. These type of tactics anger people and induce fear among those trying to survive and escape. I compare this to how Rudy Giuliani handled the tragedy of September 11, 2001. He did it with calmness, gave clear directions, and showed leadership that has rarely been seen in such horrific circumstances. It’s important to exude confidence and an optimism that everything will be okay. It’s also crucial that the facts are not held back but that they are presented in a manner that doesn’t terrify people.
4) There were 205 school buses that, according to the City of New Orleans own emergency response plan, were ready to go. I simply ask, why were they not used?
5) There should have been food and water at the Superdome since Mayor Nagin told people to go there.
6) President Bush should have commented sooner. That would have helped bring some assurance that help was on the way and perhaps even eased some of the fears. While I have a great deal of respect for this president, and he’s done many wonderful things, I do think he was a little late in this instance. Keep in mind that the disaster recovery was already well under way, so a speech from the president of the United States would have just helped people have a more positive outlook.
7) All the accusations about racism have done one thing for sure: they have further eroded one of the creeds of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that we not judge people by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. The rhetoric that has taken place the last couple of days has only served to assure that we DO focus on the color of one’s skin. I prefer that we look at other human beings as people. To me it doesn’t matter what race someone is, what gender, what religion, or even financial status. If there’s a disaster I don’t say, “Oh, those poor black people.” Instead I focus on the suffering of them as individuals. My compassion extends to all people, and race doesn’t even enter my thoughts when I’m writing a check to help someone or in some other way offering assistance. The only reason race comes into the equation is from liberals labeling it as such. Isn’t it time we got past this?
How can you help?
1) Pray for the families in all areas. Pray that they will not lose hope. Pray that rescue workers will find people still stranded. Let’s not forget about all the animals that are still trapped with no food or water (that’s acceptable to drink). Also pray that officials at all levels make the right choices that will positively impact the greatest number of people.
2) Give generously to well-known charities such as The Salvation Army, The Red Cross, Convoy of Hope - just to name a few.
3) If you can, take some time off work and head down there. Maybe you’re retired or between jobs and can join the people helping out in the areas devastated by this hurricane. I would love to be able to physically go to the affected area and help. Just to be able to hand out supplies like food and water, help people get to safety, hug a kid who’s scared and maybe even give him a stuffed animal, would be a great honor.
BTW - I’m just getting started at this and hopefully I will get better. Thanks for reading.
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