Column for March 18, 2010

I am just ignorant and unenlightened. I did not know that until this week. I guess that would be the very definition of the words, though. So, what could this faithful, opinionated, gregariously misanthropic writer of newspaper columns be so ignorant and unenlightened about? A lesbian teenager, apparently.

National news outlets recently carried the story of a lesbian high school student from Mississippi that wanted to take her girlfriend to the prom. The school decided rather than capitulate, they would cancel the prom for everyone. Now this lesbian teenager is suing the school to reinstate the prom event and allow her to attend just as she desired.

It is sad that the school ended up ruining everyone's prom, but it was a prudent decision. First, the prom is meant for male/female couples and has always been so historically and traditionally. To endorse a disruption such as a lesbian couple would violate the very tradition they were seeking to uphold. Even worse, it would be endorsing a lifestyle that is unnatural, unholy, a public health nuisance, totally against the idea of abstinence education, contrary to the vast majority of the public's morals, and until recently illegal in many states.
Why would it fine to ban religion and prayer in schools but OK to allow sodomites to be on promenade? By canceling the prom, all students, not just a lesbian, gets the misery of not going to the prom. I would think that this would strengthen the position of the school against a lawsuit. Obviously the lesbian in question flaunted the idea prior to the prom, or the school would not have canceled it. There is now no prom from which to be barred.

I know of one person who disgustedly exclaimed that people just need to pray for the school administrators in this situation. I agree. We should pray for them. Others liken the stand against homosexual behavior to opposing the Civil Rights Movement and brand those like myself who oppose the homosexual rights agenda as ignorant, unenlightened fools. If you believe in prayer, you must also believe in the idea that homosexuality is a grievous sin and a behavior. Segregation because of skin color is one thing, but homosexuality is a choice of behavior, not a matter of being born with dark skin pigment.

I can not fathom being complacent, not minding such moral decay in our society. It is precisely such decay that led to the downfall of every major civilization in history. Am I intolerant of the homosexual rights agenda? You better believe it. We as a people need to be less tolerant, not more permissive on some issues. The "gay" (I hate the term "gay" since it is a hijacking of a once proper word. Now I can't hear "The Flintstones" theme song without cringing) agenda is one of those. I certainly do not want my children infected by tolerance of it, which is oft being pushed in society as well as in our schools. I applaud the school system in Mississippi for their willingness to take a stand. Tolerance of the homosexual agenda and moral decay is the real ignorance rather than withstanding it.

But Troy, you ask, how can a lesbian knowing who she is and just wanting to be herself be moral decay? Are we not in the 21st Century after all? What was once considered deviant, perverse behavior is now becoming mainstream and permissive. That most certainly is decay.

You may ask, "What business is it of the school's if a young woman wants to happily be a lesbian and attend the prom with her partner?" It is every bit their business. If the student wants to be a lesbian, that is her business. But to bring her demand of acceptance of said chosen perversion to the public school, paid for by the tax dollars of the majority, is a concern for everyone who paid tax dollars, everyone who works there, and everyone who either is or sends students to that school. I believe that the young lesbian has every right to be one if she chooses, but has zero right to flaunt it, promote it, or force acceptance of it upon school children. That is moral decay.

My hope is that we never have to deal with this same issue in our own schools here in our area. Alas, I believe it will happen, though. The flood is coming. The finger is out of the dike, so to speak.

Column for March 11, 2010

As a parent of a young child, I get a lot of questions. "What?" and "Why?" questions abound. If my seven-year-old would only be able to ask "Who?", "Where?", and "When?", perhaps he could be drafted to be a reporter for The Selma News.
I have a lot of questions of my own. I have things I want to ask God when I see him face to face since He has not chosen to answer them for me here on Earth, in His Bible, or through other people. I have a lot of questions I would like to ask others, some of which are very private, others not so much. I got to thinking about some of the questions I would like to ask. Here are just some of them.

1. I would like to ask Barack Obama if he was allegedly a constitutional scholar and professor, why does he attempt so many things that he should know are totally against the Constitution of the United States?

2. I would like to ask the English as a Second Language class (ESL) candidates in front of me at the Wal-Mart check out if they can comprehend the sign that says "20 Items or Less"?

3. I would like to ask the check out lady at Wal-Mart why she lets potential ESL students violate the 20 item principle?

4. I would like to ask the same ESL couple dressed in designer, name brand (I read the obvious labels) clothes that paid for some groceries with a WIC voucher and then whipped out a one hundred dollar bill from a stack of money to pay for the rest of their groceries why they deem it appropriate for taxpayers to pay for their groceries when they obviously have the means to do so themselves?

5. I want to ask some child abusers I know that if I stop beating them violently about the face and head, will they stop beating their children?

6. I want to ask Fox Networks and 19 Productions what they were thinking when they hired Ellen DeGeneres to be a judge on "American Idol"?

7. I want to ask gun control advocates what part of "shall not be infringed" don't they understand?

8. I want to ask those same gun control advocates how they plan on defending themselves against criminals when police officers are not around, when 911 response time is more than it takes to rob and kill them, and criminals who disregard such laws are armed?

9. I also want to ask those same gun control advocates that if people kill other people with baseball bats and cars, why they don't try to ban people from driving to the sporting goods store?

10. I want to ask extremist Muslim leaders that recruit and encourage young Muslim followers to blow themselves up and hopefully kill others in the process that if the rewards for doing so are so great and the action so noble, why they don't lead by example?

11. I want to ask credit card companies if their customers can not afford to pay the minimum balance, what makes them think that customers would then be able to pay the full balance as demanded when they get behind in their bills? Not that I have this problem, but it makes me wonder.

12. I want to ask Congress and the State Legislature if we citizens have to abide by a budget and can not afford to spend money, why they think that they can do so ad infinitum?

13. When my seven-month-old gets to be about ten years old, I want to ask him what he was trying to say when he made all sorts of cute baby sounds?

14. I want to ask God what useful purpose cicadas serve?

15. I want to ask Calvinist theologians why they think that their views are predestined and those of Arminians are not, since that would directly contradict that doctrine? If Arminians are predestined to not believe in predestination, does that negate the accuracy of the predestination position? Was I predestined to ask that question or did I do so of my own free will?

16. I want to ask Al Gore if he actually still believes in global warming and if he thinks that we are all really that stupid?

I still have a ton of questions. I have too many to type for this one column. I literally think of things like this as I drive around town or to work, and
while trying to fall asleep at night. Perhaps I need to keep my voice recorder or a notepad with me at all times so that I can make note of all such questions in the future.

Column for March 4, 2010

Just like a bad penny, some things just keep showing up. The federal government take over of the health care system is one of those things. The problem is that we have to be incessantly vigilant against such intrusions and control. Every single time it comes up, we have to say "NO!" It only takes one single time to say "Yes" and we are permanently hosed. Government intrusion is not limited to the feds, however.
Just like the health care take over, the Town of Selma is again seeking to extend its tentacles of control into more unincorporated territory in the county. Johnstonians as far as two whole miles away from the town limits may wind up beholden to this little town. This is repulsive to the principles of American freedom and is patently unethical. There is absolutely no way that a town this small geographically and in population should be allowed to control territory greater than its corporate limits just because it wants to.

The bottom line is that there is but one reason a town would extend its planning jurisdiction, regardless of the fallacious arguments about wanting development consistent with it's own. The reason is to be a precursor to forced annexation. I have read the statutes on extraterritorial jurisdiction. The entire context of having an ETJ is for the future expansion of a town.

Once again, this unfair, unaccountable, and unethical issue has come up like the proverbial bad penny. The concept of an ETJ amounts to regulation without representation. People are subjected to the regulatory whims of the town even though they live outside the corporate limits and have zero voting capability for those who make such regulations. The only representation that they do get is on the Planning Board, which is an advisory board only.

This is one of the very frustrations that led me to take the decision to not seek another term on that board. During my travels, I sometimes run across current and former members of Selma's Planning Board. To a person I hear the complaint that they feel/felt like they are/were wasting their time. Regardless of the recommendations of the board, there is no binding authority behind decisions taken. Sure, a few ideas may be taken into consideration to help shape the town's zoning ordinances, but I personally have a hard time reconciling the idea of taking personal freedom away from people. I have read too much behind the Founding Fathers to be a partaker in abridgment of freedom.

Make no mistake. I have no issue with the work of the Planning Board and the Planning Director to simplify the town's zoning ordinances. They needed to be simpler and clearer. However, I take great umbrage at the idea of exercising control over people outside the town limits who have absolutely no say or sway in a Republican government. People, we fought a war over ideas like that.

My plea to the town council and mayor would be to please stop exerting control where you have no business controlling. Honor the freedom of those outside the town. Do not even think about setting up forced annexation in years to come. Let freedom reign. The county already has planning laws and the they are fairly consistent with the town's.
A reason such as bringing the zoning of outlying territories into close approximation to Selma's is a moot one. I have seen the maps and compared. I served on the Planning Board when this came up the first time. Heck, I even commented that if we are going to look towards the proposed ETJ map then we should assign zoning similar to its present use and as congruent as possible to our own zoning. Right after that, I refused to vote in favor of the adoption of said map so that I would not be a party to extending the tentacles of control where they do not belong. I thought that if we were going to move in a direction I abhor, then the town should at least do it right.

In order to preserve freedom, each and every time some immoral plan like this comes forward, we have to say "No!" It is much like saying no to personal temptation. It only takes one time of saying yes to fall into sin, or in this case, institute a soft tyranny.

Column for Feb. 25, 2010

I have thought of my grandmother a lot today. Grammy LaPlante was born in 1908 in New Hampshire to a French Canadian immigrant family from the Province of Quebec. She was the descendant of both a King's Daughter and a Soldier of the Carignan Regiment, which I never knew (or heard of) until recently. For years I never knew much of my heritage past my paternal grandparents until I started investigating a bit. It turns out that being a descendant as well, I am eligible for membership in some elite genealogical society, "La Societe des Filles du roi et soldats du Carignan". OK, who knew?

Beatrice (Grammy) helped raise five children during the Great Depression. She was a frugal lady who grew her own blueberries, raspberries, a few fruit trees, and a huge garden. She did a tremendous amount of baking, canning, and cooking. I spent my childhood working in the garden, mowing the huge lawn at my grandparents' home, playing in their barn, and the like. They also had various farm animals on their land from time to time.

One of the things I remember about my grandparents was that they worked hard. My grandfather was in construction and even built the house I remember so fondly. Grammy worked the mornings at home taking care of five children then worked as a seamstress in a textile factory during the day. I heard stories of neighbors seeing her up until very late hours at night ironing clothing so that her children would look presentable. She even ironed underwear I am told though I never understood the point. The bottom line is that she worked harder than anyone I knew. My grandparents made a living during the greatest depression our country had known.

I learned a few values from my grandparents. I will admit that some of them have sustained and some not so much. The concept of reliance upon self and family has stuck. This is a core value that made America great. That concept is out the window, so to speak, with a huge number of people today.

Just today some unemployed, obtuse brute ran across one of my old columns on the internet. He took pride in the fact that he is making a good living sitting at home, playing video games, and living off the government monthly checks he gets rather than being forced to find a job. He literally thought himself entitled to do so, citing that he had five years work experience and paid taxes those five years, thus allowing others to sponge off the system. Since he did his part, he claims that he deserves the benefit of having others pay their taxes for him to live for a while.

Five years work experience? I have socks and underwear in my drawer more than five years old. I can probably even find some condiments in my pantry more than five years old. The more I discussed self-reliance, Biblical principles such as "if any would not work, neither should he eat", and stressed the poor ethics of the entitlement mentality, the more he employed self-justification and excuses for his slackness. I was even cussed out at the end of the conversation. I was told how evil Republicans are and how I must be one (actually I am not one), and how horrible it is that I can not fathom in hard times some money to someone like him while he bragged about eating twenty dollar steaks while on government welfare.

I must admit that it is more than self-reliance for me, it is reliance on the grace and provision of God in my life. Ever since I decided to live according to grace, my supply has been constant and sufficient. Yet these same principles are not exclusive to Christianity. Billions of people work hard and have their needs met yet do not have faith in Christ. Thus the principle is transcendent to the secular world, as well.

I chose a very different career path than my grandmother or grandfather. Then again, my path has been very different from all my family. However, I am no stranger to hard work. In times past I have taken minimum wage jobs and multiple jobs at a time to not even "make ends meet".

I am thankful for my job, my family, and the heritage passed on to me by my grandmother and parents. I look forward to sharing these values and even genealogy with Troy Junior some day. I still don't know that I will join some elite society for descendants of a famous group of men and women in French Canadian history, though.

Column for Feb. 18, 2010

I found that on occasion spend money like a drunken sailor on shore leave. I have been doing so since Friday. I guess that it is my part to continue a stimulus package for the local economy.

Actually, I just got my federal tax refund. It is the biggest refund I have ever gotten. With some deductions that have come my way this year and others I have just not taken advantage of, I did well on tax year 2009.

A few things strike me again this year as they do every year. With our current taxation system, we often lose sight of just how much we actually do pay in taxes. I started keeping tally of all the small taxes I pay such as property taxes, vehicle registration, and even some sales taxes. Doggone that adds up. I paid the most I have ever paid in federal and state income taxes this past year. I guess that is a good problem to have since it means I made more money than I ever have before. That is a good thing since my wife has been out of work for a year now.

I guarantee that if we had to cut a monthly check for our individual shares of taxes rather than have some form of payroll deduction, we would tar and feather some revenue agents in this country as was done in the 1700's.

I am glad that I was able to get as much back this year as I did. It is enabling me to get a few home improvements done, do some increased giving, cover some unexpected medical expenses, do more grocery and baby supply shopping, replace a bedding set, and even purchase some personal wants. I would trade that all in for a more fair tax system, though.

Tax refunds are just that, a refund of an overpayment of taxes. We eagerly await them every year, although we have just lent that money to the government interest free. If it was the other way around, I guarantee that we would be subject to penalties and interest. Ask me how I know.

I would prefer a tax system that is based upon consumption rather than income levels. That way, all people pay the same rate just as we do with the state sales tax. Everybody pays the same rates and pays more if they spend more. Spending money is a voluntary act and that means that you have control over the amount of taxes you actually pay.

If I could actually get my entire paycheck every two weeks under an alternative tax system rather than have taxes siphoned off and I get a net check, I would love it. If only there was a different system out there. Wait a minute…there is! It is called The Fair Tax and you can find out more on the internet at www.fairtax.org. Under that tax system, we would pay in effect a national sales tax rather than a national income tax. The price of goods would not go up since current prices have built into them the inherent cost of business income taxes. When the income tax is non-existent, there is no need to increase the cost of goods to cover the cost of taxation. An alternative embedded sales tax within the price of a product would be about the same we pay now.

One thing about the Fair Tax is that it is much closer to the original concept of taxation as laid out by the Founding Fathers. There was a great amount of hatred towards the idea of direct taxation during the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Under the Articles of Confederation, the national government was limited to taxing the states for the cost of running the government. It was up to each state to dole out their fair share of revenue to the national treasury. By so doing, states could punish or manipulate the national government by withholding their share of the burden.

During The Philadelphia Convention, imposts and duties on imports and exports were heavily discussed. Essentially, duties on imports amount to a tax on the consumption of goods. The Fair Tax is very close to that same concept. Therefore I find it to be much closer to the core of American values.

Any tax code in which behavior can be influenced, encouraged, or punished is inherently unjust and fully open to corruption. Any system that taxes some people at a higher rate than others and some even pay no taxes at all is just plain immoral. The Fair Tax for the most part eliminates these concerns. There are a few provisions in the Fair Tax I would like to see changed, but it seems to be the most perfect form of taxation out there. I would much rather pay taxes under it, even if I did get a huge tax refund this year.

Column for Feb. 11, 2010

"History is written by the victors," is a famous quote by Sir Winston Churchill. If we are not careful, they will teach history, as well. One of my hobbies is United States history. Perhaps I should have been a history major in college, but I figure that the only job for which that would prepared me for was as a history professor. I truly have no desire to be a professor in the Land of Academia.

I've had several discussions recently with those in the field of public education as well as with those who are college history professors. Quite honestly, after discussing issues with them, I am quite happy with my own learning, thank you very much.

I had already decided to write on an aspect of history this week and then I ran across an article that just coincided too well with my thought. First, I shall touch upon the article. Several national news agencies are reporting that The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction claims it is "certainly not trying to go away from American history," but is dropping world history in favor of "global studies, focusing in part on issues such as the environment". Furthermore, they want to drop the idea of teaching US history going back to the country's founding and instead "take U.S. history only from 1877 onward".

Have we allowed America hating, God hating, history re-writing liberals to corrupt our education system? Of course we have. The proposal is meant to dumb down our students towards a false religion such as environmentalism and lessen their learning from history itself. By dropping world history, students will not be taught about the great mistakes and triumphs of world civilizations. Nor will they be taught about our nation's founding. They will not learn about colonization, about our struggle for independence, and our founding documents. It is our genesis as a nation that determined where we are today.

One of my pet peeves comes around every February. Black History Month bothers me not because of the topic thereof. It bothers me because it is done out of appeasement and the idea that we can not effectively include Black history in with the rest of this nation's history. The history of Blacks in America is inextricably woven into the fabric of this great nation. Without the history of Blacks in America, America would not exist as we know it.

We should teach all of America's history, the good, the bad, and the ugly. America has our share of all three, as does the entire world. History is, after all, the story of fallen mankind living in a sin cursed world, all being short of God's perfection. To ignore any of history is to ignore the lessons that can be learned from history. To ignore our nation's founding principles is to fail to teach the precepts that are the building blocks of the rest of our history. Likewise, to ignore the contributions of the Negro in America is to ignore the lessons that can be learned from both mistakes and triumphs in America.

When it comes to American history, it should be just that, American history. Though I come from a French family, I don't want Franco-American History Month, White History Month, Hispanic History Month, or any other. When I studied (and still do study) American history, there were many discussions about slavery, freedom, war, and it could all be analyzed, picked apart, and dissected.

To pass over the context under which our nation was created and to take the history of a particular race out of that context are both equally wrong. The victors who write history in America have re-written history to teach that our Founding Fathers were rich, agnostic, racist, white guys. Perpetuating that fallacy is one reason to skip over the nation's founding. It is also one reason to have a special focus on the history of a single race. America is not made up of any one race and should never be portrayed as such, regardless of from whence such a portrayal comes.

Let's stop short changing our children and teach ALL of American history…the good, the bad, and the ugly. Let us also learn from our own history so that we do not repeat the bad and the ugly parts.

Column for Feb. 4, 2010

Just about every year, one of my friends ends up asking me if I am going to see "the show". The show he refers to is The State of the Union Speech each January. Often times my answer is no, since I often prefer to read the transcript later rather than utter bad language aimed at the television. My friend is right. It is a show, not an address actually containing the state of our Union.

According to the United States Constitution Article II Section III, (referring to the President) "He shall from time to time give to Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient." I look each year for a complying, constitutional message. Each time I fail at this endeavor.

The US Constitution does not require a speech. It does not require a specified time for the address to happen. Nor does it state in what form it must be delivered. There are some things the Constitution does indeed leave open to interpretation, this being one of them. Every President since Woodrow Wilson has grandstanded his views, policies, and wish lists before Congress.

Well, I got suckered into watching this year's address on television right up until the time I could not take it any more. I found myself shouting at the TV, "You lying sack of [censored]!" fairly often and finally just turned the show off. For you Obama supporters, don't get too upset. I often said the same about Presidents Bush and Clinton.

Not only do most Presidents use this address as a way of feeding their need to be an attention whore, they totally disregard the entire raison d'être of the speech to begin with. They pimp their personal agenda items rather than actually telling us what the state of our Union truly is. I want to hear real facts and figures about our budget, our military readiness, our national security level, and the like. Instead we get ideas about what programs to begin, expand, and what constitutional principles we should violate as a nation, almost all of which are not "necessary and expedient".

What amazed me this year is that as usual, the blame for everything wrong was put on George W. Bush. I am so tired of this tactic. Sure, I was no fan of Bush, but the things whined about in this speech can certainly not be blamed on Bush and were abject hyperbole. For instance, "One year ago, I took office amid two wars, an economy rocked by severe recession, a financial system on the verge of collapse, and a government deeply in debt. Experts from across the political spectrum warned that if we did not act, we might face a second depression. So we acted – immediately and aggressively. And one year later, the worst of the storm has passed."

No, we were not on a verge of financial collapse…at least not until Obama signed a so-called stimulus bill into law. We are more deeply in debt under his administration in just one year than we were for the previous 220 years of our present form of government.

Today has to be the kicker to the speech for me, though. Obama spent much of his speech touting the need to reduce deficits, freezing government spending, eliminating earmark spending, eliminating programs that are unaffordable or don't work, and tax cuts. Then today (Monday) I read the headline "Obama unveils 2011 budget with $3.83T in spending" $3.83 trillion dollars in one budget? That is a full trillion dollars more than the Bush Administration 2007 budget and $800 billion more than the 2008 budget.

Where are the reductions in deficits coming from? Where are the tax cuts going to be? If we are going to eliminate failed or unaffordable programs, why is Obama calling for a national health care system and increasing the budget $800 billion over previous year? This is incompatible with his speech, which was in reality a wish list for more government spending.

I have the full text of the speech in front of me as well as an outline compiled of the points he made for quicker reference. Quite honestly, I am disturbed by the contents of the speech just like I tend to be each and every year. I am disturbed that we have yet to have an actual statement of the Union's state of being. I am disturbed by the blatant disparity between the President's words and his actions. I am just glad that I resisted the urge to throw something at my nice, new television.

Column for Jan. 28, 2010

I just cooked a homemade meal for the family consisting of freshly made meatballs and baked ziti and we all ate heartily. Family meal time occasionally entails some "guy time" with our six-year-old. Just this past week, he had time off from school and I had a day off from work, so we did what many dads and first graders do, we headed to McDonald's. It is something small, but my boy enjoys going and I enjoy the time together. McDonald's is a family sort of restaurant, so I expect a family atmosphere. Boy were we surprised at how wrong my expectations were that day.

While we were enjoying a Happy Meal and an Angus burger, there was a young female who was standing near the dining area and talking loudly on a cell phone. I say female since she was certainly not a lady. She was unleashing a barrage of "F bombs" and other vulgarities at high volume into the telephone mouthpiece. I am fairly tolerant of crude language, having grown up in a family and culture where every other word seemingly was a cuss word. When I was a young stupid heathen, that was normal fare. As a middle aged Christian, I certainly endeavor to refrain from such. When it it affects my children, I get a bit ornery. I let this female continue for a bit, and even gave her a few dirty looks, which she well saw. She knew that I was annoyed, but she continued to disrespect every person within earshot and cuss worse than any sailor I have known.

After cringing for a few minutes and giving her time to desist, I just could not take this blatant disrespect any longer. I turned to this female and shouted, "Hey! There are children present! If you don't curb the language, I am going to take away your phone!" Upon hearing this, she immediately withdrew from the immediate area, though staying within view, took the volume down to a whisper, and remained quietly on the phone for a while longer. I don't know if she continued the same crude subject matter about which I can not write, but she was at least not offensive to all nearby.

My wife likes to watch American Idol. I don't watch a lot of television, even though I work in the television industry. When I do, I like to catch a show that we can enjoy as family. Two weeks ago, there was a Black, retired military, 62 year old man named Larry Pratt who has since become a media sensation. Though not eligible for the show, the producers allowed him to audition, presumably for the sake of entertaining television. He made up a song that impugns young males of his own race who wear their boxer shorts exposed well above their pants. Their pants are usually at or below butt cheek level. This is a cultural thing full of disrespect rather than a racial thing, in all honesty. One's race has nothing to do with the values to which one chooses to adhere or the degree of respect one has for other people and for self.

The song was entitled, "Pants On the Ground". It went like this:
"Pants on the ground,
Pants on the ground,
Lookin' like a fool,
With your pants on the ground!"

There were other lyrics, but you get the idea. A mature, respectful Black man was annoyed at the disrespect shown by his own people. He had the guts to stand up to it on television in front of millions of viewers and he has received a lot of media attention, guest appearances on talk shows, and millions of discussions and video plays of his performance on the internet. He stood up against disrespectful behavior, and there are too few people today who do that. I did that once at a Raleigh fast food restaurant and once at CiCi's Pizza in Smithfield and both times I was threatened with bodily harm and cussed out. Eh, stand in line.

That is one thing I liked about Stancil's Amoco Food Shop (now a Marathon gas station) on Pollock Street. I don't know if the sign is still there on their entrance door, but it said something like "People with exposed undergarments not allowed in store". I respect those who stand up for public decency, especially at the risk of a loss of business, and patronize them as a result. If more people stood up for decency and respect, perhaps we would not have so many "pants on the ground" and can stop cussing, hollering females at the Golden Arches.

Column for Jan. 21, 2010

Have you been following the news about last week's earthquake in Haiti? Each day, it is on the newscasts on local and national news. My heart truly goes out to the victims of the quake. There are many North Carolina residents who are either immigrants from Haiti or have ties to Haiti via church missionary work or non-profit agencies. The video clips of collapsed buildings, injured people, and lines of refugees are heart tugging.

The latest figures I have seen are that there may be over a hundred thousand dead. That would be approximately 71% of every resident of Johnston County gone in a matter of moments. That figure is hard for us to imagine here. We have not had that sort of devastation in America. Sure, we have seen reports of tidal waves and other natural disasters overseas, but not here in North America. It is hard to relate to that magnitude of loss of life. Just to give one example, for eight or so years we have heard the death toll of American soldiers in Iraq. By contrast, in World War II, we lost more American soldiers in one week than we have lost in the entire war effort in Iraq. I am not saying this in support of any war, but just by way of comparison. In present day America, we are out of touch with large scale loss of life, property, and modern conveniences. Heck, we get annoyed and upset when we lose electricity for three days following a hurricane.

One thing that I know for sure is that aid to Haiti or any other nation in times of disaster should not be a matter of politics. It is not a Democrat or Republican matter. America is the most generous nation in the world. As a nation, we often have huge fundraisers for aid in times of disaster. We annually have telethons for non-profit organizations that work for disease research and medical cures. We support religious organizations, relief workers, sponsor missionaries, and have "foster children" overseas for whom we send monthly donations. After Hurricane Katrina, we sent millions of dollars in food, clothing, shelter, medicine, and even cleaning supplies to victims. I see that there are upcoming telethons to raise money for relief efforts. I have seen footage of US soldiers continuously hauling food and water into Haiti. Supplies are constantly being flown by military aircraft and hauled by US ships. We as Americans are paying for all of those relief supplies, fuel, and manpower with our tax dollars. In times of national disaster, I have no problem with assisting with the rescue of and preservation of human life.

In the aftermath, I have heard pundits pontificating on things such as the reason for the disaster, the amount of relief that should be sent to the nation, and for merciful giving. I have heard a former President of the United States optimistically claim that the United States will rebuild the nation of Haiti. I have heard talk show hosts railing against the concept of nation building. This too, should not be a matter upon which to capitalize politically. To preserve life, safeguard against the further loss of life, and helping to feed and clothe victims of natural disaster is one thing. To pay to rebuild an entire nation is another. The United States has always responded favorably to crisis situations like in Haiti from the private sector and by all accounts and projections, we will again.

I am not going to say that I subscribe to Pat Robertson's assertion that the earthquake is a direct result of that nation's leadership making a pact with Satan. I will say, however, that Haiti has not positioned itself financially and culturally in a manner that would allow it to prosper and rebound effectively. Perhaps such a large scale disaster will necessitate some changes in its national conscience. Perhaps they will see the aid that has come from more prosperous, generous nations and seek to emulate that culture. Perhaps the people of Haiti will also be receptive to the followers of a compassionate God sharing the love of Christ for them. Many missionaries have already labored and now died in Haiti for the love of Christ. We as a people now have the opportunity to share that same love for them in their time of need.

Part of me wants to get on a plane and go to Haiti to assist in relief efforts. The reality is that it is not practical for me to do so. I can, however, do my part in supporting the efforts of those who can go and in the purchase of relief supplies. As much as I have disdain for the way Haiti has run its government, treated its people, and turned to false and evil religions during its history, the love of Christ for my fellow man is greater than my political and civil biases. May it be that way for us all, and may out of our own personal hearts and abundance show ourselves generous.

Column for Jan. 14, 2010

Democrats are going to lose big in the 2010 elections. At least that is what I keep hearing. I read a lot of news sites on the internet and listen to a decent amount of talk radio. Occasionally I get to watch some news shows with commentary on the television. One mantra that keeps getting repeated is that the Democrats are going to lose a lot of seats in Congress. I am not so sure of that.

I do know that there is a huge groundswell of resentment towards the continuing tax and spend behavior of government at all levels. I know that millions of people are royally miffed at the attempted hijacking of our economy, our health care system, and our form of government.

Just this week I was reading an article in which a newspaper listed the 100 most influential liberals and the 100 most influential conservatives in America. The list was almost laughable, since some very liberal Republicans such as Lindsey Graham made the list of conservatives. The one thing that this newspaper misses is the same thing that most politicians in office miss. There are a huge number of conservatives in this country and they are not necessarily Republicans.

I am one of those people. I did not hold my nose and vote for John McCain in the last presidential election. I just could not do it. Even if he were the lesser of two evils, it would still have been a choice for evil. In the Selma municipal election, I had the same quandary. I will probably have that same dilemma often in the future.

I just read an opinion column with some of the same sage advice that I have been dispensing. The column had 10 tips for Republicans in the upcoming election season. Amongst them were considerations for a return to conservative principles. For all the rhetoric we heard in the last Presidential Primary season about Ronald Reagan and Reagan style principles, the Republicans ran leftward anyway.

Just because people want liberal Democrats out of power does not mean that they want Republicans in power. Unfortunately, there is not much of a choice in this two party dominant system we have today. The GOP cheesed me off a long time ago but I held my nose in their support for years. Eventually I wanted fresh air. Alas, I have found no viable or effective third parties with which to affiliate.

I am a conservative. I do not apologize for that. Actually, I could be more correctly described as a classic liberal, which is not to be confused with what are commonly called liberals today. I believe in freedom. I believe in small government, fiscal responsibility, personal accountability, and morality in all levels of government. My political views are determined by my moral views, which are determined by my religious views. I was not always a conservative. I used to be a Democrat voting, abortion supporting, and religion hating ignorant fool. Though I was for small government and fiscal responsibility, I was fairly loose on many other issues. Then I grew up.

Personally, I don't know if we can rescue the country from the hands of America hating socialists now. They are determined to weaken this nation from within rather than from without. Internal weakening will by default cause us to be weak from without, as well. Here is what I do know. If the GOP wants to rescue this country, not just win, they are going to have to get radically conservative. What good are Republicans in office if they capitulate to and continue in the ways of their predecessors?

In order to fix a radical problem, we need a radical solution. A return to the political values that won the Cold War, flamed the Industrial Revolution, and won The American Revolution in the 1700's seems so radical by today's standards. But that is what we need. Otherwise, why bother? Putting a finger in a leaking dike may delay the inevitable deluge, but it won't solve any problems.

I hear the Beatles song "Revolution" in my head. Sure, I am on the opposite side of a lot of their ideologies, but the lyrics are actually applicable to how I am thinking right now.
"You say you want a revolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world…
You say you got a real solution
Well, you know
We'd all love to see the plan…
You say you'll change a constitution
Well, you know
We'd all love to change your head.
You tell me it's the institution,
Well, you know
You better free your mind instead."

Column for Jan. 7, 2010

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Do these words sound familiar? Of course they do. They are from one of the founding documents here in America, the Declaration of Independence. This premise is the basis for our freedoms and later the Bill of Rights, comprised of the first ten amendments to the US Constitution.

Do you have a right to pursue happiness? Sure you do. As long as your rights do not infringe upon mine, I say go for it. I am very libertarian in my philosophy in that regard. Even in things I detest, I believe that you have free will, whether for good, for evil, or for innocuousness.
Apparently, the North Carolina Legislature and Governor Beverly Perdue disagree with me on that point. They also disagree with your right to do with your private property as you wish. This time, this disregard has manifested itself in the form of a ban on smoking in public, specifically in restaurants and bars.

Let me start by saying this. I detest smoking and always have. I have never tried a cigarette, pipe, or cigar simply because I find the purposeful inhalation of products of combustion unfathomable to my good senses. I also find the putrid odor detestable. I have walked out of many restaurants simply because they did not offer a non-smoking section or have sufficient separation between smoking and non-smoking. Several of these establishments are right here in town. I refuse to sit in or near a smoking section.

I will admit that part of me really loves the idea that any restaurant I choose to patronize will be smoke free and not offend my sense of smell. However, I am even more offended at the abridgement of private property rights and the pursuit of happiness. Hey, if smoking tobacco products makes you happy, knock yourself out. Just keep it away from me and my family.

A restaurant (or other business) owner should have the ability to decide if he/she wants to allow smoking in their establishment. Sure there are health concerns over tobacco smoke. I have the same concerns. If you have ever had a family member smoke like a chimney and later die of a heart attack, cancer, or emphysema, you would have the same concerns, too.

The problem is that the right to stupidly inhale cigarette smoke is, I believe an inalienable right. That means that it is given by God, not man. Government tends believe that it is the giver of rights. If a government can give rights, as it is attempting to do with the so-called right to health care or the right to an abortion, then it can also take those rights away.

Property rights are encompassed in the right to the pursuit of happiness and were actually considered to be the object of the pursuit of happiness in the Declaration. That right has been rescinded not by the giver of the right, but by a controlling governmental body who apparently knows more about you and your good health than you do.

I believe that a ban on smoking on airplanes was an excellent idea for the same reason that smoking is not allowed on elevators. An enclosed space with no way of escaping the smoke is an inappropriate place to keep people for any length of time. The right to breathe non-cigarette tainted air is abridged in such cases. One can not step outside of an airplane flying "at altitude" to avoid a toxic tobacco cloud and its stench. One can easily step outside of a dining establishment.

Fresh air as provided by God should be considered part of the words "life" and "liberty" in the Declaration of Independence. Just as I can avoid establishments that serve alcohol (a legal product) if I am morally opposed to the substance, I can also avoid restaurants that allow smoking (of a product that is also legal). I vote with my wallet in the marketplace rather than demand that government take that decision for me by abridging someone else's rights. This was the very problem with the 18th Amendment and Prohibition from 1920 to 1933.

Yes, I believe that someone's right to smoke ends where my nostrils begin. I will enjoy the air at restaurants that will be fresher henceforth than it was up through January 1st of this year. Part of me leaps on the inside with joy in that knowledge. Part of me also weeps with despair as I watch government continuously erode the rights of private citizens.

Column for Dec. 31, 2009

Several months ago, I read an article on the internet on the top ten dumbest dog breeds in the world. It just so happens that I own a dog that is one of those dumbest breeds. I have absolutely no quarrel with the assessment of the Pekingese as portrayed in the article.

I pretty much got stuck with this "dogtard" as I call her. I never really wanted a Pekingese to begin with. A family member who was living in my household at the time was a Pekingese lover and wanted one. We had a Peke that died of old age about two weeks before we got my current one.

Daisy was a rescued dog. She was on a WRAL news story over three years ago. When we saw the news story, we inquired about the dog, tracked down the dog's keeper, and ended up adopting her. She had a rough life. Her story and videos are on www.myspace.com/daisythepeke in case anyone wants to see her and find out her story.

Daisy has often been indiscriminate about where she leaves "packages". Even though Christmas is over, we still get packages. I found one just this morning. She is fairly housebroken, but being one of the top ten dumbest dog breeds in the world combined with the fact that she is a special needs pet, she often does not end up on the prescribed puppy pad or wait until we go outdoors. Our 75 year old granny, who is staying with us while recovering from surgery, has a great deal of sympathy for this little dog. Neither of them walks well. Daisy seems to have bad hips and Granny just had total knee replacement surgery and needs the other knee done, as well.

John, our six-year-old loves to play news reporter whenever Daisy the Peke leaves a package for us. He expects someone to snap to attention, march to the bathroom or kitchen, get some sort of paper towel or tissue product, and dispose of the malodorous package immediately. I have been trying to use this as an object lesson in my boy's life.

I have been constantly instructing the child that instead of playing news reporter and shouting the news of the existence of such a package preceded by the interjection, "Eeeeeeyewwwww, dog poop!" that he should take charge of the situation and clean up the mess himself. He often balks at this idea and would rather that someone else clean up a mess he discovered.

In my job, my life, my relationships, and in much of the ministry work I have done, I have been working to clean up the messes left by others. It seems to be a recurring theme in my life. Sometimes I have to clean up my own messes, as well. Things that are within my scope of responsibility and ability need to be addressed by me. Things that are within my family need to be addressed by my family. Daisy is within the scope of the entire family and therefore needs to be addressed by the family as a whole.

Column for Dec. 24, 2009

Last week, I was in a bit of a rush to ship a package by a deadline. On the way towards Durham, I wanted to ship out a small box to a business half way across the country. Since I have shipped literally thousands of packages over the years (I used to own a business in which I shipped packages to customers all over the world) I figured it would be no big deal to get one into the postal system.

I remembered that the Selma Post Office opened around 8:30 AM. One time I tried going earlier and found that they opened up then. So I grabbed the list of errands I had to perform which also included stopping by my bank and grabbing a freshly brewed Dunkin' Donuts coffee after I hit the Post Office, and headed out the door.

When I got to the local Post Office, I found a small line forming in front of the interior door at around 8:45. It seems that even in the holiday season, and especially the week before Christmas, the Post Office had changed its opening hour to 9 AM. I was not about to wait for another 15 minutes, so I hit the bank, the coffee shop, and went on to the Post Office in the next town. I figured that Smithfield was a bigger town and for sure their Post Office was open already. Negative. Their Post Office opened even later. I saw several upset potential customers walking away with the same disgust I was feeling. Surely Clayton's Post Office would be open, and since it was generally along my way to my destination for the day, I headed there.

After walking away from the Clayton facility with my package still in hand, I answered the inquiries of fellow customers that the facility was not opening until 10 AM. I should have known from watching a young mother departing with a toddler in one hand and a package in the other that the Post Office was closed upon my arrival.

I traveled further into Clayton to a facility I thought for sure would be open. A very large shipping company that delivers worldwide has a franchised agent store in Clayton. I am not going to mention the business name, but its initials are UPS. Bingo, they were open. Score one for private industry.

Private industry will only flourish however, when it meets customer needs at a price customers are willing to pay. I was astonished as I watched two extremely unsatisfied customers storm out of the business without transacting any business. One simply wanted to leave a dollar on the counter for the busy clerks to ring up later for a small card worth far less than a dollar. He was rebuffed so he dropped the card on the counter, made a deserved sarcastic remark to the clerk, and left.

One lady in front of me was quoted a price for shipping a large, gift wrapped, framed picture of some sort and a book. She was quoted over thirty dollars and we both winced. Then she was quoted an extra twelve plus dollars for the actual shipping. It seemed that the original figure was just for packaging the items for shipping and did not include freight charges. The customer got angry, felt misled, grabbed her items, and left. The two clerks shrugged off a second irate customer.

Then it was my turn to get annoyed. An item that costs about six dollars packed in a small box would cost over seven dollars to ship. Since I was not willing to go out of my way for a fourth time and find yet another Post Office, I paid the higher than expected shipping charge and left. At least I got tracking information for the package unlike I would have gotten at the Post Office and it shows that as of this writing, my package is on time for an expected delivery.

Here is the bottom line. The Post Office is run like a government bureaucracy instead of a business. The holiday season is the busiest shipping time of the year. Instead of catering to customer needs, some pinhead government bean counter decided that the Post Office would open at an inconvenient hour allegedly to save money. Instead of providing a competitive operating schedule and competitive service, they continue to act like a monopoly and as a result lost my business. How many millions more people like myself did the same thing this year instead of using the United States Postal Service? If a private company can ship a package half way across the country and track it as it goes, so can the Post Office.

Sure I am beating up on the Post Office, but I feel the same way about ABC stores in North Carolina. The same principle applies. If a government operation wants to make better revenue, they need to think like a business instead of like a bureaucracy.

Column for Dec. 17, 2009

I have been recently complimented by several readers about the fact that I don't sugar coat things and am not afraid to state my opinions. That has been either a great gift or a great bane in my life, depending upon how you look at it. Then again, that is why I am sitting behind the keyboard right now. I have a list of things about which I have been pondering. I do believe that I will touch on several subjects today from my list.

First, I read with interest the plans to perhaps establish an historic district in Selma. I find it equally interesting that the Town of Benson recently voted down such a proposal. Historic districts are nothing new. I have been familiar with hysterical, I mean historical societies and their work in other towns, as well. My biggest opinion on this topic is simply that something, whether it is a building or other object, is not inherently historic just because it is old. In town, the Mitchener Station building may be considered historic since it was in effect the genesis of the town. My house in town was built in 1950. By definition, it is qualified as historic. However, it is a plain single family residence, and nothing of noteworthiness occurs here except that this is where I usually craft this column and where I raise my family. There are many such homes and buildings in this town. Big deal. Perhaps the most interesting and most noteworthy thing in Selma of historicity is the Vick Building. Vick's Vaporub is a world famous product and was developed right down the street from my non-historic home. I am going to stop myself before I get into the concept of developing an historic district and the eventual resulting regulations and disrespect for personal property rights. It is allowing the proverbial camel to put his nose in the tent.

I despise political correctness, as you may know. I was amazed when I was informed that I can no longer refer to particular restaurant employees as a waiter or waitress. My six-year-old informed me that the proper term is "server" and that we should never call a waiter a waiter or a waitress a waitress. I was informed that this is the type of garbage that is being taught in elementary schools. So, a first grader is not being taught how to look at a clock and tell time in school but is being taught about parallelograms, trapezoids, and servers. I don't know about you, but I learned to tell time long before I ever learned geometric figures. Impressionable young minds that can not tell time can be taught the politically correct terms for wait staff, and I think I have to remedy both at home.

Is it just me or is North Carolina about the worst state anywhere for leaving road kill on the side of the highway? I have traveled through a good many states and do not recall seeing anywhere near the amount of dead deer, possums, dogs, cats, raccoons, and other critters laying dead on the road side as I do here in Carolina. What is worse is that these carcasses are left to rot for weeks, sometimes months. I recall seeing dead deer become flat from decay after months of neglect. Other states are very active in picking up dead animals. We could do a whole lot better. Don't even get me started on the litter problem here compared to other states. Enough about flat cats and smeared deer, though.

The Christmas holiday season excepted, am I the only one left in the area that flies the American flag every day? I am just curious. It used to be common to see people fly the flag regularly in many areas of the state and country. I now rarely see ordinary citizens fly a flag at their own homes except maybe for a few days at the beginning of July. I will offer my old flag and maybe even a flag pole and mount to the first person who contacts me and asks for it. My old version of Old Glory may be faded some and a little weathered from waving in front of my non-historic home, but she is still beautiful and stands for a great nation.

Column for Dec. 10, 2009

I almost got it out of my system after my last column, and then I saw another news report of more of the race wars being perpetrated by the NAACP. Racism will not end unless all parties, regardless of race, stop the bigotry.

In Wake County, I was thrilled to see the newly elected Board of Education decide to stop some of the insane policies that were going on in there. This included an end to early dismissal Wednesday, and it looks like they may stop the forced bussing of students across the county in the name of diversity instead of allowing students to attend neighborhood schools. I see little value in putting a child on a school bus and sending them to the other side of the county rather than allowing him or her to attend a school a whole lot closer to home. That wastes both time and tax dollars, and adversely affects families.

In Wayne County, on the other side of our fair County of Johnston, school administrators a few years ago had that same epiphany of brilliance and decided to return to neighborhood schools instead of resorting to ineffective and expensive bussing. Apparently the National Association for the Advancement of Crazy People believes that sending a child to a school close to home is tantamount to the re-institution of segregation. That's just a dishonest assertion.

Segregation was the practice of exclusion and separation. Going to community based schools is a practice of inclusion and equality. There is nothing exclusionary about attending school with whatever fellow students happen to be in your immediate area. Regardless of your background, financial status, or race, you get to go to a community school.

The NAACP argues that many schools in Wayne County are almost completely populated by Black students. I fail to comprehend to how this is segregationist. If the admission criterion is that you live nearby the school, then Black people must predominantly populate the neighborhoods serviced by said schools. If they are predominantly poor, then the proportion within the school population will reflect that, as well.

Ironically, if the school population is primarily poor, then more students will qualify for free and reduced lunch at the schools. When that school reaches the magic number percentage thereof, they get even more federal funding under Title 1 provisions under federal law. In theory, this will lead to better education and accountability for academic achievement.

State NAACP President "Reverend" William Barber claims that Wayne County school policies have resulted in "poor performance statistics, including lower graduation rates, higher dropout and suspension rates, and stiffer discipline for Black students". Barber further claims that some schools that are "100 percent African-American with maybe one or two white children."

If there were few white children in the neighborhood by percentage, then I would expect that fewer white children would be at some neighborhood schools. To be sure, Barber is not claiming that if there were more white children at these same schools that they would have better performance statistics, higher graduation rates, lower dropout and suspension rates, and lesser discipline for Black students.
I do not for one minute believe that Black students are less intelligent, by nature perform poorly, and are innately prone to behavioral problems. By way of example, white children are the minority at our own Selma Elementary School and overall school performance statistics have risen the past few years.

Anyone who believes that Black students (or adults for that matter) are inferior and need government (or NAACP) intervention in order to achieve equality of intellect, behavioral standards, and academic achievement is truly blind to the truth. That scorns Martin Luther King, Junior's wish for a nation where his children "will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

Throwing around terms such as segregation is simply a tactic to incite people into angrily supporting the agenda. The agenda is to continue to have sufficient racial tension to continue to have a raison d'être. If we all, regardless of race, treat those of other races or even our own with dignity and the belief that all men are created equal (I remember that phrase from somewhere in antiquity) then we will dampen the racism that unfortunately continues in our midst.

Column for Dec. 3, 2009

For the past 20 years, I have been hearing the term, "racial reconciliation". In many regards, I believe that this nation has come a long way since the Jim Crow era. For the sake of simplicity and this column, let us say that the term "racial reconciliation" will only be applicable to Negroes and Caucasians.

This so-called reconciliation can not be a one way street. By definition, two parties can not reconcile if one is not willing to do so. Within the past week or so, I have seen two examples of this very premise. One is local, the other is on a national scale. Let me first tackle the local episode.

I wrote last week about Mr. Harris Jenkins' appeal to the Johnston County Board of Elections. I wrote that I thought the idea that Selma Elementary School being too far to travel as a polling place was ridiculous. A reader commented to me via email that I was possibly mistaken and that the complaint was about the polling location at Selma Baptist Church. Thank you for the communication, by the way. I greatly appreciate the feedback.

I was going by the printed news reports in newspapers and one radio station in the county. Within the past week, one news report said, "Jenkins, who ran for mayor in Selma, said the town's two polling places were too hard for some of his supporters to reach." That pretty much supports what I wrote.

Here is how this ties into racial reconciliation. The argument was basically made that minorities and the poor were disenfranchised with the allegedly distant polling places. But wait, it get better. According to one news report, it was alleged that "the lack of minorities working at another polling location affected the outcome". A lack of minorities working the polls? I quote myself from last week. "This is a joke, right?" Why not quote myself again? "You have got to be kidding me!"

What in the world does the color of the skin of a poll worker have to do with whether or not someone will cast a vote? If someone is so petty as to allow that to affect the decision of whether or not to vote, I don't want that person to vote at all. The country will be better off that way.

Personally, I like the idea that the poll workers are the same faces each time I cast a ballot and that they know me by name when I walk through the door. They work all day long every election day, and I have no idea if they are even paid for their efforts. I suspect that if more minorities actually volunteered their time, then perhaps more minorities would be working at the polling location(s).

The national disgrace to which I refer is the foolhardy Jesse Jackson, Sr. Supposedly he bears the title "Reverend" but since I became aware of his existence in the 1980's, I have yet to hear him ever have anything "Gospel centric" to say.

Jesse Jackson actually chided a Black skinned Congressman (who is also a Democrat) for voting against the health care boondoggle bill. He was quoted as saying, "You can’t vote against health care and call yourself a black man."

What in the world does being Black (note that I have sufficient respect to capitalize the word) have to do with being intelligent enough to realize that the bill was contrary to The U.S. Constitution and that its passage would effectively cripple the economy and our health care system? Why should one illegally vote in favor of national suicide just because he is Black? For that matter, what does the health care bill have to do with race, Mr. Jackson? Health care affects ALL Americans, not just Blacks. Note that I do not use the fallacious term, "African-American". Not all people of the Negroid race are from Africa and not all dark skinned Americans are of African heritage. If you are an American, you are an American. Period.

Look, folks, if people truly desire "racial reconciliation", then they have to stop being race conscious regarding every last detail of life and stop seeing hidden institutional racism where none exists. If you truly want the races to reconcile, then stop whipping out the race card. There are indeed some unjust cases of racism in this world, but when it does not truly exist, the "little boy who cried wolf" scenario gets mighty old and makes reconciliation harder to accomplish.