THE FOUNDATION: HISTORY

“Every child in America should be acquainted with his own country. He should read books that furnish him with ideas that will be useful to him in life and practice. As soon as he opens his lips, he should rehearse the history of his own country.” —Noah Webster

INSIGHT

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’… I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character… And if America is to be a great nation this must become true.” —Martin Luther King, Jr.

Editor’s Note: Historian Shelby Steele observes, “There is an awful lot of conservative sentiment in black America, but at the moment, the party line is ruthlessly enforced.” Indeed, those who followed Martin Luther King when he was speaking of freedom, like Jesse Jackson, tolerate no dissension from their liberal ranks now. They have abandoned King’s dream, and aligned themselves with political and social agendas obsessed with color at the expense of character.

Black conservatives of national stature, like Clarence Thomas, Condoleezza Rice, Colin Powel, Ward Connerly, Michael Steele, Jesse Lee Peterson, Alan Keyes, Don Scoggins, Alvin Williams, Ken Blackwell, Thomas Sowell, Star Parker and Walter Williams are routinely castigated by Jackson, et al., as “Uncle Toms” and “puppets.” Yet these are the men and women following the call of King.

Irrespective of one’s conclusion about Martin Luther King’s proper place in history (given the historical account of his personal integrity and character), the two texts cited below (from The Patriot’s Historic Documents section) are well worth reading—for each of them proclaim truth.

“I have a dream”
“Letter from a Birmingham jail”

UPRIGHT

“Let each man resolve to be victorious, and that the right of self-government, liberty, and peace shall find him a defender.” —Robert E. Lee

“[M]y religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed. God has fixed the time for my death. I do not concern myself about that, but to be always ready, no matter when it may overtake me. That is the way all men should live, and then all would be equally brave.” —Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson

Editor’s Note: Today we take a moment to remember the birth anniversaries of Robert E. Lee (19 January) and Stonewall Jackson (21 January), two of the greatest military commanders in American history. They also were great men of faith who gave their all (Jackson his life) for the cause of freedom and states’ rights, which we at The Patriot hold so dear. Many may question our decision to honor men of the Confederate States of America, but we encourage those readers to consider our correction of the record. The honor we give these men has its roots in the founding of this great nation.

CULTURE

“Abortion on demand cannot be seen in isolation from social breakdown. In 1973, near the end of the Vietnam War and the approaching resignation of President Nixon two years later, the focus on self, pleasure and convenience by Baby Boomers was at its height. Marriages easily dissolved as ‘no fault’ divorce laws were passed; cohabitation and out-of-wedlock births were on the rise; ‘unwanted babies’ (who were labeled ‘products of conception’ to make it easier to deny the obvious) became an impediment to the pursuit of pleasure and material gain. Abortion was not a cause, but a reflection of our decadence and deviancy. One does not begin to kill babies until other dominos have fallen. And once they have fallen, it becomes difficult to set them aright because to do so would require an admission of something so horrible that those responsible for this fetal holocaust would have to acknowledge their sin and repent of it. Such a thing is not a character trait of this most pampered generation. In recent years there have been signs that things may be—if not turning around—then moderating… Politicians and judges could help bury Roe by requiring that pregnant women receive complete information about the nature of the life within them, including being required to view sonograms before electing abortion. This would follow truth-in-labeling and truth-in-lending laws by fully informing and empowering women. Such an approach would satisfy the liberal demand to keep abortion ‘safe and legal’ and the pro-life desire to make them rare. After 35 years of slaughtering our young, isn’t it time to stop? That child born in 1973 could be a parent now. There are children who could have been born today. Thirty-five years of killing has diminished and corrupted us all. Let’s summon the moral courage to stop it for our sake and for theirs.” —Cal Thomas

LIBERTY

“If there’s one thing the American experiment proves, it’s the power of freedom to transform lives. If you let people control their own destinies, there’s no limit to what they can achieve. But if you bind them with the straitjacket of central planning, smother their creativity with over-regulation, fence them in with high tariffs and take their hard-earned money with high taxes, you kill their dreams even as you wreck an economy. That’s the central lesson of the ‘2008 Index of Economic Freedom,’ just released by The Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal. A country-by-country survey of how free people are worldwide to direct their own economic fortunes, the Index repeatedly demonstrates the vital link between freedom and prosperity. Simply put, the freer people are, the more an economy grows—and the more everyone benefits… Economic freedom is about more than just the bottom line. When you give people the liberty they crave, you do more than boost an economy—you make it possible for men and women to improve their lives. In the words of the Declaration of Independence, they’re free to engage in ‘the pursuit of happiness.’ And as the Index proves, it’s a virtuous cycle that leaves everyone better off than they were before.” —Rebecca Hagelin

THE GIPPER

“A political party cannot be all things to all people. It must represent certain fundamental beliefs which must not be compromised to political expediency or simply to swell its numbers.” —Ronald Reagan

OPINION IN BRIEF

“Ronald Reagan’s presidency was a great success. He rebuilt a chaotic U.S. military and helped end the Cold War. Reagan’s radical tax cuts in 1981 spurred economic growth and redefined the relationship between U.S. citizens and their government. And he appointed conservative federal judges and bureaucrats who tried to roll back the half-century trend of expanded governmental control over our lives. Reagan’s nice-guy charm made it difficult for even his critics to stay angry with him for long. But he was no mere smiling dunce, as liberal intellectuals used to snicker. His private papers and diaries instead reveal that he was widely informed, read voraciously, drew on a powerful intellect and was an effective writer. It is no wonder that conservative leaders—especially the current crop of Republican presidential hopefuls—now constantly evoke Ronald Reagan’s successful presidency. In contrast, they rarely hearken back to the uprightness of the one-term Gerald Ford, or praise the foreign-policy accomplishments of the two Bush Republican presidencies. Instead, the candidates try to ‘out-Reagan’ each other by claiming they alone are the true Reaganites while their rivals in the primaries are too liberal, flip-floppers, or without consistent conservative principles.” —Victor Davis Hanson

CAMPAIGN WATCH

“One of the obvious differences between Democrats and Republicans is the role that religion plays in their presidential campaigns. For instance, every Democrat, while pretending to believe that ‘separation of church and state’ actually appears somewhere in the Constitution, must also insist that religion plays an essential role in his or her life. But just about the only time you see them going to church is when they’re posing for the cameras while addressing a black Baptist congregation. What’s more, when questioning these people, the liberal media kindly limits itself to a yes or no question regarding the existence of God. However, when the candidates are Republicans, you might get the idea that the members of the MSM were boning up for their theology exams. Is Huckabee too Christian? Does he actually believe the universe was created in six days? When he was a governor, did he go out of his way to commute the sentences of felons because he was a sucker for anyone who announced he’d found Christ in the slammer? Is Giuliani, who contributed to Pro-Choice organizations, flying under false colors as a Catholic? Does Romney really believe that Satan and Jesus are brothers, or at least third cousins, once removed? Why is it, I wonder, that nobody is asking Barack Obama about his religious convictions? From what I’ve gathered, they’re far more fascinating than Mitt Romney’s.” —Burt Prelutsky

POLITICAL FUTURES

“Conservatives are demanding that House Minority Leader John Boehner fill an empty slot on the House Appropriations Committee with a fiscal hawk rather than the National Republican Congressional Committee chairman who could use the position to hand out earmarks for political gain. ‘House Leadership has said they are serious about earmark reform, said they are serious about cutting the pork and abuse; it’s time to put up or shut up and put Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz) on the committee,’ said Erick Erickson, editor of RedState.com. ‘When the House returns next week, Republican leadership must fill the vacant seat left on the appropriations committee left by Rep. Roger Wicker (R. -Miss) who was appointed to fill Trent Lott’s (R. -Miss.) Senate seat. According to a January 7 Politico story, Boehner is likely to choose RSCC Chairman Rep. Tom Cole (R. -Okla.) to fill the position… The Club for Growth’s Director of Government Affairs Andy Roth said this strategy would backfire. ‘If they take a pass at Flake, then the base’s frustration will only continue.’… Flake has been the House’s most vocal critic against earmarks, often challenging pet projects on the floor late into the night to shame the members.” —Amanda Carpenter

SELECT READER COMMENTS

(Our servers automatically delete “Reply” messages to this e-mail. To submit or to view reader comments visit our Reader Comments page. Join the debate at the Patriot Blog.)

“Great discussion on pollaganda! When I’ve read or heard reporting on polls I’ve always wished they would show the questions exactly as they were asked to the people polled. That alone would expose the bias intent of the ‘pollster’!” —Unadilla, Georgia

“You couldn’t be more correct on polls. Just as Hitler did, if you tell a lie long enough, it begins to be the ‘truth.’ Kind of like when the only implement you have is a hammer, then everything starts to look like a nail. Once again you’ve hit it right on the head (pun intended). Keep up the good work.” —Traverse City, Michigan

“Your take on Hillary Clinton on the plane was excellent. I could not imagine being on the same plane as her. And you hit it right—that would be ”snakes on a plane.“ Keep up the good work. Your publication is excellent and a godsend.” —Portland, Oregon

“As a medically retired Marine, I too live on a fixed income, but what I spend for this publication is the best spent money I have. As another reader noted, you said you intended to ‘surge’ as we approach the election. I look forward to that, and I hope that you will send out a solicitation for financial support for that surge, early enough that it will carry us through. I’d rather send more money, and see the truth out than find us short because we failed to fund the outing of the truth. Semper Fi!” —GySgt, USMC, ret., Vanceboro, North Carolina

“Looking around the many resource pages on your site, I found this page on Iwo Jima. The Marine in the second picture (first row, 3rd from the left) is my Grandpa, Sergeant Anthony Cappello, from the 28th Regiment of the 5th Marine Division. He participated in the 1st raising of the flag on Mt. Suribachi. Thanks for your many tribute pages to our Uniformed Patriots!” —Chicago, Illinois

THE LAST WORD

“If the Girl Scouts want to teach girls how to market products and manage inventory and money, can’t they be more socially responsible? Instead of selling cookies, why not sell low-energy-consumption light bulbs? Why not sell something that makes the girls aware of man’s thoughtless destruction of our fragile ecosystems? Better yet, instead of teaching the girls the principles of capitalism, why not teach them how to be government bureaucrats instead? America is moving toward European-style socialism. The careers of the future will be in government, not the private sector. Why not have the government produce a pamphlet on the harmful effects of cookies, then mandate that the girls develop a program to distribute it? Sure, I know some people will criticize me for demanding an end to the cookie sale. They’ll say that it really does teach girls useful business skills. They’ll say that it’s as much a part of American culture as baseball and apple pie that we should celebrate it and enjoy it. They’ll say that America has real problems and that I ought to focus on those rather than something as harmless as a lousy cookie sale. Well, nuts to that. I urge you to write your senator and congressperson. If the Girl Scouts won’t willingly stop foisting their cookie pox on the rest of us, we must use the might of the federal government to mandate a ban on their annual sale. I just hope the ban goes into effect before my niece talks me into placing another order.” —Tom Purcell