Columnist.
It was March 23, 2010. One of the most contentious political battles in recent American history was over. President Obama had just signed into law his signature legislation: the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare.
If you're 50 years old or older, you might remember an era when Home Economics class was a normal part of school curriculum. While boys were attending Shop Class, the girls were busy in Home Ec, learning about sewing and cooking. It was good practical info that many girls used later in life as they began their own families.
Last week week I returned from a two week trip to Nepal with a team of five guys. Our adventure flew us from Atlanta to Doha, Qatar and on to Kathmandu, Nepal. I've been to quite a few countries over the years, and oftentimes my travels have taken me to a number of places with very low standards of living. But as soon as we ventured from Tribuhaven International Airport into the streets of Kathmandu, I knew that I was in for an experience like none other.
Recently I had the opportunity to spend ten days in Nepal, with several of those days hiking through the mountains below the Himalayas. As our group of five guys trekked through village after village, we found the Nepali people to be filled with curiosity and astonishment. Witnessing tall, lighter skinned guys hiking in their midst was a rarity.
As a people, Americans are accustomed to solving most any problem that confronts us. Whether it was leading a world coalition to defeat the Nazis or responding to Japan's surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, as a nation we have consistently risen to the occasion when we were faced with an existential threat. And, by the grace of God, over our 240+ year history, our nation has weathered even the worst of those threats.
"Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart" is a verse from Proverbs that is often repeated in Christian circles. The fact is, most of my life I have subscribed to the hope this verse offers in raising one's children. Of course, I have considered the truth of this verse from the vantage point of the values that I believe to be true and worthy of living. But it dawned on me recently, as I was meditating on this passage, that this truth applies equally to those who do not share a conservative ideology or values.
Our nation has been deeply divided for some time and that division is growing even deeper. Much of this division has occurred because our political leaders have untethered our laws, policies and regulations from the law of the land, our Constitution.
For the last several years I have watched in utter disgust as a steady stream of liberal groups have acted out violently in cities across our nation. Whether it was the Occupy Movement, Black Lives Matter, or most recently the anti-Trump "protesters," there is a common thread to all these anarchist-type leftists. While some of their grievances may have merit, what might begin as organized protests soon turns to threats, rioting, vandalizing, destruction, and assaults. Common to many of these violent events are clashes with police, tear gas, arrests, and injuries. Sadly, some of these criminal leftists have even killed those we entrust our safety to — our men and women in blue.
This week, with the talk of many in our nation focusing on Trump's latest executive order, which temporarily halts refugee resettlement, liberals and their funded activists are up in arms and taking to the streets. Even some Republicans are raising concerns over both the content of the EOs and the way in which they were implemented. However, lost in all the turmoil is one aspect of our nation's refugee program that is seldom discussed but should be of great concern to anyone who has ever worked through a budget, whether in your family or business.
This last weekend, as tens of thousands of radical feminists marched in cities around the nation, their vulgar and "nasty" remarks received prime coverage by a media eager to feature their heinous and godless tirades. Their despicable comments were beamed to homes and mobile devices everywhere.
With the inauguration of our new president just hours away, our nation is approaching new, unchartered water. Of course, the same could be said of the era we were entering eight years ago. But just as there were troubling reasons why Obama was elected then, so there are gnawing explanations as to why Trump was elected in November.
As Donald Trump readies to take the oath of office next week, he will not only assume charge of the most powerful nation in the world, but he will also oversee the world's largest economy. And Trump will be aided in his oversight of our economy by a Congress controlled by a Republican Senate and Republican House.
It was early 1943. The war in Europe and Asia waged on. The nations of the world were embroiled in an epic battle of good versus evil. Tens of millions of lives were being lost and hundreds of millions more were grieving those losses. Hell had unleashed its fury in a manner that had never previously been experienced. The utter depravity of man was center stage and no human soul remained untouched.
Over the last several weeks the media has been consumed with the Russian hacking story, suggesting the nation that has been our adversary for the last century somehow sabotaged our free elections and contributed to the defeat of Hillary Clinton by Donald Trump. Of course, the Clinton camp and its supporters have been pushing this story since Hillary's defeat in November.
There's a quote that is attributed to President Eisenhower that asserts, "What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important." His quote mirrors this more popular saying: "the urgent is enemy of the important." Both quotes speak to the fact that too often many of us focus our resources and time on matters of an urgent nature, which invariably leads to ignoring or devaluing the important.
With the election of Donald Trump, roughly half of Americans are hopeful, while the other half are dejected, if not alarmed and angry. While that may be a slight overgeneralization, we can probably all agree that the campaign leading up to the presidential election was one of the nastiest in recent history, characterized by intense personal attacks with little attention given to the many challenges our nation is facing. One such challenge is our exploding national debt and its dire implications for you and me.
On Nov. 8, 2016, Americans across our great land went to the polls to select their choice for president, and Donald Trump prevailed. His brazen, unorthodox, "lay it all out there" style attracted the votes of millions of frustrated, disenchanted and angry citizens who felt their government had abandoned them and its "long train of abuses" were becoming insufferable.
Have you ever found yourself in a deep cavern or in a valley surrounded by mountains? If so, you've probably played the echo game, where you shout loudly and hear your returning echo. We've all done it. And what we hear back is exactly what we yelled. Nothing new. Nothing extraordinary. Just the same message we uttered moments earlier.
On November 8, 2016, America entered a new era. The Trump era. And while there are many "firsts" with the election of President Donald J. Trump, there is one in particular that poses a significant challenge for our nation.
As I peer out the window at the terrain below, jetting over the heartland of America, I cannot help but ponder the future for our nation following the unexpected and historical win by Donald Trump. We saw so many "firsts" during Election 2016. The first billionaire to win the presidency. The first woman to ever receive the nomination for president of a major party. The first election where both candidates' unfavorable ratings were at historical highs. And so many more.
