Thoughts Aloud

Archive for July, 2010

Like most of you, I was taught in school that the American Civil War ended in 1865. For years, I accepted this at face value. Only in the last few years, when retirement has afforded me the time to really study and think about the issue have I begun to realize that 1865 saw the end of organized military activity but not the real end of the war. Yes, the conflagration had been smothered down to a few glowing embers — but, those embers have continued to glow and are not yet past the point of re-igniting into a conflagration.

Most Americans think the Civil War was fought to preserve slavery. One some levels, this may even be true – even though fewer than 10% of the citizens of the Confederacy owned slaves at the time the war began. Others, myself included, think the war was actually the culmination of a contest between those who wanted to preserve the States Rights guaranteed by our Constitution and those who favored an all powerful federal government. The tragedy, for both the Confederacy and the Republic is that slavery was allowed to become the issue which brought the contest to the point of war. By allowing that to happen, the Confederacy guaranteed it would have little or no support from the civilized world because supporting the Confederacy became tantamount to supporting slavery.

Let us acknowledge several undisputed facts:
-Slavery did exist.
- Slavery is always wrong.
- Slavery does endless damage to both the slave and the master.

Let us also acknowledge that many of the slaveholders in the America of the mid 1800′s knew that slavery MUST end. The problem they had was that too much of what passed for “property” among these people was the supposed market value of salable human beings. And it is not the nature of most humans to voluntarily impoverish themselves.

Looking back, there were several approaches that might have ended slavery in a way that would let the country recover very quickly from its effects. The various levels of government might have set the slaves free by compensating the owners for their release. Or, once the Civil War was a certainty, the emancipation proclamation might have come from the president of the Confederacy rather than the president of the Union. Further, the Confederacy could have taken the advice of people like General Patrick Cleburne and armed the slaves in addition to merely freeing them, giving them a shared stake in the outcome of the war along with a chance to demonstrate their humanity. But, none of this happened and, at any rate, we can never really know what really lies down the path not taken.

So, we opted instead for a futile contest that did little more than cause endless damage and inflict wounds that, to this day, have not healed. And, we allowed that contest to end in a fashion that left most of the ex slaves in situations almost as bad as slavery itself. It is no wonder that racial animosity was one result of this bungled mess. Even so, things got better, albeit at a glacial rate of progress, until the 1960′s when many of the descendents of the freed slaves were cast back into a new kind of slavery. This time, they were not confined to plantations — instead, they were encouraged to migrate to inner-city ghettos, all over the country, and there placed in a state of dependence on the federal government that was (and still is) in its way, more viscous than plantation slavery. This time, rather than being used to produce cotton, sugar cane and rice, they are used to advance the power of the progressive movement. To help keep them “in their place”, they have been made to live in broken families in crime ridden neighborhoods and they have been intentionally convinced that there is little or nothing they personally can do to escape their plight. All they can do is take the handouts and cast the votes required to keep those handouts coming, somehow never seeming to realize that they are forever casting a “yes” vote for their own continued enslavement.

Fast forward to the current. Now we have what the Lie-Stream-Media never tires of telling us is the “first Black president”. Now we all know this is not really true. What we actually have is the first half Black/half White president who chooses to identify more with his Black half than his White half. OK, fine, that is his choice. The tragedy is that this president has turned out to be a severe disappointment to almost everyone in the nation — including me.

I am not so much disappointed in his policies. Appalled and alarmed, yes, but not disappointed because anyone who paid the slightest attention during the campaign knew what his policies would be. No, the major disappoint for me, and for myriad others, is the missed opportunity to begin the end of racism in America — to finally put out those glowing embers from the Civil War. But, to our collective dismay, exactly the opposite is happening. This administration is shaping up to be the most blatantly racist in the history of the Republic. What a tragedy for us all.

Worse yet, those near dead embers are being fanned back into life and, if we continue on our current path, could actually re-ignite into another round of Civil War.

Is this what we really want? If not, then why can’t “we the people” stand up for those things that we all know are right? Why can’t we focus on the many things that make us all the same rather than the few things that make us seem slightly different?

Whatever your political leanings, your race or your ethnicity, quit making excuses for what we all know are outright failure and incompetence coupled with criminal malfeasance. Demand better, before it is too late!

To my Black friends, I offer this final thought – you will know when you are truly free in America. That will be the day when you are as free to fail as any member of any other group and when the main reason for your failure is placed squarely in your own hands. If you find this offensive, I am sorry. I am not a racist. I actually want freedom and prosperity for everyone with no group being disadvantaged for the supposed benefit of another.

Troy L Robinson

I am currently reading what may turn out to be one of the most enlightening books ever written. The name is “Intellectuals And Society” by Dr. Thomas Sowell. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to better understand what is happening to our nation.

When taking office, a president must swear the following oath:

“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

This is a direct quote from our Constitution, Article II, Section 1. Note that the prescribed wording does not contain any words suggesting that “ignore” or “violate” might be part of the oath.

In Article II, Section 4, our Constitution goes on to say “The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.”

President Obama and Attorney General Holder are clearly guilty of repeated refusals to abide by our Constitution. If this does not rise to the level of “high Crimes and Misdemeanors”, it is hard to imagine what could.

I have already asked my representative in Congress to offer a bill of Impeachment against both of these criminals and I am asking each of you to do the same. Just a simple telephone call. Will this get them impeached? Probably not. But it will let the Congress and the Executive know that increasing numbers of citizens have had enough and want change. Change the government can believe in.

Whenever an opening occurs, I try to talk to people about what is happening to our nation. When I find they are in general agreement with me, I often ask “so, what are you doing about it?”. The most frequent response I get is “Well, what can we do?”.

This got me thinking that I would generate a simple list of things the ordinary guy/gal on the street can do. Once I have such a list, I will then print it on a “card” that I can easily carry about and hand to those I am trying to influence. I am amazed at the things that simply don’t occur to people.

So, I will offer a starter list with the sincere request that anyone who happens on this will help me improve this list until it is something any of us would be proud to hand to others.

My starting liust:

- Communicate with those who represent you – by letter, by email and by telephone. There is no chance they will do as you wish if you don’t tell them.

- Attend any Tea Party within reasonable distance from where you are. You do not need a fancy sign — just be there and be polite.

- Contribute your time and/or money to political candidates who share your point of view. It need not be a large amount of time or money — everything helps.

- Contribute to organizations that work to get the truth out to people. Chose whatever pleases you — I like the Media Research Center and the Heritage Foundation.

- Go to the polls and cast an INFORMED vote. Voting your emotions is never a good idea.

- Consider supporting independents and/or 3rd party candidates. The 2 major parties both tend to put party above country.

- Talk to your family, friends and neighbors. Perhaps offer them a copy of this list?

- If you can’t do all of the above, do whatever you can.

It is time to repeat my recurring question — have you had enough yet? Are you angry enough to actually do something yet?

I submit to you that, were a foreign government doing to us what our own so-called government is doing, we would be demanding a declaration of war.

Yet, here we sit while our government allows our gulf coast region to be devastated;

While they actually encourage an invasion via our southern border;

While they destroy the best health-care system in the world;

While they insult long-time allies at the same time they allow some of our worst enemies to arm and scheme against us and our few remaining allies;

While they do everything in their power to destroy our economy;

While, while, and so on.

Just what does it take to spur you folks to action? Yes, a number of us gather in so-called Tea Parties, wave a few signs, and otherwise preach to the choir. But, to what end?

On yes, we are going to put a bunch of Republicans in office to shore up the sorry bunch already there, and already contributing almost as much to the problem as the liberal Democrats.

Let me know how that works out for you — assuming we are still allowed to communicate with each other by then.

Troy L Robinson