Thanksgiving Declared By George Washington

Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to "recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d day of October,A.D. 1789.


Hat tip to my friend Bob over at Crazy Politico's Rantings. He pointed this out and deserves recognition.
The reality of our true founding fathers is forever demonstrated in this message. God and America have been intertwined since day one.

Happy Thanks Giving

I hope each of you gets the opportunity to say the things that need to be said to your family before they go. Don't miss this moment when you are with family and friends.



I wanted to share a little holiday humor with all of you.

What are they thinking?

I was reading an article here. One line jumped out at me and forced me to write the rest of this.

Since the liberal Democratic Party (the Party of abortion, gays in the military, homosexual marriage, and expelling the church from public space) announced a plan to capture the evangelical vote and talk more about their faith, I started to notice the plethora of comments and articles on this subject from within the Party, from some evangelicals, and of course from the main stream media.

This statement made me wonder what is wrong with the church. We have thousands of years of history and sacrifice demonstrating and upholding the Bible. How did it happen to get so watered down that evangelicals are willing to uplift and support a group that opposes most of the major tenants? Here we are about to enter into Thanksgiving and Christmas. We should be reminded at every turn of sacrifice, joy, and forgiveness. The holiday season should be filled with laughter and hope for tomorrow based on the bedrock foundation demonstrated throughout history. Instead we have financial gain and grandstanding as the key to the holiday season. It is far more important to receive then give and our selfish ambitions shine.

The evangelical church has much to answer for as they scamper into the pit with the very demons they have fought over the years.
Abortion should cause any Christian to pull back in horror. Consistently known as the religion of life and chastened by Jesus himself when he spoke of how precious the children were. We even find stories where the child leaps in the womb in recognition of God. How can they turn their backs?
Homosexual or gay issues should be clear to all those who have read the scriptures. How many times are these acts called an abominations? Genesis 19 clearly points to this sin and why Sodom and Gomorrah were so completely destroyed.
Why would the church suddenly find unity among those who for years sought its destruction? We see these same liberal groups chopping crosses off of memorials and public places. Has the church forgotten who its tormentors are?

After years of beating the Christian, they begin to follow a new master.

Some of my other writings that tie in here.
What Really Caused the Slide of Our Nation.
When do you say life begins?
Do Men have any rights?
Why Isn't Socialism Dead?
How do you know they are wrong?
Could the Supremes Right the Sinking Ship (Mount Soledad Cross)
Koran OK, Bible NOT

The Human Condition

The last several weeks I have been made very aware of the limitations of being human. We each have our faults. We approach life as if we were super heroes, and learn that we are as mortal as everyone else. Our failures seem to be far more apparent to everyone else then to ourselves. Some of us fail horribly at relationships while others are continuously surrounded by friends. Each of us are a unique creations by God placed here on earth for such a very short time.
My grandfather died only a few short weeks ago on the opposite side of this great nation from me. I was unable to attend the funeral services. I will miss him greatly. I have often sat hearing in my mind the many phrases that I had come to know and love. I will never hear those words the same again.
Today as I write this, I am at my father's side. Here I am in ICU listening to his troubled breathing. Only days before he was walking around celebrating his new hip. The joy he had over the absence of pain that had plagued him for so long was infectious. I was smiling and talking with him as I took care of some repairs around his house.
Today there is no joy. He has suffered a couple of strokes and a minor heart attack. Today is the day I will be arranging hospice care. He doesn't seem to know I am at his side. I am glad he isn't suffering. They give him what he needs from a small bag dripping just above his head.
A friend of mine thanked me for giving him opportunity to say to his parents what needed to be said while they are alive. I spoke those special words to my father just before he slipped from consciousness, "I love you Dad." He cried.

If you have read this far and you are thinking of a special person in your life who you need to say those three special words "I love you." too, don't wait. The time is shorter then you know and goes by faster then you think.

Update: Dad died today 11/17/06 at 3:50pm PST. He will be missed.

The Election

I am very disappointed in so many things having to do with the election. The first thing I am most disappointed about is the turn out. We as American have the right and the obligation to vote. Even if you vote for the lesser evil at least you are acting on your American obligations. The predictors of turnout said we would see numbers around 60%. We instead are finding 40% to be the norm. Voter apathy seemed to rule the day.

We seem to have forgotten what made America great. We have lost sight of our basic tenets that so many fought so hard to give us. I posted before the cost to those who signed the Declaration of Independence. Serving our government once was an honor bringing the best and the brightest. Now we suffer from the worst and the ignorant. When did this change occur? We once were served by those who had made their own fortune or those who were looked upon for wisdom. We now have career politicians who live off the dole and raise their own pay at every opportunity. Did the voters take this into account at the polls?

I will say straight up -- Putting the Democrats in power at this time is a mistake. I don't think the Republicans were doing all we needed done either. The reality of the situation is that no one is really at charge. It takes a 60% hold to really be in charge. We now have a change of direction but no change in ability to get things done. As long as none of them have this magical 60% it forces them to work together to get things done or work separate and do nothing. We will either see great strides toward centrist laws or absolutely nothing accomplished for two years. If bipartisan bickering break out and endless investigations start the people may rise up. Americans voted for change not drastic change. Americans drove out incumbents in many offices. Some could argue that this was an action of change not party. The problem is the party system we have, limits our choices. We get the choice of the party not the choice of the people.

We need to bring in the policy of "Brewster's Millions". This was a movie that brought a much needed concept to politics. We need a line item on every ballot right next to a write in candidate that reads "None OF The Above". This would allow us to toss the running candidates and get some new blood. Let's start talking about adding this to all ballots. This single act may actually save America.

New Immigrants

I got this via e-mail. I decided to share it with you here.

Newspapers simply won't publish letters to the editor which they either deem politically incorrect (read below) or which does not agree with the philosophy they're pushing on the public. This woman wrote a great letter to the editor that should have been published but with your help it will get published via cyberspace!

From: "David LaBonte"

My wife, Rosemary, wrote a wonderful letter to the editor of the OC Register which, of course, was not printed. So, I decided to "print" it myself by sending it out on the Internet. Pass it along if you feel so inclined.
Dave LaBonte (signed)
Written in response to a series of letters to the editor in the Orange County Register:
Dear Editor:
So many letter writers have based their arguments on how this land is made up of immigrants. Ernie Lujan for one, suggests we should tear down the Statue of Liberty because the people now in question aren't being treated the same as those who passed through Ellis Island and other ports of entry.
Maybe we should turn to our history books and point out to people like Mr.Lujan why today's American is not willing to accept this new kind of immigrant any longer. Back in 1900 when there was a rush from all areas of Europe to come to the United States, people had to get off a ship and stand in a long line in New York and be documented. Some would even get down on their hands and knees and kiss the ground. They made a pledge to uphold the laws and support their new country in good and bad times. They made learning English a primary rule in their new American households and some even changed their names to blend in with their new home.
They had waved good bye to their birth place to give their children a new life and did everything in their power to help their children assimilate into one culture.
Nothing was handed to them. No free lunches, no welfare, no labor laws to protect them. All they had were the skills and craftsmanship they had brought with them to trade for a future of prosperity. Most of their children came of age when World War II broke out. My father fought along side men whose parents had come straight over from Germany, Italy, France and Japan. None of these 1st generation Americans ever gave any thought about what country their parents had come from. They were Americans fighting Hitler, Mussolini and the Emperor of Japan . They were defending the United States of America as one people. When we liberated France, no one in those villages were looking for the French -American or the German - American or the Irish - American. The people of France saw only Americans. And we carried one flag that represented one country. Not one of those immigrant sons would have thought about picking up another country's flag and waving it to represent who they were. It would have been a disgrace to their parents who had sacrificed so much to be here. These immigrants truly knew what it meant to be an American. They stirred the melting pot into one red, white and blue bowl.
And here we are in 2006 with a new kind of immigrant who wants the same rights and privileges. Only they want to achieve it by playing with a different set of rules, one that includes the entitlement card and a guarantee of being faithful to their mother country. I'm sorry, that's not what being an American is all about. I believe that the immigrants who landed on Ellis Island in the early 1900s deserve better than that for all the toil, hard work and sacrifice in raising future generations to create a land that has become a beacon for those legally searching for a better life. I think they would be appalled that they are being used as an example by those waving foreign country flags.
And for that suggestion about taking down the Statue of Liberty, it happens to mean a lot to the citizens who are voting on the immigration bill. I wouldn't start talking about dismantling the United States just yet.
(signed) Rosemary LaBonte

I hope this letter gets read by millions of people all across the nation!!
Ever onward!!
MAY GOD BLESS AMERICA

Future Business = Quality + Customer Reaction

In producing any product the ultimate decision rests in quality. Products that are built with quality as the key element last and garner positive reviews from the customer. These positive reviews translate to customer recommendations and referrals. Every sales person on the planet will tell you the golden value of referrals. This in mind would make one wonder why any company would choose to manufacture or sell poor quality goods.
Yet, many manufacturers have chosen the path of price driven products. By price driven, I mean looking for the lowest price in order to enter under the market. These products are often of inferior quality and fail to hold up to the rigors of daily life. Occasionally, it is simply a matter of finding a better way, but care must be taken by the consumer in order to determine which has occurred.
Poor quality will usually drive away future sales and reduce your market in the future. Innovative products will draw market and defy the quality curve for a short while. The quality curve will eventually over come and drive your product out of the market. If you have a company that is highly creative or quick to react to fads and notions, then your low end product dropping off the list may be a good thing. For most businesses they are looking for long term success and each product is seen as an anchor that secures their portion of the market. These anchors are what sets the solid base on which the future can be built.
Most businesses start with the ability to do something better, cheaper or faster. As businesses grow they become more difficult to steer. Many businesses start to rely on past victories while competition moves in and starts to steal market share. Having an effective long term business means you work hard to keep your edge at better, cheaper or faster.
The key tool to making this happen is maintaining a quality driven focus with customer service as priority. Your customers will give you feed back that will keep you ahead in your market. For this to work you must listen to your customers and adapt to their needs. A customer savvy work force will constantly be listening and innovating your product line to match the expressed need. Following this practice broadens your market share and brings in referrals. Who doesn’t want to do business with a company that strives to listen and produce a quality product that meets the needs of its customers?

Don’t let your competition put you out of business. Find out what your customers want and give them a quality product that matches their need. Never stop asking your customers what they want. Always ask if they know anyone else that could use what you offer. If you follow these basic rules you will be in a successful business for a long time.

Knowing When To Keep Your Mouth Shut

Just when everything was going great, Kerry opened his mouth again. He crashes the party of his Democratic friends with a couple of mindless sentences. If that isn't bad enough he also managed to upset almost 90% of those serving in the military. Which then upset three fourths of the family members of those same military members. Looks like Kerry may single handedly throw the whole election. The wave of hatred and disgust quickly flies across the country. The Democrats only hope is that many of the mail in ballot states have already mailed theirs.



Kerry being the Benedict Arnold of our time has managed to turn on the troops a second time. Just when everyone was beginning to forget how he accused everyone who was fighting in Vietnam of every war crime possible, he laid wait for the next war weary group of soldiers. Now he has announced that only the stupid would join the military. He has been waiting for years for this moment. The last time he managed to launch himself into congress. He hopes that this move will launch him into the presidency. Will the people be duped again?

How can this rich snob that is so out of touch with America and American values continue to speak publicly. Some how he garnered party support and got a shot at the office of president. What were they thinking?

A joke gone wrong? That is what I was thinking when ever I see him on the tube. Hey, he said it. Perhaps we should ask his wife if this joke made more sense in another language?