Moses and Munro

My wife and I just finished watching the movie The World's Fastest Indian, a movie starring Anthony Hopkins and directed by Roger Donaldson. This story is based on true events involving a New Zealander, Burt Munro, who while in his seventies set a land speed record on his modified 1920 Indian motorcycle. In 1967, he set a land speed record for a motorcycle that is less than 1000 cc's, and the record still stands. It is all the more profound when you know how Munro engineered and designed his bike. It's a great story that should inspire anyone who dares to chase a dream into their senior years. In my early fifties, I still have unfulfilled goals, so I take great encouragment from people like Burt Munro.

So, what does a quirky old codger like Munro have to do with Moses? In Moses, we see a man, who while in the idealism of youth, he sought to bring freedom to his fellow Hebrews with a little murder and mayhem. God had other plans for freeing them, and Moses didn't get the call until he was 80. Yet, Moses served with distinction, accomplishing more in the last 40 years of his life than he did in the first 80.

The New York Times Be Damned

The recent decision by the New York Times to reveal the counter terrorism strategies of the Bush administration and the Department of Homeland Security is not over truth or privacy. It is about liberals doing anything to acquire power, and using the media to denigrate in any way possible those in power. The liberals roast the present administration for the failure of many law enforcement agencies to foresee and prevent 9/11, yet when those being criticized are proactive, they are suddenly enfringing on our rights.

These journalistic tactics are not new. Stalin used them. Castro used them. Mao Tse Tung used them. Pol Pot used them. Again, the issue is not truth, but gaining power. Pure and simple. That's why you can't have a rational and reasoned discussion with a liberal. It's not because they are incapable of an intelligent conversation, but because an intelligent conversation/debate does not serve their purpose. They are only interested in facts if those facts serve their cause.

Unfortunately, the collective thought processes of the American public is about at the 3rd to 4th grade level. This age group believes anything that they are told by anyone presenting themself in any authoritative way, however remote the resemblance. For this reason, I know longer subscribe to the local, lazy, liberal rag called the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. Between the Internet, talk radio, and cable news (FOX), I get all the news that is worth noting. As far as I'm concerned, the print media and its current prevailing view can go to--well, you know where--by itself, and not try to drag me there with them.

Ann Coulter's Comments

Ann Coulter reminds me of the story of Deborah, mentioned in the book of Judges in the Old Testament. In both cases, we see a woman who has the courage to speak out when the men are scared of their own shadows, and in Ann's case, their politically-correct shadows. I say "Amen!" to Ann's comments about the Jersey girls. Being a grieving widow does not grant one the title of expert in anything, including grieving. As a parent who has lost two children: one to SIDS and one stillborn--I am well acquainted with the grief process, and the only clarity that this process will guarantee will be regarding one's own mortality. For months after my oldest child died (of SIDS), I struggled with the basics of keeping my mind attentive to my wife, my work, and my school. I did not have any grand new geopolitical insights that might bring world peace. Most of the time, my wife and I were grateful to navigate from point A to point B without getting lost.

And, by the way, you might be interested to know that although our son died while Jimmy Carter was president, we never blamed him or anyone else in government for not funding enough research to find the cure for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, thank you. So, I say to Ann Coulter: God bless you. Stay strong!

No Opinions - Just Convictions

Several years ago, Paul Little wrote a book called Know What You Believe and Why You Believe It. He was writing regarding the Christian faith, but the importance of his premise extends to all areas of life, just as one's faith--if it is genuine--influences all of life, Jimmy Carter's (and politicians of his ilk) milquetoast declaration notwithstanding.

So, here I am. A product of American midwestern middleclass Christian values enscripturating, if you will, what I spend a portion of my working day doing: positing what I believe to be true about anything and everything. Everyone has an opinion that is filtered through, or affected by a particular worldview. Whether or not a person is honest enough to admit it, they still have some kind of standard that informs everything they believe, say, and/or do. Even those that claim to be middle-of-the-roaders, spend a a substantial amount of time, dealing out unbridled scorn and condescension to those among us who are strongly opinionated in either direction. The late RJ Rushdoony, a noted author and theologian, described their position with the phrase "myth of neutrality". So, what is my standard? The Bible. In explicit terms, it may not speak to everything (like what I should wear today), but it does speak to everything in principle (I should dress modestly).

Today, our cultural spokesmen vilify those among us who come down on any issue with any hard opinions. As a Christian and a constitutional conservative in the civic and political sphere, I applaud people like Ann Coulter, for instance, who have the courage to say what is on their mind--and in her case, to say it well--and then stand up under public scrutiny and defend themselves without apology.

As long as I'm here, I might as well state my opinion. You might have deduced that I'm a fan of Ann's, so you might guess what is coming next. Hang in there, and I'll have something posted soon.