George, Tom, and Rutherford

Landsdowne paintingThe new leader of the Democrat party slams President Trump as the “worst president ever.” I suppose he lived through all of them.

The fake news continues to stream as if it is real. Emotions seem to have taken over from real reporting. This isn’t news at all. George Washington seems to be the only President that didn’t get hit too much by the press, although even he had some tough reports. Here’s a report that might interest you:

Headline “Bogus President.” Story: “After the hotly contested 1876 election, the Washington Post insisted that the Democratic nominee, Samuel J. Tilden, was the winner. A congressional committee determined that the new president was Republican Rutherford B. Hayes, but the Post refused to accept the verdict. For the next four years the newspaper churlishly referred to President Hayes as “the Bogus President,” “the acting President,” and “his fraudulency.” read more

Our Founding Fathers Were Not Bashful

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAWhen things were getting rough in the Colonies, there were a few men who stood up for things they believed in. It started with Patrick Henry in his speech as he was first elected to the house of Burgesses. Thomas Jefferson, his friend, listened in at the door of the Capitol in Williamsburg, as Henry made his speech, from notes written in the flyleaf of Jefferson’s loaned book!

Tom said that a spark for independence was lighted at that event that moved Jefferson to know the Colonies were on the road to independence. read more

Music at Christmastime

Here’s another quote from that book “In The Dark Streets Shineth” by David McCollough. These words were shared with the listeners of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir special for Christmas a few years back.

800px-Mtchoirandorchestra_ConferenceCenter_(cropped)“Music is a part of our history. It is an expression of who we are and the times we’ve known, our highs, our lows, and so much that we love. Take away American music from the American story and you take away a good part of the soul of the story.

“Impossible to imagine life in America without it—without “Shenandoah” or “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” Or Gershwin or Copland or Scott Joplin. read more

Benjamin Franklin and Politics

dont-tread-flagBenjamin Franklin did not, no he didn’t, write the first American novel. However, as a printer, he did publish the first novel in America. The first novel written in plain English was “Pamela” by Samuel Richardson. That was published in London in 1742. Benjamin Franklin brought it to America and published it himself in his printing shop in 1744.

Franklin was a very successful printer. He also published the first political cartoon. We should pay some attention to it today with the current repercussions from our Presidential election. As the French and Indian war was beginning, Franklin was again at the forefront. In Albany, New York, in 1754, Ben proposed a union of all the colonies to Congress at that city. read more

The Founding Fathers and the Electoral College

Wow! I am so amazed at the ignorance and illiteracy of some of our American citizens. Especially those who claim to be college students. They are really showing their unenlightened status by their silly and stupid protests in certain cities tonight.

We have the world’s most successful methodology of choosing President leaders every four years without battles, armed aggression, and uprisings. But some want to have uprisings anyways. How stupid can you get?

constitutionThe U.S. Constitution is an amazing document. It is an agreement between the States, yes, the States. Not the individuals. The Founding Fathers came up with a wise method for such transitions of power. They had to please the large States as well as the small States in their method. That’s one reason we are not a true democracy. We are a Republic—if you can keep it, as Benjamin Franklin declared. read more

Benjamin Franklin’s Suggestions On Drinking

Franklin_in_his_fur_capBenjamin Franklin had seen so much trouble and even despair caused by drinking that he advised against it. His childhood friend borrowed some money from Ben, then disappeared to Barbados. Ben never saw him again.

Hugh Meredith was Ben’s partner in the printing business in Philadelphia. He was seldom sober. Franklin and Meredith soon dissolved their partnership.

Ben was assigned to negotiate a treaty with the American Indians around Pennsylvania. Ben was at the time a member of the Pennsylvania Assembly. Then Native Americans demanded liquor in order to listen to the terms of a treaty. They drank all the liquor given them and then demanded more. read more

History and the Founding Fathers

I couldn’t find it tonight, but you have read, heard, or in some way been subject to the quote which goes something like this: Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it.

So it’s hard for me to comprehend why history teachers in schools around our nation seem to make U.S. history so disinteresting. I didn’t like history much in high school. Names, dates, places, and obscure facts. But when I discovered that history as told in stories, events, yes, and even anecdotes, is actually very scintillating, dazzling, and even entertaining, I began to be enticed by it! read more

The Original Patriots

Today, some of us football fans especially, think of the Patriots as the New England Patriots football team. You know, they’ve been in the Super Bowl four times in the last few years, and are an amazing fun team to watch play football. I myself am a football fan, and a Patriot fan as well.

Founding Fathers coverHowever, the original Patriots didn’t play football. Football hadn’t even been invented yet. Those original Patriots played for keeps and they created a new nation. The first one ever to be of the people, by the people and for the people. read more

Beauty and the Founding Fathers

Founding Fathers coverPeanuts cartoons often have sage words of wisdom and advice. Here’s one I like:

Charlie Brown says to Lucy who is looking in a hand held mirror: “ . . . and besides, never forget that beauty is only skin deep!”

Lucy responds with vehemence: “I DENY THAT! My beauty in not only on the surface, I goes down deep . . . layer after layer, after layer, after layer!”

She looks back into her hand held mirror and says: “Yes sir!”

Then adds: “I have very think beauty!’

I think that same process could be applied to the Founding Fathers of America! Just change the word beauty to the work WISDOM! These were men, and women, of unparalleled wisdom! Never before, or since, have a group of 55 or 56 men, and their respective women, been able to come together to accomplish so much! read more

Patriotism and September 11

thomas paineYes, we all remember where we were on that 9-11 day in 2001. I was exercising on a treadmill at the gym and saw it on TV—over and over and over again. How can we forget?

Patriotism was at a very high level on the days and weeks after that tragedy. All Americans felt it. That brought us all together.

Since then it seems as if our feelings of patriotism have slipped, taken a back seat, or been demoted. Other things are now more important.

This reminded me of a quote from Thomas Paine, the author of “these are the times that try men’s souls . . . “ read more