Category Archives: Government

Christ, Government, and Rome

Posted on by October 18, 2015

Illgegal Trial of Christ coverI think I’ve mentioned before that I’ve been reading again a marvelous old work by Walter S. Chandler, an attorney of the New York Bar, called “The Trial of Jesus From a Lawyer’s Standpoint”. The treatise is a two-volume work written, or copyrighted in 1908.

Part of the book deals with the Graeco-Roman Social Life about the time of Christ’s life. It is eye-opening and sobering about the background at that time in history, not just from a Christian lawyer’s standpoint, but from a world history view. read more

Thomas Jefferson has Succeeded

Posted on by October 13, 2015

ThomasJefferson“To laugh often and love much, to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to give one’s self, this it to have succeeded.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson.

I believe that this is an accurate description of Thomas Jefferson. He did laugh at funny occurrences. I’ll give you an example:

One day while President Jefferson was out riding his horse as he did quite often. He came upon a man and stopped to talk with him. The man reviled the current President, not knowing he was current talking with the man himself. read more

John Adams defeats Thomas Jefferson, Then Visa Versa!

Posted on by October 13, 2015

JohnAdamsThomasJeffersonJohn Adams was a firm supporter of Thomas Jefferson’s draft of the Declaration of Independence in the Continental Congress of 1776. Tom then referred to Adams as the Colossus of the debates.

When George Washington declined to run for a third term as President of the United States, John Adams was elected as his replacement. Thomas Jefferson received the next highest number of electoral votes, and so became his Vice President.

John Adams revealed a bit of humorous jealousy when he wrote of what future historians would record about his time: read more

Christopher Columbus, George Washington, and Perseverance

Posted on by October 12, 2015

Christopher_Columbus_on_Santa_Maria_in_1492.Happy Columbus Day! Christopher Columbus and George Washington had many character traits in common. The most remarkable is Perseverance.

Columbus had an idea about reaching the East by sailing West. No one had successfully done that before. He was an expert sailor and mapmaker. He came up with his plan and presented it to the King of Portugal, the King and Queen of Spain—four times, the King of France, and he even sent his brother to England to present his plan.

He was on his way to present his plan once again to the King of France, when he was called back to the Majesties of Spain once again. They had just won their war in Grenada and now his plan sounded better to them. One more presentation and it was granted and approved. read more

Founding Fathers in the Right Place

Posted on by October 11, 2015

Speaking-2When I was in college, my girlfriend (now my wife) and I went to an open-air concert. It was presented by the late music composer and singer, John Hartford. It was a great concert!

One of his songs stuck with me and has had a real meaning in my life. The lyrics occasionally come into my mind with several experiences. I guess because I have been in the right place at the right time for special events in my life to occur.

It’s a fun song and the lyrics go like this:

“I would not be here if I hadn’t been there,
and I wouldn’t ‘a been there if I hadn’t just turned
on Wednesday the third in the late afternoon
got to talking with George who works out in the back
and only because he was getting off early
to go see a man at a Baker Street bookstore
with a rare first edition of Steamboats and Cotton
a book he would never have sought in the first place
had he not been inspired by a fifth grade replacement
school teacher in Kirkwood who was just picked at random . . . “ read more

Benjamin Franklin, Government and Daylight Savings Time

Posted on by October 10, 2015

Ben FranklinWise old Benjamin Franklin made lots of discoveries. But I have to say that one of them makes no sense at all today. In Ben’s day during the winters the cost of candles was one of the major expenses. So Ben came up with the idea of “Daylight Savings Time.” They would use the longer days to save themselves the need to keep the candle burning. It caught on.

But today, does it still make any sense, what with light bulbs and electricity and all our conveniences? Why do we need the trouble of changing the time on our electric clocks? Spring forward, fall back. But why now? It no longer makes any sense. read more

Thomas Jefferson and Books

Posted on by October 9, 2015

Library of Congress Reading Room

Thomas Jefferson loved books. To his friend, John Adams, he declared “I cannot live without books!” He was a voracious reader. When you visit his home at Monticello, you will not only see his library but you will also notice that he had several places set aside in multiple rooms in his home, where he could sit and read when time permitted.

The British burned down the Library of Congress in the War of 1812, along with several other buildings, like the President’s Mansion. Jefferson offered to sell his library to Congress to replace what they had lost. In 1815 Congress approved the purchase, and it took ten wagonloads to bring the books to Washington, DC! read more

Benjamin Franklin for 2nd Graders

Posted on by October 6, 2015

Founding Fathers coverI have been invited by my grandson, Garrett’s second grade teacher to speak to his class about the Founding Fathers. Garrett told his teacher that his granddad had written a book. She wanted to see it, so he gave her one.

She has really enjoyed reading it, and so asked Garrett’s mother if she would talk to me about coming to speak to their class. She did and I accepted. Then it turns out that this teacher has invited not only her class but all the 2nd grade classes in the school to join in my presentation. That means there will be more than 100 second graders in the audience. read more

Why Not be an American in America?

Posted on by October 5, 2015
Flags

Flags

Wow! I was shocked by this story. I guess I shouldn’t have been in this day and age, but still it bothered me.

Apparently, a school in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, has a tradition of America day together with their homecoming celebration. But this year the school leaders wanted to cancel it because this may offend some at school who don’t consider themselves truly Americans!

That makes sense for Berkley California, but for Jackson Hole? I just couldn’t believe it anywhere in America.

As an American historian, I couldn’t help but think about some of the words of our President Theodore Roosevelt: read more

Thomas Jefferson and Guns

Posted on by October 3, 2015

English_flintlock_blunderbussI know, we’ve seen a lot of carnage and incidents about firearms lately. Now there’s a hue and cry for more gun laws. All in the name of protecting the citizens, of course. Even though the statistics clearly indicate that more laws don’t reduce crime with guns or violence (see Chicago and Baltimore for example).

I know many think that he’s just an old fuddy-duddy, but here’s what Thomas Jefferson said about guns:

“A militia, when properly formed, are in fact the people themselves. They include all men capable of bearing arms. To preserve liberty it is essential that the whole body of people always possess arms and be taught alike how to use them.” read more