The U.S. remains the envy of the world. Americans are good people who want to help Ukraine, Israel, Palestinians, and other threatened people. We have a great moral suasion that has emanated from our Founding Fathers over 240 years ago. We must stay committed to the exceptional moral politics that states “help others”. It’s Christmas!
Christmas! A time for gift giving, a spiritual time, and a time for reaffirmation of love for one another.
If you want a perfect site for your eyes—find a way to look inside the White House to observe the Christmas decorations. Quite stunning.
So how are we doing in America this Christmas? Do we still have poverty, crime, political mayhem and other disorders? Yep. But we are very fortunate to have 14.1 million new jobs in the past 3 years, unemployment is running beneath 4%, we have inflation but it is less than what they have in European countries, Unions are winning new contracts and corporations are giving larger bonuses. Meanwhile, the stock market is breaking records and gasoline at the pumps is running less than $3 a gallon.
We have over 1,000 billionaires, paying less than 10% a year in taxes. But many of them render good service to the country through charitable gifts.
Las Vegas in November had its first European Grand Prix race. Hotel rooms on the Strip with a good view of the Las Vegas Boulevard, able to see the race cars going by, were getting $100,000 a night per room. (Not a misprint.) The Las Vegas airport had so many private jets arriving for this event that many of them, for lack of space for storing their planes, had to drop their passengers off and find other airports to park overnight.
The United States has an envious position economically and socially in the entire world. Immigrants, over 800,000, have lined up this year seeking to become citizens. We have always been a country of immigrants and simply must recognize that fact. Ronald Reagan, in one of his last speeches in the White house, defended the position of allowing immigrants into America. Today do we need an effective better policy for dealing with all of our popularity? The answer is yes and calmly let us improve our methods of handling immigrants.
Now, the Chinese are applying to become citizens in the U.S. and Canada at an accelerated level. In Finland they are now forced to shut down its borders to keep out Russian immigrants fleeing from Vladimir Putin’s brand of politics. Interesting, how so many in those two countries ruled by dictators vote with their feet to reach a free society.
Back to America. It is totally false that most immigrants wanting to enter our country are criminals and rapists. In fact, it is libel and slander to describe them thusly.
One American political funding group, (C.P.A.C.) states vigorously and often that they would rather have Viktor Orban of Hungary or Vladimir Putin of Russia as a leader in America than President Joe Biden. Really? Well, how many C.P.A.C. members are ready to move to either Hungary or Russia right now? We should perhaps provide them airfare to their destination.
The U.S. remains the envy of the world. Americans are good people who want to help Ukraine, Israel, Palestinians, and other threatened people. We have a great moral suasion that has emanated from our Founding Fathers over 240 years ago. We must stay committed to the exceptional moral politics that states “help others”. It’s Christmas! Let those who want to defend Scrooge and be Grinches—move to a country of autocrats where they think they will be happy where a dictator suppresses the freedom of the people.
St. Peter said: Honor your country, pay your taxes, and pray for those in authority. This is a good idea at Christmas time in America and throughout the year.
Governor Lew Wallace (a Civil War general) attempted to write a book dismissing the Bible as fiction. After intensive study instead, he became a convert to the faith through reading the Old and New Testament.
It seems appropriate at Christmas to enclose my poem telling the Wallace story and why he wrote the book Ben Hur.
Doubt Removed
Out of the early New Mexico West
A dry, unpopulated, scenic territory at best.
The governor, a Civil War general,
A thinker, a lawyer, proud to be logical
Suffering loneliness and boredom
Decided to write, defending intelligent freedom.
A logical mind, proud intellect
Asserting truth to protect.
His goal, to discount religion as fanciful,
Unreliable stories, probably untruthful.
Driven by needed facts,
And a desire to cover historical tracts.
He began on page one of Genesis
Confident of showing a false thesis
One that converted so many to groundless faith
And centuries of following a questionable path.
On he read, Leviticus, Deuteronomy,
Psalms, Proverbs, Isaiah (notes flying)
Filling a mind in truth searching.
Finally Maccabees of the Old Testament
Led to St. Matthew of the New testament.
Now comes the virgin birth,
Lending mankind a new worth?
Christ arrived full of love.
Also, full of condemnation from above.
Revolutionary ideas,
Forsaking the old
Delivering a new dramatic view:
"Forgive those who hurt you
Love they neighbor as thyself."
"Ask me for help,
I will not give you a stone"
[Or make you feel alone]
Governor Lew Wallace read on,
Chased by the hounds of truth
Ever so reluctantly and completely,
As doubts slipped away slowly,
Did he become a convert.
And finally a convert boldly.
Out of guilt and a need for reparation
Did he decide to turn derision to exultation
A mind become faithful and pure,
He penned the story Ben Hur.
The cornerstone that was to be shaken,
Was transformed to a stronger foundation.
Editors note: The above poem, originally titled "Bien Fonde", is from the collection, End Times Prose and Poetry by Gregory N. Austin. End Times Prose and Poetry can be purchased on-line by following this link.
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