Posted on 06/08/2007 2:59:53 PM PDT by joanie-f
“I believe we have reached a point in our survival as a national when past historical precedent is no longer valid. I believe we have reached critical mass “
I believe crap runs up trees...
I am especially struck by your reference to John Kyl. I campaigned heavily for Pat Toomey in his bid to unseat Arlan Specter, and one of the things I would tell people was that, if Specter did not return to the senate, chairmanship of the judiciary committee would mostly likely go to Kyl. Most of the people with whom I spoke here in PA were not familiar with Kyl, so I attempted to acquaint them with him, and praised his experience, abilities, and integrity. I now feel terribly betrayed, so cannot even imagine how his Arizona constituents must feel.
Your last paragraph echoes Lincoln's lament:
At what point shall we expect the approach of danger? By what means shall we fortify against it? Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant to step the ocean and crush us at a blow? Never! ... At what point, then, is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us it must spring up amongst us; it cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time, or die by suicide.
Best to you and yours in these trying times ...
~ joanie
I know the song (but listened to all six minutes again anyway :). Sadly, it says it all.
Yup.
Throw the lookout overboard, for spreading false rumors of icebergs ahead, and alarming the passengers.
A most meaningful compliment. Thank you.
"The average age of the world's great civilizations has been two hundred years. These nations have progressed through the following sequence: from bondage to spiritual faith, from spiritual faith to great courage, from courage to liberty, from liberty to abundance, from abundance to selfishness, from selfishness to complacency from complacency to apathy, from apathy to dependency, from dependency back to bondage."
Thanks for the kind words, Lion.
I'm still putting pieces together from that era, in fact that's how I found Free Republic.
Nobody, and I mean nobody on the inside is going to come clean. There is no Statue of Limitations on Murder (and by covering up same, they become an accessory after the fact) hence I suspect we'll never know who and what was involved.
Terry Reed has a small piece of knowledge that he shared in his book "Compromised, Bush - Clinton - Cocaine". Gary Webb never got beyond a certain level, but was chasing smoke concerning Freeway Ricky Ross and his Nicaraguan connections (whom I've met).
I suspect the 'dealings' are still ongoing, i.e. Kerry took a dive with his comments about Mary Cheney, then the Silky Pony repeated them?
And that photo of Elian Gonzales being hauled out at the point of a machine gun? I knew then Dubya had it in the bag. Truly Al Gore is so stupid he never figured out Slick and the Beast threw his campaign under the bus?
I absolutely adore that movie, but, when I orginially saw it, never quite envisioned how pertinent and prophetic it would turn out to be. Thanks for the reminder.
Thanks for the kind words, sb.
We're terribly slow learners.
Thanks for the kind words, and the excellent (as always) additional insight.
Have had, and will continue to have, both at the ready.
Best to you and yours, Covenantor, in these trying times ...
~ joanie
Bump
~ joanie
Thanks, Larry. I adore your tagline, and wholeheartedly agree. :)
Fine essay.
September 9, 1999
Q: When you think about yourself as a speaker--which you do well and people credit you as doing well--when did that skill first become apparent to you?
A: I have done public speaking, and sort of done well at it, since I was in high school. In fact I was involved a lot in oratorical contests, and speech contests, and debate, and things like that, and did very well. So I guess, in that sense, some kind of speaking ability has been clear since I was young.
Q: Is it something that your parents said, "Boy, this kid can talk; let's urge him into these activities"? Or did you have a teacher that recognized it? How did it blossom for you?
A: No. First of all, I think it is a mistake to believe that there is some special skill in public speaking. And there is a lot of talk about it these days, as if it is a skill that is separate from ability, and it is not. And in fact, I have to confess that I find it kind of insulting that folks will listen to what I have to say, and say, "Oh, that was a good speech," instead of understanding that there is no good speech apart from the thought that goes into it and is expressed by it. There is no trick involved that can turn something that has no substance into a good speech. That is nonsense. And the notion that somehow or another I give "good speeches," and then one does not show respect for the intelligence of the substance, is, I think, something that is more than subtly racist.
This is not a trick. It is not like performing in some song and dance routine. Speech is the business through which citizens communicate to each other, and those who are able to do it well are better qualified to lead than others.
Q: But, in fact, the flip side of it is that some people can have wonderful ideas but not have the gift of communication.
A: Maybe, maybe not. Maybe, maybe not. Maybe that is a misnomer. Maybe what you are saying there is not true. Maybe, in point of fact, the inability to communicate is a reflection of some flaw in the ideas. A lot of people don't want to acknowledge that, but what if it is true? And that would then put us in a situation, wouldn't it, where we are making a distinction that is, in fact, false.
Now, you may ask, why am I posting this snippet of Dr. Keyes' interview with C-SPAN in 1999?
To make a point about you.
The ability to communicate well cannot be separated from the person or their God-given communication skills, and most especially from the content of their communications.
You, my friend, are a leader.
bump in the night
Bookmarked for reading tomorrow. Thanks for the link.
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