We are losing

And have been since the Obama administration began.  Russia ordered us to get our planes out of Syria and in the early hour this morning bombed the Syrians we support.  Assad will rule with Russia's support and we continue to be the weak fool of the Mideast.

Jen and Josh leave today for Israel

Jen and Josh leave Shreveport at 5 this afternoon on the first leg of their trip to Israel where  they  will spend two weeks visiting Jessica  and seeing many holy sites. They will change planes in Atlanta and go on to Kennedy  Airport in New York.  From Kennedy they will fly to Tel Aviv in Israel.

Places they will visit include Mt. of Olives, Garden of Gethsemane, Hebron and Jericho.   They will avoid dangerous places such as Temple of the Mount.

What a week

What a week for events and exhaustive TV coverage.  Pope Francis has visited for the entire week  and participated in many ceremonies, including an address  before both houses of Congress.  If that was not enough for TV reporting , John      Boehner resigned as Speaker of the House  and as member.

Whether the pope's visit will have any lasting effect is doubtful, even  his address to the United Nations will be  soon forgotten.  On the other hand, Boehner's leaving could be good or bad, depending on who will succeed him.  Some who  are gleeful at his departure are poorly informed.  They seem to be ignorant of  the effect of President Obama and the Democrats. Sixty votes in the senate are necessary to get by Obama's veto.

I hear from Jessica

I talked to Jessica for a few minutes Wednesday afternoon; I had not heard from her since she began a two-week tour with Methodists from Iowa.  This nest week she expects to devote  some time preparing an advent service.

Jessica is disturbed at the violence that is common.  The tour with the Iowa group was re-routed when they came across some disturbance that included Palestine youths throwing rocks at the wall.  Often these turn tragic with kids throwing rocks being fired upon and often killed.

Jessica is still enjoying her puppy.

A time for gathering

Yesterday I spoke on how much I enjoyed October on the farm.  It was a time of hard work but we could  enjoy the results of a summer of work.  We picked cotton and took it to the gin, gathered corn and took it to the barn along with hay; we harvested sweet potatoes, pulled up  peanuts and gathered produce from the garden.  Pecans,  large and small,  were gathered.  It was too early for sugar cane, which would be harvested in November and made into syrup.

While I did not enjoy school, I was two minds about it because I enjoyed seeing my friends after a long summer of little social life.

My time of the year

I know that some hot days are ahead of us, but we will have some days in October with a cool, invigorating snap.  Right or wrong I have often said, and I believe, the most  enjoyable weather in North Louisiana  comes in May and October.  Some years it feels great on the last day of May but very hot on the first day of June.  October has much to offer, not the least is the heart of football season.

I dispute pope on global warming

This blog has never gotten involved in discussions of religion beliefs or practices, but I am certain that when a religious leader makes political statements I am free to  dispute them.  The pope is a strong supporter of  taking action against global warming and is outspoken against capitalism.  I find fault with both  issues.

It seems that many who speak out about global warming are wealthy or otherwise free of harm from rules that are claimed to reduce damage from climate change.

Regulations like those proposed by EPA would terribly  hurt the poor and middle class.  Higher costs could force small businesses to lay off workers or even go out of business.  Obama has said he wants to double energy costs for householders.  This could cause  many to suffer from heat and cold.

I won't go so far as call the pope's economic  stance is similar to communism, but he is so wrong on the economy.  Who does he think creates jobs?

Debates are useless

I spent five hours Wednesday listening to debates from candidates who are trying to become t















I spent five hours Wednesday listening to debates from contenders for the Republican candidacy for president.  Then Thursday I devoted almost all day listening to pundits tell me who won the debates and what each speaker meant.

It became obvious as soon as the three-hour debate began that CNN wanted controversy, starring Trump.
The debate was unfair in several ways, especially in amount of time allowed to answer questions. Trump got 19 minutes and Scott Walker got 3.  Very little time was given to ways to help the economy and how to handle the threat from Isis.   Lindsey Graham was strongly for  using ground  troops, and Rubio had much to say about national defense.

So-called winners of the debates have been those without much to contribute except for funny or mean remarks.

Jessica leads group from Iowa

Jessica, missionary in Jerusalem, is spending two weeks with a touring group of Methodists from Iowa. Some members of the group of 16 are aged, including one man who is 89.  Jessica has posted some pictures of the Sea of Galilee.

I am sure that among the holy sites  to be seen on the tour  is the Temple Mount. I am concerned because this is a trouble spot although it is holy to three religions.

                                                                -0-

Jessica's puppy is becoming comfortable judging from pictures of the dog and Jessica posted by Kristen, senior missionary.

A Debate Tommorow. Really?

Well, they are calling  it a debate as  candidates for the Republican candidate for president will take the stage tomorrow.  If it is like the previous debate the moderator will ask some easy  questions of some participants and difficult questions of others.  When  it is over, the political wizards will tell us who  won and who hurt himself with voters and what every statement meant.

I would very much  like to hear some one admit the two great problems facing the country and tell us how he or she will handle them.  Let's take the economy first.  I am fed up with candidates who have no real solutions; they say  just elect them and they will make the country great.

I want answers to questions like these:
Will  you  lower the corporation tax rate?

What  will you do about the EPA harmful regulations?

Will you permit full development of fossil energy?

What is your tax plan? One item in my tax plan would tax everyone for social security.  It is unfair for low income workers pay a much high per cent social security than those with high incomes. 


     I'm just getting started; I have a lot of questions on national defense I want answers to, also.

Remembering nine-eleven 14 years ago

"A day that will live in infamy forever."

President Roosevelt make this remark as he called on congress to declare war on Japan.  This was in response to Japan's sneak attack on Hawaii December 7, 1941.  I was in school listening to the radio as congress voted in favor of war.

Fourteen days from today  I was watching the news and saw the kidnapped plane strike the second of the Twin Towers in New York.  One plane had already struck a tower and two others were on the way to the nation's  capital and the Pentagon .  Patriotic passengers fought   and gave their lives to bring down the plane headed to the capital.

Estimates are that 3,000 lost their lives (they were murdered)  in a war that still goes on.    I am afraid the present administration does not grasp the danger of this war.  We do not want any more days of infamy.                         
































































































































"A day that will live in infamy for ever."

Those words  were spoken by President Roosevelt when he called for declaration of war in response to Japan's attack on Hawaii  December 7, 1941.  I was at school listening to congress declare war.

Now, I remember another day that lives in infamy -- the Islamic terrorist attack September 11, 2001. I was watching the news when the second  plane hit the Twin Towers.  A few minutes later we heard that another plane had been flown into the Pentagon.  Still later we learned that patriotic passengers brought a plane down at the  cost of their lives, saving the White House from attack.

Our nation is not safe  from future attacks by terrorists and we must never let our guard down. I am afraid that the administration is not doing enough to protect us.




























"



























'

Jailing of clerk is attack on all Christians

Are you, like many on TV, enjoying the plight of the clerk shut up in jail without right to bail?  If you are guilty I would enjoy you getting the same treatment.  But I will instead pray that you become a decent human being.

Christianity is under attack all over the world.  Many are beheaded by Muslims,   all who     have freedom of religion in this country and most of the world. The jailing of a clerk bccause of her Christian beliefs is one more example of persecution of Christians in the United States.

39 vetoes for Israel

The United States has vetoed 39 United Nations security council resolutions that favor Israel and are against the interests of other nations.  Most, if not all, call for fair treatment of Palestine and seek peace.  Israel treats the  United States like a whipped dog; We sometimes complain  but we let Israel force us to veto any resolution they oppose. Ten of the vetoed resolutions are:
 

·  July 26, 1973—Affirmed the rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination, statehood and equal protections; vote: 13 to 1, with China absent.

·  Jan. 26, 1976—Called for self-determination of Palestinian people; vote: 9 to 1, with 3 abstentions.

·  June 29, 1976—Affirmed the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people; vote: 10 to 1, with 4 abstentions.

·  April 2, 1982—Condemned Israel’s mistreatment of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip and its refusal to abide by the Geneva Convention protocols of civilized nations; vote: 14 to 1.

·  June 8, 1982—Urged sanctions against Israel if it did not withdraw from its invasion of Lebanon; vote: 14 to 1.

·  Aug. 2, 1983—Condemned continued Israeli settlements in occupied Palestine territories of West Bank and Gaza Strip, denouncing them as an obstacle to peace; vote: 13 to 1, with 1 abstention.

·  Sept. 6, 1984—Deplored Israel’s brutal massacre of Arabs in Lebanon and urged its withdrawal; vote: 14 to 1.

  

·  May 17, 1995—Declared invalid Israel’s expropriation of land in East Jerusalem and in violation of Security Council resolutions and the Fourth Geneva convention; vote: 14 to 1.

·  Dec. 14, 2001—Condemned all acts of terror, the use of excessive force and destruction of properties and encouraged establishment of a monitoring apparatus; vote: 12-1, with 2 abstentions.

·  Dec. 19, 2002—Expressed deep concern over Israel’s killing of U.N. employees and Israel’s destruction of the U.N. World Food Program warehouse in Beit Lahiya and demanded that Israel refrain from the excessive and disproportionate use of force in the occupied territories; vote: 12 to 1, with 2 abstentions.

"God, where are you?"

Those persons concerned that they have not heard from Jessica in several days (that includes most of us) can understand why when they read her letter of Sunday afternoon.  She has been busy and stressed as she and Kristen led 24 Irish Methodists on a tour of the historic Holy Land.  She felt sad and  not inspired by empty churches and so-called holy places.

Jessica was moved to tears as she saw more of cruelty and mistreatment in a land called holy.  She found herself crying out, "God, where are you?"

Hearing directly from a person serving in Israel is an experience we can share, but it may not always  be what we expect.  I trust all of us will support Jessica with our sincere prayers.
                                                 
        
                                                   -o-                         

     @ Jessica became owner of a puppy today, a female puppy about 7 weeks old and  weighing 4 pounds. It is named Eliana, or Ellie, meaning in Hebrew "M y God has answered me."

Iran deal bad for israel

The Iran  commander threatens. "We are prepared to overthrow Israel."  We the people are ignorant of what is contained in the deal that Obama is trying to force on us.  What we know of it is tragically bad for America and our friends, especially Israel.

We are not to blame for creating Israel out of the Palestine Mandate; the Soviet Union and Britain are mostly to blame, but it is the United States that has sided with Israel, even when that country acted illegally, for example we have used a  veto dozens of times to block actions by the UN.

 If I have any understanding of the deal, it puts us on the side of Iran and takes away our protection of Israel.

Having a daughter serving as a missionary in Israel gives me concern about every thing that goes on in the Mideast. Jessica is now with an Irish group touring and visiting Palestine and Israel urging peace.

Japan surrendera 70 years ago

Sunday morning, September 2, 1945, flags of the United States, Britian, the Soviet Union and China fluttered above the deck of the battleship USS Missouri. More than 250 Allied warships lay at anchor in Tokyo bay, awaiting the formal surrrender of Japan.  At around 9 a.m  the    Japanese foreign minister signed  the papers.  Supreme Commander MacArthur signed on behalf of the United Nations.

Among the United States ships was ours, the USS Pickens, APA 190 We had left San Francisco in late August, going first to the Philippines where we left the Black Hawk division and took on board troops who had occupied the Philippines.  These experiencd troops would now occupy Japan.

The signing of papers made Japan's surrender official but to me and others who were scheduled to invade Japan and face suicide attacks the war ended when  on  August  14 President Truman came on the radio to announce that Japan had surrendered.