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Skunks
20 Dec, 2021
We are actually fighting the same adversary Lincoln identified early in his political career when he referred to the locofocos and mobocrats-terms he used for the Democrat party. In the years leading up to his presidency he, also often referred to them as the enemy. He was describing them even further when he said, "Evil can't stand discussion... What kills the skunk is the publicity it gives itself. What a skunk wants to do is keep snug under the barn in the daytime, when men are around with shotguns..." Whatever we call them, know that they have been skunks hiding under the barn for decades...coming out in the night when we're all asleep when darkness hides their havoc. But today they have become bolder and even more destructive in the daylight! Trump underestimated how serious and intense was the Left's genuine hatred for him. Newt Gingrich would say "these people are your mortal enemies. You represent the end of their world. They will never give up as long as you are in office." They don't seem to give up when he is out of office. They fear him-he is one of the men with "shotguns." We as a party consistently make one fatal mistake in how we deal with our "friends across the aisle"- Republicans always underestimate the depths of depravity and the heights of absurdity of the Democrat party. There are no limits to these. The Left in America today is not bound by morality, honesty or ethics, especially since God no longer is welcome on their platform. They have two guiding principles in everything they do. The first is: the end always justifies the means. It's interesting to note that Lincoln had the same idea about his political adversary Democrat Stephen Douglas when he said "he never lets the logic of principle displace the logic of success." Their 2nd guiding principle? Exhaust the opposition by never conceding loss or failure. How did Abraham Lincoln know America's enemy would not be foreign but domestic? He said, "Shall we expect some trans Atlantic military giant to step the ocean, and crush us at a blow? Never!... If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of free men, we must live through all time, or die by suicide." Lincoln delivered this speech when he was 29 years old. He knew then what he was up against. The next two decades would see slavery and antislavery sentiment gradually fester and polarize the nation. A similar Conflict today has festered and grown until two Americas stand at the threshold of what I believe to be another enormous crisis. America is in the midst of a war of sorts - subversive, constant, and not at all civil. Lincoln Famously predicted: "a house divided against itself cannot stand... I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free...It will become all one thing or all the other." You see, these skunks are not content to keep their stench to themselves... "For decades, this conflict has been fought quietly in City Hall's, classrooms, school boards, courtrooms, town squares, and statehouses across the country." Wrote Newt Gingrich, "However, the election of Pres. Trump clarified the battle lines ... and elevated these individual fights into a United national conflict. On one side is an anti-Trump coalition full of liberals, globalists, hostile, and blatantly anti-American groups, and establishment elites from both parties. On the other side is Trump's America -the millions of hard-working middle Americans United by respect for our flag, historical freedoms, and traditional values. One side wants to see America return to prosperity and strength. The other wants a weak, apologetic, government - controlled American people." In his 1858 Chicago speech, two years before the first shots were fired, Lincoln tried to appeal to peace and unity with "Let us discard all this quibbling about this race, that race and the other race being inferior,... Let us unite as one people throughout this land, until we shall once more stand up declaring that all men are created equal." And even up to the very brink of war his first inaugural ended with "...We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory ...will yet swell the chorus of the union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better Angels of our nature." It all sounded so good... But there were no triumphant "better Angels." It was no longer a time for nice, room for compromise had dissolved. It was a time for truth, for conviction, and for courage. Four long, devastating years had yet to be fought and endured before Lincoln could make America great again. Near the end of his first inaugural Trump also appeals to unity and patriotism: "A new national pride will stir our souls, lift our sites and heal our division. It's time to remember that old wisdom our soldiers will never forget, that whether we are black, or brown, or white, we all bleed the same red blood of patriots. We all enjoy the same glorious freedoms and we all salute the same great American flag,." ...Not quite.... One thing Abraham Lincoln hated was hypocrisy and always called it out where he found it. In the years leading up to Civil War The absurdity of the Democrats went from "Slavery is a necessary evil" to "Slavery is a positive good." Lincoln said "as a good thing, slavery is strikingly peculiar... it is the only good thing which no man ever sees the good of for himself"..."Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally." And when the Southern Democrats blamed him for their seceding Lincoln said, "That is cool, a highwayman puts a gun to my ear, says 'Stand & deliver' or I will shoot you, then you will be a murderer." They've become experts at that blame game. Trump dared to call out the hypocrisy of the Democrats, too. They promote diversity and religious freedom unless of course you are a Christian and even Jewish. Laura Ingraham said "you all know why in your heart Donald Trump won... Because he dared to call out the phonies, the frauds and the corruption that has gone unexposed and uncovered for too long." Both American presidents foiled the Democrats' easy path to their own slave nation. They forced the skunks out from under the barn and that's when things really began to stink! They lie and cheat and steal. And It's awful and uncomfortable and infuriating. And just may get worse before it gets better. Would you rather have them tucked away, hidden again or are you ready to take them on honestly and openly? Lincoln did not just foil their plans; He had to crush them as the antithesis of freedom and the American dream. Lincoln faced a clear enemy - - squarely, courageously and without compromising. Our enemy today is even more formidable and more insidious. And whoever wins this fight gets to choose which America we leave to our children. The first major battle of the Civil War was fought near Manassas, Virginia on July 21, 1861. Certain of a union victory, many of the Washington DC social set rode out in their carriages to watch the battle. Untrained and undisciplined, the battle soon turned into a rout that sent the union army scattering in retreat. The panicked civilians added to the confusion as they fled. Our battle, now, is no less real than any other fought in the history of the world. But it isn't an afternoon picnic in the Park. But, just as the union Army trained and adapted and eventually became their own formidable force, so too must we conservatives learn to fight with equal intensity! Lincoln gave this direction to Congress on Independence Day at the outset of the Civil War, "and having thus chosen our course without guile, and with pure purpose, let us renew our trust in God, and go forward without fear and with manly hearts." Let us follow his charge to ..."stand by our duty, fearlessly and effectively... Neither let us be slandered from our duty by false accusations against us, nor frightened from it by menaces to the government, nor of dungeons to ourselves (you see, cancel-culture existed then, too.) ...Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it." Lincoln went on--"That Army of Republicans, their work is before them, and from which they may not guiltlessly turn away." "The Fight must go on!" according to Lincoln; "We have to fight like hell!" as expressed in Trump's unique presidential lingo. Trump once wrote, "Our National anthem gets it right: this is the land of the free and home of the brave. It's time we lived that message and let the world know we're willing to back it up." He's almost right ... Do you realize the Anthem we sing ends with a question? "Oh say, does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and home of the brave?" A question--as if there may be doubt as to our flag's ability to remain the mighty symbol of a Free nation of Brave people. Turns out, it's only as strong as the hands holding it up. Francis Scott Key wrote four stanzas to his famous poem; the first became our national anthem over 90 years ago... But perhaps we should be singing part of the last stanza instead... "Oh thus be it ever when free men shall stand... ... Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, and this be our motto "in God is our trust" and the Star-Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
Flying Eagle
03 Aug, 2021
When we know who we are, then we must be sure of what we're fighting for...And we are fighting for our history! Abraham Lincoln revealed once that as a boy, after reading the great histories of America's founding fathers, especially George Washington, he recollected thinking that there must have been something more than just independence that those men struggled for. What was it that made 56 men in signing the Declaration of Independence, pledge their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor? "But those histories are gone." Lincoln said, "They can be read no more forever... but, what invading foeman could never do, the silent artillery of time has done,..." He was lamenting the passing of the heroes of the American Revolution much like our time is witnessing the quiet extinction of World War II and other veterans... Those who knew personally what that special something was... Without the firsthand remembrances of those revolutionary struggles, the next generation must be taught patriotism and love of country...and the courage to stand up and fight. In a nation which has spent a year denying a free citizenry the right to risk illness as a personal choice, forced us to hide our faces, imposed isolation forbidding freedom of assembly and church congregation, for how long can we still call our lives our own? what about our fortunes? And what in the world is sacred honor? Lincoln found out, and I believe Trump did, too. Fighting for our future means understanding our past. We must know where true history ends and fake history begins. The Trumpian phrase "fake history" is what Lincoln called "imploring men to unsay what Washington said and undo what Washington did." We've been here before... Lincoln was a big believer in history lessons. In 1832 he wrote "upon the subject of education... I can only say that I view it as the most important subject which we as a people can be engaged in (Why?) "that one may be enabled to read the histories of his own and other countries, [and thus] duly appreciate the value of our free institutions...". Like Lincoln, Donald Trump believes that true history is at the heart of what makes us Americans.The core principles of our past are as timeless today as they were in 1776 or even 1861. It's what Lincoln called mystic chords of memory that unite a nation of diverse people under one common identity. That common identity has been eroding for years under the Liberal Left's quiet and persistent elimination of patriotic history in our public schools. Why this aggressive war on our past? If the truths of history can be hidden, then they can be denied. For years we have sent our children to schools which are prejudiced against those very things that are so dear to us - patriotism, morality, common sense and critical thinking. In fact, few protest against the absurdities being taught in public schools today." And they become more absurd all the time. What specifically is so threatening in our history that the liberal left must "revise" it? Dinesh DeSousa explains: "the stories of our past show the Republican Party to be the only friend of blacks following the Civil War; and they expose the Democrat party as the true white supremacists still fighting to hold on to the slave plantation." We must stand and defend these truths of our past... America is not a racist nation: slavery, bigotry, and racism were perpetrated by some Americans other Americans stopped them. Let's be clear, Democrats are the authors and inventors of racism and white supremacy and Republicans fought them all the way. We were the original promoters of colorblindness. But today it is credited to Martin Luther King Jr.even though The GOP first proclaimed this over a hundred years ago. Frederick Douglas, an escaped slave turned abolitionist is America's greatest black leader, yet Democrats shun him. This silent treatment is not merely because Douglass was a Republican, for that alone would be enough, but because he denied the Democrat mantra of dependence: When asked what should be done with former slaves, Douglass said: "Do nothing with us! You're doing with us has already played the mischief... If the Negro cannot stand on his own legs, let him fall... if you will only untie his hands and give him a chance to stand on his own, I think he will live." The ultimate Democrat heresy. All the villains of the civil rights movement in the 1960s were Democrats. And progressives and Democrats were the ones in bed with fascism and Naziism in the 1920s and 30s. Let me pause briefly here and do something Lincoln would have done-simplify for your understanding. Via Ann Landers...called "-isms:" socialism - you have two cows, give one to your neighbor. Communism - you have two cows, give both to the government they may give you some milk. Fascism - you have two cows, you give all the milk to the government, and the government sells it. Naziism-- you have two cows, the government shoots you and takes both cows. Anarchism - you have two cows, keep both cows, shoot the government agent and steal another Cow capitalism - you have two cows, sell one, and buy a bull. Lincoln treasured the simplicity and wisdom of our founders especially in his favorite historical document the declaration of independence. He once admitted "I have never had a feeling politically that did not spring from the Declaration..." "We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal and endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights..." You know the thing... Lincoln knew all Americans were not equal at the time, after all, slavery did exist in the colonies even after the revolution. Then why place it in there if, in his words, "the assertion that "all men are created equal" was of no practical use in effecting our separation from Great Britain.?"... He explained In the Gettysburg address: "Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal..." All 13 colonies were needed to fight that fight and the wisdom of "one war at a time" kept the slavery battle at bay until some future point. Fake history labels Thomas Jefferson and the other founders as white supremacists because they owned slaves. Nonsense! Early drafts of the Declaration contained extensive text arguing against slavery... But these were edited out so as to not alienate the southern colonies from the fight at hand. They had to choose the lesser of two evils. Jefferson wrote, "we have the Wolf by the ear, and we can neither hold him nor safely let him go. Justice is in one scale and self-preservation in the other." The abolition of slavery would have to wait. And our nation WAS founded on Christian principles: Lincoln said, "while Mr. Jefferson was the owner of slaves,...he used the strong language that "he trembled for his country when he remembered that God was just..."" Great leaders always see hypocrisy... Pres. Trump quoted Jefferson in 2017, saying "the God who gave us life gave us liberty... Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed the conviction that these liberties are the gift of God?" George Washington coined the phrase "under God" in 1776. Ben Franklin's letter to the Pres. of Yale read, "I believe in one God, creator of the universe. That he governs it by his Providence, that he ought to be worshiped." Our founders believed the church was the principal source of morality necessary for a free, self-governing society. That the religious community should be healthy and diverse and continue to grow without constraints of government. In his letter to the Dan Barry Baptist Association in 1802 famously mentioning building a wall of separation between church and state...Jefferson clearly meant freedom of religion not freedom from religion. One of Pres. Trump's Executive Order removed the teeth from the Johnson amendment (in short-endorse a candidate, lose your tax-exempt status) which has kept religious organizations politically muzzled for years. He said, "the founders envisioned a nation in which religious voices were integral to a vibrant public square, and ...were free to practice their faith without fear of discrimination or retaliation by the federal government." The left hates the idea of repealing this amendment because they want to silence as many Americans with traditional values as they can. Republicans guided the passage of the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments all critical to the freedom of former slaves)-- the latter two without any help from "across the aisle." True history shows most blacks were Republicans until the Depression era New Deal in which economic hardship forced many to exchange Republican credentials for the Democrat welfare state. That the 2 parties somehow switched ideologies and no longer resemble what they were hundred and 50 years ago is also fake history.. If any switching occurred, it's when the Nazis went from originating on the left side of the political spectrum to somehow magically ending up on the right... Convenient for Democrats falsely connecting Republicans with Nazis. Oh,and our new national holiday on June 19?. Whatever else you may be told about it Juneteenth celebrates the same date in 1865-It was the day Republicans in the union Army freed the remaining slaves from Democrat slaveowners. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Free speech made a comeback under Pres. Trump. He revealed how the Liberal Left has been chipping away at our right to speak freely.He called them out; he stood up and said "Enough!" Media Bias and Political correctness have evolved into cancel culture and outright censorship today, all under the guise of inclusion, diversity and "peace". To put it simply, half of America wants to be free, Declaration of Independence free, and the other half wants to shut up and enslave an entire population under a socialist state. Ben Franklin wisely concluded: "in those wretched countries where a man cannot call his tongue his own, he can scarce call anything else his own. Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation, must begin by subduing the freeness of speech." Big Tech censorship of conservatives is akin to Alexander Graham Bell choosing who could talk on his telephone, or Thomas Edison deciding who could use the lightbulb. In America we believe our right to speak our minds and express the truth does not come from Industry and business Giants but from God. Trump continues the fight for us today-against FB, Twitter & Youtube!
Flag Waves
02 Aug, 2021
A new virus seems to be spreading across America. It has an inexplicably slow-moving rate of infection. This new pathogen is believed to have originated in European countries and spread via mass gatherings in public streets and city squares by united and courageous "misguided" people. It manifests itself with rebellious behavior that can result in mass removal of masks coinciding with hallucinations of reality and clarity. It is most contagious in those susceptible to common sense, logic and truth. But has been known to infect uncertain yet freedom-loving enclaves, as well. It has been determined to not affect fearful environmentalists and has a very subdued and latent presence in hallways of public schools. However, homeschools and Christian academies seem to be a hotbed of infection. This virus runs rampant in history-loving Americans, yet liberal Democrats and the 24/7 news cycles of mainstream outlets tend to flatten its curve. The virus seems to present itself most dangerously in groups touching hands to hearts and singing "oh say can you see..." unhindered in either close quarters or open-air venues of free-speaking bodies. We see a definite rise in cases in red states but dramatic drops in infections in blue states. Longterm observations attest to its silent growth on the roots of grass, in quiet taverns, Cooper unions, twin towers, and beneath certain red ball caps. A most recent virulent form continues to present from the carpet of one custom fit 757. Temporary authorities in the halls of Congress as well as in the bluest of urban centers across the nation continue any and all means necessary to snuff it out before it can really gain a foothold in the American populace.
Barrels
27 Jul, 2021
I heard a story about a mother who got a call from school saying her daughter was ill. She hurried to pick her up -- the doctor was already overbooked that day but he could see her the next morning and in the meantime recommended some over-the-counter medicine to ease her symptoms. The mother tucked the little girl in bed, drove to the pharmacy, bought the medicine and hurried back to her car only to realize she had left her keys in the ignition and locked herself out. When she called her little girl to tell her what happened the little girl said "Mommy, I've seen it on TV you stick a coat-hanger down inside the window and the door's opened." So she got a wire coat-hanger from the store clerk. And Despite a few awkward attempts to unlock the door, she just couldn't get it and finally burst out in frustration "God, please help me, I'm here trying to figure this out, and my daughter's sick, and I have to get home, and I can't do it, please send someone to help me!" Just then an old car pulled up to the curb and this rough tough looking man who looked like he hadn't shaved in a while got out...He didn't look to her like someone God would send, but he was there., she said Sir, can you help me? I've locked my keys in this car and I have this coat hanger and I don't know what to do with it." He said "Lady, give me the coat hanger." After bending it and inserting it down inside the window glass he opened the car door. The mother was so overwhelmed and relieved she threw her arms around the man gave him a hug and said "thank you, you're such a good man, ..." He said "lady, I'm no good man... I just got out of prison this morning." As he walked away the mother lifted her hands to heaven and said "thank you Lord, you sent me a professional." Sometimes God answers prayer with the most unexpected people. The professionals God sends don't always look like we think they should, like Abraham Lincoln or Donald Trump. In his 2018 State of the Union address Pres. Trump said "... As long as we are proud of who we are and what we are fighting for, there is nothing we cannot achieve." We need to know without a doubt who we are, what we are fighting for and who, exactly, we are up against, in order to stand firm and fight the good fight today. In the closing remarks of Lincoln's 1862 state of the union address(which at that time was just a written letter to Congress) he wrote "We shall nobly save or meanly lose the last best hope of earth." Did he mean America? He wrote these words after two years of Civil War with no end in sight. But just five years earlier when the Republican Party was brand-new he wrote: "Upon those... who are in sentiment opposed to the spread of slavery rests the task of preventing it. The Republican organization is the embodiment of that sentiment... That Army is today the best hope of the nation and of the world." We, Republicans, are the last best hope of Earth! We are also conservatives which Lincoln defined as "adherence to the old and tried against the new and untried?" he said We still believe that OLD constitution and the wisdom of our founders remains timeless. We are the party of truth. And it's that truth that will keep us free. We are the original patriotic founders of American nationalism. Dinesh DeSousa in his book Death of a Nation points out that America's identity as a single nation wasn't established until after the Civil War. Prior to it "we were the United States, plural; only after Lee's surrender at Appomattox did we become the United States, singular." And ever since, We have been a flag-waving people. Old Glory is today that central symbol of who we are as Americans. And the whole world knows it as the symbol of freedom. Only in America is it questioned as legitimate... Donald Trump was born on Flag Day and is always very proud of that fact.The image of him hugging the flag is truly how he feels about it. He said, "Always remember - some things are worth fighting for. The American flag is one of them." One could say that our flag was under attack during Lincoln's presidency in the same sense it is today. Half the nation back then rejected the stars and stripes-In fact, for 4 years they waved a different flag. They wanted nothing to do with it because it represented to them everything they were against. You see, we've been here before. Today the Republican Party is poised again against a formidable foe. And if it truly is the last best hope of earth then its people must stand up and refuse to be bull-dozed, forgotten, ignored,, or canceled! Lincoln condemned what the Democrats wanted-a different kind of nation-one that would fundamentally transform America into something no longer free. "It will blow out the moral lights around us," he warned To Lincoln the battle against slavery was a moral fight. Always reducing complicated questions to simplest terms: Lincoln summed up the Civil War with: "Slavery... you believe it's right...we believe it's wrong." As simple as that! Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister of England during the Reagan years attacked socialism as immoral, not just wrong. It is immoral to steal from one person to give to another...to spend other people's money... and to promote the philosophy of dependence as better than work ethic. The battle in America today between the two parties and the great chasm which divides us is as simple as that. Republicans must stand up because we are right! And they are wrong. Any other debate with the Liberal Left is senseless and they'll just call you names-racist, fascist, homophobic, etc. Lincoln, in his second inaugural address said: "both parties deprecated war; but one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive; and the other would accept war rather than let it perish. And the war came." I believe America today is in a similar situation. The liberal left has declared war on the survival of our nation. And we must accept the fight...Trump looked them square in the face and simply said, "America will never be a socialist nation!" As Trump continues as the GOP standard-bearer what battles await his attention? Will he, like Lincoln, overcome the forces which right now seek to destroy traditional America? It remains to be seen. But he is up to the challenge as the toughest Republican fighter since Abraham Lincoln. Our historical past has so many lessons for our present. We've been here before and in order to fully appreciate what lay ahead we must learn from history, and fight for our history or America as we know it will be history! Newt Gingrich wrote "we are in the fight of our lives against a well financed, heavily organized, extremely militant coalition of people who despise us and the country for which we stand... This is not a time of compromise. This is a time of winning or losing. Each of us must decide if the America we love is worth fighting for. Our individual decisions will add up to victory or defeat." When newly elected Lincoln left his Springfield home for Washington DC, he spoke from the heart in bidding farewell to his friends: "without the assistance of that Divine Being...I cannot succeed, "he said," With that assistance I cannot fail. Trusting in Him, who can go with me..., let us confidently hope that all will yet be well." Trump echoed that same sentiment in 2018: "As long as we have confidence in our values, faith in our citizens and trust in our God, we will never fail." This trust must always be our guide. One thing's for sure, according to Lincoln--those who are Republican in name only-the Rinos- have to go! He said, "Our cause... Must be entrusted to, and conducted by its own undoubted friends - those... whose hearts are in the work - to care for the result." Trump understands this as well as Lincoln did. Traitors in the ranks may lose us the war. For the first 2 years of the Civil War, Lincoln was forever frustrated by his early generals, tho' not traitors, they never seemed to grasp that the southern armies were an enemy to be conquered; that just pushing them back onto "their side" was not getting the job done. But in 1864 Lincoln finally put Grant in charge. This general demonstrated a bulldog grip that would not let go. When it was suggested that Grant perhaps had too many personal flaws to lead the union Army... Lincoln exclaimed, "I can't spare this man, he fights!" And when rumors spread of Grant's taste for liquor Lincoln said: "So Grant gets drunk, does he?... Well, you need not waste time getting proofs; you just find out, to oblige me, what brand of whiskey Grant drinks, because I want to send a barrel of it to each one of my generals." Sometimes, personal flaws just don't matter.
Masters of Communication
11 Mar, 2021
I memorized the Gettysburg Address as a fifth grader (me and a million other kids!) In Kentucky we were all glad to take part in the exercise, and especially with a sense of pride planted there by our parents and our teachers in having shared a birthplace with the great American president. I can still remember the beginning and the end-lilting with Biblical phraseology and historical significance-but the middle of the famous speech is a bit foggy after so many years. I considered Abraham Lincoln a serious statesman then. But I discovered a whole new facet to his public speaking image as I dug deeper: Entertainer of the masses and impresario extraordinaire came to fit more appropriately. Sounds surprisingly like Donald Trump at one of his rallies. Could it be that genuine passion for the subject and the people link these two original showmen? Without a doubt Lincoln and Trump proved masters of the political stage. Each built a unique crowd-pleasing public image and donned a style of speaking that clearly and simply roused crowds of eager fans. A head-on, in-your-face kind of boldness guided these oh-so-similar, but oh-so-provocative virtuosos of the American soap box. I realize that "Fourscore and seven years ago..." and "What the hell do you have to lose?" have nothing in common, but the sincerity of the message and its music to the ears of the beholders always (dare I say it) trumps eloquence.
Born to Lead
03 Mar, 2021
Undertaking to read everything about Abraham Lincoln may be an impossible task. Thousands upon thousands of volumes exist about our sixteenth president and the times in which he lived. Is there anything we don't know about him? Apparently yes. Books continue to be published even today revealing new perspectives and unique nuances about this American icon! One unique gem I unearthed from his past was his own short term of military service. As commander in chief Lincoln wielded great power over soldiers and sailors-but an enlisted man himself? Yes, and I found it to be a humorous episode, not intrinsically (though Abe himself used the brief stint as comic relief in some of his own speeches) but in connection to Donald Trump. No, the Donald never served in the military-bone spurs, super-high draft number, or some such-but I discovered a most unusual likeness. Lincoln, while in his early twenties, joined other local young men in volunteering for the Illinois state militia in a regional skirmish with natives later called the Black Hawk War. He related the never-ending marching through marshes, and how they never, not once, even tussled with the enemy. But he had many bloody struggles with the mosquitoes, he would joke. What stuck with him most was the great satisfaction he felt in being voted captain by his peers-a success he found profoundly satisfying. Donald Trump was also elected captain by his peers-on his high school baseball team. I'm pretty sure they never saw combat either. That Trump valued the experience is not known but depending on the intensity of the competition and how aggressively Donald slid into home or ducked pitchers' wild balls, his stint as captain may have drawn more blood than Lincoln's mosquitoes.
Common Man
19 Feb, 2021
One was a skinny, dark-headed figure with a sallow tan and an Ichabod Crane profile, and the other has a more robust, chunky silhouette with a kind of orangish-blonde hue. If compared side by side and taken at face value the contrast, to say the least, would be stark. But similarities accumulated as I rummaged through histories. Abraham Lincoln and Donald Trump were both tall (about 6' 4"), and fairly athletic. They both played baseball (called "town ball" in Abe's day.) Neither smoked nor drank. And I was a little surprised to learn that neither cared for gourmet food, (especially the Donald--what billionaire wouldn't want to live high on the hog?) preferring instead simple meals and "fast food" even during their own administrations. For Trump it was burgers and diet soda; Lincoln more likely chose cornbread or a hard-boiled egg or a slice of cheese. Their common approachability proven by the incredible access they gave to others in one way or another throughout their lives, and their simple use of language-often verging on the crude and juvenile-demonstrated to me that Lincoln and Trump possessed a very human side. Both sported a more cringeworthy facet (even as president) marked by some graceless, crass and downright nasty episodes (i.e. Trump's now infamous "hot mic" on the Hollywood Access tapes, and Lincoln's love of scatological humor.) Either one could keep a crowd (the butt of the jokes excepted) "rolling in the aisles" and "hysterical with laughter." But offset that with an empathy and heart for the everyday Joe (or Jane) that rivals the most devoted humanitarian, and you have two uncommonly common leaders. Trump seemed a magnet for blue-collar entertainment! Redneck might be a good description. (Being one myself, the term still seems a bit derogatory.) In February 2020, he made a re-election campaign stop in Daytona, Florida, for the Daytona 500. He even took a lap around the track in his presidential limo, known as "The Beast." He made it work: God and country, flag-waving, gun-loving, hard-working, weekend-warrior, beer-drinking, backyard BBQ crowds. And Lincoln? Kentucky born and farm-raised--redneck is not a stretch. He made it work, too.
Censored!
16 Feb, 2021
Facebook Won't Let A Latter-day Saint Publisher Advertise Their New Book. What's Going On? Cedar Fort Publishing & Media has been around for 35 years this year. They've published thousands of books varying in genre, including: LDS Non-Fiction, Children's, Young Adult, Fantasy, Health, etc. They're a small publisher dedicated to putting out amazing books written by amazing authors. With that being said, there is one book that is being silenced: Born to Fight: Lincoln and Trump by Gretchen Wollert, which was just released February 2021. The books synopsis states: Abraham Lincoln and Donald Trump are two of a kind despite terms in office separated by 150-plus years. Both encountered a biased press and deeply divisive political environments after being elected with less than 50 percent of the popular vote. Each was viewed as an ill-equipped outlier and accompanied to office by first ladies ostracized by Washington's elite. Lincoln was known by those closest to him for his supreme self-confidence, inexhaustible ambition, mean streak, braggadocio, arrogance, vanity, and knack for thriving amid conflict. Ditto Trump. Born to Fight shows that Trump is better understood through the many parallels linking him to Lincoln. Obviously this book will be a controversial book and Cedar Fort knew this when they decided to publish it. But in their 35 years of experience, they've learned not every book is for everyone, but there SHOULD be a book for anyone. So what is going on right now? Cedar Fort Publishing relies heavily on Facebook marketing to spread awareness on the books that they publish. As they've tried to run advertisements and publish content about the book, Born to Fight, they have seen a pushback from Facebook on getting their content out. Not only have their ads been shut off and denied, but when they have asked for a review of the content, Facebook constantly denies them. This book isn't made to make people vote for Donald Trump, how could it? The man is not in office anymore. This book is about comparing two American president's and the lives they lived. But that doesn't matter does it. At the end of the day, the book is about Donald Trump, and therefore should be hidden away from the internet. The topic of censorship and conservatives is currently on the rise, and with the announcement of Conservative pundit Steven Crowder suing Facebook for "what he believes are unfair and secretive policies," you can see how everything is adding up. Mark Zuckerberg also recently said that Facebook would no longer recommend political groups to its users, describing the move as "a continuation of work we've been doing for a while to turn down the temperature and discourage divisive conversations." So what can be done? Right now Cedar Fort Publishing is trying to advertise their new book Born to Fight: Lincoln and Trump, and can use your help to push back. Whether you want to share this post to your social media, or if you want to purchase the book, either would be great. Cedar Fort Publishing appreciates all the love and support that many of happy customers have given them throughout the years and promise to make sure to continue to publish books people enjoy. We appreciate all the support you give us.
Family Men
08 Feb, 2021
Though Lincoln had only one marriage-to the illustrious Mary Todd-a quick biographical foray into his earlier years revealed not one but two failed love affairs prior to finding his first lady. Ditto Donald Trump. Only his were two failed marriages leading up to his final nuptials with current first lady Melania. Interestingly both White House women experienced the vitriol from not only the partisan elites of Washington DC, but also a crazy media that mimicked the tabloid press of the day, concocted drivel and all. Mary and Melania were often targeted by a hateful press for their fashion sense, or rather their fashion offense toward a press corps that just couldn't accept them for who they were. Easily apparent in their backstories Mary Todd, Ivana (the first wife and mother of Trump's first three children,) as well as Melania were/are capable mothers and strong, independent women in their own rights. And since fatherhood tended to take second fiddle to climbing their proverbial ladders, Lincoln and Trump were more than happy to leave the child-rearing and homemaking to the moms while they went off to bring home the bacon (or in Trump's case, the whole hog!) Neither man showed any hesitation in beginning a family right away (Robert Todd Lincoln was born only three days short of nine months after the wedding, and Donald, Jr. was born a whopping six days short of nine months later). Abe and Mary had four sons, though two died early in childhood (little Eddie, when he was three, and Willie at age twelve.) Donald Trump's three sons and two daughters arrived over the course of four decades and three marriages. Differences in familial circumstances aside, Lincoln and Trump remained devoted to their children and first ladies throughout their lives despite workaholic natures and constant distractions: Lincoln until he was 56 years old when he was struck down by an assassin one month into his second term, and Trump well past 70.
Self -Made Men
01 Feb, 2021
What exactly does it mean to be a self-made man? Horatio Alger defined the idea in his19th century novels as pretty much up-from-nothing. His parade of poor, humble characters who rose from the bottom rung of the ladder to become successful and comfortable in life portrayed true rags-to-riches tales. Titles like Ragged Dick, Fame and Fortune, and Bound to Rise were devoured by young adults craving the hopeful storylines and happy endings. Abe Lincoln could definitely have played the part of one of Horatio's boys. (He even gave it a title: Annals of the Poor.) But Donald Trump? How absurd is it to ponder a millionaire's son rising up the ladder-wasn't he already at the top? Maybe that's the question: Must one rise from nothing? I think the beginning level of poverty or lack thereof may be less significant than how far one rises above that first step. Perhaps "self-invented" or "self-determined" are better labels for climbers who rise above initial circumstances by their own stubborn will. Lincoln told young men that "will" was the most important quality for success. Trump wrote a book on it titled Never Give Up. And, let's be honest, Alger strategically placed wealthy benefactors along the trail of his poor boys. I wondered, "Does it take a village, after all?" Unearthing those influential "helpers" perched on the Lincoln and Trump ladders revealed some things: Success doesn't happen by chance, and rarely entirely on one's own. Dogged determination and a village of supporters are certainly steps along the way. But what about energy and ambition, and just plain good fortune? (In Trump's case-really big fortune!) In truth, many ingredients have to converge for one human being to make something of himself or herself. After all my digging into Lincoln's and Trump's histories, the metaphor of a man climbing a ladder just didn't seem to fit anymore. A ship at sea was more like it. And these two men had ones well-fitted and with expert crews. When clouds formed on the horizon and roiling seas tossed them about (waves that would have swamped anyone else's boat) these elements aroused in each man the right stuff to navigate the perfect storm.
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