By Mac and O...

By "Mac" and "O" you'll always know

true Irishmen, they say.

But, if they lack both "O" or "Mac",

no Irishmen are they.

The Scottish prefix "Mc" translates into English as "son of...", which is then followed by the surname.

Therefore, "McCain" literally means "son of Cain".

The Irish prefix "O" translates into English as "grandson of...", which is then followed by the surname.

Therefore, "O'Bama" literally means "grandson of Bama".

You learn something every day.

October 31: The Feast of Unclean Spirits

"I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me." ~Psalm 101:3

"Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties." ~Psalm 141:4

Slavery and the Insanity of the 1860's: Robert E. Lee

There is little question that the vast majority, if not a full unanimity, of the leadership of the Confederacy were for the institution of slavery; this is a certainty. But, my point here is that the war was not about slavery.

I've found a few quotes from Robert E. Lee that best fit the topic at hand.

"So far from engaging in a war to perpetuate slavery, I am rejoiced that Slavery is abolished. I believe it will be greatly for the interest of the South. So fully am I satisfied of this that I would have cheerfully lost all that I have lost by the war, and have suffered all that I have suffered to have this object attained." ~Robert E. Lee

It's clear that he was basically opposed to slavery, and expressed how disinterested he was in the continuation of it.

He also said what I feel to be one of the best quotes of the war:
"This war is not about slavery." No interpretation needed there!

Another of his quotes, however, needs a bit more attention:

"In this enlightened age, there are few I believe, but what will acknowledge, that slavery as an institution, is a moral & political evil in any Country. It is useless to expatiate on its disadvantages. I think it however a greater evil to the white man than to the black race, & while my feelings are strongly enlisted in behalf of the latter, my sympathies are more strong for the former.
The blacks are immeasurably better off here than in Africa, morally, socially & physically. The painful discipline they are undergoing, is necessary for their instruction as a race, & I hope will prepare & lead them to better things. How long their subjugation may be necessary is known & ordered by a wise Merciful Providence." ~Robert E. Lee

It isn't natural for any person to work under another for little or no gain, so it is necessary to justify certain practices in order to go along with the crowd.

Enslavement of Africans had been a long established institution all over the Western world, so those participating in it would have seen little error in its continuation.

Robert E. Lee, being a Christian, points out that he morally objects to slavery, but legitimizes it by saying that it helps in "their instruction as a race". He apparently, though erroneously, saw their "subjugation" as a necessary evil.

Even today, supporters of segregation point to God making "white man white, and black man black" for a reason: segregation, and to break this ordained separation would be destroying His ordinances. This idea is rather silly, and is, in fact, heresy.

There are only two races identified and recognised by God: Christian and non-Christian.

"For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."
~Galatians 3:27-29

"Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all." ~Colossians 3:11

Had the war never started, and slavery continued to this day, I would fight to the death to end it; had the South won the war, and slavery continued to this day, I would fight it all the harder.


The institution of slavery didn't end in America because of the war, however.
And, I feel that, had the South won, it would have eventually phased-out, as it has in numerous other countries.

Slavery will forever be the blot on the banner of the Southern Confederacy's cause; it has, and always will, blind many to the true meaning of the war.

Slavery and the Insanity of the 1860's: The Honest Truth about Honest Abe

I was just thinking about the oft disputed relationship between the "Insanity of the 186o's", if you will, and slavery.

First of all, I feel it unnecessary to go into any great detail of how slavery, of any form, is repugnant in a free and Christian society.

Also, I feel it equally unnecessary to go into any great detail of the supposed "inferiority" or "superiority" of any man compared to another of differing skin shade, or the segregation thereof; this is equally repugnant in a free and Christian society.

What is noteworthy, though, is the position of the North and of the South on the matter, especially when contrasting them with the current presuppositions of modern opinion on the subject.

The most common opinion is that the South wanted slaves and the North didn't. To relegate both sides into such a paradigm, though, would be naive, as well as disrespectful to the men who died in that war.

To begin with, Abraham Lincoln, the supposed "Great Emancipator" of the slaves, may not be the greatest example of a Christian war-time President.

In response to a letter from Horace Greeley, somewhat critical of Lincoln's handling of the crisis, the President writes what I feel summarizes Lincoln's truest stance on the institution of slavery in America during the war:

"I would save the Union. I would save it the shortest way under the Constitution. The sooner the national authority can be restored; the nearer the Union will be "the Union as it was."

If there be those who would not save the Union, unless they could at the same time save slavery, I do not agree with them. If there be those who would not save the Union unless they could at the same time destroy slavery, I do not agree with them.

My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that.

What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union. I shall do less whenever I shall believe what I am doing hurts the cause, and I shall do more whenever I shall believe doing more will help the cause.

I shall try to correct errors when shown to be errors; and I shall adopt new views so fast as they shall appear to be true views. I have here stated my purpose according to my view of official duty; and I intend no modification of my oft-expressed personal wish that all men everywhere could be free."

Greeley replied to this, once again critically, charging Lincoln to consider whether his domestic policies, as President, were following the law or rising above it.

What is clear to me is that Lincoln was opposed to slavery, but not to a degree that he would have wanted a war to end it. He perhaps saw slavery as his personal justification for a war that had already begun. The war greatly disturbed Lincoln to the point of near madness; in that, I pity him.

He abused his powers domestically by eliminating Habeas Corpus, among many other things, but I don't believe he was purposely usurping power; rather, I think he was simply unqualified and unconditioned to hold his office during the war.

I don't despise Abraham Lincoln; rather, I see him as a greatly fabled man, too caught up in matters beyond his control.

What Should It Be Called?

Everybody in America knows what "the Civil War" is, but the strange thing is that it was anything but a "civil war".

A "civil war" is best defined as two or more factions competing for control of a common political center; the war that took place in the 1860's did not fit this definition.

A term synonymous with the Civil War is the "War of Northern Aggression"; while there is no apparent bias with this appellation (!?!), our friends in the North find this term a bit one-sided.

"War Between the States"

I find fault with this term, as it is somewhat confusing and incorrect. (The United States of America was at war with The Confederate States of America, but Maine wasn't at war with Virginia.)

"War of the Rebellion"

I disagree with this one, also. The Confederacy wasn't in "rebellion" against anything; it was, and is, perfectly legal and moral for any state to secede from the Union.

"Second American Revolution"

Again, there was no revolt. Contrast this to the actual Revolutionary War, where there was a revolt against the controlling government by the subservient colonies.

"War of the Insurrection"; "Slaveholders War"; "Great Rebellion"; "War to Save the Union"

1. There wasn't an "insurrection"; 2. the war had less to do with slavery than any other cause; 3. there was no "rebellion"; 4. "What a noble title!" Oh, brother!

There are a few more obscure titles for "The War", but what I want is a clear, precise, succinct term for it.

Therefore, I shall be starting yet another poll for you, the reader, to decide what the unfortunate events of the 1860's shall be referred to on this blog.

I will be adding the poll at a later time, so if you have any suggestions, comment them; submit as many as you like.

Crumpled Currency

"No State shall... make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts; ..."
~U.S. Constitution

Somewhere along the line, somebody decided that the Government doesn't really need to obey laws.

The first act of deliberate disregard for this particular law was in 1862. (<---Interesting.) It was called a "Legal Tender Note".

There were also gold and silver certificates throughout this whole sordid ordeal, and these were redeemable in actual money.

But, we now know the dollar as a crumpled up piece of greenish-white paper that is redeemable in... nothing.

"Gee, I wonder why our economy is going under."

"Get me me pipe!"

Yes, those were the famous words that forever enshrined Grandma Margaret into the family history book. (She was Irish, hence the excessive use of "me".)


She was one of many pioneers of Kansas, and one of the very first settlers of Abilene. At one time, her picture hung in a museum there; we went to see it once, but they'd taken it down. (Go figure.)

And so, in honor of Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandmother Margaret, I shall temporarily change my current profile picture from the statue of a minuteman to a photo of Grandma Margie.

Enjoy!

On the Goat Front...

With the turn in the weather, it has become necessary to start feeding alfalfa hay to our goats.

This particular kind of hay is full of crumbled up bits of dry alfalfa that like to catch in the early morning breeze and fly into my face! It's not a nice sensation to be digging alfalfa out of my ears all day, so that's one drawback.

We have two pastures that are separated by a single stretch of fence, one being larger than the other. After spending weeks repairing and re-repairing fences, we now have them confined to the smaller pasture... at least for now.

One good thing: they've stopped getting their heads caught in the fences! (Their horns act as catches, keeping them from pulling their heads out of the square mesh fencing.)

They like to stick their heads out to get at the grass just outside of the fence.
(That's one place we don't have to mow.)

Pictures of the little boogers can be found at the link to the right: "NottaLotta Acres".

What's That Rumbling Noise?

I think it's about 1.5 million American patriots rolling over in their graves.

Why have we reached such a state of depravity that we are forced to choose between a Fascist and a Socialist for president? Why must we have a government made up of professional politicians and career-long criminals? Why has my country and its people crawled, walked, skipped and jumped down the path of moral depravity?

How is it that we have broken every rule and principle of Freedom, proudly defending every institution of modern slavery?

I don't even know what America used to look like; I'm too young to even know what it was like to live in a truly free society.

"'Republic': I like the sound of the word. It means people can live free, talk free, go or come, buy or sell, be drunk or sober how ever they choose. Some words give you a feeling; 'Republic' is one of those words that makes me tight in the throat."... Some words can give you a feeling that make your heart warm; 'Republic' is one of those words."
~ John Wayne, in "The Alamo"

Too few people even know what "Republic" means. Too often, governments opposed to the idea of a free Republic use the word to describe their own country. (People's Republic of China, for one.)

What we have is a Federalized Constitutional Republic, but most Americans falsely call it a "Democracy". Only our elections are democratic.

A Democracy is rule by the people, but a Constitutional Republic is rule by law through representatives.

But, nobody cares. Nobody wants to care, anymore. There would be a national outcry if the voting on "American Idol" was rigged, but not if our own national elections were.

Those who realize the truth may only turn to God for the answer; others will turn to destruction.

Hacking Democracy

I know, I know, America is not a Democracy. Our Government is a Constitutional Republic, but we do have democratically elected civil servants... or do we?

Posse Comitatus Ignored

The Army has deployed the Third Division's First Brigade within the U.S., though it is unclear exactly where.

The stated purpose of this deployment is "crowd control" using "non lethal" weapons, but the troops will have access to automatic rifles and firearms, as well as tanks.

They are slated to remain deployed in the U.S. for twelve months; this is clearly wanton disregard for the Posse Comitatus Act.

Under the Posse Comitatus Act, the men responsible for the deployment of the military to enforce the laws of the United States may be fined or imprisoned for two years, or both.

I will update to include the place of deployment just as soon as I can.

This Just In From Glenn Beck

Greatest American Politician: Patrick Henry

Patrick Henry

Greatest American Politician
May 29, 1736-June 6, 1799

His most famous speech:

"No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as abilities, of the very worthy gentlemen who have just addressed the house. But different men often see the same subject in different lights; and, therefore, I hope it will not be thought disrespectful to those gentlemen if, entertaining as I do opinions of a character very opposite to theirs, I shall speak forth my sentiments freely and without reserve.

This is no time for ceremony. The question before the house is one of awful moment to this country. For my own part, I consider it as nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery; and in proportion to the magnitude of the subject ought to be the freedom of the debate. It is only in this way that we can hope to arrive at the truth, and fulfill the great responsibility which we hold to God and our country. Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offense, I should consider myself as guilty of treason towards my country, and of an act of disloyalty toward the Majesty of Heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings.

Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the numbers of those who, having eyes, see not, and, having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth, to know the worst, and to provide for it.
I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience. I know of no way of judging of the future but by the past. And judging by the past, I wish to know what there has been in the conduct of the British ministry for the last ten years to justify those hopes with which gentlemen have been pleased to solace themselves and the House. Is it that insidious smile with which our petition has been lately received?

Trust it not, sir; it will prove a snare to your feet. Suffer not yourselves to be betrayed with a kiss. Ask yourselves how this gracious reception of our petition comports with those warlike preparations which cover our waters and darken our land. Are fleets and armies necessary to a work of love and reconciliation? Have we shown ourselves so unwilling to be reconciled that force must be called in to win back our love? Let us not deceive ourselves, sir. These are the implements of war and subjugation; the last arguments to which kings resort. I ask gentlemen, sir, what means this martial array, if its purpose be not to force us to submission? Can gentlement assign any other possible motive for it? Has Great Britain any enemy, in this quarter of the world, to call for all this accumulation of navies and armies? No, sir, she has none.

They are meant for us: they can be meant for no other. They are sent over to bind and rivet upon us those chains which the British ministry have been so long forging. And what have we to oppose to them? Shall we try argument? Sir, we have been trying that for the last ten years. Have we anything new to offer upon the subject? Nothing. We have held the subject up in every light of which it is capable; but it has been all in vain. Shall we resort to entreaty and humble supplication? What terms shall we find which have not been already exhausted? Let us not, I beseech you, sir, deceive ourselves.

Sir, we have done everything that could be done to avert the storm which is now coming on. We have petitioned; we have remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves before the throne, and have implored its interposition to arrest the tyrannical hands of the ministry and Parliament. Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances have produced additional violence and insult; our supplications have been disregarded; and we have been spurned, with contempt, from the foot of the throne! In vain, after these things, may we indulge the fond hope of peace and reconciliation.

There is no longer any room for hope. If we wish to be free--if we mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges for which we have been so long contending--if we mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle in which we have been so long engaged, and which we have pledged ourselves never to abandon until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained--we must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight! An appeal to arms and to the God of hosts is all that is left us! They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength but irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot?

Sir, we are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. The millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides, sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable--and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come.

It is in vain, sir, to extentuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace--but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"

Greatest American Politician: Grand Tally

The Grand Tally:

Patrick Henry: 9 votes
George Washington: 3 votes
John Adams: 1 vote
Thomas Jefferson: 1 vote

The People have spoken!

Modern Money Mechanics

An easy to understand explanation of our titanic monetary system.

Playlist

Ever since I saw one at Blog of the Irish, I just had to have one, but never got around to it.

Well... now I have one.

A Congressman Speaks Out!

Notice the two emblems on either side of the flag.
I have always wondered why they would want to put the symbol of Fascism in the House of Representatives.

Mormonism: Part II

From Mormon.org:

"John said, 'And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent' (John 17:3). In order to truly know God the Father and Jesus Christ in the eternities, we must be like them. To be heirs of Christ in the eternities is to inherit His attributes. In that sense, we can become “gods.” This principle does not diminish God or Christ in any way."

They seem to forget what happened when Lucifer sought to become a god:

"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit." ~Isaiah 14:12-15

Satan never said that he would be greater than God, only that he would be like the most High.

What did Satan say would happen if Eve ate the forbidden fruit?

"And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil."

The same method of control is involved here.

Mormons defend this doctrine of "Theosis" by referring to the words of ancient "saints", falsely so-called.

Quotes from Heretics and Gnostics such as Irenaeus, Polycarp, Clement of Alexandria, and Origen of Alexandria contribute to their belief in this doctrine.

Nowhere in the Bible is there mention of becoming gods, lesser gods, half-gods, partial gods, or gods-in-law. Rather, he instructs us to become as little children:

"Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein." ~Mark 10:15

"Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven." ~Matthew 18:4

Jefferson Posthumously Weighs In On Economy

"If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issuance of their currency, first by inflation and then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the people of all their property until their children will wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered." ~Thomas Jefferson

FACT: The Federal Reserve is a privately run and privately owned bank, and is just as federal as Federal Express.

FACT: The Constitution states: "The Congress shall have power to... coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, and fix the standard of weights and measures;"

FACT: Nowhere does it state that Congress may pass off this power to a separate entity; I guess now we know why.