In other words, Obama wants to appease our critics to get them to agree to help us.

Can’t you just see the Europeans lining up to volunteer forces after we’ve left Iraq? Neither can I.

Obama, I believe, sincerely thinks that the best policy would be to surrender and withraw as soon as possible. He lacks an understanding of the broader dynamics of the problem and threat of Islamic Extremism, and he grossly under-estimates its threat to the wellbeing of the U.S. and the West. He seems to think that if we just took out Osama, the problem would go away. In the public eye, Obama is like the opposite of George Bush. Bush is more savvy and intelligent than he comes across through his speech. People underestimate him and his intelligence because he is not a great speaker. Obama, on the other hand, will almost certainly be highly over-estimated by his followers. His charisma overshadows his lack of experience and naive points of view. His followers believe he is the answer to everything, and unfortunately, many of them secretly applaud the anti-American undertones of his behavior and his associations. His followers see him as a new and refreshing face. Those of us who see through him see a man who brings nothing but criticism of his country from one side of his mouth and meaningless soaring emotional rhetoric of generic “change” from the other with no real substance.

McCain is the only straightforward candidate who has shown his willingness to put his political future at risk by taking, at times, unpopular positions that he knew were the right positions. His boldness in confronting, not just the left, but the right as well, with solutions that are actually solutions rather than political pandering, is refreshing. His handling of the NY Times’ poor attempt at a smear campaign was spot on and something that GW could learn from. McCain, in my view, is the only true leader of the three candidates.

I, for one, am weary of all this muddled thinking engendered by him which only causes further confusion, sadness, differences, and the like. I am exceedingly offended by his claim and that of others that we all have heard things from the pulpit which are offensive. I all my years I have never heard any pastor of any truly Christian persuasion spouting hatred, division, malice w/foresight of thought, and blasphemy w/regard to the Real Jesus Christ by claims that these are His thoughts and ways; further, since he and his pastor dared to claim knowledge of Jesus Christ, they might be reminded that Jesus suffered all injustices for the sake of all in silence without murmuring against his persecutors to demonstrate how we are to act in similar circumstances – not w/hatred and anger and malice toward others but w/openness and loving kindness to all – even those who despise us.

Christ himself tells us who the father of liars is – and that anyone who lies intent on deception belongs to this father and not the Father of Jesus Christ, and our Father, God. How long are we going to be deceived by this deception? As to the “good” that BO claims his pastor has done – Jesus also responds: “If you love those who love you, what good is there in that? Even pagans do the same. But I say to you Love you enemies, do good to those that hate you, and then you will be children of the Father.”

I am very fearful for this nation of Christian-Judeao roots that is so bewitched by a man such a BO who so blatantly displays his scorn for the Bible, for our history as a nation, and for our patriots who died so that he might live in this land of freedom, albeit imperfect, but better than anywhere else on this planet.

W/regard to rehashing the slavery issue and the civil rights issue – let me remind people who talk of reparation to the blacks for their enslavement; and of their “rights” as citizens of this nation for equal opportunity. Visit Gettysburg and you will find all the “blood reparation” paid by Americans of both white and black race to gain the black people their freedom even at the peril of other white people who refused to let them live in freedom. This is the greatest reparation they can ever receive from their fellow citizens who lost not just their own lives, but impacted forever the lives of their families, friends and neighbors w/the loss of fathers, sons, brothers, nephews, cousins, husbands, etc.etc.etc.

And due to the profuse spilling of this blood that cried to heaven at the injustice of slavery in this nation, and the white President who lead the charge to his own death, let no one even forget that terrible price paid, larger than any other which has engaged this nation. The price was paid in full, in blood and sorrow.

W/regard to their civil rights, I quite agree w/Sen. Clinton, that w/o the engagement of a white President, LBJ and a primarily white congress, MLK speech would never had produced the outcome which was obtained in the 60’s. And even w/his speech it impelled many white people from throughout this nation to also join MLK in his march and protest, even to some loss of lives, so again it was not gained by “black power” alone.
However beyond that time in history, this nation has indeed progressed while the majority of the black people have not – not because white people have kept them down – but due to their own lack of initiative.
Those blacks who have been driven to succeed,have done so even from the depths of deprivation, poverty, neglect, abuse and grief, ie. Oprah; Denziel Washington;Bill Cosby; George Carver Washington; Colin Powell; Condie Rice; Jesse Jackson; Gov. Patterson of NY. and others in every walk of life just like their white counterparts. NO one is handed anything. Everyone must work to succeed in life for the goal they themselves set regardless of race. But admittedly in other countries w/o our civil right freedoms people often cannot reach their potential due to the absence of even the merest pretense of human rights.

People are tried of hearing the claimants of people either black or white who refuse to help themselves. One of the first rules one learns of maturity is take responsibility for your actions and watch your expectations – unrealistic expectations can really maim one. This brings to mind the sub-prime crisis and educational opportunities. People knowingly purchased what they could not afford in many cases, hoping somehow for a rescue somewhere along the line. Granted the real estate industry is rife w/dishonest realtors, brokers, loan sharks, etc. and has long been so thereby producing an unsustainable housing bubble. Our Government is not BIG DADDY who rushes in to SAVE irresponsible people from their own doing. Remember WE THE PEOPLE ARE THE GOVERNMENT and therefore WE THE PEOPLE pay the price whenever government is called upon to rescue “victims” of their own follies.

Michelle O. complains about “Having to pay back their student loans – hers and BO – which they acquired by attending some of the most expensive universities in this nation; despite the fact that both of them earn 6 figure salaries or above and are well educated due to the generosity of taxpayers of this nations most of whom are white and black middle class working people. And w/their expensive educations one would suppose that they would understand that a “LOAN” is precisely that – “A LOAN” indicating that when one procures of any amount for any reason, IT MUST BE REPAID and IT IS THE RESPONSIBLE THING TO DO. Also, I would add IT IS A SIGN OF DEEP GRATITUDE TO THE LENDER. The money is in rightfully theirs so if they resent repayment of the LOAN, they demonstrate a tremendous show of INJUSTICE themselves – the very thing of which they so LOUDLY and PITIFULLY COMPLAIN.

We need a President who reminds us of CHRIST who says “I CAME SERVE; NOT TO BE SERVED”

Most assuredly we have such people in this nation who have proved their sincerity w/actions. “WORDS ARE MEANT TO COMMUNICATE TRUTH; OTHERWISE THEY ARE EMPTY BOMBAST SIGNIFYING NOTHING.”

Hope all is well in your family, and that your studies are going well. We’ve missed you!