Originally written on August 6, 2001 - by Shonda M. Ponder
The Death Penalty seems to be gaining a lot of attention these days from those who would like to see it removed from our society. Let me ask you...is death worth the consequence of a life taken?
On Tuesday, August 7 at 2:30pm at the old courthouse at 111 Main St. in Hickory, Ted Cummings, one of the trial attorneys for Ronald Frye, and Robert Null, one of the jurors in Frye's trial, will talk about their concerns with the scheduled execution of Mr. Frye.
Mr. Frye is scheduled to be executed on August 31st for the murder of his landlord. Serious concerns have recently been raised about the trial of Mr. Frye and the quality of defense he received. During the penalty phase of the trial, the jury was never told about Mr. Frye's past which would help explain his actions. Members of the jury have signed sworn affidavits saying they would have voted for life in prison rather than the death penalty, had they known about Mr. Frye's troubled past - which includes his mother's turning him over to strangers when he was four, and being beaten so badly that pictures of the wounds have been used in North Carolina police training on child abuse.
If you are a Christian, you will note that in the Bible's old testament there were many crimes that are punishable by death. Including adultery and fornication. God wanted his people to be a pure people at any cost. And, at the time, it was necessary for His work to be done the way He wanted it to be done.
In the New Testament, Jesus forgave an adulteress, knowing what her sins were, and that she was guilty of the crime in which the scribes and Pharisees had accused her. He told her to go and sin no more. Not to go and take the opportunity to sin more. However, in so doing, he did exactly what he set out to do: turn mother against daughter, father against son, and brother against sister. The forgiving society that Jesus would have had has given way to a society where slaps on the hand are acceptable punishment.
"They know they did wrong because I told them so. So now that they know, leave them alone." Somehow, I don't think this is what Jesus had in mind.
So let me attempt to straighten some people out here: Jesus forgave the woman because he COULD. He is God. He had the authority. And, she did exactly what He anticipated that she would do, and served Him from that day forward. He didn't do it to show us an example of how to live, he did it to show the scribes and the pharisees that they did not have the authoritative conscience inside them to be in the offices that they held. Don't tell your brother about the moat in his eyes until you get the one in your own out.
Only when you can own up and pay for the sins that you yourself have committed, have you any right whatsoever to condemn someone else.
Our government is full of murderers today...is it any wonder that they would wish to do away with the death penalty?
When a wrong has been committed there are ways in which you are supposed to react. It has been laid out in the Bible in both the old and the New Testament. The first step is to take your complaint to your brother in private. If the complaint has not been settled in private there, you take it to your brother in the face of two or three witnesses who are called to try to mediate between the two of you before any harm is done to either of you. If, in the face of two or three witnesses the dispute or complaint cannot be handled, there is only one place left to go--court.
A righteous judge has the power to oversee any sentence that is placed on the criminal. Most of the people in a jury trial setting have never committed cold-blooded murder or raped a four year old. I don't care what their past is like. A normal human being learns from other's mistakes, and from the past. My parents spanked me when I was a child. Sometimes they went overboard. This has not caused me to murder anyone. If anything, it has caused me to not spank my children unless they understood perfectly what they were getting the spanking for to begin with. And, many times, I find that spanking isn't necessary when they show remorse for the
wrongdoing--rather than the fact that they are going to get the punishment for doing it.
The death penalty is reserved, today, for those who have no regard whatsoever to any life whatsoever, other than his own--for whatever reason. If my son were raped and killed by a man who had a really horrible childhood, do you think I would care whether he was beaten as a child or not? I dare say, if my son were Mr. Frye's landlord, and he were murdered, the punishment should equal the crime. The crime was the murder of someone's son. Mr. Frye, therefore, should die regardless of what his childhood was like.
Shonda Ponder
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Families Threatened By Government Interference
By Shonda Ponder
(This was originally posted in the Federal Observer)
The Education and the Workforce Committee approved H.R. 3839, the "Keeping Children and Families Safe Act," which reauthorizes the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) and other related acts. One of which is neonatal harm.
This is a noble piece of legislation, but one that raises specific concerns. Parts of this legislation are aimed at protecting children who were born to an addicted parent from their parents. What, exactly, poses as "addiction"?
Cigarettes are addictive.
This legislation will open the way for Child Protective Services to snatch your baby from the hospital without your consent or authorization if they deem that the child is "abused" by your "addiction". Of course, parts of the bill require that CPS and Parents work together to insure that no violation of the Parent's individual rights are committed.
The operative word here is "together".
Yes, there are children who are left abandoned by their mothers in trash cans. Some of these mothers were not ever addicted to anything. There is no way to protect the children from these types of atrocities committed against them without first taking away the rights of every parent in the United States.
My mother was raised in a two bedroom home with an outhouse. She grew up, went to college and I never did without. But, there were times when all we had to eat were potatoes and eggs, both of which we grew ourselves. In today's world, CPS will not allow a family with more than 2 children reside in only a one bedroom home. And, if you have an outhouse, then the child is suspect for abuse according to their version of the law. Why is it that if your electricity gets cut off, it is required by the electric company that they report your home to CPS if there is a child living in it?
Is this freedom?
And the term neo-natal is something else altogether. How can the government even think of passing such a law that will protect children during pregnancy when they have already determined that children are not human beings worthy of Constitutional Protection under Roe Vs. Wade?
I'm not saying I disagree with that portion of the law. I am pro-life, and I believe that all un-born children are worthy of Constitutional Protection. But, I also believe that it is the parent's right to bring up a child in the way they see fit, so long as that child is not killed or maimed because of their actions toward their children. I hardly see how lack of electricity will kill anyone.
I smoked during both of my pregnancies. My son is at the top of his class in school.
My mother smoked when she was pregnant with me. It would have been outrageously wrong for me to have been taken from my parents because of that. There have been times during my childhood when we went without electricity because my mother was working and going to school and caring for me as a single mother, after she and my father divorced.
This law needs to be stopped before some good families are torn apart by well-meaning government agencies sticking their nose where it does not belong.
Related Links:
Education and the Workforce Committee approved H.R. 3839
(This was originally posted in the Federal Observer)
The Education and the Workforce Committee approved H.R. 3839, the "Keeping Children and Families Safe Act," which reauthorizes the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) and other related acts. One of which is neonatal harm.
This is a noble piece of legislation, but one that raises specific concerns. Parts of this legislation are aimed at protecting children who were born to an addicted parent from their parents. What, exactly, poses as "addiction"?
Cigarettes are addictive.
This legislation will open the way for Child Protective Services to snatch your baby from the hospital without your consent or authorization if they deem that the child is "abused" by your "addiction". Of course, parts of the bill require that CPS and Parents work together to insure that no violation of the Parent's individual rights are committed.
The operative word here is "together".
Yes, there are children who are left abandoned by their mothers in trash cans. Some of these mothers were not ever addicted to anything. There is no way to protect the children from these types of atrocities committed against them without first taking away the rights of every parent in the United States.
My mother was raised in a two bedroom home with an outhouse. She grew up, went to college and I never did without. But, there were times when all we had to eat were potatoes and eggs, both of which we grew ourselves. In today's world, CPS will not allow a family with more than 2 children reside in only a one bedroom home. And, if you have an outhouse, then the child is suspect for abuse according to their version of the law. Why is it that if your electricity gets cut off, it is required by the electric company that they report your home to CPS if there is a child living in it?
Is this freedom?
And the term neo-natal is something else altogether. How can the government even think of passing such a law that will protect children during pregnancy when they have already determined that children are not human beings worthy of Constitutional Protection under Roe Vs. Wade?
I'm not saying I disagree with that portion of the law. I am pro-life, and I believe that all un-born children are worthy of Constitutional Protection. But, I also believe that it is the parent's right to bring up a child in the way they see fit, so long as that child is not killed or maimed because of their actions toward their children. I hardly see how lack of electricity will kill anyone.
I smoked during both of my pregnancies. My son is at the top of his class in school.
My mother smoked when she was pregnant with me. It would have been outrageously wrong for me to have been taken from my parents because of that. There have been times during my childhood when we went without electricity because my mother was working and going to school and caring for me as a single mother, after she and my father divorced.
This law needs to be stopped before some good families are torn apart by well-meaning government agencies sticking their nose where it does not belong.
Related Links:
Education and the Workforce Committee approved H.R. 3839
Friday, October 03, 2008
About the socialistic nature of our government
Cliff Kincaid wrote in an article entitled “Socialism is coming to America:
"It would be an exaggeration to say that we are getting close to anything resembling the Soviet system. But it is also a big mistake to call this a “bailout.” It is socialism. Why are so many in the media afraid of using this term? "
My guess is that if the media chose to use the word "Socialism" and got the American people finally believing that we are under Socialist rule, it wouldn't change anything. You'll be walking down the street, and on one street corner an old man will be ranting and raving on a park bench as he spoke to the guy next to him about how back in his day somebody woulda done something about all these socialist extremist running the country, while the guy nodded his head and thought to himself, "He's just a crazy old man."
And, then at the grocery store, some mother will mention crazy things her kids are asked to learn at school, then shrugs and says, "What can you do about it. Just teach them to follow the rules."
Nothing will change. Everyone will gripe, the email lists will go crazy; but, in the end, no one will do anything more than what they are already doing.
Even if God did raise up a leader, no one would recognize his authority. He'd get crucified. We've seen it before. And, what's bad is, we'll probably be the first to holler.
Ron Paul nearly got crucified politically when he voted "No" on the Patriot Act. Remember? And, I suffered attacks for telling everyone Bush was a Socialist back before 9-11. After 9-11, it was as if he were a god. Everyone worshipped him. I could do nothing but quit.
Until we become bold as a nation, we should be prepared to bow down to the gods of Socialism. "Bow down?" you say, "Never." Ah, but you do it every single day in so many little ways you don't even notice it anymore.
As media, my job was to cry the warning -- to be the "Watchman on the wall" so to speak. I did my job. But, my job was only effectual if someone listened. No one did.
Just call me a female Jeremiah. (Those who read the Bible understand). They didn't call him "the weeping prophet" for nothing.
"It would be an exaggeration to say that we are getting close to anything resembling the Soviet system. But it is also a big mistake to call this a “bailout.” It is socialism. Why are so many in the media afraid of using this term? "
My guess is that if the media chose to use the word "Socialism" and got the American people finally believing that we are under Socialist rule, it wouldn't change anything. You'll be walking down the street, and on one street corner an old man will be ranting and raving on a park bench as he spoke to the guy next to him about how back in his day somebody woulda done something about all these socialist extremist running the country, while the guy nodded his head and thought to himself, "He's just a crazy old man."
And, then at the grocery store, some mother will mention crazy things her kids are asked to learn at school, then shrugs and says, "What can you do about it. Just teach them to follow the rules."
Nothing will change. Everyone will gripe, the email lists will go crazy; but, in the end, no one will do anything more than what they are already doing.
Even if God did raise up a leader, no one would recognize his authority. He'd get crucified. We've seen it before. And, what's bad is, we'll probably be the first to holler.
Ron Paul nearly got crucified politically when he voted "No" on the Patriot Act. Remember? And, I suffered attacks for telling everyone Bush was a Socialist back before 9-11. After 9-11, it was as if he were a god. Everyone worshipped him. I could do nothing but quit.
Until we become bold as a nation, we should be prepared to bow down to the gods of Socialism. "Bow down?" you say, "Never." Ah, but you do it every single day in so many little ways you don't even notice it anymore.
As media, my job was to cry the warning -- to be the "Watchman on the wall" so to speak. I did my job. But, my job was only effectual if someone listened. No one did.
Just call me a female Jeremiah. (Those who read the Bible understand). They didn't call him "the weeping prophet" for nothing.
About getting tattoos
On one Christian email list I am on, the question was asked, “Are tattoos permitted? I am a member of the First Biker Church here in Texarkana. A lot of the new members who attend there are already tattooed. One of the members who was not approached our pastor, Brother Gary, one day and asked him if it was okay to get a tattoo. His response was that, in the case of those who were tattooed before they became a Christian, we are all new creatures in Christ, the old tattoos don't matter anymore. But, in the case of those who are already Christians thinking of getting tattooed, the answer was "Who will it glorify? You, or the Father?" when you can answer that, then you have your answer.
I, personally, am not tattooed. I thought about getting one on my leg once. It would have been a long Indian spear, with the feathers hanging off, to honor my Native American heritage. I never had it done, and the older I get, the less I really want to have it done. There is something about mutilating my body that repels me. I mean, I have trouble being motivated to put make up on, much less permanently marking my body.
I, personally, am not tattooed. I thought about getting one on my leg once. It would have been a long Indian spear, with the feathers hanging off, to honor my Native American heritage. I never had it done, and the older I get, the less I really want to have it done. There is something about mutilating my body that repels me. I mean, I have trouble being motivated to put make up on, much less permanently marking my body.
What I think has to matter, Right?
I happen to agree with every word from Chuck Baldwin’s pen. I admire that he can say what I can't put into words. What he wrote is precisely why I resigned from America's Media Alliance as President, and was willing to watch it fall apart.
The last time I spent time on the computer (about 5 years as President of America's Media Alliance, founder of Freedom-Lovers International, which later became Friends of Liberty, International, and advertising director of Sierra Times for awhile) I made a lot of mistakes. I let the world influence my decisions and eventually left God out of my work. I had forgotten that God was the reason and the drive behind my work, and my work did not prosper because of it. Oh, yes, I made a lot of progress, and inspired a lot of people, but my personal relationships and life took a turn for the worse, and eventually led to me quitting altogether.
I've spent the last few years, since 2002, getting back my life -- away from the computer, away from television, and away from the newspapers. Still, I was able to keep up with the news from co-workers, family and friends, though I was very careful not to respond to any opinions. When you meet your mortality face to face, God is so much bigger, and better than you are. Right now, I am thankful to Him for my great job, my home, my relationship with my children, and all the things I lost that I have slowly regained, due to stupid mistakes I made as a mere human being.
After much thought, and starting from scratch (literally), I have decided to come back. My opinion has to be worth something, right? If not, then I'll make it matter. This time, I'll do it differently.
Not everyone gets a second chance, but the internet makes it so easy...doesn't it?
I bought a computer for my birthday present to myself. Computers make it so much easier (and cheaper) to do what needs to be done in just about every aspect of your life, if you know how to use it. Before I turned it on, however, I prayed that this time, God would lead me to do the right things with it, and would bless my work on it. I am human, and it is inevitable that I will make mistakes, both on and off the computer. I don't claim perfection, just forgiveness.
I don't promise not to make mistakes in the future, but I do promise to look to Him more for answers to my problems.
The last time I spent time on the computer (about 5 years as President of America's Media Alliance, founder of Freedom-Lovers International, which later became Friends of Liberty, International, and advertising director of Sierra Times for awhile) I made a lot of mistakes. I let the world influence my decisions and eventually left God out of my work. I had forgotten that God was the reason and the drive behind my work, and my work did not prosper because of it. Oh, yes, I made a lot of progress, and inspired a lot of people, but my personal relationships and life took a turn for the worse, and eventually led to me quitting altogether.
I've spent the last few years, since 2002, getting back my life -- away from the computer, away from television, and away from the newspapers. Still, I was able to keep up with the news from co-workers, family and friends, though I was very careful not to respond to any opinions. When you meet your mortality face to face, God is so much bigger, and better than you are. Right now, I am thankful to Him for my great job, my home, my relationship with my children, and all the things I lost that I have slowly regained, due to stupid mistakes I made as a mere human being.
After much thought, and starting from scratch (literally), I have decided to come back. My opinion has to be worth something, right? If not, then I'll make it matter. This time, I'll do it differently.
Not everyone gets a second chance, but the internet makes it so easy...doesn't it?
I bought a computer for my birthday present to myself. Computers make it so much easier (and cheaper) to do what needs to be done in just about every aspect of your life, if you know how to use it. Before I turned it on, however, I prayed that this time, God would lead me to do the right things with it, and would bless my work on it. I am human, and it is inevitable that I will make mistakes, both on and off the computer. I don't claim perfection, just forgiveness.
I don't promise not to make mistakes in the future, but I do promise to look to Him more for answers to my problems.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Prayer Taboo?
Judge Sandra Day O'Connor has ruled that prayer in Jesus' name is taboo. In a decision made at the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, she says:
"The restriction that prayers be nonsectarian in nature is designed to make the prayers accessible to people who come from a variety of backgrounds, not to exclude or disparage a particular faith."
It is my belief that, as a believer in Jesus Christ, NOT praying in His name is taboo. The Bible says:
And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. (John 14:13)
"The restriction that prayers be nonsectarian in nature is designed to make the prayers accessible to people who come from a variety of backgrounds, not to exclude or disparage a particular faith."
It is my belief that, as a believer in Jesus Christ, NOT praying in His name is taboo. The Bible says:
And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. (John 14:13)
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Goals Met
Today, I have met every goal I set 3 years ago. Today, I purchased a computer. It was the last goal I had back to being who I truly am. I am happy.
Now...it's time for new goals.
Now...it's time for new goals.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Back in the world...
Okay, I'll be honest. I'm not perfect. I never will be. But, hey, God knows that.
I guess I figure right now I'm on a mission, and in the process of taking a test at the same time. That's the way my whole life has always gone.
But, to be honest. I'm having the time of my life. I'm getting to know myself in ways I never knew. I'm also seeing how stupid I've been in the past. And, I still pray every day. Now, it seems I need that more than ever.
I'll write again when I have better things to say, but this is pretty much the bulk of my life right now...in so many words.
At least I'm not depressed anymore.
:-)
I guess I figure right now I'm on a mission, and in the process of taking a test at the same time. That's the way my whole life has always gone.
But, to be honest. I'm having the time of my life. I'm getting to know myself in ways I never knew. I'm also seeing how stupid I've been in the past. And, I still pray every day. Now, it seems I need that more than ever.
I'll write again when I have better things to say, but this is pretty much the bulk of my life right now...in so many words.
At least I'm not depressed anymore.
:-)
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
It's been awhile
It's been awhile since I last blogged. Lots have happened. I've learned a lot, done a lot, and am still struggling financially, but at least I am still going forward and upward. I fell down from my stand on chastity once, but I repented and am going back to the right way. I was quickly reminded about why I took that stand to begin with. God is an awesome God. He's even there when you don't deserve him. And, I owe it to him to keep trying.
I'm not giving up on my dreams, or my calling. I'm just giving up on perfection. The only thing perfect about me is my God. He knows I'm not perfect. But if I don't try, I can't possibly prove I love him.
I'm not giving up on my dreams, or my calling. I'm just giving up on perfection. The only thing perfect about me is my God. He knows I'm not perfect. But if I don't try, I can't possibly prove I love him.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Biblical Ways to Be a Friend
God created each and every one of us as unique individuals; each of us has our own unique gifts, talents, and personalities that make each of us who we are. For me, the gift is writing, organizing information and creating or finding conduits where the information flows. Unfortunately, God did not give me the gift to be a public speaker. I have never been good at standing in front of a bunch of people and speaking off the top of my head. It's funny he made me that way, because I have an overwhelming desire to teach. But, sometimes it's easier to write, then pass out articles I've written, complete with sources. As singles leader, then, I feel handicapped in some ways.
Ever since I was a child, I have talked to God about my problems. And, as a child, I talked to God a lot because I was lonely. Funny how I still suffer from the same problem today. But, the reason I talked to God was because I was a curious child. I wanted to know everything about everything, and the easiest place, I found, to get the answer was to go to the source. Can't get much higher source than God.
My need to know and my desire to tell everyone what I find out is the trait of my personality that led me to salvation. Who was this Jesus my sunday school teacher said loved me when I was four years old? Why did he love me? How can I believe he loved me? What did he do to make her think he loved me? When did he say that? Where is he? Once all these questions were answered for me, I was saved at the age of eight.
These traits in my personality also led me to take two years of journalism in high school. I later became president of America's Media Alliance. I home-schooled my youngest son for three years, and my oldest for two, successfully. Finally, these aspects of my personality lead me to continue to ask questions, which continue to lead me into a stronger faith in God.
However, I've found these traits to be a handicap when it comes to building relationships with people. This is because people tend to see me as nosy, too intelligent, and set in my ways. The reason I am so set in my ways stems from the fact that once I have the information, know the source, and have formulated my own conclusions, it takes a whole lot more information that most people have to change my mind. Therefore, I have concluded that it is going to have to take a special man, one that God makes especially for me, to take me away from single life.
Meanwhile, I enjoy reading without interruption. I enjoy watching shows that teach me what I want to know, without fighting over the remote, or listening to someone whine. I love to spend time on the internet researching material without worrying about fixing supper, or cleaning house. I love to spend my time talking to God (who is a great listener, by the way, about what to do with all the information I come across. I love having the time to write.
Having said all this, I'd like to talk about some issues God has brought to my attention this week:
The single's meeting on Saturday night was great. I came away from that meeting more confident, refreshed in my spirit, and eager to meet again tonight. Even though there were only four of us, we discussed issues that we needed to discuss, and probably never would have discussed them under different settings. However, on Sunday came the downward spiral in my confidence and my emotional and spiritual state of mind.
When I picked up Barty and Donna on Sunday morning, I was on a spiritual high because now I understood how much strength God gives to fight temptation to those who are obedient. I wanted to share my victory with everyone. But, by the end of the day, I felt alone, as I realized that no one is really interested in my problems or my victories. Never mind that saying no to sex is as hard for me as it is for Danny to say no to cocaine.
Danny, and others like him, go to N.A. to feel good enough about saying no to say no again. There, at N.A. are people like him who understand his problems. He feels supported there. I had no such support group. Sex is not something most people want to talk about in church. Maybe they should.
If Danny did not have N.A. to go to, would he still say no? Probably, but he wouldn't feel victorious about it. If he hadn't been introduced and become a member of the Biker Church, would he still worship and thank God for his deliverance? That's a question only Danny can answer, but it's unlikely he would have done it so soon. These thoughts made me think about the importance of friendships. It made me realize that so few of us truly understand what friendship is.
I realized, after my last long-term relationship ended, how slack I had become on nurturing my friendships. I realized this when I ended up staying at Randy Sam's homeless shelter because there was no one who could help me. My life was my work. And, the more I got involved with my church, the more I felt confident, having people who would help me if I needed it, knowing I was putting forth great effort to allow God to pick me back up. My apartment is proof of that. Today, I see people everywhere that smile and wave at me because I've proved my self-sufficiency due to my love of God and his mercy to me. But, even now, when I am sad, or discouraged, or need a pat on the back, or someone to just hold me and make me feel protected, the only person I can go to is God. And, sometimes I get tired of hearing the same thing from him all the time, "You are going to be okay. I made you. I know you, I'm taking care of you. Now, get up and DO what you are supposed to do."
Now, I know I need to hear that; and, I know I need to do that, but I would love to have friends who support me morally, the way Danny has when he goes to N.A.. I need friends who are there who understand where I am, how I got there, and who can support me emotionally as I struggle to fulfill the purposes God has for me.
I have struggled with a solution to this problem. The truth is, I don't know the solution. All I can do is teach others what I know about friendship. Maybe if we understand what Jesus needs in his friends, we can all learn to be friends to each other the way I need a friend to be.
So, what is friendship? In order to have a friend, one must know how to be a friend. None of us are whole, or truly happy without friends. Part of the problem is that we fall way short when it comes to growing our friendships. We don't understand that friendships, like plants, have to be nurtured, or they die. Though I find fault with some of his teachings, I heard Creflo Dollar, on TBN, Tuesday morning, say something that I had to rush to write down. After all, I collect information. This bit of information was as if God was speaking to me, through him. Dollar said, "Until you can be single and whole, AND SATISFIED, you ain't ready for marriage."
Until you can be single, and know how to build friendships, and know how to nurture them, and learn to respect them, you don't need to commit yourself to a life partner. I spent half the day thinking about this. He was right.
Most marriages today are based on the fulfillment of the pleasures of lust, or what can you do for me that I can't do for myself? Friendship is based on a true admiration of who you are.
Friendship happens in stages.
1) I hang out with certain people because I am genuinely interested in them as a person.
2) As I get to know them, I am willing to give more of myself and what I have to enable them to be who they need to be.
3) Finally, as the friendship deepens, I become protective of them, as members of my own family, whom I would die for if need be.
Life experiences has taught me to set boundaries to protect myself and my assets; but, many of us build walls around us, instead of simple boundaries, that prevent anyone from getting to know us and being our friend. Until we can operate with simple boundaries instead of walls, so that we can reach the last stage in our friendships, we have no business choosing a mate from the first two stages.
When we decide to choose a mate, we not only consider how we feel about that person, but how well that person nurtures friendship. Friends are the fruit of your character. In Matthew 6:17 Jesus said, "Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs from thistles?" He was talking of how to discern who was a false prophet. But, we can discern who our best friends are by this method as well.
Can you trust your friends? Can you count on them when the chips are down? Would your friend give his life for you if need be? You can answer these questions by looking at the other friends he has. Do they trust him? Are they inspired by him? Do they protect him?
Functional friendship is mutual. Dysfunctional friendship is not good for your health, or your bank account. A true friend never takes more than he is willing to give. A true friend nurtures the friendship by giving more than he expects to get back. Then he watches to see if his friendship is growing. If it is growing in trust and integrity, the giving part is easy. If not, you may wish to re-evaluate who you've chosen as a friend.
Communication is defined, where friendship is concerned, as mutual permission to disagree. This means that give and take is involved. it requires listening skills as well as skills in self-evaluation.
So, while we discuss problems we have as singles, we need to discuss ways to get rid of those problems, and learn to nurture friendships that are real, unshakeable, and lasting.
Most people can count the number of friends they have on one hand; and they aren't sure about them. Even our best friends don't know everything about us. This is because in this day and age, we don't trust anyone completely; and, trust is the foundation of friendship.
True friends can be trusted with your life. Jesus said, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13) Jesus was the best example of a friend that the world ever had. But, before I get into the example Jesus set for us in what constitutes a friendship, I'd like to go back to other Biblical examples of friendship.
In 1 Samuel, starting around chapter 14, I believe, begins the story of Jonathon and David. At the time they met (1 Samuel 18:1), David had already been annointed to take Jonathon's place as heir to the Kingdom, due to Saul's disobedience. To understand the nature of their friendship, you must understand who Jonathon was, as well as who David was. Jonathon was Saul's son.
Jonathon was not only Saul's son, he was a fearless warrior. Months before David came into the picture, the Israelites were fighting with the Philistines. The Philistines were winning. Finally, Saul retreated and ordered that no one eat anything until the evening, to petition God for revenge on the losses he'd taken that day. Furthermore, he ordered that anyone who did not fast was to be put to death.
Jonathon wasn't there when his father made that decree. He was pacing back and forth, fuming, in front of his men. He wanted to fight some more. He wanted to beat them. He wanted to bring honor back to his father's army. So, he and his men went and provoked the opposing army into attacking again. The Philistines bit the bait and war was on again, with Jonathon kicking butt, and Saul wondering why they were fighting again.
After the battle, on the way back to his father, Jonathon found some honey and broke the fast. And, as proud as Saul was, he was duty bound to honor his decree. However, due to the recent victory Jonathon had over the Philistines, the people of Israel threatened to revolt if Saul followed through on his decree, and so Jonathon was saved.
Then, Saul is told to defeat the Amelakites. He was told to destroy them off the face of the earth. He was told to leave nothing alive. He disobeyed God by bringing back a prisoner of war and all the cattle. So, God annointed to David, a shepherd boy who played the harp and wrote and sang songs for a living, to be King after Saul is gone.
When the spirit of God left Saul, he was distressed. Depressed. The only thing that soothed him was music. So, he sent for David when his servants told the king about the talent of the boy. Saul loved him so much that he made him an Armourbearer. This was the first training he received for his future office. Saul had no idea that he was training his replacement.
Soon, David went back home to be with his aging father and tend the sheep and do what he was doing before Saul called for him. Back to the good life. And, the Philistines wanted revenge.
Saul's army was camped on one mountain side, and the Philistines were on another, and there was a valley between them. David's three oldest brothers were on the front lines, waiting for action.
Jesse, David's father, called his youngest son and sent him to the front lines to see how his brothers were doing. He also sent him some bread to take to the head general to fish for information. They didn't have newspapers back then, so whatever David could find out, he would bring back to his father who would then let everyone else in the village know.
When David got there, he saw this giant idiot challenging God's army, and he let his brothers and all their company know what he thought about Goliath. "Who is this wimp that would taunt God's army? Why isn't anyone accepting his challenge?" David's brothers then admonished him to keep his mouth shut, accusing him of only wanting to see blood and guts. But David persisted. Finally, before he knew it, he accepted the challenge himself, and with nothing but a small pebble and a slingshot, he won Goliath's sword for himself, the Philistines for Israel, and was standing in front of Saul and Jonathon with Saul's head hanging from his hands.
That moment, Jonathon's soul was knit with Davids. David was his hero. David was fearless, and Jonathon loved David. But, the story doesn't stop there.
Saul put David as head of his army. Soon, the people were singing about how Saul had slain his thousands, and David his ten-thousands. This made Saul very jealous. He became so jealous, in fact, that he ordered Jonathon to kill David. Instead, Jonathon helped David escape, then went back to talk some sense into his father. Had Saul known that Jonathon had warned David to run, he probably would have killed Jonathon. He wasn't beyond that. After all, it nearly took a revolt to stay his hand once before, already. The risk Jonathon took further sealed the trust David had in him. Jonathon was willing to die for David and now David knew it. Do you have even one friend you trust that much?
You know, it really feels better when you are sick, or in mourning, broken-hearted, or in trouble to have a friend that really distresses with you. Most of us don't know how to be friends like that. You find out who your real friends are when you are down and out. Those who sit with you and keep you company when you are hurting are true friends. Job had three friends like that. Just three. He lost all he had and they got together and decided to make him feel better. (Job 2:11)
Do you have many friends like that? When you are lonely or depressed, do they come to you, or do you have to round them up?
In 2 Kings 1-14, Elisha loved Elijah so much that he wouldn't let him out of his sight. Elijah constantly tried to get Elisha to stay behind, but Elisha was determined to follow him where ever he went. He wanted to see what his friend did. He wanted to be involved in his friends life. How many friends do you have like that? Are you Elisha, or Elijah?
In 2 Timothy 1: 1-5, Paul writes a letter to his friend, Timothy. He knows Timothy is his friend and he loves him for several reasons:
1) Paul thinks of Timothy constantly
2) Paul prays for Timothy's well-being
3) Paul can hardly wait to be able to spend time with him
4) Paul knows Timothy feels the same way about him
5) They share a mutual faith in Jesus Christ.
How many friends do you have like that?
Jesus commanded us to be friends like all of the above. More specifically, he commands us to BE friends to everyone, regardless of how they feel about us. What does a Jesus type friendship mean?
1) You must know how to communicate. Communication starts with you. When someone asks you, "Where are you going?" or "Where have you been" or "What are you doing?" it is there invitation to accept them as a friend. Jesus hid nothing from his friends. John 15:13, Jesus said, "Henceforth I call you not servants, for the servant knoweth not what the Lord doeth; but I have called you friends; for all that I have heard of my father, I have made known to you."
2) Don't expect your friends to befriend you first. Choose your friends, and be a friend first. Jesus chose twelve men to befriend, as well as countless others. When someone needs you, be there. Don't expect them to come to you. In John 15:16, Jesus said, "You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you." Yes, there are risks. Judas is proof of that.
3) Be forgiving. By being forgiving, even when a friend is treacherous, you are demonstrating the mercy Christ had as they drove the nails in his hands. You are proving you can be trusted intimately, as we now trust Christ.
4) Be loyal. A loyal friend would die, if need be, for a friend. Jesus said, "Greater love hath no man than he that would give up his life for a friend."
5) Be protective. Don't place your friends in dangerous situations that could lead them astray. Christ died so that we could live. He died to save us, not condemn us. So, when you let a friend drive drunk, you are not being a friend. When you act stupid in public and put a friend in danger of guilt by association, you are not being a friend. When you ask your friend who is working behind the counter at McDonald's to give you some extra fries for free, you are endangering his livelihood, and you are not being a friend.
6) Be helpful. If someone needs your help, help them. Be careful not to enable them to sin, however.
7) Spend quality time with your friends. Why do you think Jesus spent so much time in the boat?
8) Have a servant mind. Do small things to make your friends lives easier.
9) Encourage your friends. When they feel bad, uplift them. When they need a shoulder, give it. Be there.
10) Be more interested in them than they are of you. In time, they will want to know more about you. They will learn to love you. They will become the friend you need.
Ever since I was a child, I have talked to God about my problems. And, as a child, I talked to God a lot because I was lonely. Funny how I still suffer from the same problem today. But, the reason I talked to God was because I was a curious child. I wanted to know everything about everything, and the easiest place, I found, to get the answer was to go to the source. Can't get much higher source than God.
My need to know and my desire to tell everyone what I find out is the trait of my personality that led me to salvation. Who was this Jesus my sunday school teacher said loved me when I was four years old? Why did he love me? How can I believe he loved me? What did he do to make her think he loved me? When did he say that? Where is he? Once all these questions were answered for me, I was saved at the age of eight.
These traits in my personality also led me to take two years of journalism in high school. I later became president of America's Media Alliance. I home-schooled my youngest son for three years, and my oldest for two, successfully. Finally, these aspects of my personality lead me to continue to ask questions, which continue to lead me into a stronger faith in God.
However, I've found these traits to be a handicap when it comes to building relationships with people. This is because people tend to see me as nosy, too intelligent, and set in my ways. The reason I am so set in my ways stems from the fact that once I have the information, know the source, and have formulated my own conclusions, it takes a whole lot more information that most people have to change my mind. Therefore, I have concluded that it is going to have to take a special man, one that God makes especially for me, to take me away from single life.
Meanwhile, I enjoy reading without interruption. I enjoy watching shows that teach me what I want to know, without fighting over the remote, or listening to someone whine. I love to spend time on the internet researching material without worrying about fixing supper, or cleaning house. I love to spend my time talking to God (who is a great listener, by the way, about what to do with all the information I come across. I love having the time to write.
Having said all this, I'd like to talk about some issues God has brought to my attention this week:
The single's meeting on Saturday night was great. I came away from that meeting more confident, refreshed in my spirit, and eager to meet again tonight. Even though there were only four of us, we discussed issues that we needed to discuss, and probably never would have discussed them under different settings. However, on Sunday came the downward spiral in my confidence and my emotional and spiritual state of mind.
When I picked up Barty and Donna on Sunday morning, I was on a spiritual high because now I understood how much strength God gives to fight temptation to those who are obedient. I wanted to share my victory with everyone. But, by the end of the day, I felt alone, as I realized that no one is really interested in my problems or my victories. Never mind that saying no to sex is as hard for me as it is for Danny to say no to cocaine.
Danny, and others like him, go to N.A. to feel good enough about saying no to say no again. There, at N.A. are people like him who understand his problems. He feels supported there. I had no such support group. Sex is not something most people want to talk about in church. Maybe they should.
If Danny did not have N.A. to go to, would he still say no? Probably, but he wouldn't feel victorious about it. If he hadn't been introduced and become a member of the Biker Church, would he still worship and thank God for his deliverance? That's a question only Danny can answer, but it's unlikely he would have done it so soon. These thoughts made me think about the importance of friendships. It made me realize that so few of us truly understand what friendship is.
I realized, after my last long-term relationship ended, how slack I had become on nurturing my friendships. I realized this when I ended up staying at Randy Sam's homeless shelter because there was no one who could help me. My life was my work. And, the more I got involved with my church, the more I felt confident, having people who would help me if I needed it, knowing I was putting forth great effort to allow God to pick me back up. My apartment is proof of that. Today, I see people everywhere that smile and wave at me because I've proved my self-sufficiency due to my love of God and his mercy to me. But, even now, when I am sad, or discouraged, or need a pat on the back, or someone to just hold me and make me feel protected, the only person I can go to is God. And, sometimes I get tired of hearing the same thing from him all the time, "You are going to be okay. I made you. I know you, I'm taking care of you. Now, get up and DO what you are supposed to do."
Now, I know I need to hear that; and, I know I need to do that, but I would love to have friends who support me morally, the way Danny has when he goes to N.A.. I need friends who are there who understand where I am, how I got there, and who can support me emotionally as I struggle to fulfill the purposes God has for me.
I have struggled with a solution to this problem. The truth is, I don't know the solution. All I can do is teach others what I know about friendship. Maybe if we understand what Jesus needs in his friends, we can all learn to be friends to each other the way I need a friend to be.
So, what is friendship? In order to have a friend, one must know how to be a friend. None of us are whole, or truly happy without friends. Part of the problem is that we fall way short when it comes to growing our friendships. We don't understand that friendships, like plants, have to be nurtured, or they die. Though I find fault with some of his teachings, I heard Creflo Dollar, on TBN, Tuesday morning, say something that I had to rush to write down. After all, I collect information. This bit of information was as if God was speaking to me, through him. Dollar said, "Until you can be single and whole, AND SATISFIED, you ain't ready for marriage."
Until you can be single, and know how to build friendships, and know how to nurture them, and learn to respect them, you don't need to commit yourself to a life partner. I spent half the day thinking about this. He was right.
Most marriages today are based on the fulfillment of the pleasures of lust, or what can you do for me that I can't do for myself? Friendship is based on a true admiration of who you are.
Friendship happens in stages.
1) I hang out with certain people because I am genuinely interested in them as a person.
2) As I get to know them, I am willing to give more of myself and what I have to enable them to be who they need to be.
3) Finally, as the friendship deepens, I become protective of them, as members of my own family, whom I would die for if need be.
Life experiences has taught me to set boundaries to protect myself and my assets; but, many of us build walls around us, instead of simple boundaries, that prevent anyone from getting to know us and being our friend. Until we can operate with simple boundaries instead of walls, so that we can reach the last stage in our friendships, we have no business choosing a mate from the first two stages.
When we decide to choose a mate, we not only consider how we feel about that person, but how well that person nurtures friendship. Friends are the fruit of your character. In Matthew 6:17 Jesus said, "Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs from thistles?" He was talking of how to discern who was a false prophet. But, we can discern who our best friends are by this method as well.
Can you trust your friends? Can you count on them when the chips are down? Would your friend give his life for you if need be? You can answer these questions by looking at the other friends he has. Do they trust him? Are they inspired by him? Do they protect him?
Functional friendship is mutual. Dysfunctional friendship is not good for your health, or your bank account. A true friend never takes more than he is willing to give. A true friend nurtures the friendship by giving more than he expects to get back. Then he watches to see if his friendship is growing. If it is growing in trust and integrity, the giving part is easy. If not, you may wish to re-evaluate who you've chosen as a friend.
Communication is defined, where friendship is concerned, as mutual permission to disagree. This means that give and take is involved. it requires listening skills as well as skills in self-evaluation.
So, while we discuss problems we have as singles, we need to discuss ways to get rid of those problems, and learn to nurture friendships that are real, unshakeable, and lasting.
Most people can count the number of friends they have on one hand; and they aren't sure about them. Even our best friends don't know everything about us. This is because in this day and age, we don't trust anyone completely; and, trust is the foundation of friendship.
True friends can be trusted with your life. Jesus said, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13) Jesus was the best example of a friend that the world ever had. But, before I get into the example Jesus set for us in what constitutes a friendship, I'd like to go back to other Biblical examples of friendship.
In 1 Samuel, starting around chapter 14, I believe, begins the story of Jonathon and David. At the time they met (1 Samuel 18:1), David had already been annointed to take Jonathon's place as heir to the Kingdom, due to Saul's disobedience. To understand the nature of their friendship, you must understand who Jonathon was, as well as who David was. Jonathon was Saul's son.
Jonathon was not only Saul's son, he was a fearless warrior. Months before David came into the picture, the Israelites were fighting with the Philistines. The Philistines were winning. Finally, Saul retreated and ordered that no one eat anything until the evening, to petition God for revenge on the losses he'd taken that day. Furthermore, he ordered that anyone who did not fast was to be put to death.
Jonathon wasn't there when his father made that decree. He was pacing back and forth, fuming, in front of his men. He wanted to fight some more. He wanted to beat them. He wanted to bring honor back to his father's army. So, he and his men went and provoked the opposing army into attacking again. The Philistines bit the bait and war was on again, with Jonathon kicking butt, and Saul wondering why they were fighting again.
After the battle, on the way back to his father, Jonathon found some honey and broke the fast. And, as proud as Saul was, he was duty bound to honor his decree. However, due to the recent victory Jonathon had over the Philistines, the people of Israel threatened to revolt if Saul followed through on his decree, and so Jonathon was saved.
Then, Saul is told to defeat the Amelakites. He was told to destroy them off the face of the earth. He was told to leave nothing alive. He disobeyed God by bringing back a prisoner of war and all the cattle. So, God annointed to David, a shepherd boy who played the harp and wrote and sang songs for a living, to be King after Saul is gone.
When the spirit of God left Saul, he was distressed. Depressed. The only thing that soothed him was music. So, he sent for David when his servants told the king about the talent of the boy. Saul loved him so much that he made him an Armourbearer. This was the first training he received for his future office. Saul had no idea that he was training his replacement.
Soon, David went back home to be with his aging father and tend the sheep and do what he was doing before Saul called for him. Back to the good life. And, the Philistines wanted revenge.
Saul's army was camped on one mountain side, and the Philistines were on another, and there was a valley between them. David's three oldest brothers were on the front lines, waiting for action.
Jesse, David's father, called his youngest son and sent him to the front lines to see how his brothers were doing. He also sent him some bread to take to the head general to fish for information. They didn't have newspapers back then, so whatever David could find out, he would bring back to his father who would then let everyone else in the village know.
When David got there, he saw this giant idiot challenging God's army, and he let his brothers and all their company know what he thought about Goliath. "Who is this wimp that would taunt God's army? Why isn't anyone accepting his challenge?" David's brothers then admonished him to keep his mouth shut, accusing him of only wanting to see blood and guts. But David persisted. Finally, before he knew it, he accepted the challenge himself, and with nothing but a small pebble and a slingshot, he won Goliath's sword for himself, the Philistines for Israel, and was standing in front of Saul and Jonathon with Saul's head hanging from his hands.
That moment, Jonathon's soul was knit with Davids. David was his hero. David was fearless, and Jonathon loved David. But, the story doesn't stop there.
Saul put David as head of his army. Soon, the people were singing about how Saul had slain his thousands, and David his ten-thousands. This made Saul very jealous. He became so jealous, in fact, that he ordered Jonathon to kill David. Instead, Jonathon helped David escape, then went back to talk some sense into his father. Had Saul known that Jonathon had warned David to run, he probably would have killed Jonathon. He wasn't beyond that. After all, it nearly took a revolt to stay his hand once before, already. The risk Jonathon took further sealed the trust David had in him. Jonathon was willing to die for David and now David knew it. Do you have even one friend you trust that much?
You know, it really feels better when you are sick, or in mourning, broken-hearted, or in trouble to have a friend that really distresses with you. Most of us don't know how to be friends like that. You find out who your real friends are when you are down and out. Those who sit with you and keep you company when you are hurting are true friends. Job had three friends like that. Just three. He lost all he had and they got together and decided to make him feel better. (Job 2:11)
Do you have many friends like that? When you are lonely or depressed, do they come to you, or do you have to round them up?
In 2 Kings 1-14, Elisha loved Elijah so much that he wouldn't let him out of his sight. Elijah constantly tried to get Elisha to stay behind, but Elisha was determined to follow him where ever he went. He wanted to see what his friend did. He wanted to be involved in his friends life. How many friends do you have like that? Are you Elisha, or Elijah?
In 2 Timothy 1: 1-5, Paul writes a letter to his friend, Timothy. He knows Timothy is his friend and he loves him for several reasons:
1) Paul thinks of Timothy constantly
2) Paul prays for Timothy's well-being
3) Paul can hardly wait to be able to spend time with him
4) Paul knows Timothy feels the same way about him
5) They share a mutual faith in Jesus Christ.
How many friends do you have like that?
Jesus commanded us to be friends like all of the above. More specifically, he commands us to BE friends to everyone, regardless of how they feel about us. What does a Jesus type friendship mean?
1) You must know how to communicate. Communication starts with you. When someone asks you, "Where are you going?" or "Where have you been" or "What are you doing?" it is there invitation to accept them as a friend. Jesus hid nothing from his friends. John 15:13, Jesus said, "Henceforth I call you not servants, for the servant knoweth not what the Lord doeth; but I have called you friends; for all that I have heard of my father, I have made known to you."
2) Don't expect your friends to befriend you first. Choose your friends, and be a friend first. Jesus chose twelve men to befriend, as well as countless others. When someone needs you, be there. Don't expect them to come to you. In John 15:16, Jesus said, "You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you." Yes, there are risks. Judas is proof of that.
3) Be forgiving. By being forgiving, even when a friend is treacherous, you are demonstrating the mercy Christ had as they drove the nails in his hands. You are proving you can be trusted intimately, as we now trust Christ.
4) Be loyal. A loyal friend would die, if need be, for a friend. Jesus said, "Greater love hath no man than he that would give up his life for a friend."
5) Be protective. Don't place your friends in dangerous situations that could lead them astray. Christ died so that we could live. He died to save us, not condemn us. So, when you let a friend drive drunk, you are not being a friend. When you act stupid in public and put a friend in danger of guilt by association, you are not being a friend. When you ask your friend who is working behind the counter at McDonald's to give you some extra fries for free, you are endangering his livelihood, and you are not being a friend.
6) Be helpful. If someone needs your help, help them. Be careful not to enable them to sin, however.
7) Spend quality time with your friends. Why do you think Jesus spent so much time in the boat?
8) Have a servant mind. Do small things to make your friends lives easier.
9) Encourage your friends. When they feel bad, uplift them. When they need a shoulder, give it. Be there.
10) Be more interested in them than they are of you. In time, they will want to know more about you. They will learn to love you. They will become the friend you need.
Friday, February 23, 2007
Cornerstone
Originally written in 2000 by Shonda Ponder
What happened in Waco at the Branche Davidian Compound was more than just a tragic government blunder. It was more than a cover-up. It was an act of God.
Those who died at the Branche Davidian Compound were martyrs for the cause of freedom, though many of them never knew what was happening even until the moment of their death. The survivors of the Waco fire are even just now seeing the full impact of the deaths at Waco.
Waco brought about a unity of freedom-lovers across the nation. It gave freedom a cause to defend, and the willingness to exercise its rights. Many eyes were opened to the dangers of Big Brother Government. Many comraderies were formed and bonded in love and understanding that there is something greater than Monday night football at stake here.
New vows were taken, and many pledged again their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honors to fight the monster that attacked Waco--not the government, but the corruption within it that caused the murder of innocent victims all in the name of the children. Today, many have already paid the ultimate price for that pledge, though we may never even hear the names of half of them.
It is the martyrs of Waco that has brought the nation to its knees again in support of religious freedom. Many people have been admitted to the Kingdom of God through the influence of Waco in many different sects of religion. So, David Koresh did not ultimately die in vain, and neither did those innocent babies who were never seen alive again. Waco became a door, and a finger of God for the nation.
It is the martyrs of Waco that woke up many 2nd Amendment advocates, renewing the spirit of "You can pry my gun from my cold dead fingers" and causing the "Don't tread on me" flag to wave once again throughout the nation. For Koresh and his followers, guns were a way of life. For the government, it was a threat against the elite establishment that is hungry for the control of every facet of our lives. If Koresh were allowed to continue, he might have influenced more than the government could handle.
The government feared this so greatly that they decided to cut off their nose to spite their face and instead of taking him alive, they killed him and all of his followers they could get in hopes of setting an example. Today, they realize that it was probably a fatal blunder on their part.
Too many people asked too many questions, and those people did not live in compounds or isolated places (like the Weaver's in Idaho did). The people were too smart to band together so the government could suppress them quickly, as was the plan in the "Communist Manifesto," and today, the internet has become the weapon of choice for many freedom advocates. It is safe, effective, and legal. And it holds a lot more power than did the Liberty Tree before the Revolutionary War.
Now, the government is discussing ways to limit the privileges of internet users, trying to find a way to do it so that it is not rebelled against by the public.
This is a new era. A new look for the nation, and a new sense of freedom has come about that many are reluctant to let go of now that they have discovered it. David Koresh and the victims of the Branche Davidian Compound in Waco will go down in history books as a milestone for freedom.
In Texas, "Remember the Alamo" has been forgotten and replaced with "Remember Waco". The rest of the nation has adopted the logo "Never Again."
Freedom has become a lifestyle worth dying for because 17 little children were killed by an entity that says it only wants "what's best for the children".
The start of a restoration of the Great Republic envisioned by our founding fathers has come alive, and it will not stop until it is respected once again by those in power.
Waco, I salute you, and I thank you for being the cornerstone for the foundation that will make the American Dream a reality once again.
What happened in Waco at the Branche Davidian Compound was more than just a tragic government blunder. It was more than a cover-up. It was an act of God.
Those who died at the Branche Davidian Compound were martyrs for the cause of freedom, though many of them never knew what was happening even until the moment of their death. The survivors of the Waco fire are even just now seeing the full impact of the deaths at Waco.
Waco brought about a unity of freedom-lovers across the nation. It gave freedom a cause to defend, and the willingness to exercise its rights. Many eyes were opened to the dangers of Big Brother Government. Many comraderies were formed and bonded in love and understanding that there is something greater than Monday night football at stake here.
New vows were taken, and many pledged again their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honors to fight the monster that attacked Waco--not the government, but the corruption within it that caused the murder of innocent victims all in the name of the children. Today, many have already paid the ultimate price for that pledge, though we may never even hear the names of half of them.
It is the martyrs of Waco that has brought the nation to its knees again in support of religious freedom. Many people have been admitted to the Kingdom of God through the influence of Waco in many different sects of religion. So, David Koresh did not ultimately die in vain, and neither did those innocent babies who were never seen alive again. Waco became a door, and a finger of God for the nation.
It is the martyrs of Waco that woke up many 2nd Amendment advocates, renewing the spirit of "You can pry my gun from my cold dead fingers" and causing the "Don't tread on me" flag to wave once again throughout the nation. For Koresh and his followers, guns were a way of life. For the government, it was a threat against the elite establishment that is hungry for the control of every facet of our lives. If Koresh were allowed to continue, he might have influenced more than the government could handle.
The government feared this so greatly that they decided to cut off their nose to spite their face and instead of taking him alive, they killed him and all of his followers they could get in hopes of setting an example. Today, they realize that it was probably a fatal blunder on their part.
Too many people asked too many questions, and those people did not live in compounds or isolated places (like the Weaver's in Idaho did). The people were too smart to band together so the government could suppress them quickly, as was the plan in the "Communist Manifesto," and today, the internet has become the weapon of choice for many freedom advocates. It is safe, effective, and legal. And it holds a lot more power than did the Liberty Tree before the Revolutionary War.
Now, the government is discussing ways to limit the privileges of internet users, trying to find a way to do it so that it is not rebelled against by the public.
This is a new era. A new look for the nation, and a new sense of freedom has come about that many are reluctant to let go of now that they have discovered it. David Koresh and the victims of the Branche Davidian Compound in Waco will go down in history books as a milestone for freedom.
In Texas, "Remember the Alamo" has been forgotten and replaced with "Remember Waco". The rest of the nation has adopted the logo "Never Again."
Freedom has become a lifestyle worth dying for because 17 little children were killed by an entity that says it only wants "what's best for the children".
The start of a restoration of the Great Republic envisioned by our founding fathers has come alive, and it will not stop until it is respected once again by those in power.
Waco, I salute you, and I thank you for being the cornerstone for the foundation that will make the American Dream a reality once again.
Making the Sacrifices
Originally written in 2000 by Shonda Ponder
The Founding Fathers gave their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honors. What are we giving today?
Many patriots in the freedom movement today who are trying tirelessly to restore this nation back to the Constitutional Republic it was founded upon are making the same sacrifices. We may not hear most of their names. We may never see most of their faces, or shake their hands, or even have the chance to say, "thank you."
Some are shot and killed, some are burned alive. Some are, today still, political prisoners who have not even been charged with crimes and have no way of fighting the system without our help. Some have given their all and are now living on barely enough to keep them alive and are still giving. Some are sacrificing their marriages, and their relationships with their children while they promote those very things, their lives becoming a martyr for the cause. From Randy Weaver's wife in Idaho, to the Branche Davidian survivors, to Kenneth Vardon of APFN, to many others who would never speak out loud of the burdens they carry at home.
The exchange of information in this day of computer technology has sky-rocketed and the myth that conservatives are "poor, un-educated, and easy to command" has been successfully proven false. The work done by these brave and daring souls who refuse to sit on the fence waiting for something to happen is the reason that we are able now to enjoy what few freedoms we still have left.
The questions that remain now, in light of the new gun confiscation activities in several states, and in light of IRS harassment, and forcing of the people to become spies on each other by requiring them to ask their fellow citizens to "show me your papers, please," along with the fact that too many cringe and cower when you start talking about what is wrong in this country, despite the right to freedom of speech, is, "What now?"
Many of these patriots who have given their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honors today have been begging for help before it is too late, knowing that there would soon come a day when what they are doing won't be enough without the help of the general public. Now they are seeing this happen.
Laws are getting passed that restrict our freedoms before they have the chance to send out a petition. The news is mainly covering what has already happened rather than what is going to happen and how we can stop it. Any information that we get is in the past tense rather than the present. It is much easier to change things before they happen than to change them after.
The "soldiers of passion" that are tirelessly fighting today are, one by one, dropping out of the race. The reasons vary, from no financial support, to lack of resources. How are we going to keep the enemy from taking any more guns from us if we don't have the guns to threaten them with? And how are we going to create and place more "soldiers of passion" if we don't support those that are already there? And how are those that are already there going to continue the fight when there is nothing left for them to fight with?
When a "mover and shaker" has done all he can do alone and is forced to ask for help, he is often attacked, accused of "seeking personal gain" and labeled a "patriot for profit" when the truth of the matter is that due to the time and money involved in this work, without that support the work will not grow and spread.
While the reporters on ABC, NBC and CBS get to live in nice homes and never have to worry about their children going hungry, conservative writers and journalists often volunteer their work covering and promoting events as they happen. Yet, if they ask for payment, they are asking too much.
Isn't it time to start fighting fire with fire? While the enemy is using money to their advantage, we are losing the fight. The patriots have done all they can do as individuals. Isn't time for something bigger?
As with all wars, the "Information War" is not cheaply fought.
The Founding Fathers gave their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honors. What are we giving today?
Many patriots in the freedom movement today who are trying tirelessly to restore this nation back to the Constitutional Republic it was founded upon are making the same sacrifices. We may not hear most of their names. We may never see most of their faces, or shake their hands, or even have the chance to say, "thank you."
Some are shot and killed, some are burned alive. Some are, today still, political prisoners who have not even been charged with crimes and have no way of fighting the system without our help. Some have given their all and are now living on barely enough to keep them alive and are still giving. Some are sacrificing their marriages, and their relationships with their children while they promote those very things, their lives becoming a martyr for the cause. From Randy Weaver's wife in Idaho, to the Branche Davidian survivors, to Kenneth Vardon of APFN, to many others who would never speak out loud of the burdens they carry at home.
The exchange of information in this day of computer technology has sky-rocketed and the myth that conservatives are "poor, un-educated, and easy to command" has been successfully proven false. The work done by these brave and daring souls who refuse to sit on the fence waiting for something to happen is the reason that we are able now to enjoy what few freedoms we still have left.
The questions that remain now, in light of the new gun confiscation activities in several states, and in light of IRS harassment, and forcing of the people to become spies on each other by requiring them to ask their fellow citizens to "show me your papers, please," along with the fact that too many cringe and cower when you start talking about what is wrong in this country, despite the right to freedom of speech, is, "What now?"
Many of these patriots who have given their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honors today have been begging for help before it is too late, knowing that there would soon come a day when what they are doing won't be enough without the help of the general public. Now they are seeing this happen.
Laws are getting passed that restrict our freedoms before they have the chance to send out a petition. The news is mainly covering what has already happened rather than what is going to happen and how we can stop it. Any information that we get is in the past tense rather than the present. It is much easier to change things before they happen than to change them after.
The "soldiers of passion" that are tirelessly fighting today are, one by one, dropping out of the race. The reasons vary, from no financial support, to lack of resources. How are we going to keep the enemy from taking any more guns from us if we don't have the guns to threaten them with? And how are we going to create and place more "soldiers of passion" if we don't support those that are already there? And how are those that are already there going to continue the fight when there is nothing left for them to fight with?
When a "mover and shaker" has done all he can do alone and is forced to ask for help, he is often attacked, accused of "seeking personal gain" and labeled a "patriot for profit" when the truth of the matter is that due to the time and money involved in this work, without that support the work will not grow and spread.
While the reporters on ABC, NBC and CBS get to live in nice homes and never have to worry about their children going hungry, conservative writers and journalists often volunteer their work covering and promoting events as they happen. Yet, if they ask for payment, they are asking too much.
Isn't it time to start fighting fire with fire? While the enemy is using money to their advantage, we are losing the fight. The patriots have done all they can do as individuals. Isn't time for something bigger?
As with all wars, the "Information War" is not cheaply fought.
We have Had Enough - By Shonda Ponder
(This was originally written in support of the 50 Million Round March on May 29, 2000, for the Sierra Times)
As women we have watched as our children are shot in the school rooms and have tried alternative schooling for our children so that they wouldn't have to deal with that. But, not only do we get in trouble for trying to do our motherly duty and protect them, we have to fight their fathers in order to do so. Why? Because men would rather make a dollar than protect their children.
We have fought the doctors, nurses, teachers and day-care workers in order to keep our kids drug-free from ritalin and other forms of methamphetamines, but their fathers don't have the time to get to really get to know their children and it is much easier to listen to a woman they don't know than to listen to the wife they are constantly arguing with about the subject, even though she knows the child better at times, because she is with him more.
Our men, who spend their hard earned money on expensive toys for themselves rather than quality time with their families, have fallen into the traps of liberated women, and are now demanding that their wives follow suit. They just flat don't want to take care of us anymore. It is too much work.
Never mind that the liberated women out there have done more to mess up our children than anyone. They would rather put their children on drugs so they can get rest away from their children when they come home from work (if they haven't aborted those nuisances) so the children can be walking zombies that never learn right from wrong. They sit those children, who are too "down" to do anything, in front of that box full of sex and violence, and since that is all they see, that is all they learn. Is it no wonder they go to school then and kill other kids?
What is worse, it is those liberated women out there who are the teachers and day-care workers we have to fight everyday from undermining our own authority over our children.
So, us women who still believe in traditional values, and are still trying to raise our children to respect God and Country, are tired of taking matters into our own hands. We are looking for a few REAL men to take up our cause. We heard about those 40K morons who went to Washington, and with minimal support from a few real men in order to teach those killers for gun-control a lesson, many of us liberty-loving, conservative and Godly women showed up, too.
How many liberal husbands supported their women as they attacked our children that day? How many freedom-loving husbands supported and honored their wives as they went to counter that attack? If the conservative woman was not there, it was because, in this day and age, a woman can't afford to be conservative. There are no men around to take care of them anymore. There are no men who will stand up and support their wives in order to be honored back in the long run.
Men, let me give you a little secret. Women like to be protected, not owned. They like to be taken care of, not forced to take care of themselves in order to pay half the bills. The reason there are so many "liberal" women out there today is out of necessity. If a woman has to support herself with someone, it is just as easy to support themselves alone.
When will the men be men?
The men, who are using loneliness to excuse drunken rages and beating their wives because they feel inadequate enough to care for them completely blame us women for all the world's problems. Men like the idea of women helping to be the bread winner of the family today. Don't they realize that if their women get a job and become equal bread winners, that they won't be home when their men are to take care of them? Don't they realize that women can compensate for loneliness a lot easier than a man can?
Men, who think only in terms of sex and dollars have found out that that they can take care of themselves a lot easier than they can support a family, and they can go to a bar and get sex anytime they want. They don't stop to think that the reason they can do this a lot of times is because the women who go to that bar are tired of the men that they have not being men.
Oh, but it isn't all the men's fault.
Women, who have been raised in the government training camps don't beg their men to go to church with them any more and to share those quality outings with their children. After all, we were all descended from apes, so there is no God to answer to. Life was much better when men felt forced to spend a few hours on Sunday listening to Godly sermons and told that God would punish them if they were bad husbands or fathers.
We have mistakenly molded our men into being more "sensitive" and loving, and have not instructed them that it is okay to be leaders and put their foots down when needed for the betterment of the family as a whole.
Now, when we are faced with surrendering our children because men won't stand up and be men, we, as conservative women, are stumbling around trying to find a few good men who will instruct us on how to use a weapon for self-defense. We are afraid. We have no man to protect us or our children anymore.
Those men out there who do try to be real men and protect the traditional values of God and Country are constantly being (a) ridiculed by society as being an extremist, and therefore being forced not to talk about it or educate anyone else, (b) feared by their liberal wives who are concerned about the social life their children are not enjoying due to being "different" or (c) they are accused by their women of being too strict or too demanding.
(A note for you liberal women out there: If a man is willing to work 3 jobs in order to pay the bills and buy your clothes and put food in your mouth and your kid's, so he can have someone there for him to cook, clean and rub his back when he gets home--any way he wants it rubbed--is that asking too much?)
And now, in light of losing the Constitution that allowed our men to be free men, and knowing that our sons (read: our CHILDREN) will have no choice but to be compliant, we are humbled, and we are putting our foot down to protect the rights of our children.
We women have had enough.
We have already been forced to give our children up to entities that will turn them against us in the long run. We have been forced to live alone rather than with a liberal man who thinks anything goes. We have been forced to fend for ourselves, rather than have half our bills paid by a "domestic partner"/roommate, and half of our saving squandered on a good time.
Why should we pay more taxes for that?
For you men who are reading this and saying to themselves, "you just haven't found the right one yet," we say if there are any real men left out there after we have so carelessly dispersed of them, then show us.
We want you to prove it by meeting the 50-Million Round Challenge that Jeff Head and SierraTimes.com are promoting. We want to see pictures of you on father's day, being real fathers and real heads of your family, at the gun range.
Why? Because when our childeren get to be 18 years old, we want their God-given right to self-defense by use of a weapon or any other peaceful means still in-tact. We don't want them to have to pay for a privilege that is, by the words written in the first ten amendments of the Constitution, a right.
And good mothers don't like to see their children hurt when they don't have to be. Responsible mothers teach their children to care for themselves...in every way.
Men, women like to feel loved. If you are, indeed, a man, we want to see you stand up, for once, for liberty and justice in love, honor, and protection like men should do for your family and for yourself. We want the proof. We want the pictures.
We want hope.
As women we have watched as our children are shot in the school rooms and have tried alternative schooling for our children so that they wouldn't have to deal with that. But, not only do we get in trouble for trying to do our motherly duty and protect them, we have to fight their fathers in order to do so. Why? Because men would rather make a dollar than protect their children.
We have fought the doctors, nurses, teachers and day-care workers in order to keep our kids drug-free from ritalin and other forms of methamphetamines, but their fathers don't have the time to get to really get to know their children and it is much easier to listen to a woman they don't know than to listen to the wife they are constantly arguing with about the subject, even though she knows the child better at times, because she is with him more.
Our men, who spend their hard earned money on expensive toys for themselves rather than quality time with their families, have fallen into the traps of liberated women, and are now demanding that their wives follow suit. They just flat don't want to take care of us anymore. It is too much work.
Never mind that the liberated women out there have done more to mess up our children than anyone. They would rather put their children on drugs so they can get rest away from their children when they come home from work (if they haven't aborted those nuisances) so the children can be walking zombies that never learn right from wrong. They sit those children, who are too "down" to do anything, in front of that box full of sex and violence, and since that is all they see, that is all they learn. Is it no wonder they go to school then and kill other kids?
What is worse, it is those liberated women out there who are the teachers and day-care workers we have to fight everyday from undermining our own authority over our children.
So, us women who still believe in traditional values, and are still trying to raise our children to respect God and Country, are tired of taking matters into our own hands. We are looking for a few REAL men to take up our cause. We heard about those 40K morons who went to Washington, and with minimal support from a few real men in order to teach those killers for gun-control a lesson, many of us liberty-loving, conservative and Godly women showed up, too.
How many liberal husbands supported their women as they attacked our children that day? How many freedom-loving husbands supported and honored their wives as they went to counter that attack? If the conservative woman was not there, it was because, in this day and age, a woman can't afford to be conservative. There are no men around to take care of them anymore. There are no men who will stand up and support their wives in order to be honored back in the long run.
Men, let me give you a little secret. Women like to be protected, not owned. They like to be taken care of, not forced to take care of themselves in order to pay half the bills. The reason there are so many "liberal" women out there today is out of necessity. If a woman has to support herself with someone, it is just as easy to support themselves alone.
When will the men be men?
The men, who are using loneliness to excuse drunken rages and beating their wives because they feel inadequate enough to care for them completely blame us women for all the world's problems. Men like the idea of women helping to be the bread winner of the family today. Don't they realize that if their women get a job and become equal bread winners, that they won't be home when their men are to take care of them? Don't they realize that women can compensate for loneliness a lot easier than a man can?
Men, who think only in terms of sex and dollars have found out that that they can take care of themselves a lot easier than they can support a family, and they can go to a bar and get sex anytime they want. They don't stop to think that the reason they can do this a lot of times is because the women who go to that bar are tired of the men that they have not being men.
Oh, but it isn't all the men's fault.
Women, who have been raised in the government training camps don't beg their men to go to church with them any more and to share those quality outings with their children. After all, we were all descended from apes, so there is no God to answer to. Life was much better when men felt forced to spend a few hours on Sunday listening to Godly sermons and told that God would punish them if they were bad husbands or fathers.
We have mistakenly molded our men into being more "sensitive" and loving, and have not instructed them that it is okay to be leaders and put their foots down when needed for the betterment of the family as a whole.
Now, when we are faced with surrendering our children because men won't stand up and be men, we, as conservative women, are stumbling around trying to find a few good men who will instruct us on how to use a weapon for self-defense. We are afraid. We have no man to protect us or our children anymore.
Those men out there who do try to be real men and protect the traditional values of God and Country are constantly being (a) ridiculed by society as being an extremist, and therefore being forced not to talk about it or educate anyone else, (b) feared by their liberal wives who are concerned about the social life their children are not enjoying due to being "different" or (c) they are accused by their women of being too strict or too demanding.
(A note for you liberal women out there: If a man is willing to work 3 jobs in order to pay the bills and buy your clothes and put food in your mouth and your kid's, so he can have someone there for him to cook, clean and rub his back when he gets home--any way he wants it rubbed--is that asking too much?)
And now, in light of losing the Constitution that allowed our men to be free men, and knowing that our sons (read: our CHILDREN) will have no choice but to be compliant, we are humbled, and we are putting our foot down to protect the rights of our children.
We women have had enough.
We have already been forced to give our children up to entities that will turn them against us in the long run. We have been forced to live alone rather than with a liberal man who thinks anything goes. We have been forced to fend for ourselves, rather than have half our bills paid by a "domestic partner"/roommate, and half of our saving squandered on a good time.
Why should we pay more taxes for that?
For you men who are reading this and saying to themselves, "you just haven't found the right one yet," we say if there are any real men left out there after we have so carelessly dispersed of them, then show us.
We want you to prove it by meeting the 50-Million Round Challenge that Jeff Head and SierraTimes.com are promoting. We want to see pictures of you on father's day, being real fathers and real heads of your family, at the gun range.
Why? Because when our childeren get to be 18 years old, we want their God-given right to self-defense by use of a weapon or any other peaceful means still in-tact. We don't want them to have to pay for a privilege that is, by the words written in the first ten amendments of the Constitution, a right.
And good mothers don't like to see their children hurt when they don't have to be. Responsible mothers teach their children to care for themselves...in every way.
Men, women like to feel loved. If you are, indeed, a man, we want to see you stand up, for once, for liberty and justice in love, honor, and protection like men should do for your family and for yourself. We want the proof. We want the pictures.
We want hope.
If We Could Face Our Fears
(Originally written in 1999, by Shonda Ponder)
We have a crisis in our country today.
The crisis I speak about is not the presidential impeachment hearings. It is not the recent rise in hate crimes. It is not the dangers our children face each day as moms and dads across America drop them off at public schools. It isn't the religious persecutions around the world that seem to be untouchable by the separation of church and state that has been planted in our way of life for the past 30 years. It isn't the crowding of prisons due to victimless crimes; nor is it the rising numbers of deadbeat parents. It isn't the break-up of the family, or the lack of role models in the land.
The crisis isn't campaign finance, or the outrageous amount of taxes we pay each year. It isn't nuclear warheads pointed at different countries around the world; nor is it the rapid destruction of rain forests. It isn't global warming, natural disasters, man-made pollution, or endangered species. It isn't terrorism, war, or slavery. It isn't the federal reserve, international moneychangers, or even welfare reform. It isn't illiteracy, differentially-abled persons, or unemployment. It is not the economy, stupid.
The crisis we are facing in this country is fear. It is knowing that something is wrong and refusing to rock the boat for fear of being labeled a dissident.
I believe that it was Roosevelt that stated, "The only thing men have to fear is fear itself." Today we have come to understand the meaning of those words all too clearly.
Too many times men and women change the subject rather than face controversial issues. Too many times we tend to give our children the benefit of the doubt rather than offer them advice whether they need it or not. Too many times we defend our public officials simply because we voted for them, rather than hold them accountable to do the job we voted for them to do.
For too long we have allowed the government access to our pocketbooks without saying a word for fear of being labeled a tax-evader. We fear speaking up for our rights to the very people who swore to protect those rights. We fear police who harass and intimidate rather than serve and protect.
We fear arrest at our places of business for failure to I-D eighteen-year-olds who are allowed to die for their country without parental consent but are not allowed to decide whether or not they are responsible enough to drink a beer. We fear arrest for sexual harassment if we ask someone out on a date more than once. We fear being labeled racist if we promote someone of the wrong color, regardless of his or her ability. We fear being labeled stalkers, kooks, or fanatics if we attempt to hold our public officials accountable. We fear being politically incorrect when we speak at a public forum.
Yet we don't realize that the chains of slavery are fastened by fear. It is fear that keeps man from actively pursuing his natural tendencies regarding life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. When we fear we are more inclined to accept 2nd best, rather than strive to have the best at any cost.
There was a time when our heroes were admired for the lack of fear they seemed to show. Today, I am ashamed to say societal stature rather than dissident opinions measure our heroes.
My heroes are still those of the past who uttered such words as "give me liberty or give me death" or "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
If only we could think like those men and have the courage to draw that line in the sand and stand up for our beliefs and control over our own lives as they did. Maybe then we would be able to tip our hats in appreciation of the officer on the streets without fear. We could call our public officials and tell them thank you rather than complain. We could say to our children, "Stand up straight. Show respect. THAT is the president of the United States of America coming."
If we could just have the courage to face our fears and look them in the eye and say, "I'm not backing down. No retreat, no surrender," we might then be able to see a glimmer of hope that our children and our grandchildren will not have to wear the chains of slavery our government has forced upon us in the name of Peace.
We have a crisis in our country today.
The crisis I speak about is not the presidential impeachment hearings. It is not the recent rise in hate crimes. It is not the dangers our children face each day as moms and dads across America drop them off at public schools. It isn't the religious persecutions around the world that seem to be untouchable by the separation of church and state that has been planted in our way of life for the past 30 years. It isn't the crowding of prisons due to victimless crimes; nor is it the rising numbers of deadbeat parents. It isn't the break-up of the family, or the lack of role models in the land.
The crisis isn't campaign finance, or the outrageous amount of taxes we pay each year. It isn't nuclear warheads pointed at different countries around the world; nor is it the rapid destruction of rain forests. It isn't global warming, natural disasters, man-made pollution, or endangered species. It isn't terrorism, war, or slavery. It isn't the federal reserve, international moneychangers, or even welfare reform. It isn't illiteracy, differentially-abled persons, or unemployment. It is not the economy, stupid.
The crisis we are facing in this country is fear. It is knowing that something is wrong and refusing to rock the boat for fear of being labeled a dissident.
I believe that it was Roosevelt that stated, "The only thing men have to fear is fear itself." Today we have come to understand the meaning of those words all too clearly.
Too many times men and women change the subject rather than face controversial issues. Too many times we tend to give our children the benefit of the doubt rather than offer them advice whether they need it or not. Too many times we defend our public officials simply because we voted for them, rather than hold them accountable to do the job we voted for them to do.
For too long we have allowed the government access to our pocketbooks without saying a word for fear of being labeled a tax-evader. We fear speaking up for our rights to the very people who swore to protect those rights. We fear police who harass and intimidate rather than serve and protect.
We fear arrest at our places of business for failure to I-D eighteen-year-olds who are allowed to die for their country without parental consent but are not allowed to decide whether or not they are responsible enough to drink a beer. We fear arrest for sexual harassment if we ask someone out on a date more than once. We fear being labeled racist if we promote someone of the wrong color, regardless of his or her ability. We fear being labeled stalkers, kooks, or fanatics if we attempt to hold our public officials accountable. We fear being politically incorrect when we speak at a public forum.
Yet we don't realize that the chains of slavery are fastened by fear. It is fear that keeps man from actively pursuing his natural tendencies regarding life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. When we fear we are more inclined to accept 2nd best, rather than strive to have the best at any cost.
There was a time when our heroes were admired for the lack of fear they seemed to show. Today, I am ashamed to say societal stature rather than dissident opinions measure our heroes.
My heroes are still those of the past who uttered such words as "give me liberty or give me death" or "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
If only we could think like those men and have the courage to draw that line in the sand and stand up for our beliefs and control over our own lives as they did. Maybe then we would be able to tip our hats in appreciation of the officer on the streets without fear. We could call our public officials and tell them thank you rather than complain. We could say to our children, "Stand up straight. Show respect. THAT is the president of the United States of America coming."
If we could just have the courage to face our fears and look them in the eye and say, "I'm not backing down. No retreat, no surrender," we might then be able to see a glimmer of hope that our children and our grandchildren will not have to wear the chains of slavery our government has forced upon us in the name of Peace.
Freedom is Not Free: a Speech Given at a Waco Remembrance Rally in 1999
The sacrifice that the Branch Davidians made was a price paid for us to all be aware with the knowledge of what is happening in our country. It is a price that, I am sorry to say, not all of us would be willing to make. We all have our excuses.
Speaking of excuses, I won’t mention names, but recently I received an e-mail from a young man whose talents were VERY worthy for the cause. This young man had a knack for making people actually listen to us. He was soft-spoken, sensible, and had the ability to speak his mind without offending the opposition.
We were proud to have him as a part America’s Media Alliance.
He is a prime example of what happens to all of us at one time or another. His frustration at the lack of response from the public, as well as his financial inability caused him to reconsider his position, and to make a long story short, he backed out of the movement.
His reasons were as follows:
*His monthly phone bill was about as much as his rent.
*His travel expenses along with lost wages while pursuing stories was too high.
*There was a lack of help from sponsors.
*He had sympathy with others who were in like positions in the cause.
He quoted a phrase in this letter that was from an essay written by Thomas Paine, “Some men have a strange aversion to arms, yet are willing to risk every shilling in the cause…”
*He has received countless numbers of death threats, which included his wife and his children being threatened.
*He asked the question, “If you live in fear, are you really living?”
*He said that most so-called patriots give in to peer pressure. Most expect everyone else to do the work it takes while they profess themselves to be patriots, yet refuse to get off their behinds and help in whatever way it takes.
This is a quote from his e-mail:
“The simple fact is for all of our hard efforts, for all of our money spent, for all of the time spent bitching at beaurocrats instead of bouncing our children and grandchildren on our knees, very little has changed. People, especially so-called patriots, continue to pay illegal taxes, thumbscan, consent to warrantless searches, and in general, kneel to those that wish to keep them enslaved. The slavemasters in this world actually do little to enslave us. We do all the work for them. We love being slaves. Slaves are secure. They have very well defined boundaries, and hence, little is unknown; the unknown is, after all, what humans fear the most.”
Further into the letter he said:
“Americans sense that as a whole, “patriots” are wishy-washy, and really stand for very little. That is why I no longer have it in me to show up to events myself. I have a very real understanding of Martin Luther King, Jr’s “Letters from a Birmingham Jail” now. This is my letter from the jail I am now freeing myself from. For those of you who have not read it, do so. He writes about his disgust for the “white clergy”. While admitting that racism and racist policies, laws, etc. were wrong, none seemed willing to do very much about it. His disgust stemmed from the fact that they knew the difference between right and wrong, yet continued to perpetuate the wrong. I feel the same. Right now,” he goes on, “In fact, for quite some time, I’ve had more respect for the enemies of this nation that for the patriot community. THEY stand for SOMETHING, even if it’s wrong.”
I read this letter, after I received it, over and over. Each time, I felt a little different.
The first time, I was stunned. He put in words what many of us have felt and have been frustrated with over and over again. We all have given thought at one time or another, for one reason or another, to just throwing up our hands and saying, “I quit.”
After reading it again, more carefully, thoughts began to race through my mind. What if everyone was to feel the way he does and throws in the towel? What hope would our children have? How could we look them in the eye and say, “It was all for you.”
Our Founding Fathers faced loyalty to the crown dead on. They created friendships and a circle of people that they could trust to stand up for their beliefs. They knew that the chance of survival was minimal. They knew that their numbers were small. They knew that what they were asking for was not popular, nor was it supported. Not “politically correct” is the phrase we use today.
When the Revolutionary War was fought, only 3% of the population were among those who stood up with the Founding Fathers. 3%. And that was after exercising their talents in the press for several years. They had written pamphlets, started newspapers, written letters, and held public meetings as well as private ones. They knew that even that was grounds for getting them killed, legally, and with the King’s blessings.
Had they thrown in the towel, we would not feel the need to be able to protect our freedoms today. We would not have the ability to create the press the way we have today. The information would not be important. Many of us would have grown up in a different atmosphere, with different beliefs, because that is all we would have ever been taught.
While I was exploring the Internet the other day, I came across one of Captain Nemo’s web pages. On it was an essay I would like for you to read. It is called “The Price They Paid.” I am including it here with the permission of “Captain Nemo.”
THE PRICE THEY PAID
Author Unknown
Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?
Five signers were captured by the British as traitors and tortured before they died.
Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons in the Revolutionary Army, another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or the hardships of the Revolutionary War.
They signed and pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.
What kind of men where they?
Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists.
Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners, men of means, well educated.
But they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.
Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British navy. He sold his home and his properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.
Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him and poverty was his reward.
Vandals or soldiers or both looted the properties of Ellery, Clymer, Hall, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.
At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr. noted that the British General Cornwallis, had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. The owner quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.
Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.
John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished. A few weeks later he died from exhaustion and a broken heart.
Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates.
Such are the stories and sacrifices of the American Revolution.
These were not wild-eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians. They were soft-spoken men of means and education. They had security, but they valued liberty more. Standing tall, straight, and unwavering, they pledged this pledge:
"For the support of this declaration, with the firm reliance on the protection of the Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor."
They gave us a free and independent America.
What will you do to keep it?
-----
I thank God for the fight I am fighting today, for the sacrifices I have to make for the cause, and for the friends that are standing up and being counted as one of us. I thank God for those who died and were tortured and were shamed in front of their family and peers so that I COULD stand up today and appreciate the freedoms that I am fighting hard to protect for my children, and my grandchildren.
The Founding Fathers pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honors so that I COULD stand up today with something worth standing for.
Why should I not give as much as they?
Why should we all not give as much?
In closing, Freedom-Lovers International would like to thank America’s Media Alliance, and all of the freedom-loving alternative media, patriots, and militia groups out there who are fighting tirelessly to reverse the trends of the Elite Special Interest groups, who’s main agenda is to bring us all into slavery in the name of peace.
I honestly believe that we all were chosen to live in this day and age for a reason. And that our great great grandchildren will benefit from our tireless labour.
That, alone, makes the fight worth it.
Speaking of excuses, I won’t mention names, but recently I received an e-mail from a young man whose talents were VERY worthy for the cause. This young man had a knack for making people actually listen to us. He was soft-spoken, sensible, and had the ability to speak his mind without offending the opposition.
We were proud to have him as a part America’s Media Alliance.
He is a prime example of what happens to all of us at one time or another. His frustration at the lack of response from the public, as well as his financial inability caused him to reconsider his position, and to make a long story short, he backed out of the movement.
His reasons were as follows:
*His monthly phone bill was about as much as his rent.
*His travel expenses along with lost wages while pursuing stories was too high.
*There was a lack of help from sponsors.
*He had sympathy with others who were in like positions in the cause.
He quoted a phrase in this letter that was from an essay written by Thomas Paine, “Some men have a strange aversion to arms, yet are willing to risk every shilling in the cause…”
*He has received countless numbers of death threats, which included his wife and his children being threatened.
*He asked the question, “If you live in fear, are you really living?”
*He said that most so-called patriots give in to peer pressure. Most expect everyone else to do the work it takes while they profess themselves to be patriots, yet refuse to get off their behinds and help in whatever way it takes.
This is a quote from his e-mail:
“The simple fact is for all of our hard efforts, for all of our money spent, for all of the time spent bitching at beaurocrats instead of bouncing our children and grandchildren on our knees, very little has changed. People, especially so-called patriots, continue to pay illegal taxes, thumbscan, consent to warrantless searches, and in general, kneel to those that wish to keep them enslaved. The slavemasters in this world actually do little to enslave us. We do all the work for them. We love being slaves. Slaves are secure. They have very well defined boundaries, and hence, little is unknown; the unknown is, after all, what humans fear the most.”
Further into the letter he said:
“Americans sense that as a whole, “patriots” are wishy-washy, and really stand for very little. That is why I no longer have it in me to show up to events myself. I have a very real understanding of Martin Luther King, Jr’s “Letters from a Birmingham Jail” now. This is my letter from the jail I am now freeing myself from. For those of you who have not read it, do so. He writes about his disgust for the “white clergy”. While admitting that racism and racist policies, laws, etc. were wrong, none seemed willing to do very much about it. His disgust stemmed from the fact that they knew the difference between right and wrong, yet continued to perpetuate the wrong. I feel the same. Right now,” he goes on, “In fact, for quite some time, I’ve had more respect for the enemies of this nation that for the patriot community. THEY stand for SOMETHING, even if it’s wrong.”
I read this letter, after I received it, over and over. Each time, I felt a little different.
The first time, I was stunned. He put in words what many of us have felt and have been frustrated with over and over again. We all have given thought at one time or another, for one reason or another, to just throwing up our hands and saying, “I quit.”
After reading it again, more carefully, thoughts began to race through my mind. What if everyone was to feel the way he does and throws in the towel? What hope would our children have? How could we look them in the eye and say, “It was all for you.”
Our Founding Fathers faced loyalty to the crown dead on. They created friendships and a circle of people that they could trust to stand up for their beliefs. They knew that the chance of survival was minimal. They knew that their numbers were small. They knew that what they were asking for was not popular, nor was it supported. Not “politically correct” is the phrase we use today.
When the Revolutionary War was fought, only 3% of the population were among those who stood up with the Founding Fathers. 3%. And that was after exercising their talents in the press for several years. They had written pamphlets, started newspapers, written letters, and held public meetings as well as private ones. They knew that even that was grounds for getting them killed, legally, and with the King’s blessings.
Had they thrown in the towel, we would not feel the need to be able to protect our freedoms today. We would not have the ability to create the press the way we have today. The information would not be important. Many of us would have grown up in a different atmosphere, with different beliefs, because that is all we would have ever been taught.
While I was exploring the Internet the other day, I came across one of Captain Nemo’s web pages. On it was an essay I would like for you to read. It is called “The Price They Paid.” I am including it here with the permission of “Captain Nemo.”
THE PRICE THEY PAID
Author Unknown
Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?
Five signers were captured by the British as traitors and tortured before they died.
Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons in the Revolutionary Army, another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or the hardships of the Revolutionary War.
They signed and pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.
What kind of men where they?
Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists.
Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners, men of means, well educated.
But they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.
Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British navy. He sold his home and his properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.
Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him and poverty was his reward.
Vandals or soldiers or both looted the properties of Ellery, Clymer, Hall, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.
At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr. noted that the British General Cornwallis, had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. The owner quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.
Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.
John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished. A few weeks later he died from exhaustion and a broken heart.
Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates.
Such are the stories and sacrifices of the American Revolution.
These were not wild-eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians. They were soft-spoken men of means and education. They had security, but they valued liberty more. Standing tall, straight, and unwavering, they pledged this pledge:
"For the support of this declaration, with the firm reliance on the protection of the Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor."
They gave us a free and independent America.
What will you do to keep it?
-----
I thank God for the fight I am fighting today, for the sacrifices I have to make for the cause, and for the friends that are standing up and being counted as one of us. I thank God for those who died and were tortured and were shamed in front of their family and peers so that I COULD stand up today and appreciate the freedoms that I am fighting hard to protect for my children, and my grandchildren.
The Founding Fathers pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honors so that I COULD stand up today with something worth standing for.
Why should I not give as much as they?
Why should we all not give as much?
In closing, Freedom-Lovers International would like to thank America’s Media Alliance, and all of the freedom-loving alternative media, patriots, and militia groups out there who are fighting tirelessly to reverse the trends of the Elite Special Interest groups, who’s main agenda is to bring us all into slavery in the name of peace.
I honestly believe that we all were chosen to live in this day and age for a reason. And that our great great grandchildren will benefit from our tireless labour.
That, alone, makes the fight worth it.
God is a Terrorist?
(Originally written after 9/11 on January 2, 2002 by Shonda Ponder)
The Associated Propagandist, I mean Press, has reported that residents in Boca Raton, Florida have panicked because a skywriter wanted to spread a Godly message by writing it in the sky.
Geez. What's the world coming to?
No doubt, if Jerry Stevens, who wrote "God is Great" in the sky, would have wrote, "Bush is Numero Uno" instead, the AP wouldn't have had a story. So why, all of a sudden, has God become the enemy?
It's a shameful world in which we live when we have to be afraid of being labeled as a terrorist just because we mention the word God. After all, Jerry didn't write "Allah is Great". The panick would have been conceivable if he had, though still not right. After all, it wasn't God-fearing men that attacked the World Trade Centers. It was followers of Allah.
Here, in this great country, where one is free to believe in any God he wants, we are now being asked to keep God hidden because it might terrorize somebody. Just who, pray tell, are the paranoid extremists in this country when we can write "Busch Beer, Tastes Great" but not "God is Great" in the clouds? Who, really, are the paranoid extremists?
Most of the Right-Wing "extremists" that I know want only one thing: they want to be left alone. They want to live their lives as they see fit, and not have to get arrested or harassed when they leave their homes to travel. They don't call the cops when they see a mother chastise her young child in public for misbehaving. They don't call the FBI when they see their neighbors bring in some rough-looking individuals next door--until it affects them directly. Yet, when they try to homeschool their children, some nosy, paranoid neighbor wants to call CPS on them. When they return home from a hunting trip, the FBI seems to want to butt in because some extremely paranoid person wants to get rid of that "terrorist" in their neighborhood. Or, some Rosy O'Donnel groupie thinks he must be a criminal since he has a .22 Shotgun.
Face it, all us conservative parents can't even let our children be children because some crazy, paranoid teacher might be alarmed if our children want to play cops and robbers, or draws a gun. We are becoming a society that lables homosexuality as normal while they try to institutionalize anyone who believes in the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. It's okay to teach our young children about sex in schools and that sex is natural so long as it feels good, but it is wrong for a grown man to ask someone out on a date more than once lest he be accused of sexual harassment.
And now, God is a terrorist. Go figure.
The Associated Propagandist, I mean Press, has reported that residents in Boca Raton, Florida have panicked because a skywriter wanted to spread a Godly message by writing it in the sky.
Geez. What's the world coming to?
No doubt, if Jerry Stevens, who wrote "God is Great" in the sky, would have wrote, "Bush is Numero Uno" instead, the AP wouldn't have had a story. So why, all of a sudden, has God become the enemy?
It's a shameful world in which we live when we have to be afraid of being labeled as a terrorist just because we mention the word God. After all, Jerry didn't write "Allah is Great". The panick would have been conceivable if he had, though still not right. After all, it wasn't God-fearing men that attacked the World Trade Centers. It was followers of Allah.
Here, in this great country, where one is free to believe in any God he wants, we are now being asked to keep God hidden because it might terrorize somebody. Just who, pray tell, are the paranoid extremists in this country when we can write "Busch Beer, Tastes Great" but not "God is Great" in the clouds? Who, really, are the paranoid extremists?
Most of the Right-Wing "extremists" that I know want only one thing: they want to be left alone. They want to live their lives as they see fit, and not have to get arrested or harassed when they leave their homes to travel. They don't call the cops when they see a mother chastise her young child in public for misbehaving. They don't call the FBI when they see their neighbors bring in some rough-looking individuals next door--until it affects them directly. Yet, when they try to homeschool their children, some nosy, paranoid neighbor wants to call CPS on them. When they return home from a hunting trip, the FBI seems to want to butt in because some extremely paranoid person wants to get rid of that "terrorist" in their neighborhood. Or, some Rosy O'Donnel groupie thinks he must be a criminal since he has a .22 Shotgun.
Face it, all us conservative parents can't even let our children be children because some crazy, paranoid teacher might be alarmed if our children want to play cops and robbers, or draws a gun. We are becoming a society that lables homosexuality as normal while they try to institutionalize anyone who believes in the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. It's okay to teach our young children about sex in schools and that sex is natural so long as it feels good, but it is wrong for a grown man to ask someone out on a date more than once lest he be accused of sexual harassment.
And now, God is a terrorist. Go figure.
Bend Over, America!
(Originally written on November 4, 2001 by Shonda Ponder)
Over the past few years we've seen big changes in how our government operates. In the wake of the "War Against Terrorism," we are all called to make certain personal decisions that never before were questionable in our minds.
Most of us won't ask, we'll just follow the status quo, calling it "necessary" in light of the circumstances. Others will protest, while signing the dotted lines and giving their souls to the enemy. A few others will scream, and be incarcerated for failure to comply with the new standards. In the end, they, too, will give in--thinking they will be able to scream better if they just follow the rules. And, some will die fighting the monster that our government has become, and be written off as being whacked out mentally, or dangerous kookes.
This is the New World Order. Know it. Recognize it. Call it what it is. In the end, there is nothing you can do to stop it. The only thing you can do is decide how you want to get screwed.
Recently, 2nd Amendment advocates were appalled at the intent of the UN to interfere with national sovereignty in an attempt to disarm the world. Many of those same people are so busy trying to "get used to the new normality" since the September 11 attacks that they have not paid attention to what is going on with the UN now--and Bush will be able to effectively sign over any sovereign status our Bill of Rights has in order to further the agenda of the New World Order.
The New World Order has only one obstacle in its way. A world-type government must be able to agree with member nations on one idea, and then work from the foundation of that one idea to create effectively a government capable of ruling the world.
What agreement must the world reach a consensus on in order to create this "New World Order?" The question of who is to be considered a terrorist. After all, if a person is not considered a terrorist threat by the United States, and the United Nations wishes to punish the person for allegedly being a terrorist, this will cause friction between the two entities. They must both come to the same consensus on, not just who, but how a terrorist is labeled as a terrorist.
In the end, there will be only one way to label a terrorist. A terrorist will be anyone who disagrees with the policies and agendas set forth by the government, and is a potential obstacle in the way of it's goals.
In order to make sure that there is so-called "justice" against the alleged terrorists, the government must be able to find and root out any potential "problems" inside its borders. Many have debated the use of the National ID as a means of deterring terrorists. The idea was quickly struck down as being too blatant and "too much" for the people to accept right now. But that hasn't stopped New World Order proponents as they have searched to find an alternative solution to this problem.
The answer to that problem has almost been reached by utilizing the tools already available and in place for such an introduction: the driver's license.
The Executive Committee of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) passed a resolution recently establishing a Special Task Force on Identification Security. The Task Force will build relationships with other stakeholders, including Congress and federal agencies such as the departments of Transportation, Justice and State, the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, the U.S. Social Security Administration and the President’s Office of Homeland Security, to improve coordination and credentialing security.
"There's no need to create a new national ID card," said Jason King, the group's spokesman, according to an article in the Washington Post, "Let's just make what we have better."
But the AAMVA is not the only group working on such technology to insure identification. Drexler Technology Corporation develops and manufactures LaserCard(R) optical memory cards and chip-ready Smart/Optical(TM) cards -- a combination of optical memory card and smart card. LaserCard optical memory cards are used for "Laser Visa" border crossing ID cards, resident immigrant ID cards, and national ID cards, which are "digital governance" and "homeland security" applications.
"Digital governance" and "homeland security" applications represent Drexler's principal LaserCard markets today. "Digital governance" means the utilization of digital information technology to facilitate or expedite the process of governing by a nation, state, region, municipality, agency, institution, or commercial enterprise. The card is used for identification and as proof that the cardholder is authorized and has been granted certain rights and privileges by the card issuer. The LaserCard's high-security features inhibit counterfeiting and data tampering and provide controlled access to the benefits granted by the card issuer. For "homeland security" applications, the emphasis is on denying unauthorized persons those rights and privileges.
Drexler Technology and its wholly owned subsidiary, LaserCard Systems Corporation, are based in Mountain View, where Drexler manufactures cards and LaserCard Systems manufactures optical card read/write drives, develops optical card system software, and markets card-related data systems and peripherals. In addition to the "Laser Visa" cards made for the U.S. Department of State and the digital permanent resident "Green Card" made for the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, Drexler Technology also makes optical memory cards for other customers, such as the U.S. Department of Defense, the Government of Italy, and a state government of India.
One can see how easy it would be to incorportate identification data into one computer, under one legal entity that can be easily controlled by the government.
Identitrak is a UK based company that works to provide microchip implants for pets and other animals that can be used for tracking their behaviors and whereabouts. Recently, they have began working with the local Crimestoppers communities to help catch thieves. How easy would it be for such a company to decide to provide such technology for the implementation of a national identification?
In order to bring about the acceptance of the New World Order (in all its facets), the need for it must be made strong enough for the people to accept it. If people were not afraid of terrorists, would people accept Gray Davis's actions securing the bridges or the highways in California. Patience has been urged by the California Homeland Defense task force, and the people are accepting it.
With the possibility of biometric microchips, which are already being used by some health centers to regulate drugs within the body, come the need to get the people to accept such a dire idea. On October 17, 2001, Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy said on the floor of Congress, "We also must make sure we develop the best possible biometric technology to identify potential terrorists entering the United States, such as facial recognition or fingerprint systems. The USA Act includes a section proposed by Senator Cantwell that requires the Attorney General to report to Congress on the feasibility of enhancing the FBI’s Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System and other systems to better identify people with foreign passports or visas who may be wanted in connection with criminal investigations in the United States or abroad."
Right now the people will accept this because it only affects immigrants. But, sooner or later, immigration will prove too broad a spectrum to keep up with, and the only solution will be to have everyone, including the citizens of the US, entered into a national database.
Once all of the countries of the world follow suit, the only obstacle standing in the way of the "New World Order" will be to incorporate all of the information into a single database. The United Nations will only need access to each member country's computers in order to accomplish this.
According to the book of Revelations in the Bible (KJV), Chapter 13, verses 16 and 17, it says, "and he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand or in their foreheads, and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name."
This verse alone will cause the powers that be to question the loyalty of those who claim to be Christian. The paranoia that has been let loose by the governments in response to the terroristic threat on the nations will not stop at condemning anyone who refuses to take a stand against the idea of a national identification for religious reasons. After all, if they are not FOR their government and it's agenda, then they are against it. And if they are against it, then they are terrorists, and will need to be made obsolete.
In closing, America is no longer the home of the brave and the land of the free. We have effectively traded all that in, in order to prevent further terrorist attacks. Because we will be powerless now to stop the scope of powers we have given our government, we will see a pale horse with a rider named "Death" who will kill a quarter of the world's population by violence, hunger and pestilence.
Now is a critical moment. We must stand to oppose this. We must stand up for every last tittle of what made our American way of life so great. If we do not do so now...
Bend over America. Time to reap what we sow.
Over the past few years we've seen big changes in how our government operates. In the wake of the "War Against Terrorism," we are all called to make certain personal decisions that never before were questionable in our minds.
Most of us won't ask, we'll just follow the status quo, calling it "necessary" in light of the circumstances. Others will protest, while signing the dotted lines and giving their souls to the enemy. A few others will scream, and be incarcerated for failure to comply with the new standards. In the end, they, too, will give in--thinking they will be able to scream better if they just follow the rules. And, some will die fighting the monster that our government has become, and be written off as being whacked out mentally, or dangerous kookes.
This is the New World Order. Know it. Recognize it. Call it what it is. In the end, there is nothing you can do to stop it. The only thing you can do is decide how you want to get screwed.
Recently, 2nd Amendment advocates were appalled at the intent of the UN to interfere with national sovereignty in an attempt to disarm the world. Many of those same people are so busy trying to "get used to the new normality" since the September 11 attacks that they have not paid attention to what is going on with the UN now--and Bush will be able to effectively sign over any sovereign status our Bill of Rights has in order to further the agenda of the New World Order.
The New World Order has only one obstacle in its way. A world-type government must be able to agree with member nations on one idea, and then work from the foundation of that one idea to create effectively a government capable of ruling the world.
What agreement must the world reach a consensus on in order to create this "New World Order?" The question of who is to be considered a terrorist. After all, if a person is not considered a terrorist threat by the United States, and the United Nations wishes to punish the person for allegedly being a terrorist, this will cause friction between the two entities. They must both come to the same consensus on, not just who, but how a terrorist is labeled as a terrorist.
In the end, there will be only one way to label a terrorist. A terrorist will be anyone who disagrees with the policies and agendas set forth by the government, and is a potential obstacle in the way of it's goals.
In order to make sure that there is so-called "justice" against the alleged terrorists, the government must be able to find and root out any potential "problems" inside its borders. Many have debated the use of the National ID as a means of deterring terrorists. The idea was quickly struck down as being too blatant and "too much" for the people to accept right now. But that hasn't stopped New World Order proponents as they have searched to find an alternative solution to this problem.
The answer to that problem has almost been reached by utilizing the tools already available and in place for such an introduction: the driver's license.
The Executive Committee of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) passed a resolution recently establishing a Special Task Force on Identification Security. The Task Force will build relationships with other stakeholders, including Congress and federal agencies such as the departments of Transportation, Justice and State, the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, the U.S. Social Security Administration and the President’s Office of Homeland Security, to improve coordination and credentialing security.
"There's no need to create a new national ID card," said Jason King, the group's spokesman, according to an article in the Washington Post, "Let's just make what we have better."
But the AAMVA is not the only group working on such technology to insure identification. Drexler Technology Corporation develops and manufactures LaserCard(R) optical memory cards and chip-ready Smart/Optical(TM) cards -- a combination of optical memory card and smart card. LaserCard optical memory cards are used for "Laser Visa" border crossing ID cards, resident immigrant ID cards, and national ID cards, which are "digital governance" and "homeland security" applications.
"Digital governance" and "homeland security" applications represent Drexler's principal LaserCard markets today. "Digital governance" means the utilization of digital information technology to facilitate or expedite the process of governing by a nation, state, region, municipality, agency, institution, or commercial enterprise. The card is used for identification and as proof that the cardholder is authorized and has been granted certain rights and privileges by the card issuer. The LaserCard's high-security features inhibit counterfeiting and data tampering and provide controlled access to the benefits granted by the card issuer. For "homeland security" applications, the emphasis is on denying unauthorized persons those rights and privileges.
Drexler Technology and its wholly owned subsidiary, LaserCard Systems Corporation, are based in Mountain View, where Drexler manufactures cards and LaserCard Systems manufactures optical card read/write drives, develops optical card system software, and markets card-related data systems and peripherals. In addition to the "Laser Visa" cards made for the U.S. Department of State and the digital permanent resident "Green Card" made for the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, Drexler Technology also makes optical memory cards for other customers, such as the U.S. Department of Defense, the Government of Italy, and a state government of India.
One can see how easy it would be to incorportate identification data into one computer, under one legal entity that can be easily controlled by the government.
Identitrak is a UK based company that works to provide microchip implants for pets and other animals that can be used for tracking their behaviors and whereabouts. Recently, they have began working with the local Crimestoppers communities to help catch thieves. How easy would it be for such a company to decide to provide such technology for the implementation of a national identification?
In order to bring about the acceptance of the New World Order (in all its facets), the need for it must be made strong enough for the people to accept it. If people were not afraid of terrorists, would people accept Gray Davis's actions securing the bridges or the highways in California. Patience has been urged by the California Homeland Defense task force, and the people are accepting it.
With the possibility of biometric microchips, which are already being used by some health centers to regulate drugs within the body, come the need to get the people to accept such a dire idea. On October 17, 2001, Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy said on the floor of Congress, "We also must make sure we develop the best possible biometric technology to identify potential terrorists entering the United States, such as facial recognition or fingerprint systems. The USA Act includes a section proposed by Senator Cantwell that requires the Attorney General to report to Congress on the feasibility of enhancing the FBI’s Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System and other systems to better identify people with foreign passports or visas who may be wanted in connection with criminal investigations in the United States or abroad."
Right now the people will accept this because it only affects immigrants. But, sooner or later, immigration will prove too broad a spectrum to keep up with, and the only solution will be to have everyone, including the citizens of the US, entered into a national database.
Once all of the countries of the world follow suit, the only obstacle standing in the way of the "New World Order" will be to incorporate all of the information into a single database. The United Nations will only need access to each member country's computers in order to accomplish this.
According to the book of Revelations in the Bible (KJV), Chapter 13, verses 16 and 17, it says, "and he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand or in their foreheads, and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name."
This verse alone will cause the powers that be to question the loyalty of those who claim to be Christian. The paranoia that has been let loose by the governments in response to the terroristic threat on the nations will not stop at condemning anyone who refuses to take a stand against the idea of a national identification for religious reasons. After all, if they are not FOR their government and it's agenda, then they are against it. And if they are against it, then they are terrorists, and will need to be made obsolete.
In closing, America is no longer the home of the brave and the land of the free. We have effectively traded all that in, in order to prevent further terrorist attacks. Because we will be powerless now to stop the scope of powers we have given our government, we will see a pale horse with a rider named "Death" who will kill a quarter of the world's population by violence, hunger and pestilence.
Now is a critical moment. We must stand to oppose this. We must stand up for every last tittle of what made our American way of life so great. If we do not do so now...
Bend over America. Time to reap what we sow.
The Lord's On My Shoulder
The Lord's On My Shoulder
Originally Written in 1980 (I was twelve) by Shonda Ponder (me)
The Lord's on my shoulder
And he's getting bolder
As long as my live is lived
He's getting stronger
and it won't be longer
Til my soul I will give
He's my only sight
And I know I'm right
As to where my last flight will be
He's my only strength
As I climb the length
Of the golden stairs I see
He's all history
He's a big mystery
The Lord, He knows everything
He's bigger than the world
Stronger than the wind
And softer than the music I sing
I do not worry
For I cannot hurry
This life that is passing me by
For in days ahead
As I am led
The garden I see will be nigh
Originally Written in 1980 (I was twelve) by Shonda Ponder (me)
The Lord's on my shoulder
And he's getting bolder
As long as my live is lived
He's getting stronger
and it won't be longer
Til my soul I will give
He's my only sight
And I know I'm right
As to where my last flight will be
He's my only strength
As I climb the length
Of the golden stairs I see
He's all history
He's a big mystery
The Lord, He knows everything
He's bigger than the world
Stronger than the wind
And softer than the music I sing
I do not worry
For I cannot hurry
This life that is passing me by
For in days ahead
As I am led
The garden I see will be nigh
God Give Us Strength
God Give Us Strength
1983, by Shonda Ponder
Dear Lord, give me strength
to understand
the meaning of his love for me
Oh, God, give us leingth
so our love can
last throughout eternity
Jesus, give us love
forever-lasting
so we can give our love a lifetime go
And, Father, like cooing white doves
let ours fly higher
and each day, let our love grow
1983, by Shonda Ponder
Dear Lord, give me strength
to understand
the meaning of his love for me
Oh, God, give us leingth
so our love can
last throughout eternity
Jesus, give us love
forever-lasting
so we can give our love a lifetime go
And, Father, like cooing white doves
let ours fly higher
and each day, let our love grow
I Warned You
September 23, 1992 by Shonda Ponder
Did you honestly think I'd wait forever
Each time you pushed me away?
Did you not take my heartaches into consideration
Each time I begged you to stay?
Did you think I'd hold on and never let go
And that my heart would never grow cold?
While you were laughing at my crying shame
I warned you that it would get old
I warned you a long time ago
But you took for granted my needs
I said that I could get over you
But you took for granted my pleas
And now someone else is holding my heart
Right in the palm of his hand
And now you think I should say I'm sorry?
Is it beyond you to understand?
I don't love you anymore
I closed my heart and locked the door
I gave you love too much before
Now I don't love you anymore
And I'm not sorry for what I've done
The clouds are gone; I see the sun
I know I left you all alone
But I'm not sorry for what I've done
Did you honestly think I'd wait forever
Each time you pushed me away?
Did you not take my heartaches into consideration
Each time I begged you to stay?
Did you think I'd hold on and never let go
And that my heart would never grow cold?
While you were laughing at my crying shame
I warned you that it would get old
I warned you a long time ago
But you took for granted my needs
I said that I could get over you
But you took for granted my pleas
And now someone else is holding my heart
Right in the palm of his hand
And now you think I should say I'm sorry?
Is it beyond you to understand?
I don't love you anymore
I closed my heart and locked the door
I gave you love too much before
Now I don't love you anymore
And I'm not sorry for what I've done
The clouds are gone; I see the sun
I know I left you all alone
But I'm not sorry for what I've done
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