History of The Republican Party

With Malice Toward None - The Life of Abraham Lincoln

2010-04-12T01:00:00.000-07:00

This book takes the reader from birth to death in the life of Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln's biography goes beyond the textbook and brings even greater respect and deeper honor to this well known president. The first half of the book is spent detailing his career as a lawyer and politician, which reveals the character and determination of Lincoln as well as the development of his personal and political convictions.

The reader actually senses a climax as the presidential election of 1860 takes place with the Southern States seceding from the Union before Abraham Lincoln is even inaugurated. The book is thorough in its recount of Lincoln's supporters and detractors; including those men he surrounded himself with on a daily basis. For Civil War buffs this biography takes a different perspective; what the war looked like from the President's office. President Lincoln was a somber man of deep thought and concern for the responsibility he bore.

He stood firm on the principles he was elected on even amidst great pressure to compromise. Politics then were not that much different from politics now. In fact I was surprised to learn that there was a "Peace Movement" with demonstrations in the North, as well as "race riots" (white people were rioting.) It sounded very much like the tumultuous times of the Vietnam War. He anguished over the progress of the war with its casualties and his decision to emancipate the slaves at risk of further dividing our nation. I couldn't help but be impressed with the recounting of Gettysburg and the subsequent speech the President gave at the battlefield. His second inaugural speech was also moving, anticipating the end of the war; he sets forth the tone of reconciliation:

"With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan-to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and a lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations."

President Abraham Lincoln was a man of great character. He had experienced tragedy on the personal as well as the national level, and yet had great compassion and sympathy for those around him. This book is well worth reading.

Terri Marks is a baby boomer wife, mother and grandmother in Madison, Wisconsin. She has a life full of colorful events and observations. Her hobbies are bird-watching, gardening and serving at her church. She publishes her own ezine at http://www.calicowoman.com

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US Presidents Sites - Visiting the Home of America's 17th President

2010-04-06T01:00:00.001-07:00

America's 17th president, Andrew Johnson, took office under the most difficult circumstances imaginable. Faced with healing the wounds of civil war and a divided government, Johnson faced insurmountable odds. Let's learn more about his life and presidency with a visit to his home in Greeneville, Tennessee...

President Andrew Johnson: An Overview

America's 17th president, Andrew Johnson, was thrust into the presidency by the tragic assassination of President Lincoln in April, 1865. Lincoln had just begun his second term. Amidst the transition of power, the final battles of the Civil War were being waged in western states, with news of Lee's surrender to Grant not having reached the western frontier.

Johnson, born in North Carolina but from Tennessee, knew his primary order of business was to reunite the states. He inherited Lincoln's cabinet members, many of whom were hostile to Johnson's ideas and approach.

In an effort to heal political and social wounds from the Civil War, Johnson granted amnesty to Confederates, which angered many in Congress and Johnson's Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton. Congress continually battled Johnson on his level of authority, with the president referring to the Constitution as the basis of his stance.

Ultimately, articles of impeachment were drawn to attempt to remove Johnson from the presidency. The required majority of votes was not achieved, and Johnson served the remainder of his term.

In retrospect, history has been much kinder to Johnson than during his tumultuous presidency. His actions surrounding acceptance of southern states back into the union are still felt in a positive way today. His administration was instrumental in the purchase of Alaska, which was acquired by the United States in 1867.

After his term ended, Johnson returned to Tennessee, where he had served as senator and governor before becoming vice president. He made two unsuccessful attempts to continue his political career as a representative and senator, finally winning a senate seat from Tennessee just before his death in 1875.

Touring Andrew Johnson's Home In Greeneville, Tennessee

Today, visitors can learn about Andrew Johnson by visiting the home he lived in for 24 years in Greeneville, Tennessee. Greeneville is located in the far eastern part of the state, about 100 miles east of Knoxville and a short drive from the North Carolina border.

Visitors should start at the visitor center, located downtown. Here you can obtain information about Johnson, his home, grave site, and other attractions in the area. A short film is available which chronicles his career and administration. It is here that you should obtain a required free ticket and tour time to tour the Johnson Homestead.

National Park Service Rangers lead daily tours of the Johnson home. The home has been restored to its 1875 appearance and includes numerous original furnishings donated by the Johnson family, who owned the home through 1958. Nearby, you can visit Johnson's grave site, high atop a hill overlooking the town and surrounding area.

While in the area, be sure to take time to stroll historic downtown Greeneville. This is a Main Street America community, with many examples of preserved architecture, independent shops, and welcoming restaurants. Outdoor activities abound in this part of Tennessee, and the setting in the midst of the Appalachians is scenic and invigorating.

Anyone interested in American history should seek out and visit the many U.S. Presidents sites across the country. These unique and fascinating historical sites chronicle the lives and times of America's presidents and offer an insiders perspective into the presidency. To learn more about the presidents and the historic sites dedicated to them, visit our travelogue site at: http://www.presidentialtravelusa.com

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US Presidents Sites - America's Three Most Forgotten Presidents

2010-04-06T01:00:00.000-07:00

America has had 43 men hold the office of President of the United States, and many are well known by everyone from school children to senior citizens. However, as time passes, a few presidents have all but been forgotten. Let's look at America's three most forgotten presidents and the historic sites dedicated to their memory...

Quick, recite the names of ten men who have held the office of President of the United States. Chances are, if 100 people were asked this question, most of the answers would be the same. In addition to our current and most recent presidents, several familiar presidents would make the list. Undoubtedly, you would hear names like Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson, and Kennedy.

But what about a few others like Fillmore, Arthur, and Harding? These are a few of America's presidents who are all but forgotten, except by scholars and presidential historians. And yet, each of these men made important contributions to the United States, and the legacies of each can be visited today at their respective historic sites.

Millard Fillmore: 13th President

America's 13th president, Millard Fillmore, ascended to office when Zachary Taylor died after a brief illness just 16 months into his term. Fillmore held office during a tumultuous time, as the Civil War was less than ten years away and political and social divisions were deepening.

During the Fillmore administration, California was added as a state and the first official White House library was established. Today, you can visit President Fillmore's home in the quaint shopping town of East Aurora, New York, just outside of Buffalo and Niagara Falls.

Chester Arthur: 21st President

Much like Fillmore, Chester Arthur ascended to the presidency due to the death of his predecessor. When James Garfield was felled by an assassin and died six months into his term, Arthur assumed the office.

President Arthur is credited with modernizing the U.S. Navy and passing many legislative acts designed to limit patronage hiring in government. He was also instrumental in a remodeling effort of the White House.

Visitors can see a replica of his birthplace in upstate Vermont, not far from the Canadian border.

Warren G. Harding: 29th President

Depending on which historian you ask, Harding was either America's worst president or unfairly maligned by history. We are not here to judge either way, but Harding also served an abbreviated term. He took office in 1921 and passed away in 1923.

His administration is probably best remembered for several scandals, but new biographies have come out that paint Harding in a more favorable light. Few people know that President Harding was one of the first outspoken proponents of civil rights in America.

Today, you can see the home where Harding conducted his front porch presidential campaign. It is located in Marion, Ohio, about 45 minutes north of Columbus. The home is restored with many original furnishings and Harding mementos and is open for tours during the summer months.

Summary

While several of America's presidents have all but faded into obscurity, they should be remembered for holding the nations highest office. You can trace the lives and careers of these and other presidents at numerous historic sites located across the country.

Are you interested in exploring American presidents historic sites? These historical locations chronicle the lives and careers of the men who have held America's highest political office. For more information, visit our travelogue website dedicated to the discovery and appreciation of U.S. presidential historic sites. You'll find us at: http://www.presidentialtravelusa.com

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Dick Cheney's History of Heart Problems

2010-03-30T01:00:00.000-07:00

This past February Dick Cheney suffered his fifth heart attack. The former vice-president is 69. He seems to understand a great deal about his heart condition. It is common knowledge that he was once a heavy smoker. A friend of the family stated that Cheney is cautious and will make the decision to go to the hospital if he feels his heart is giving him problems. For his fifth heart attack Cheney was hospitalized at George Washington University Hospital. The announcement was that Cheney had suffered a "mild" attack.

Cheney suffered his first heart attack in 1978. He was 37. This was the same year he was elected to the House of Representatives as a congressman for Wyoming. He was reelected five times, serving Wyoming until 1989. During his time as a Wyoming congressman, Cheney would suffer two more attacks, his second in 1984, and his third in 1988. After his third, he had surgery to perform a quadruple by-pass. Doctors may have jokingly advised him to rent to own purchase any items he needed, so he would help his family avoid any large bills if an untimely death were to strike him.

But, death would not strike down Cheney. He would move through several different positions, including being President George H. W. Bush's Secretary of Defense, until being elected as vice-president in 2000. However, this was the same year Cheney suffered his fourth heart attack. The attack must have felt like a bad rent to own scam after just being voted into the second most powerful office in the country.

Perhaps, Cheney's past smoking habit combined with his political and high profile life are the reason he has had heart problems. Since 2000 he has had five different procedures to help his heart condition. It seems that Cheney's doctors have been working as hard as the people who have helped the rent to own industry become one of the strongest industries in our country today.

The Association of Progressive Rental Organizations understands that heart conditions must be taken very seriously. We hope that all the people working hard within the rent to own industry take care of themselves by staying physically fit and practicing healthy habits. We know through the former president's example even if the best doctors in the world are taking care of you, there can be heart concerns so take care of yourself. We invite people to learn more about the rent to own purchase business by visiting APRO's website. Make sure to become informed so you don't fall victim to a bad rent to own scam.

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Guilty - Liberal Victims and Their Assault on America by Ann Coulter - A Book Review

2010-03-22T01:00:00.000-07:00

In Guilty: Liberal Victims and Their Assault on America by Ann Coulter, the author once again gives us a piece of her mind. Fearless as ever, Coulter points out things that we would rather turn a blind eye or a deaf ear to. While most of the people who have picked up her book have hated her for it, I have found her rather refreshing and honest. Well, as they say, the Truth always hurts.

I was eating my lunch one day when I heard a group of officemates-mine, I am sad to admit-talking about another officemate of mine. He was almost thirty years old and his girl friend of five years, who worked on the next floor, weren't even in the process of tying the knot. Had they presented the fact that his girl friend's biological clock was ticking, I would've just agreed that they should get married because they do seem to be a perfect fit. But then one of my officemates said that he probably should just make a "deposit" so they would know if they were sexually compatible before getting married. I was appalled. I wasn't naïve but there are some changes you shouldn't adopt, even if it meant convenience. This was one of them.

It made me think of the hundreds of single mothers out there who say they are saying that they are raising their child alone by choice. I agree; it was their choice that made them single mothers-women who have shrugged off their morality for what they think would make them happy for that moment. I'm not saying that they should be condemned because of these wrong choices (I'm not even saying that being happy is wrong) but I agree with Coulter that these women are guilty for presenting themselves as the victims. If we want a better society, we should stop saying it and do what's best for us and for our neighbors. Everything starts with a decision and sticking with that decision. Don't go plunging into a pool when you can't swim. Make sure you can pay for what you're buying and all that stuff that goes along those lines.

I agree with Coulter when she said that these people who call themselves the victims of society's "modernity" and loss of morality-slaves of the moment and all that-are the ones who actually launch an attack on America. I'm not saying we should go all St. Francis of Assisi and give our life's savings to the poor. What I'm saying-and what Coulter points out in Guilty-is that we should be living within our means. By doing so, we are not only helping ourselves but also those around us who cannot afford to live so lavishly. Also, don't go around preaching what you can't do. We already have a lot of that in the media. Sadly, it is the bravery in Guilty: Liberal Victims and Their Assault on America by Ann Coulter that could make you hate it when you should be taking a seat and listening to what it's saying.

For more information, check other Guilty: Liberal Victims and Their Assault on America by Ann Coulter book reviews.

Erika Ayala works part time for a consumer review company.

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Ronald Reagan - A Beloved President of the United States

2010-03-16T01:00:00.000-07:00

The late United States President Ronald Reagan was considered as one of the best U.S. Presidents but we couldn't repudiate the fact that he had remarkable contributions and achievements that made him a great U.S. President. So, why was Ronald Reagan a great U.S. leader? Perhaps, we should take a look at some of his credentials to be able to justify that he was indeed a great leader.

Some of his followers, when asked why was Ronald Reagan a great U.S. leader, would recall that during his inaugural address, American hostages in Iran were freed. He was only months away from being elected and yet, he already made Americans proud of such incident.

In the same year, Reagan almost got killed in an attempted assassination. While he was being treated at the George Washington University Hospital, Reagan jokingly said that he hoped all the surgeons treating him were Republicans. Of course, not all of the surgeons there were Republicans but they were willing to forget that just to save their President. This could be one of the answers as to why was Ronald Reagan a great U.S. leader.

If Americans would be asked again the question, Why was Ronald Reagan a great U.S. leader?, there would definitely have a long list of answers. First, policies concerning supply-side economics were implemented, the philosophy on laissez-faire and classical liberal was advocated in order to address concerns on tax cuts, and the policy called peace through strength was also implemented.

Reagan was also the President when a significant decline in federal income tax rates transpired due to the passage of the Economic Recovery Tax Act in 1981. Reagan definitely did his part to improve the country's economic growth.

During his first term, Reagan indeed had significant contributions. So why was Ronald Reagan a great U.S. leader during his second term? This was the time when astronauts died in 1986 because the Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrated. Despite this tragedy, Reagan reminded Americans that they should not be fainthearted, but instead they should be brave. And so, he was able to encourage Americans and the families of the deceased to move forward.

Other achievements of Reagan during his second term included the declaration of policies concerning drugs, the approval of the Immigration Reform and Control Act, and his nomination of a female Supreme Court Justice.

These were not the only answers to the question Why was Ronald Reagan a great U.S. President. He was also great for living ninety three years on Earth to bring changes and improvement to his country.

Please click these links if you want to know more about why Reagan a great president or people seeing a meteor showerin general.

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Barry Goldwater on Liberty and Justice

2010-03-09T01:00:00.000-08:00

Extreme in defence of liberty is no vice. And … moderation in persuit of justice is no virtue. Barry Goldwater [1909-1998 ], Acceptance speech, Republican presidential nomination [July 16, 1964] - from Bartlett's Familiar Quotations

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Some Political Observations Still Sting

2010-03-02T01:00:00.000-08:00

Changing Sources of Power: American Politics in the 1970s

Frederick G. Dutton,

McGraw-Hill Books, July, 1971 269 pages

Few would argue that political and social change unfolds in a vacuum. Social unrest, discontent and the eventual showdown of political ideologies erupt with sudden convulsion, catching bench sitters by surprise.

The cultural and political transformation that took place in the 1970's was more than just a temporary or fleeting disaffection of the status quo.

While a few books have been written regarding the irreversible decade of cultural, social and education forces that changed our perspective and our national directions ever since, Frederick Dutton's still stands out as the most insightful and comprehensive source to date.

Dutton, a Washington D.C., lawyer and political strategist, depicts the many elements necessary -- beyond the political--that created the showdown between the majority of entrenched traditional conservative carriers of continuity and the agents of change.

Dutton brought his keen observations of American politics to the book having served as Secretary of the Cabinet for President John Kennedy, Assistant U.S. secretary of State for Congressional Relations and a Regent of the University of California.

It was Dutton's belief, without a doubt, that the sixties illuminated a divided government that steadily evolved from rhetoric to dissatisfaction and eventually to the struggle for power from a new generation.

Throughout the book, Dutton offers examples of how and why the 1970's would bring in the massive shift of power. He wrote that "...widespread social and political turmoil of the last half-dozen years and more has generally been considered in terms of the Vietnam war, the unrest of the young, black militancy and the responding backlash."

To an extent, but more so these erratic breakdowns in law and order, the shifting of economic opportunities from the urban centers out to the suburbs (The Industrial Revolution was becoming suburbanized) and strong dissatisfaction with leadership lead to what Dutton described as the opportunity that created national regeneration that shaped the political landscape for decades that followed. No one predicted that a "George Wallace," effect: a new Southern leader that appealed to a population that felt left out of the new educational opportunities, sophistication and activist new and younger elements.

Thirty years later, "The Changing Sources of Power" still holds the preeminent position as the most comprehensive and perceptive study written about the political shift of the 1970's.

In comparison, Boston University history professor, Bruce Schulman, author of "The Seventies: The Great Shift in American Culture, Society, and Politics, Da Capo Press, focused more on the cultural elements of Village People and disco than the deep underpinnings of the political affects that were coming apart during the decade of ambiguity.

David Frum, a conservative pundit and author of How We Got Here: The 70's, The Decade That Brought You Modern Life For Better Or Worse,Basic Books, offered a keen understanding of the impact of political upheaval Dutton predicted would happen if politicians would face urgent problems head on.

Frum cleverly observed that we "left behind a country that was more dynamic, more competitive, more tolerant; less deferential, less self-confident, less united; more socially equal, less economically equal; more expressive, more risk-averse, more sexual; less literate, less polite and less reticent." However, in Frum's account he never explains why the 70's sustained its influence far into the 80's while other political movements dissolved. There is never a main point about the decade except to say movement leaders tried to change social and economic programs of earlier decades.

A small but telling contrast ignored by both Schulman and Frum include the significant pieces that led up the political melee is Dutton's observation. Dutton points out that the Free Speech movement of 1964 could never have occurred anywhere in the country except in California and at UC Berkeley. This is a simple sentence, but a major point about the cultural differences that participated in the move east of unrest "New Left."

Dutton wrote: "Generational politics exploded in California not just on the periphery but in the political mainstream well before, and more several than, they have erupted in the rest of the country."

Changing Sources of Power, written in 1972, ends with a profound and still relevant observation that reinforces the brilliance of this book lacking in the others. He wrote: "We will not easily move on during this decade. But what could be blowing in the wind with the newer elements is a national reinvigoration that will occupy American society for much of the rest of this century."

One wonders what Dutton would say today?

Geri Spieler is the author of, "Taking Aim At The President: The Remarkable Story of the Woman Who Shot at Gerald Ford," Palgrave Macmillan.

She is a former investigative reporter and has written for the Los Angeles Times and San Francisco Chronicle. She was a research director for Gartner and is an award winning public speaker and past president of the San Francisco/Peninsula California Writers Club.

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The Legacy of George W Bush

2010-02-23T01:00:00.001-08:00

Decades from now, and perhaps even centuries, historians will look back on the legacy of President George W Bush. And, with an impartial perspective, rather than a partisan and political one, I believe their findings will be quiet reasonable and accurate.

A simple reflection on the facts leaves us with a number of benefits gained from the work of Bush and the members of his administration.

Under Bush, we have seen the establishment of the highly effective Office of Homeland Security. He was responsible for the appointment of two promising new Supreme Court justices. American's have enjoyed modest but widespread tax cuts and since September 11, 2001, we haven't had a single terrorist attack on American soil.

Some of what those who have been opponents of the administration will argue is that Bush's team had been too hasty in invading Iraq, had mishandled the situation that was Hurricane Katrina and has allowed the national economy to fall into a very deep recession.

Yes, Bush and his team dropped the ball on the original decision to go into Iraq. However, Congress did as well, including President-Elect Barack Obama.

On the positive side, the initial invasion resulted in the ousting of one of the world's worst dictators. And, as I have learned, when one makes a mistake, they should be responsible for correcting it, thus our continued presence in Iraq. Although far from perfect, this very presence has yielded massive, measurable results in stabilizing an ever violent region.

Similarly, the response time to aide the victims of Hurricane Katrina was sub-par. But, this democratic governor of Louisiana and mayor of New Orleans did not adequately allocate federal funds in a timely manner, leaving FEMA and Bush to take all the blame. Looting and rioting in the streets of New Orleans also caused difficulties for any rescue efforts.

As for the economy, yes, we are experiencing a recession. However, for the majority of his time as president, the economy under Bush was very strong. In October of 2007, the Dow Jones Industrial hit an all-time high of more that 14,000. And when things did start to go bad, it was more the accumulated effects of the Community Reinvestment Act, started under Jimmy Carter's administration and considerably revised under Bill Clinton in 1995.

And now that this man's tenure is coming to an end, Obama will be our nation's Commander in Chief.

It is hard to project what to expect under the administration of a sort of celebrity-like leader. It seems that the concept of "change" is among his chief priorities. However, there is good change and there is bad change. And as of this time, we have no idea which direction his vision of might take us. That is, if any real change does actually occur at all.

All in all, Bush has clearly not been one of the elite among those to hold the position. Very few will compare him to the likes of Abraham Lincoln or Franklin D. Roosevelt for example. However, when examined with reason and removing bias, he will surely not rank among the worst national leaders either. Like him or not, he did a pretty average job.

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Lincoln on Politicians

2010-02-16T01:00:00.000-08:00

Politicians [are] a set of men who have interests aside from the interests of the people, and who, to say the most of them; are, taken as a mass, at least one long step removed from honest men. I say this with the greatest freedom because, being a politician myself, non can regard it as personal.

Speech in the Illinois Legislature [ January 11, 1837] from Bartlett's Familiar Quotations

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Worried About Hyper Inflation? Maybe You Should Think on It

2010-02-09T01:00:00.000-08:00

The United States has been busy printing money and we've been selling Treasury Notes, luckily we are borrowing at a low interest rate, but we are also putting ourselves in debt and printing money and forcing it into the economy at a rate never before seen. The Stimulus of 787 Billion Dollars and some $2 Trillion for financial bailouts; all this money flow will cause an inflation challenge in the future. So, let me recommend a very good book to you:

The Great Inflation and Its Aftermath - How Reagan and Volcker Tamed Economic Policy - and Why Obama Should Listen" by Robert J. Samuelson; Random House, New York, NY (2008).

It is also available to be loaded onto your Kindle "The Great Inflation and Its Aftermath: The Past and Future of American Affluence" for the low cost of $14.00

This book reminds us of the problems with high-inflation during 1960 to 1982. Most younger folks have no clue why this is. Things were pretty bad in the 1970s and stagflation was even worse, in fact things were so bad that President Jimmy Carter lost the election.

Samuelson, a columnist for Newsweek and the Washington Post reminds us also that inflation is not so much only an economic problem, as it destroys confidence making it more social and political that one might think. One interesting quote was one by Lenin, who stated that the best way to destroy a democracy is to debase its currency. Indeed, think on that for a minute.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who is wondering if the current direction of our nation's leadership and economy is a wise choice. Consider all this.

Lance Winslow enjoys community philanthropy - Lance Winslow likes small business. Lance Winslow has also been involved in the Oil Industry; http://www.oilchangeguys.com/aboutus.shtml/.

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The American Civil War and Abraham Lincoln

2010-02-02T01:00:00.000-08:00

Millions of people contributed and sacrificed tremendously to the outcome of the American Civil War. Hundreds of thousands of Americans sacrificed everything. Yet one man stands out in history and is credited above all others in influencing the outcome of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln.

Abraham Lincoln, a former Illinois lawyer, won the Republican Party nomination and became the President of the United States in 1860. The southern states, of which Lincoln only won 2 of 996 counties that he was on the ballot on, began quickly seceding from the Union and forming their own nation, the Confederate States of America. Abraham Lincoln and the majority in the north would not allow the Union to be dissolved, and an American Civil War was imminent.

The war, known to the southerners as the "War of Northern Aggression" or "War Between the States", was immensely feared, but also fiercely anticipated by both sides. Both northerners and southerners gave violent demonstrations and Abraham Lincoln had already evaded assassination attempts even before his inauguration.

In April of 1861 the Confederates fired on South Carolina's Fort Sumter and the fort was forced to surrender under heavy fire. Abraham Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers to recapture Union forts and quell the uprising. Four more Southern states, including Virginia, seceded from the Union and the American Civil War was officially underway.

Militarily, the north was decidedly losing the war until the battle of Antietam occurred, the single bloodiest day in American history. While still not technically a strategic victory for the North, Abraham Lincoln now at least had enough political leverage to put into law the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed liberated slaves in southern states. While the Emancipation Proclamation had political motivations, it also helped to weaken the southern economy as freed black slaves were now also allowed to join the ranks of the Union army. By the end of the war about 179,000 black men served in the army and about 19,000 served in the navy.

Lincoln had always encountered northern opposition to the American Civil War (mostly anti-war Democrat "copperheads"), but none so drastically until after the battle of Gettysburg. While Gettysburg was a great northern victory, Lincoln had to initiate the war's second draft to replace the staggering 23,000 Union casualties. The northern citizens were far from happy, and even violent. The most notable example is the New York City Draft Riots. The riots were put down and Lincoln continued on and delivered the famous Gettysburg address.

Gettysburg proved to be the turning point in the American Civil War. Union victories at Gettysburg, Vicksburg, and Chattanooga gave the North more confidence and Abraham Lincoln appointed General Ulysses S. Grant army commander. What Grant lacked as a military tactician he made up for in raw aggressiveness, beating the South through attrition with high casualties on both sides. Despite initial fears by the Republican Party (though Lincoln ran under the National Union Party) and war Democrats, Lincoln easily defeated George B. McClellan (former Union general appointed twice by Lincoln) in the 1864 presidential election.

The devastating American Civil War came to a conclusion on April 9, 1865 when General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia. Lincoln could finally focus most of his efforts on reconstruction and beginning to mend the deep scars between the North and South. When asked how defeated Confederates should be treated, Lincoln responded "Let 'em up easy". History had other plans however as on April 14, 1865 at Ford's Theatre in Washington D.C., a single shot by stage actor John Wilkes Booth ended the life of Abraham Lincoln.

J. F. Borno enjoys learning and writing about the American Civil War and early photographic history. He is especially interested in learning more about original Civil War photos and tintypes.

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Lincoln on Quarreling

2010-01-26T01:00:00.000-08:00

Quarrel not at all. No man resolved to making to most of himself can spare time for personal contention. Still less can he afford to take all the consequences, including the vitiating of his temper and loss of self control -- Abraham Lincoln from "Abraham Lincoln (Quote/Unquote)"

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Russian Spies in America - A Book Review

2010-01-19T01:00:00.000-08:00

Cold War spying is well-documented, but have you ever wondered just how bad it was? Have you ever considered how long it has gone on? Would you like to take a gander into history and see for yourself? If so, I'd sure like to recommend a very good book to you. The name of the book is;
"Techno-Bandits How the Soviets are Stealing America's High-Tech Future" By Linda Melvern, Nick Anning, David Hebditch, and Mark Hosenball, 1984.
The Cold War was one of spies and military espionage and it was waged all over the world. Not only did Russia and the US prevent each other from expansionism and from gaining headway with client nations, but the Russians stole us blind when it came to technology. And even if one is oblivious to the realities of the time, one cannot but smile in amazement of how many super technological advances happened in Russia and the US at exactly the same time; coincidence? Doubtful.
"Ronald Reagan called it a hemorrhaging of technology," and "A multimillion dollar underground trade in the theft of technology."
The examples in this book are too numerous to mention. It is absolutely undeniable that the Russians have stolen more technology from the United States of America than any other group of foreign spies in history. They stole even more than the Japanese. Although the Chinese industrial espionage spies are now catching up with the Russians now and should surpass their technological theft over the last six decades, it is amazing how much did this cost our country. And the Russians technology thievery goes on today. Indeed, I hope you will read this book, so that you understand the truth.
Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank. Lance Winslow believes in catching foreign spies and then taking care of business.
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The Politics of 2010

2010-01-12T01:00:00.000-08:00

It should not have come as a surprise to anyone that even remotely follows American politics that Michael Steele recently said that the GOP lost its way after former President Ronald Reagan left office in 1989. Steele has been a somewhat flamboyant figurehead for the GOP, but it's nice to see the GOP admitting that they have flaws. His criticism of former Presidents George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush seems valid, but it's still hard to take it seriously.

While I agree that both the elder and junior Bush strayed from traditional conservative values in the form tax hikes and deficit spending (among other things), where does this leave us? Criticizing past presidencies does nothing for the future of the party. Yes, it's great that you realize the leaders of your party haven't held up to the standards and values that you claim you represent, but what are you doing to change that? Where are the ideas that are actually going to hold traction with voters? How are you really different from your competition (i.e. the Democratic party)? These are questions that voters should be seeking answers to when they go to the polls in 2010. It's one thing to admit that you have a broken party with broken ideals, but it's another thing to actually do something about it an fix it. The current trend we are seeing in Congress is positive in the sense that Republicans are finally standing up for fiscal conservatism and voting down excessive spending bills that Democrats are cramming through while President Obama still has some goodwill left. But there are a couple of things worth pointing out here: would Republicans be so against these bills if John McCain had won the 2008 election and what are you bringing to the table that's different than what the Democrats are bringing to the table?

It's nice to see the GOP admit they have strayed from their core values and what made them a power in this country for a long period of time. But it's another thing to see them do something about it and present ideas that actually promote change from the status quo. While I hope this is the first step towards that, I'm pessimistic we will see the GOP actually embrace fiscal conservatism any time soon.

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Herbert Hoover on War

2010-01-05T01:00:00.000-08:00

Older men declare war. But it is youth that must fight and die. And it is youth who must inherit the tribulation, the sorrow, and the triumphs that are the aftermath of war.

Speech at the Republican National Convention, Chicago [ June 27, 1944 ] from Bartlett's Familiar Quotations

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Happy New Year - 2010

2010-01-01T01:00:00.000-08:00

Wishing you and yours a Healthy and Prosperous New Year!

Joe Conigliaro
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The Reagan Coalition - Past, Present and Future

2009-12-29T01:00:00.000-08:00

The Reagan coalition was a group of voters brought together by Republican Ronald Reagan in order to establish a major political realignment with his massive victory in the 1980 United States Presidential Election. Democrat Jimmy Carter's failure in majority of socio-economic groups made the formation of the Reagan Coalition possible.

The Past:

It was in the year 1984 that Reagan corroborated his support by claiming nearly 60% of the popular vote and carried 49 of the 50 states. The Reagan Democrats, who were mainly white, socially conservative blue-collar workers of the Northeast, were Democrats earlier but voted for the Republican in favor of Reagan's social conservatism on issues such as abortion, and to his hawkish foreign policy. However, these voters who brought landslide victories to Ronald did not vote for the Republicans in 1992 and 1996. Thus, the popular term "Reagan Coalition" soon fell into abandonment, except as a reference to the 1980s. The term is now usually used to describe the southern whites who permanently changed party affiliation from Democrat to Republican during the Reagan administration, and they have largely remained Republican to this day.

The Founding Principles of the Coalition:

• Individual Liberty
• Personal Responsibility
• National Security
• Limited Federalist National Government
• Free Market Capitalism
• Traditional American Values
• The Rule of Law

The Present: Obama Heading the Carter Way:

The biggest question that needs to be answered today is whether Obama can create a sensation and improve his favorable rating, which has recently dropped down to the below-50 mark, by revivifying the dilapidated Reagan Coalition. Obama's radical and expensive policies have caused his approval ratings to tank in a very short span of time. Several Conservatives have already started to believe that President Obama is headed more and more in a Jimmy Carter direction. With President's high expenses, government control of the economy, especially on energy, and apparent signs of retreat abroad, it seems like Jimmy Carter has again won his second term of office, 28 years after getting booted by the American electorate!

The Future: Are We Ready for Another Reagan Coalition?

Reagan had established himself into a redoubtable candidate by discussing politics and philosophy on the speaking circuit for years and then adhering to conservative values as the governor for 8 long years. it was his clear optimism that allowed him to form the coalition. He led the coalition to power in 1980 and people were aware about the agenda that he would follow as a President. But, the point of interest here is that it took a Carter to put Reagan in Office. If we go by what most Conservatives are feeling today, we already have a Carter ready in form of President Obama. But, do we have a Reagan ready to go? Years 2010 and 2012 will give Conservatives a golden opportunity to revive a kind of 'Reagan Coalition' if they could find a candidate who has the experience and credibility in office and activism to give it that kind of strength.

Find similar articles and more on Reagan Coalition Future at ReaganCoalition.Com.

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Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T01:00:00.000-08:00

I wish you, my friends and family, all the same faith, hope, joy and love as was the Queen of Heaven's when she gave birth to Our Lord and Savior in that humble manger some 2000 years ago.

Thank-you for visitinghttp://www.pippoproducts.comand supporting me in all I do.

Glory to God in the highest and peace to his people on earth.

Merry Christmas.

Joe Conigliaro

What Does California Need to Succeed - A Book Review

2009-12-22T01:00:00.000-08:00

Perhaps, you realize that California State Government is in a huge financial crisis, one which has continued through several governors, and cost one Governor his governorship, as he was voted out of office and replaced by Arnold Schwarzenegger. And yet still, the same fiscal challenges go on today, the gridlock in Sacramento is well known, and looks like it will continue to go on well into the future.

How did we get to here, where are we going in the future, and why hasn't all this already been fixed?

These are all complicated and complex problems. However, there is a very good book I'd like you to read which was written back in 2000. It explains the issues that occurred in the 1990s and the warnings and challenges for the new millennium. It's good to read about what happened previously, so we can understand how we got into this situation, and perhaps, why we went down the wrong road, and how to get back on track. The book that I'd like to recommend to you is called;

"California in the New Millennium - The Changing Social and Political Landscape" by Mark Baldassare, co-published with The Public Policy Institute of California; University Of California Press Los Angeles, California, 2000; (265 pp), ISBN: 0-520-22512-0.

This author takes a hard look at California's financing, and the challenges ahead. He is also an author of the book; "When Governments Fail: the Orange County Bankruptcy" published in 1998. He also wrote another book which I don't own but I'd like to find called; "Paradise: The Suburban Transformation in America," published in 1986.

When reading this book I was totally amazed at all the things that Mark got right, and all the challenges he outlined ahead, my only question is why did no one listen? I wonder if Tom McClintock has read this book, and if those are the reasons he made the statements he did during the last election when Arnold Schwarzenegger was elected. It seemed at the time that only, McClintock fully understood the fiscal responsibility, which would be necessary to take California into the future. After reading this book, it appears to me that this is the foundation of our errors, and more folks should understand these things/

The author warns about the changes in ethnic diversity facing California's future. Also how that will affect what is needed in the future. He goes through the statistics and demographics of the Latino population, and its rapid expansion, high birth rates, and the need for schools. How education will be paramount. He also talks about the racial divides, the incredible political distrust, and the challenges we face in California due to the division between the left-leaning Northern California, and the rest of Southern California's middle of the road and conservative and liberal mixed base.

There are nearly 120 pages of statistics, surveys, and summaries of how all the data was collected. In many cases this book is more of a research project than anything else, but the commentary within the book is absolutely incredible, it appears he is right on the money, it's just too bad no one was listening. I believe anyone who is running for public office, or running any agency in the great state of California needs to read this book. I also believe that county supervisors should be reading this book along with all the city managers.

Indeed, I am glad to have this book in my personal library, and I see many of the challenges in California as future challenges for other states. It would be silly for governors of other states not to read this book, or have it in their personal public-policy library. It is very telling, and very commanding. It's hard to debate much of anything in here, and even if you don't agree with the author's particular political persuasion or point of view, you have to understand his fiscal advice. We all need to think about this now, due to our current financial crisis. And, we cannot hide our heads in the sand, which the author himself warns, it is time that these issues were addressed, which is exactly as he stated back in 2000. Now, it's a decade later, but there is still time to fix things. So, I hope you will please consider all this.

Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank. Lance Winslow believes in California's future.

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Crazy in America

2009-12-15T02:45:00.000-08:00

"A national scandal" is the coined phrase Ms. Pfeiffer, an investigative reporter, uses to describe mentally ill persons and their shockingly tragic encounters with the criminal justice system. In this heartrending book she meticulously documents the stories of six mentally ill individuals who came into contact with the criminal justice system because of aberrant psychotic behaviors related to their illnesses and suffered tragic experiences in jails and prisons. This is the horrific story of how incarcerated mentally ill human beings are often subjected to dehumanizing experiences. It is a documentation of human beings in a system with "too little mental health care" and a system wherein "people are expendable in a society that's good at locking people up but not so good at setting them free."

This is the story of Shayne, who at the age of fourteen was diagnosed with acute schizophrenia. From that point on, she experienced extreme coping difficulties and over the years was hospitalized twenty-five times as well as spending time in prison. Much of her time in prison was spent in "the hole" because of her inability to follow prison rules. She successfully pulled out one of her eyeballs; two years later she succeeded in pulling out the other eyeball, completely blinding herself.

This is also the story of Luke, diagnosed as bipolar and addicted to drugs at a young age. Depression was also a part of his life. After being incarcerated for drug possession Luke's difficulty with coping skills escalated. He became increasingly emotionally frantic until, regrettably in desperation, he died from suicide.

This is the story of Joseph who had stolen several cars and ended up in a youth correctional facility where he could not successfully cope. After spending two months in a lockdown situation in a small cell with no TV, no family visits, no exercise, no personal possessions, no mental health services the severely distraught Joseph became another tragic statistic when he died from suicide at the age of eighteen.

Crazy in America is an intense, emotionally-draining portrayal of the lost lives of mentally ill individuals within a system that failed them, a system that failed to understand their illnesses and therefore failed to effectively treat them. The individuals are but a few of many that Ms. Pfeiffer could have portrayed. As the author states, "The mass of imprisoned humanity includes at least three hundred thousand people with mental illness." This book adds to the growing list of books addressing the ever increasing social problem of mental illness and incarceration.

The author is a strong advocate for change and has written numerous articles on incarcerated mentally ill persons. She clarifies her meaning of the word crazy. She does not use it to refer to mentally ill individuals; she uses it to describe what she says is the crazy way society reacts toward mentally ill individuals. Ms. Pfeiffer appropriately and fittingly concludes her book by stating, "America needs to try again to heal its ills and to help them heal themselves, with the wisdom of history and the knowledge that the people we will help, the people we will heal, will be ourselves."

Crazy in America
by Mary Beth Pfeiffer
Carroll & Graf Publishers, 2007, 272 pages

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Crazy in America: The Hidden Tragedy of Our Criminalized Mentally Ill

Foreign Policy of Founding Fathers

2009-12-08T01:00:00.000-08:00

Albert Einstein said: "Politics is more difficult than physics."

I certainly agree considering how many of our national political figureheads over the years have aligned themselves to do business with the Saudi Royal family and other heavily financed special interest groups to finance their political and personal objectives.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy said: "Sometimes party loyalty asks too much."

Perhaps we would do well to hear from our Founding Fathers and revisit the foreign policy they gave us.

…Neither can any external coercive power convince the understanding of the poorest idiot, nor fines and prisons be judged fit and adequate penalties for faults purely intellectual…. William Penn (1644-1718) The Great Case of Liberty and Conscience 1670

The strongest is never strong enough to be always the master, unless he transforms his strength into right, and obedience into duty. Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) The Social Contract 1762

The use of force alone is but temporary. It may subdue for a moment; but it does not remove the necessity of subduing again: and a nation is not governed, which is perpetually to be conquered. Edmund Burke (1729-1797) Second Speech on Conciliation with America, the Thirteen Resolutions, March 22, 1775

Suffer not yourselves to be betrayed with a kiss. Ask yourselves how this gracious reception of our petition comports with those warlike preparations which cover our waters and darken our land. Are fleets and armies necessary to a work of love and reconciliation? Have we shown ourselves so unwilling to be reconciled, that force must be called in to win back our love? Let us not deceive ourselves, sir. These are the implements of war and subjugation—the last arguments to which kings resort. Patrick Henry (1736-1799) Speech at the Virginia Convention, March 23, 1775

Subject opinion to coercion: whom will you make your inquisitor? Fallible men; men governed by bad passions, by private as well as public reasons. And why subject it to coercion? To produce uniformity. But is uniformity of opinion desirable? No more than of face and stature. Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)

In politics, as in religion, it is equally absurd to aim at making proselytes by fire and sword. Heresies in either can rarely be cured by persecution. Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804) The Federalist Papers 1787

Politics, like religion, hold up torches of martyrdom to the reformers of error.

Thomas Jefferson

Whenever a man has cast a longing eye on offices, a rottenness begins in his conduct. Thomas Jefferson

Reason obeys itself; and Ignorance submits to whatever is dictated to it. Thomas Paine (1737-1809) Address and Declaration 1791

Force cannot change right. Thomas Jefferson – To John Cartwright, June 5, 1824

I repeat, that I have no disposition to withhold any information which the duty of my station will permit, or the public good shall require to be disclosed. George Washington – Address to the House of Representatives, March 30, 1796

I have always given it as my decided opinion that no nation had a right to inter-meddle in the internal concerns of another; and that, if this country could, consistent with its engagements, maintain a strict neutrality and thereby preserve peace. George Washington – Letter to James Monroe, August 25, 1796

Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all. …The nation which indulges toward another an habitual hatred or an habitual fondness is in some degree a slave. It is a slave to its animosity or to its affection, either of which is sufficient to lead it astray from its duty and its interest. George Washington – Farewell Address, September 17, 1797

Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none should be our motto. Thomas Jefferson – First Inaugural Address, March 4, 1801

If there be one principle more deeply rooted than any other in the mind of every American, it is that we should have nothing to do with conquest. Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) Letter to William Short, 1791

We certainly cannot deny to other nations that principle whereon our own government is founded, that every nation has a right to govern itself internally under what forms it pleases, and to change these forms at its own will. Thomas Jefferson – To Thomas Pinckney, December 30, 1792

Europe, by her arms and by her negotiations, by force and by fraud, has extended her dominion over them all, Africa, Asia, an America have successively felt her domination. The superiority she has long maintained has tempted her to plume herself as the Mistress of the World, and to consider the rest of mankind as created for her benefit.

Alexander Hamilton on Colonialism, The Federalist Papers 1787

My ardent desire is to keep the United States free from political connections with every other country, to see them independent of all and under the influence of none. George Washington (Letter to Patrick Henry, October 9, 1795)

The liberties of our country, the freedom of our civil constitution, are worth defending at all hazards; and it is our duty to defend them against all attacks. We have received them as a fair inheritance from our worthy ancestors: they purchased them for us with toil and danger and expense of treasure and blood, and transmitted them to us with care and diligence. It will bring an everlasting mark of infamy on the present generation, enlightened as it is, if we should suffer them to be wrested from us by violence without a struggle, or be cheated out of them by the artifices of false and designing men. Samuel Adams (1722-1803) Father of the American Revolution in an article he wrote to the Boston Gazette, October 14, 1771

Political freedom includes in it every other blessing. All the pleasures of riches, science, virtue, and even religion itself derive their value from liberty alone. Benjamin Rush (1745-1813) Founder of the American Public Schools to Catharine Macaulay, January 18, 1769

Remember, that in all countries where the freedom of the poor has been taken away, in whole or in part, that the freedom of the rich lost its defence. The circle has ever continued to constrict, till lessening to a point it became absolute. Thomas Paine – A serious address to the people of Pennsylvania 1778

This country, which has given to the world the example of physical liberty, owes to it that of moral emancipation also. Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) To John Adams, January 22, 1821

Because people may betray themselves …people ought to be enlightened, to be awakened, to be united, that after establishing a government they should watch over it, as well as obey it. James Madison (1751-1836) Essay in the National Gazette, December 20, 1792

The liberty of the press is essential to the security of the state. John Adams, Free-Press Clause, Massachusetts Constitution 1780

In every human breast, God has implanted a principle, which we call love of freedom; it is impatient of oppression and pants for deliverance. Phyllis Wheatley (1753-1784) The Boston Post-Boy 1774

“Wise statesmen as they were, they knew the tendency of prosperity to breed tyrants, and so they established these great self-evident truths, that when in the distant future some man, some faction, some interest, should set up the doctrine that none but rich men, or none but white men, were entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, their posterity might look up again to the Declaration of Independence . . . so that truth, and justice, and mercy, and all the humane and Christian virtues might not be extinguished from the land.” Abraham Lincoln on the founding fathers, August 17, 1858

“Give me liberty or give me death.” Patrick Henry March 23, 1775

“The people are the source of all authority and power.” John Adams, 1774

“I am persuaded and fully convinced that a permanent standing army [is a necessity].” George Washington, to Congress, September 2, 1776

“O ye that love mankind! Ye that dare to oppose not only the tyranny but the tyrant, stand forth! Every spot of the old world is overrun with oppression. Freedom hath been hunted around the globe. O! Receive the fugitive, and prepare in time an asylum for mankind.” Thomas Paine, Common Sense, January 10, 1776

“We have not yet applied to any foreign power for assistance, nor offered our commerce for their friendship.” Benjamin Franklin, 1775

“I trust the experience of error will enable us to act better in the future.” George Washington, 1781

“I have not yet begun to fight.” John Paul Jones, 1779

We mistake the object of our government, if we hope or wish that it is to make us respectable abroad. Conquest or superiority among other powers is not or ought not ever to be the object of republican systems. Charles Pinckney (1757-1824) Constitutional Convention, June 25, 1787

Indulging no passions which trespass on the rights or the repose of other nations, it has been the true glory of the United States to cultivate peace by observing justice, and to entitle themselves to the respect of the nations at war by fulfilling their neutral obligations with the most scrupulous impartiality. James Madison (1751-1836) First Inaugural Address – March 4, 1809

America well knows that by once enlisting under other banners than her own, were they even the banners of foreign independence, she would involve herself beyond the power of extraction, in all the wars of interest and intrigue, of individual avarice, envy, ambition, which assume the colors and usurp the standard of freedom. The fundamental maxims of her policy would insensibly change from liberty to force. She would be no longer the ruler of her own spirit. John Quincy Adams (1767-1848) Address, July 4, 1821

Wherever the standard of freedom and independence has been or shall be unfurled, there will be America’s heart, her benedictions and her prayers. But she does not go abroad in search of monsters to destroy. She is the champion and vindicator only of her own. John Quincy Adams – Address, July 4, 1821

In the wars of the European powers in matters relating to themselves we have never taken any part, nor does it comport with our policy so to do. James Monroe – Annual message to Congress, December 2, 1823

Separated as we are from Europe by the great Atlantic ocean, we can have no concern in the wars of the European Governments nor in the causes which produce them. – James Monroe – Annual message to Congress, December 7, 1824

I confess I have the same fears for our South American brethren; the qualifications for self-government in society are not innate. They are the result of habit and long training, and for these they will require time and probably much suffering. Thomas Jefferson (Letter to Edward Everett, March 27, 1824)

“We must make the best of mankind as they are, since we cannot have them as we wish.” George Washington, 1776

“The advice nearest to my heart and deepest in my conviction is that the Union of the States be cherished and perpetuated.” President James Madison, “Advice to My Country,” October 1834

Malice toward none, charity for all.

Self-government does not come without a struggle. Certainly freedom is not free. It was purchased for us by the lives, fortunes, blood, and sacred of honor of our Founding Fathers. Let us therefore hold dear to the spirit in which they walked and founded our republic. May we always remain one nation under God, united in purpose and power.

Paul Davis is a political advisor, consultant, minister, and author of several books including God vs. Religion; Breakthrough for a Broken Heart; Stop Lusting & Start Living; and Adultery: 101 Reasons Not to Cheat.

Paul is a life coach (relational & professional), popular worldwide keynote speaker, creative consultant, explorer, mediator, minister, liberator and dream-maker.

Paul's compassion for people & passion to travel has taken him to over 50 countries of the world where he has had a tremendous impact. Paul has served many in war-torn, impoverished and tsunami stricken regions of the earth. His organization Dream-Maker Ministries is building dreams, breaking limitations, and reviving nations.

Paul's Breakthrough Seminars inspire, revive, awaken, impregnate with purpose, impart the fire of desire, catapult people into a new level of self-awareness, facilitate destiny discovery and dream fulfillment.

Contact Paul to minister, speak at your event or for life coaching: RevivingNations@yahoo.com, 407-284-1705

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The Shenandoah Spy Begins Exciting Civil War Series!

2009-12-01T01:00:00.000-08:00

I met Belle Boyd this past weekend, thanks to Francis Hamit, and was thrilled to meet and spend all my time with her! This first book in a series starts with The Shenandoah Spy: Being the True Life Adventures of Belle Boyd, CSA, "The Confederate Cleopatra."

"Belle Boyd was a real person, and became world famous as a spy for the Confederate Government...in September, 1862, [she] became the first woman in American history to be formally commissioned an Army officer." (Foreword) The book centers on her role as a scout and spy for the Confederate Army. If only a small percentage of the story were true, Belle was...one gutsy woman! I am thankful that Hamit is publishing her story, for she is a woman to be much admired and embraced by all Americans and especially our younger generation!

Belle was a true Southerner but she was not the typical "belle" as we think of most women of the south. True, she might have worn the big-hooped gowns, learned how to flirt with gentlemen as part of her training, and had her first "season" in Washington with the intent to find a suitable husband. However, when the war began, she was just 17 and she automatically sought to find ways to support the south.

Her first major role was to assist and then nurse at the hospitals. Perhaps it was her required intimacy with those men that first started her reputation. Or perhaps it was her shooting a drunk Yankee soldier who had attacked her mother. But it was her scouting and spying efforts that firmly established Belle's as a spy that could easily flirt and then finagle from the Yanks to learn and gain information to pass on to H. Turner Ashby, her immediate commanding officer, Jackson and other Confederate officers.

Hamit has created an exciting story of the civil war against which he tells Belle's story. Through extensive reading and research, he presents the major players and battles of the war, and includes his characters that effectively supplement actual soldiers and officers. He also considers the political issues as to why the war was started and by whom, whether slavery was a major or minor point and highlights the role of the professional soldiers who moved from war to war, fighting for pay rather than through dedication to the people and the cause they supported.

Two other points of interest for me were the drinking, theft and lack of courtesy shown by the majority of Yankee soldiers and the role of the slaves/servants as they chose to support their families (owners) rather than their supposed liberators.

As the author stated in his foreword, he wrote the novel to entertain readers. Whether or not he took license with the truth in telling the story, I for one believe he did exactly what he said he was doing! This is truly an entertaining, fantastic tale of the past and provides all the excitement, intrigue, action and suspense that readers expect and enjoy!

Francis Hamit has the knowledge, experience and interest to have picked a remarkable character from our historical documents upon which to build this series. I highly recommend that you get the first book, The Shenandoah Spy, now and watch for the next one coming, hopefully soon!

The Shenandoah Spy

By Francis Hamit

Brass Cannon Books

ISBN: 9781595959027

433 Pages

G. A. Bixler is co-owner of an online review site of Independent Professional Book Reviewers. She has over 40 years experience in educational administration and publishing. New or well-known, self-published, or small press authors are all welcomed! Compare our prices to other professional book review sites!

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Dwight David Eisenhower - D-Day Broadcast

2009-11-24T01:00:00.000-08:00

People of Western Europe: A landing was made this morning on the cost of France by troops of the Allied Expeditionary Force. This landing is part of the concerted United Nations plan for the liberations of Europe, made in conjunction with our great Russian allies... I call upon all who love freedom to stand with us now. Together we shall achieve victory. - Dwight David Eisenhower --

Broadcast on D-Day [June 6, 1944] from Bartlett's Familiar Quotations

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Was President Bush Really a Big Government Republican? Critics Say So

2009-11-17T01:00:00.000-08:00

Why are most Americans against big government? Perhaps, the answer goes only back to our founding fathers and our Constitution. In this document it calls for a strong national defense and a weak federal government with strong state governments. A big federal government was not what the founding fathers had intended, and therefore, many Americans have a problem when it comes to the expansion, and interference into our daily lives, as we are told what to say, how to do things, and what is acceptable.

Many folks in the media and all the critics on the left side of the political spectrum, along with some of those Republicans or conservatives, and even libertarians, which moved away from the GOP, and moved over to Obama & Co. say things such as; "That Bush is a Big Government Republican is undeniable." In fact, recently a political pundit brought up this conversation with me, and believed it was an unarguable point of contention.

Was President Bush really a big government Republican? If you look at what he did in office you do see increases in the size of government in some of the sectors. But overall, one has to ask if that is actually a fair assessment. Okay but the government's number one job is to protect the American people and President Bush's largest increases in government were for The Department of Homeland Security, Border Patrol, FEMA, which are all part of protecting the American people. Expanding the military to fight away is not a "big government" move in and of itself. Please consider this.

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Ronald Reagan in Private - A Memoir of My Years in the White House

2009-11-10T01:00:00.000-08:00

By Jim Kuhn, Executive Assistant to the President
Publisher: Sentinel 2004

What is it like to be the personal assistant to one of the United States', arguably the world's, most popular presidents? This book opens your eyes to the logistics involved in a presidential campaign as well as daily life at the White House. Written from the perspective of the Executive Assistant to the President, who in this case also worked on two Reagan presidential campaigns as an advance man, is really quite amazing revealing all that goes into "an appointment" or an "appearance" by the President.

There are certainly insights into the personality and demeanor of President Reagan and Mrs. Reagan in the book as well as personal anecdotes, but this is by no means a "tell-all" or biography of the man. Jim Kuhn is a die-hard fan of the Reagans' and you will not find one negative word about them in the book. The author spent day and night with or very near the president for four years and still has only praise for his boss.

I found the section about the negotiations with Mikhail Gorbachev in 1985 and 1986 especially interesting coming from the perspective of the personal assistant. There were a number of details in the meetings that appeared to contribute greatly to the outcome. It was also revealing to hear about President Reagan's response when talks broke down and success seemed to escape him. If you enjoy reading about history or real people and real events, this is a nice "light read".

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Ronald Reagan's Republican Party

2009-11-03T01:00:00.000-08:00

"We're the party that wants to see an America in which people can still get rich." -- Ronald Reagan - Remark at Republican congressional diner Washington D.C. [May 4, 1982]

from Bartlett's Familiar Quotations

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American Conservative Political Philosophy

2009-10-27T01:00:00.000-07:00

The Classical Conservative Definition:

A classical conservative values tradition and freedom over governmental power. Conservatives, under this definition, advocate a free market economy without governmental intervention. Conservatives tend to view government as a necessary evil, whose primary responsibility is to protect people from violation of their rights and freedom by others. Conservatives distinguish this from government taking action to guarantee people's rights and freedom (a subtle, but important distinction). Conservatives think of morality as something that binds people into groups through loyalty and authority (in certain cases, substituting religion for authority). Conservatives tend to be tribalists.

There is likely not as much difference between the two philosophies as you may have thought. The distinctions are subtle, but they do lead to a different philosophy of both the purpose, and responsibilities of government. Distinctions between the two philosophies shift and morph to suit the politics of the day.

Conservatives are usually regarded as associated with the Republican Party, liberals with the Democratic Party. This is an over-generalization.

Both parties embrace certain conservative and liberal tendencies. Moreover, it does not account for those that do not affiliate with either party, standing as independents, a very large segment of America's political society.

FOUNDERS OF CONSERVATISM

Edmund Burke is often regarded as the founder of the conservative philosophy. Burke stated in 1791 that it was not necessary to tear apart society to cure its evils:

"An ignorant man who is not fool enough to meddle with his clock, is however sufficiently confident to think he can safely take to pieces, and put together at his pleasure, a moral machine of another guise, importance and complexity, composed of far other wheels, and springs, and balances, and counteracting and co-operating powers.

Men little think how immorally they act in rashly meddling with what they do not understand. Their delusive good intention is no sort of excuse for their presumption. They who truly mean well must be fearful of acting ill."

Burke professed that change should only be made when fully aware of the consequences of the actions. Society is complex and interconnected, so changes must be made with deliberation and knowledge of history. The damage from miscalculated changes can be too disastrous to society, to do otherwise.

This is not to say conservatives oppose change. Conservatives recognize that change is necessary in society; however, conservatives move at a slower pace than liberals.

The Modern Conservative Movement

Many credit Russell Kirk's 1953 book, "The Conservative Mind" with the birth of the modern conservative movement in the United States. In 1957, Kirk condensed he beliefs in "The Essence of Conservatism:"

"...The conservative is a person who endeavors to conserve the best in our traditions and our institutions, reconciling that best with necessary reform from time to time...Our American War of Independence...especially in the works of John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison, we find a sober and tested conservatism founded upon an understanding of history and human nature. The Constitution which the leaders of that generation drew up has proved to be the most successful conservative device in all history."

In this statement, Kirk restated that the U.S. Constitution is an instrument that protects people from abuse by government; in that regard, the Constitution must be strictly interpreted to guarantee that protection.

Barry Goldwater was the first politician to waive the modern conservative banner. His book, "The Conscience of a Conservative" was required reading at Harvard, at least for a while. When running for president in 1964, Goldwater promised to enforce the U.S. Constitution.

However, it was Ronald Reagan that legitimized the conservative political philosophy as President in 1980. He ran on a platform of cutting government, as he did when governor in California, where his main reform was in welfare.

As President, Reagan cut taxes in his first year. Whether as a direct result or not, the U.S. economy began an unprecedented economic boom in 1982 that lasted until 2001. However, Reagan will also be remembered for not only his economic forecast in 1982, but his prophesy that: "The march of freedom and democracy ... will leave Marxism-Leninism on the ash-heap of history as it has left other tyrannies which stifle the freedom and muzzle the self-expression of the people."

The fall of the Berlin wall came in 1989, followed by the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.

CONCLUSION

In looking at the above comparison of conservative and liberal values, it is apparent that arguments can be made for the value of either position. However, such a limited view misses the point. Combining both philosophies can take the best from each to provide solutions to our problems.

As an example, take the issue of trust as to whether government is the best answer to our problems. Conservatives are wary to trust government as the answer; liberals tend to see government as a necessary evil, but still the best answer to solve our problems. Both are appropriate views. Our Founding Fathers recognized this dilemma and developed a system of checks and balances, a separation of powers for an effective government, but one that never developed too much power over its citizens.

The Founding Fathers listened to both sides of the conservative and liberal argument to try to find a system that meets the needs of all.

Today, our society needs to move forward to meet new challenges; liberals say we need new solutions to those challenges; conservatives say we need to trust proven solutions because miscalculation could make our problems worse. Again, both views have value; and a blending of both is likely the best answer: learn from the past, while we forge the future.

Unfortunately, our politics have become too polarized and too divisive. People take positions rather than work together. Political parties provide those positions. Many Republicans revert to religion as a bastion, while many Democrats turn their party into a religion.

After obtaining a degree in political science, I embarked on a career in insurance and government. For the last 21 years, I have worked for local government and government associations. I have written articles, as well as manuals, assisting local government in effectively managing their activities and exposures. I have also provided training in these areas, been a frequent speaker at educational seminars, and acted as President of an association of governmental employees.

During this time, I continued an interest in the politics that is embedded in government and where politics is leading this nation in the Twenty First Century.

Rick Lawrence, June 6, 2009
Ricklawrence13@live.com
http://www.DemosResPublica.com

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"Open Letters to George W. Bush" author Case Wagenvoord: BOOK REVIEW

2009-10-20T01:00:00.000-07:00

Open Letters to George W. Bush

Case Wagenvoord

iUniverse (2005)

ISBN 0595361978

Reviewed by Joanne Benham for Reader Views (6/06)

This book is a tongue-in-cheek satire of government and big business, told through a series of letters to President Bush from a fictional character called Belacqua Jones, described by the author as a meth-addicted psychopath, half a bubble off plumb.

Belacqua Jones is an ardent admirer of George W. Bush and possesses keen insight into the political machine. That insight is clearly evident in this book as Jones comments on every aspect of Bush’s presidency and offers invaluable advice to further his political career. Some of Jones’ suggestions: Enhance the value of death. If someone has an illness such as cancer, offer painkillers rather than medicine to fight the disease. Morphine is much cheaper than chemotherapy. Keep the rest of the world impoverished so that the US can maintain its standard of living. Shore up Social Security by making cigarette smoking mandatory for children. If he wishes to eliminate Social Security, he can just abolish retirement. Problem solved. The big corporations can take back all the money they put into the 401 (k)s and give enormous bonuses to the top executives as they so richly deserve.

Jones is also looking out for George’s interests, such as warning him about the Ashlee Simpson debacle. It takes an astute player to recognize the potential harm Simpson could do the political machine.

At times Jones shows astonishing vision, such as urging the canonization of Judas Iscariot by the Vatican. How could anyone, except a meth-addicted psychopath, half a bubble off plumb, realize that Judas was a victim, actually a sacrifice to the greater good?

Although I don’t agree with everything Case Wagenvoord writes, I found that I was in agreement with much more of what he has written than I anticipated. A brilliant, satirical book, I would urge everyone to sit down and browse through this work. Since the book is a series of letters, in no particular order, you can jump around, picking the chapter headings that intrigue you. Some of my favorites…The Iron Colon, Tree-Huggers, The Benefits of Torture, God Bless the Democrats, Stoning and Human Sacrifice.

Joanne Benham is a reviewer for Reader Views.
http://www.readerviews.com

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Open Letters to George W. Bush: Letters to W from his ardent admirer Belacqua Jones
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The Ex-Presidents of the United States of America - George Bush the Elder, Part Four

2009-10-13T01:00:00.000-07:00

He secured the Republican nomination for the 1988 Presidential election and chose US Senator Dan Quayle of Indiana as his running mate, they were pitted against the Dukakis/Bentsen Democratic ticket. The subsequent general election is viewed as one of the nastiest that ever took place, Bush won it on an electoral votes landslide, becoming the first Acting Vice President to be elected President. He was in office when the Communist governments in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe collapsed.

Indeed, his Presidency was dominated by foreign policy. He sent troops to Panama in 1989 to overthrow the regime of Manuel Noriega and in 1991 committed US forces to repel the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. The success of the latter had the effect of soaring his popularity levels at home, this would be it's peak, it would plummet from here on in as domestic problems would come to the fore. The economy went into massive decline, forcing Bush into an embarrassing reverse turn on his famous election slogan of 'Read my lips - no new taxes' - he now had to raise taxes. His health was also beginning to give some cause for concern, he was diagnosed as having a mild heart condition and in 1992 he collapsed vomiting in the lap of the Japanese Prime Minister.

His domestic failures led him to lose the 1992 Presidential election to Bill Clinton. Since his 1992 retirement, Bush has retied with his wife, Barbara to their home in the exclusive neighbourhood of Tanglewood in Houston and they spend their summers at Walker's Point in Kennebunkport in Maine. Bush also holds his won fishing tournament in Islamorada, an island in the Florida Keys.

Russell Shortt is a travel consultant with Exploring Ireland, the leading specialists in customised, private escorted tours, escorted coach tours and independent self drive tours of Ireland. Article source Russell Shortt, http://www.exploringireland.net - http://www.visitscotlandtours.com

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Ronald Reagan on Government

2009-10-09T01:00:00.000-07:00

"Government is like a big baby -- an alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no responsibility at the other." -- Ronald Reagan Remark while campaigning for governor of California [1965]

Beyond Vietnam - A Time to Break Silence - Analysis!

2009-10-06T01:00:00.000-07:00

Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence was delivered by Martin Luther King Jr., on April 4, 1967, at a meeting of concerned clergy and laity at Riverside Church in New York City, New York. The essence of the speech focused on the war in Vietnam. The belief of the clergy took the theme of silence is betrayal. The conclusion was reached that they must speak out against the war over the objection that peace and civil right do not mix. King viewed such comments as a tragic misunderstanding of the world. He emphasized that he was not at the meeting to speak to China, Russia, the National Liberation Front, and/or Hanoi. He was there to speak to his fellow Americans who have the responsibility of ending the conflict that has extracted a heavy price on Vietnam and America.

Regarding the importance of getting involved in the Vietnam War, King enumerated seven major reasons to bring the war to an end based on moral vision. He stated that Vietnam is connected to the struggle he and others have been fighting in America for the poor. However, the buildup of the war has broken the program by society going mad over the war. As a result, the war is as an enemy of the poor, which has taken away vital resources from programs for the poor. He has also considered the dilemma the sons of poor Americans who are fighting and dying in extraordinary high numbers in Southeast Asia are facing as tragic, especially when they were not even able to attend the same school in America, or live on the same block, which he referred to as manipulation of the poor.

He believed that change would come to America through nonviolent action. Therefore, he must raise his voice against the violence inflicted on the oppressed for the sake of America and cannot remain silent. He affirmed the motto of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference is "To save the soul of America," which cannot be saved if it is destroying the souls of people across the world. Additionally, as a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, his belief is that this commission require him to work harder than ever for "the brotherhood of man," thus, his calling extend beyond national allegiances.

He declared that he share with all men the calling to be a son of the living God; that God is concerned with the suffering of helpless and outcast children; that ministers are called to speak for the weak, the voiceless, victims of our nation, and its enemy; that Vietnam has been living under the madness of war for three continuous decades; and there will be no solution until we hear the broken voices of Americans and Vietnamese.

He mentioned that the Vietnamese must be looking at Americans as strange liberators while pondering America's madness of the war. Since Vietnam had its independence in 1945 from the French and Japanese, America has supported the French in trying to take back its former colony by funding practically the entire cost of the war for the French. He proclaimed that America is a victim of Western arrogance for rejecting the revolutionary government seeking self-determination in Vietnam. As a result, our planes are dropping bombs on Vietnamese villages, women and children; poisoning their water; killing their crops; destroying their trees; leaving them homeless; begging for food; and selling their sisters and mothers to our soldiers. In this regard, we must speak for them because they are also our brothers in our struggle.

He specified that Hanoi has consider the presence of American troops in support of the Diem regime in Vietnam as a breach of the Geneva Convention, and that our president did not state there was an overture for peace made before by the parties. He notified the audience how Ho Chi Ming has watched the buildup of American forces as America spoke about peace; that Ming has been listening to the international rumors of a invasion of the north; and that Ming has watched the pre-invasion strategies of the most powerful nation on earth, which include dropping of bombs as an aggressor on the poor and the weak thousands of miles away from its own shores.

King made known that he is deeply concerned about the safety of our troops; that we are adding cynicism to the process of death; and that none of the things we are fighting for are really involved. He further added that our troops must know that our government sent them into Vietnam for the sophisticated and the wealthy, while we are creating hell for the poor; therefore, we must give a voice to the voiceless people of Vietnam. In this regard, he asserted that there will be no meaningful solution until we have heard their broken cries and have made some meaningful solution to hear their plea.

King communicated that the madness of war must cease. Additionally, in the name of God, we must stop the destruction of Vietnamese' homes and their culture. He mentioned that he is speaking to the leaders of his country as an American and for the people of the world who are shocked by the path America has taken. He then quoted the words of a great Buddhist leader who stated:

Each day the war goes on the hatred increase in the hearts of the Vietnamese and in the hearts of those of humanitarian instinct... Americans are forcing their friends to become their enemies... America is incurring deep psychological and political defeat...America will never again be the image of revolution, freedom and democracy but the image of violence and militarism.

In this light, he indicated that continuing the war would show the world we have no honorable intentions in Vietnam, and our hope is to drag China into a war so we would be able to bomb its nuclear installations. He stated the world has demanded a greater sense of maturity from America

He enumerated the following actions for America's atonement of sins: an end to all bombing in Vietnam; unilateral cease fire; prevention of battle grounds in Southeast Asia; recognition of the National Liberation Front; a set date from removal of all foreign forces from Vietnam in accordance with the 1954 Geneva Convention; granting of asylum to Vietnamese suffering persecution; and the payment of reparations for harm done.

With respect to continuing protest of the war, he requested the churches and synagogues to continue urging America to disengage from Vietnam and encouraged the ministers to seek conscious objector's status. He brought up that America is on the wrong side of the world's revolution, because we now consider property and material things more important than people; thus, we are approaching spiritual death.

On the issue of the importance of people, he revealed that all over the world men are revolting against the old system of exploitation and oppression, and new systems of justice and equality are being born. As a result, we should desire love to be the ultimate force and saving grace of life and not death and evil. Additionally, he reinforced that powers without compassion; might without morality; and strength without sight, will drag America down the corridor of shame; therefore, we must rededicate ourselves to a beautiful world, which is the calling of the sons of God.

He ended his message with an eloquent poem written by James Russell Lowell, addressing the issues of love not war; good not evil; light not darkness; and how God is keeping watch over His people.

Joseph S. Spence, Sr. (aka "Epulaeryu Master"), is the author of "The Awakened One Poetics" (2009), which is published in seven different languages. He also co-authored two poetry books, "A Trilogy of Poetry, Prose and Thoughts for the Mind, Body and Soul" (2005), and "Trilogy Moments for the Mind, Body and Soul," (2006). He invented the Epulaeryu poetry form, which focuses on succulent cuisines. Joseph is a Goodwill Ambassador for the state of Arkansas. He has completed over twenty years of service with the U.S. Army.

http://www.trilogypoetry.com/

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The Ex-Presidents of the United States of America - George Bush the Elder, Part Three

2009-09-29T01:00:00.000-07:00

In 1976, President Ford recalled Bush from China and appointed him as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, his brief was to restore morale and transform the way the agency was perceived by the public and by Congress. When the Democrats came to power in 1977, Bush became Chairman of the Executive Committee of the First International Bank in Houston. Bush sought the Republican nomination for the 1980 Presidential campaign, exploiting the contacts he had made as Chairman of the Republican National Committee and as a prominent Texas businessman with corporate interests in the East.

Bush soon emerged as the principal challenger to the former Governor of California, Ronald Reagan, the Republican frontrunner. Although Reagan later defeated Bush, surprisingly he selected him as his running mate and hence placing him on the winning Republican presidential ticket of 1980. Bush proved to be a loyal, hard-working supporter of the President who maintained a low profile presence, providing quiet counsel to Reagan and gained his confidence.

When Reagan was shot and seriously wounded in 1981, Bush flew in from Dallas immediately, his aides advised him to take the helicopter to the White House to illustrate to the public that the government was still operating normally. Bush refused stating "only the President lands on the South Lawn", this made a serious impression on Reagan, the two men became very close, lunching regularly on Thursdays in the Oval Office. When Reagan was re-nominated in 1984, Bush retained the Vice-Presidency, continuing in his role in the background offering advice and counsel.

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How About the Real Scoop on the Reagan Administration - Book Review

2009-09-25T01:00:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not Ronald Reagan has had some 300 books written about him over the years, far more than any of his contemporaries, or our former heads of state. Of course, history tells us why, and we should not be surprised.

Still, having read perhaps 5 or more books over the years on this president, most favorable, a couple not, I have come to the conclusion that the best book about his days in office is a book that I'd surely like to recommend to you.

The book is;"Reagan's Secret War; The Untold Story of His Fight to Save the World Fromm Nuclear Disaster," by Martin Anderson and Annelise Anderson; Crown Publishers, New York, NY (2009); ISBN-13: 978-0307238610

The Andersons just did a superb job on their authorship of this work and they explain that despite what many people might think; Ronald Reagan was not just acting the part, he was playing the part, fully engaged and very astute in his decision making. Reagan took lots of notes and knew very much what he was doing.

All the other authors of all the other works that came before this one, are quite in adequate compared to this book. As the Anderson's state; "One can only learn the reality from going through the documents, 1,000s of letters, and hand-written notes that were left behind," and that is just what these research writers have done.

They tell about the negotiations with the Russians and how no one pulled this president's strings. He had lots of experts, and he listen to all of them. The book describes how he won the cold war in 1988. And how he spelled out his plans as early as 1963 in speeches, and writings in personal journal. This is an amazing book and quells the critics as well it should.

Lance Winslow - Lance Winslow's Bio. Lance Winslow is also Founder of the Car Wash Guys, a cool little Franchise Company;http://www.carwashguys.com/history/founder.html/.

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Reagan's Secret War: The Untold Story of His Fight to Save the World from Nuclear Disaster

The Whiskey Rebels Written by David Liss

2009-09-22T01:00:00.000-07:00

I have always loved history and historical fiction from the Revolutionary War period. The Whiskey Rebels takes place in the Philadelphia, New York City, and the area between there and Western Pennsylvania shortly after the war ended. The book is mostly factual with only a few fictional characters molded into actuality with a bit of fiction to enhance the story. David Liss writes in a style characteristic with the period, making the reader feel in the middle of the action and descriptions.

Alexander Hamilton's running of the United States Treasury and his attempt to keep it flourishing amidst those that would attack the system to gain financial advantage for themselves became quite a challenge in those days. There was little communication other than riders racing from one point to another to announce any major moves or news so the road to success or ruin for the government or individuals was in constant change that would be unknown in some areas.

Ethan Saunders and a close friend had been discharged from the military and charged with spying, a charge that ruined their lives for some time. The many characters in the book, most of whom were actual people from that period of history, are intertwined throughout the book, making you sometimes wonder who were the "good guys" and who were the "bad guys" and which were helping the United States government and which were against it. The distilling of a new type of whiskey came to the western Pennsylvania area making that particular blend known all over the broad area. That type of news traveled fast. When the government heard about this new whiskey, they imposed a whiskey excise tax making the distillers irate. This tax caused much fighting and killing.

I will not go into detail to describe and name the many that made this story such a great read for one such as myself that can't get enough history of that period. Know that there are many and they are described very ably by David Liss as they travel from one area to another, sometimes being attacked, sometimes attacking, and killing several along the way to preserve their way of life. If you like period historical fiction from the post-Revolutionary War era, you will eat this book up.

Reviewed as part of the Amazon Vine Reviewer Program by a reviewer that enjoys reading and telling others about good books.

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The Whiskey Rebels: A Novel (Random House Reader's Circle)

Announcing the Beginning of the End of the USA

2009-09-18T01:00:00.000-07:00

The Roman Empire grew from a republic and finally fell from its decadence. This a road well traveled. Are we on that road? Learn more: http://politicalfirestorm.blogspot.com/

The Ex-Presidents of the United States of America - George Bush, the Elder, Part Two

2009-09-15T01:00:00.000-07:00

Following his graduation in 1948, he became an oilfield supply salesman for Dresser Industries in Odessa, Texas. Bush rose quickly in an industry that was booming in the post-war years, starting his own oil company in 1953 and moving it's corporate headquarters to Houston, Texas, it made him a millionaire by the time he was forty. He ambitions became political and in 1964 he ran against the Democratic incumbent Texan Senator Ralph Yarborough. Bush campaigned as a Goldwater Republican - opposing civil rights legislation, calling for US withdrawal from the United Nations if China was admitted and demanding cutbacks in foreign aid - he was easily defeated. Bush, however, persisted in politics and was elected to the House of Representatives in 1966. He served two terms before again, at the behest of Nixon, running for the Senate against Ralph Yarborough, but once again he was defeated.

As a reward for his loyalty, Nixon appointed Bush US Ambassador to the UN in February 1971, he proved to be a capable diplomat. In December 1972, Nixon appointed him as Chairman of the Republican National Committee, it proved to be a very difficult post, as the Watergate scandal broke in the spring of the following year. Bush started by championing the President but as the crisis ballooned, he moved to protect the Republican party. Nixon's successor, Gerald Ford appointed Bush as Chief of the US Liaison Office in the People's Republic of China, once again he proved to be a quality diplomat and his time is seen as very beneficial to US-Sino relations.

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Remembering 9/11

2009-09-11T01:00:00.000-07:00

On that morning all could see

The twin towers sparkling in the light.

The nation in which it stood is proud and free.

Everything was what it should be.

A plane came flying through the sky

Into the first of the two standing towers.

All of the people who were passing by

Knew nothing was as it should be

People were crying from the highest of floors,

And praying that help was on its way.

People were running out through the front doors.

Nothing was as it should be

A second plane came flying high

Everyone stared holding their breath.

The second tower fell while everyone cried,

“Why is nothing as it should be?”

Down at the Pentagon in Washington D.C.

Another plane came crashing into its side.

Everyone who could walk was trying to flee

Saying, “Nothing is as it should be.”

Thanks to the passengers on the last airplane

That crashed in a field out by a small town

Bin Ladin’s last goal was not attained.

Nothing was as it should be.

It took but moments for our confidence to fade.

But through the rain, the sun and the frost,

Our hearts begin to repair and our hopes are remade.

It will be as it should be.

Claire Coles

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Unborn Child Amendment - Amending the US Constitution Through State Legislatures

2009-09-08T01:00:00.000-07:00

By Charles Kacprowicz

There can be no blacker blot on America's judicial history than Roe vs. Wade and subsequent judicial rulings that extend the age of the Unborn Child beyond the first trimester during which the mother can abort, with impunity, an unwanted Child. This incredibly evil ruling has effectively declared war on the Unborn Child, the father of the Unborn Child, the grandparents, and the young mother who in many cases understands little or nothing about the consequences of her choice. Consequences that are triggered after she gives birth to other children who she learns to love.

Congress and the States cannot overturn Roe vs. Wade with incremental legislation. When the Supreme Court mandated a "constitutional amendment" from the bench in Roe vs. Wade, it created a new "Constitution", without ratification by the States. It removed the inalienable right to life for the Unborn Child and replaced it with an un-enumerated right of privacy for the mother.

it will take several years for the States to complete their Legislative Calls on Congress instructing Congress to convene the "Single Issue" Unborn Child Amendment Convention. Our strategy is to pressure Congress into sending the Amendment to the States for ratification voluntarily. As the States complete their Legislative Calls, Congress will realize that it will soon be forced, by the States, to convene a "Single Issue" Unborn Child Amendment Convention. It is possible that Congress, under pressure from Legislative Calls, will send the Amendment to the States for ratification before it is forced to convene a Convention. If this happens the Calling States are agreeing to withdraw their Calls for a Convention. In either case, whether Congress sends the Amendment to the States for ratification or is forced to convene a Convention, the Unborn Child will be given standing as a "Person" in the United States Constitution after the Amendment is ratified.

The States alone have the authority to "limit" the agenda and authority of a Federal Convention. The States alone can Call for a "Single Issue" Convention by agreeing among themselves the purpose, terms, conditions, duration, and agenda for the Convention. Congress does not have the authority to define a "Single Issue" Convention. Congress' authority, under Article V of the United States Constitution, empowers it to convene a Convention as Called for and defined by the Several States. The Several States alone have the authority to enforce the terms and conditions set forth in this Legislative Call and Agreement between the Calling States for the Unborn Child Amendment Convention. For an accurate history of how the States controlled the agenda, proceedings and outcome of the Federal Convention in Philadelphia click Open vs. "Single Issue" Conventions. Click Incremental Legislation for a discussion of why Incremental Legislation has failed to stop abortion in America.

http://www.UnbornChildAmendment.com

Charles Kacprowicz

National Director / Chairman

Unborn Child Amendment

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Do You Love The U.S.A?

2009-09-04T01:00:00.001-07:00

Get to know it history, its people and the founding principals that have made it great. You will love it even more: http://www.pippoproducts.com

Ronald Reagan's Greatest Speeches

2009-09-01T01:00:00.000-07:00

By Steven Chabotte

Ronald Reagan has been an inspiration to countless millions the world over. Nicknamed the Great Communicator, he had the ability to deliver moving speeches that touched the hearts of the masses with their direct style, humor and sincerity. During his long career in politics, he gave a great many speeches - some of which rose to the level of greatness. Perhaps the most memorable phrase one recalls when thinking of Ronald Reagan comes from his speech of 6/12/87. Here in an address at the Brandenburg Gate (Berlin Wall) in Berlin, he uttered the phrase "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" to the thundering applause of all people who were free or sought to be free of tyranny.

But this is not the only great moment from his speeches.

Like many presidents who serve, there are tragic moments that must be dealt with - moments that help heal a grieving nation. And Ronald Reagan's presidency was no exception. On 1/28/86, just hours after the tragedy he delivered the Address to the Nation on the Explosion of the Space Shuttle "Challenger" from the Oval Office. This speech was a poignant speech full of sadness at the tragedy that had occurred just hours earlier. But it was also an uplifting speech, giving the Americans and the world the face of courage in adversity and hammered home the bravery of these fine men and women who take enormous risks every day for the betterment of all mankind.

During this speech, he masterfully tied in the risks of exploration with the need for seeking out the unknown and he put the event in its proper place in history by pointing out that on this day 390 years ago, the great explorer Sir Francis Drake died aboard his ship off the coast of Panama. That one line showed the value of the courage of these men and women and the risks that they take to help open up and explore new frontiers that will benefit all mankind.

Another example of his great speeches happened many years before he ran for the Presidency. It happened on 10/27/64. Titled "A Time For Choosing", it was a televised campaign address for the Goldwater Presidential Campaign. This title was very appropriate and was the theme of the entire speech. In it Reagan explains to the American people who he chose to no longer be a Democrat but rather is choosing to embrace the Republican ideals of a small, non-invasive government that serves the people, not a large government that dominates and wears down the people's greatness, creativity and desire to reach beyond themselves to become something greater than they ever imagined possible.

He railed against the constant growth happening in every department and how this growth of government was hurting, not helping, the great country of the United States of America. In his own words: "You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on Earth, or we will sentence them to take the last step into a thousand years of darkness."

Some of Ronald Reagan's other greatest speeches include his speech on 5/28/84 where he delivered remarks honoring the Vietnam War's Unknown Soldier at the Arlington National Cemetery and his two speeches on 6/6/84 where he memorialized our brave soldiers who gave their life on D-Day 40 years before.

And of course this list of great speeches would not be complete without mention of the speech on 1/11/89; Ronald Reagan's Farewell Address to the Nation from the Oval Office. In this speech, you could tell that after eight years, he was still humbled by the great office of the Presidency of the United States and still swelled with the honor the American people gave to him, allowing him to serve them for the past eight years.

Ronald Reagan's greatest speeches will be studied by students and historians for many decades to come, not only for their content but also for their sincere delivery style, a style that flowed naturally from him and touches the hearts of everyone who heard.

Ronald Reagan's greatest speeches - twelve in total - have been gathered in their entirety as broadcast in the four volume DVD collection Ronald Reagan's Greatest Speeches Four DVD Collection available from The Historical Archive athttp://www.TheHistoricalArchive.com.

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Ronald Regan Speaks Out Against Socialized Medicine

2009-08-30T01:00:00.000-07:00

President George H. W. Bush On Americas Diversity

2009-08-28T01:00:00.001-07:00

"We are a nation of communities, of tens and tens of thousands of ethnic, religious, social, business, labor union, neighborhood, regional and other organizations, all of them varied, voluntary, and unique... a brilliant diversity spread like stars, like a thousand points of light in a broad and peaceful sky." George Herbert Walker Bush -- Acceptance speech, Republican National Convention, New Orleans [August 18, 1988] from Bartlett's Familiar Quotations

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A Review of Mark Levin's "Liberty and Tyranny"

2009-08-25T01:00:00.000-07:00

The number one best-selling non-fiction hard-back book in the United States at the time of this review is Mark Levin's 'Liberty and Tyranny' (Threshold Editions/Simon and Schuster). Its subtitle says it all: 'A Conservative Manifesto'. This book consists of just 245 pages including its 38 pages of notes--yet, it contains more knowledge of current politics and the relevant economic and historical knowledge than any other book one is likely to find out there in the waste land of American popular non-fiction today. It is also a philosophical work--and probably the most important American philosophical work to be published since Ayn Rand's philosophical novel 'Atlas Shrugged' (1957).

Mark Levin is "huge fan" of Ayn Rand, and so it is fitting that sales of 'Atlas Shrugged' have also dramatically surged upward since our current Presidential Administration got elected into office in November of 2008. 'Liberty and Tyranny' was begun, and most of it written, at least 18 months before it was released for mass consumption on March 23rd, 2009. So, much of this book proves prescient. The Conservative manifesto of 'Liberty and Tyranny' must be scaring the hell out of the Liberals, the Democrats, and the RINOs--those who seek to give us Hell on Earth for our lives (but not for theirs). These are times which try people's souls; this book is a bright and burning lantern in the darkness, which explains its huge sales. If enough people read and understand this book, the mad Libs will be in more trouble than they have been since 1980.

The great power of 'Liberty and Tyranny' lies in the fact that it centers entirely around ageless, timeless principles--the principles which manifest Conservative thought and deed. No Liberal has any principles; all that citizen Liberals want is for the government to guarantee that nobody can be "better" than they are, and all that Liberal politicians want is power, as much power as they can possibly have over everyone else's lives. There are no principles in their views--only fear and power-lust, nothing more.

Mark Levin lays out in exquisite detail and clear, concise, consistent prose precisely where Conservative principles have their origins, the objective evidence for why they work, and their historical precedents. He actually does not call the Liberals by that name throughout most of the book, as that label has historically been applied in different ways and could cause some confusion; instead, he calls them "Statists": those who worship government and/or work in the government who want to expand its power relentlessly and, in truth, infinitely.

Conservatism is what gives us liberty; Statism is what puts us under the iron fist of tyranny. Conservatism has precious little to do with what the Statist makes so many gullible Americans of all classes believe it does. Levin proves this premise true over and over and over again, whether writing about the need to read the Constitution as it was written and derive its original meanings and intents from historical context and extratextual letters, journals, and notes written by the Founders; or the insipid evil of mad Liberal science on issues like the spurious grounds for banning of DDT and the massive man-made global warming fraud; or the evil of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid; or the need for the federal government to do just the one thing that it was ever supposed to do: preserve the American civil society.

'Liberty and 'Tyranny' tells us that "so distant is America today from its founding principles that it is difficult to precisely describe the nature of American government." Levin also reminds us that President Ronald Reagan said, "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction". The book ends with the epilogue of "A Conservative Manifesto" and lays out a 10-point call-to-action plan that all need to hear in these dark days.

Read Mark Levin's 'Liberty and Tyranny'. Meaningfully mark it up. Read it over again. Read it slowly. Give it to your children and grandchildren as presents--and when you do, put a little sticky note on the cover saying, "I'm sorry for what I've done to you."

You can find Mark Levin's "Liberty and Tyranny" at the conservative books section at AmericanConservative Values.

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You Decide What Life is Like in U.S.A.

2009-08-21T01:00:00.000-07:00

Know how it works? Know how it supposed to work? Know who they are? Vote in the right people to fix it. Get the facts. http://politicalfirestorm.blogspot.com/

The Ex-Presidents of the United States of America - George Bush the Elder, Part One

2009-08-18T01:00:00.000-07:00

George Hebert Walker Bush was in Milton, Massachusetts on 12 June, 1924. His father, Prescott Bush was a managing partner in a Wall Street investment firm and was a US senator for Connecticut from 1952 to 1962. His mother Dorothy Walker Bush was the daughter of another prominent Wall Street investment banker, George Herbert Walker and the founder of the international golfer competition, the Walker Cup.

Bush attended the Greenwich Country Day School and Phillip Academy, both exclusive private schools, where he was a model student, both in the classroom and the athletic field. Following the attack on Pearl Harbour, Bush enlisted in the US Navy, receiving a commission as an ensign in the US Naval Reserve, he was the youngest naval aviator to that date. He saw action in the Pacific, serving on the USS San Jacinto, he was involved in attacks against Japanese installations on Chichijima. During the attack, Bush's aircraft was hit by flak, forcing him to bail out, he was adrift on a raft for four hours before been rescued by the lifeguard submarine USS Finback. He later returned to the San Jacinto and participated in operations in the Philippines.

Through 1944, he flew fifty-eight combat missions, for which he received the Distinguished Flying Cross, three Air Medals and the Presidential Unit Citation awarded to the San Jacinto. On his return from the war, he married his fiancée Barbara Pierce and took his place that he had gained prior to the war in Yale University, he joined an accelerated programme, graduating with a degree in economics within three years. He also captained the Yale baseball team and competed in two College World Series.

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President Ronald Reagan Speaks Out on Abortion

2009-08-14T01:00:00.000-07:00

In 1983, President Reagan wrote an essay for the "Human Life Review" entitled, "Abortion and the Conscience of the Nation." This brief writing of his pro-life philosophy was published in book form a year later. It was expanded to approximately to 95 pages with lengthy afterwords by Surgeon General C. Everett Koop and British essayist Malcolm Muggeridge. Reagan's brief composition is probably one of the better well-argued pro-life essays ever written. It is also significant as it was the first ever by a sitting President. It was President Reagan's attempt to awaken a nation to the implications of abortion. In this short book, President Reagan gives an account on how important the issue of abortion is to the "conscience of a nation."
President Reagan's essay is only 26 pages of the book, but it is well structured. He believed that diminishing the life of the unborn diminishes the value of all human life. He tackled the pro-abortion "quality of life" argument and compared it to the Dred Scott slavery issue. Reagan likened the pro-abortion argument to slavery and drew parallels between the Roe vs. Wade decision and the Dred Scot decision that divided America over a century earlier. According to Reagan, the quality of life argument is an argument for quality control of the population.
Reagan surmises that legalized abortion is a very slippery slope. He says that unborn babies are being killed because they are simply not wanted or come at an inconvenient time. He also states that many are killed because they will be unable to lead a "normal" life as the result of birth defects. Such babies are considered to be of less value and thus denied human rights. He claims this denial of human rights is accomplished by activist judges who frame the interpretation of the US Constitution through the lens of their own pro-abortion beliefs.
Reagan believes that the arbitrary evaluation of unborn lives must stop. He states that this philosophy will lead to further the crimes of infanticide and illustrates this by citing the Indiana case of "Baby Doe." Baby Doe was allowed to starve to death because the child had Down's syndrome. The essence of Reagan's argument is that no nation can survive and prosper when a group of individuals look at a child and declare whether that child has value as a human being. Reagan goes on to say, "Abraham Lincoln recognized that we could not survive as a free land when some men could decide that others were not fit to be free and should therefore be slaves. Likewise, we cannot survive as a free nation when some men decide that others are not fit to live and should be abandoned to abortion or infanticide. My Administration is dedicated to the preservation of America as a free land, and there is no cause more important for preserving that freedom than affirming the transcendent right to life of all human beings, the right without which no other rights have any meaning."
The pro-life movement will not be disappointed with Reagan's essay, and will conclude that it contains very powerful and logical anti-abortion arguments.
Johnny Kicklighter is a charter contributor to the Mosaic Pregnancy & Health Centers, (formerly the New Beginnings Pregnancy Care Center) Fairview Heights, Illinois. Johnny is also an instructor and counselor at the Gateway Biblical Counseling and Training Center.
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James Madison and the Bill of Rights Today

2009-08-11T01:00:00.000-07:00

It struck me recently that often times the most important things seem so obvious to us that we take it for granted that they are uniformly understood by all. Such was the case for the first ten amendments to the Constitution, the Bill of Rights. Had it not been for the efforts of James Madison, the Bill of Rights may not exist today. Most congressmen during Madison's time thought the rights enumerated in the Bill of Rights to be understood and, therefore, it was unnecessary to add them to the Constitution of the United States. And yet today, with the clarity of hindsight, we see how important it was to have them written down. And yet with as good a job as our founding fathers have done in creating the Constitution, the left wing radicals in this country have succeeded in finding the chinks in our armor and exploiting them.

As with the word "marriage" used, but not defined, in the Constitution of the State of Massachusetts, if not written down explicitly, the definition is prone to distortion. Men can and do stretch the truth to suit their own purposes. Two hundred and fifty years ago it was understood that marriage is a contract between a man and a woman. Today, we deny the difference between men and women, just as we deny that a fetus is a human life.

The change in the definition of marriage in a few states is not the first assault on the moral base of this country as reflected in the Bill of Rights. Our freedom of religion and freedom of speech have been under attack in this country for the past 60 years. Every effort has been made to suppress religious speech in our schools and public places. Atheists are attempting to remove any reference to God from all public forums. The Democratic congress continually threatens to use FCC rules such as the Fairness Doctrine to suppress free speech rather than protect it. On August 6, 2009, four Service Employees International Union (SEIU) (A union with a large healthcare worker membership) members assaulted Mr. Kenneth Gladney for selling "Don't Tread on Me" merchandise outside of a town hall meeting in St. Louis, Missouri, where the subject under discussion was the proposed health care bill. The Administration is collecting e-mail and web addresses from "snitches" under the pretence of wanting to correct misinformation about the health care bill. These are all infringements on our first amend right of free speech.

The Obama administration has also set its sights on gun regulation, as if the prohibition of guns within city limits was not enough of an assault on the second amendment. It may seem unthinkable, but the time may come when we may have to defend ourselves from our own government. And without guns, the citizenry becomes the servant to the government rather than the master.

After re-reading the Bill of Rights, I ask is it not now the time to come to its defense. As James Madison stated, "I believe there are more instances of the abridgement of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." Be careful America, the slope is getting steeper and soon we may be at the point of no return.

Joseph L. Conigliaro

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The Bill of Rights

2009-08-09T10:24:00.000-07:00

Amendment I

Congress shall make now law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of people peaceable to assemble, and to petition the government for the redress of grievances.

Amendment II

A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a Free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

Amendment III

No soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in any house without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

Amendment IV

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or thing to be seized.

Amendment V

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on the presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or navel forces, or in the militia, where in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of live, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation.

Amendment VI

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witness in his favor, and to have assistance of counsel for his defense.

Amendment VII

In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars,. The right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury shall be otherwise reexamined in any court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

Amendment VIII

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishment inflicted.

Amendment IX

The enumeration of the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage other retained by the people.

Amendment X

The powers not delegated to the United State by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

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Discover the Truth about the Republican Party

2009-08-07T01:00:00.000-07:00

Does the Republican Party really stand for Republican Principals? What are republican principals? Find out more: http://historyofrepublicanparty.blogspot.com/

Notre Dame's Knute Rockne's Analysis Applies to GOP

2009-08-04T01:00:00.000-07:00

Legendary Notre Dame college football coach Knute Rockne once said, "It isn't necessary to see a good tackle. You can hear it."

He was referring to the fact that - if executed properly - the sheer crackling noise from the "hit" on the opposing player will tell coaches all they need to know about the play.

The same is true in politics. It is not necessary to see or understand a good political strategy - the end result will speak for itself on election day. Everything else will be "woulda, shoulda, coulda."

While President Obama continues to go about the business of governing the nation - the 2008 vanquished Republican Presidential candidates are busy plotting their political strategies with hopes of making Mr. Obama a one-term President.

Like it or not - this is our political process at work and it has been gong on for the last 50 years. While there is a strong possibility that a fresh GOP face will surface and win the hearts of the Republican Party in 2012, history tells us that the standard bearer will most likely be someone from the top contending group of 2008.

That would include the threesome of former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, and Senator John McCain's vice presidential candidate, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

Governor Huckabee seems to believe his best chance for a successful second run for the White House is to keep his name and image front-and-center by hosting a regular television show on Fox News. Governor Palin is trying to keep her "one of us" image intact with a series of informal interviews also on Fox with Greta Van Susteren and is in the process of writing a book about her life.

Governor Romney is also appearing regularly on the political talk show circuit and is making a few moves that might bode well for him from a public relations standpoint should he decide to run again in 2012. He is selling a five million-dollar vacation home in Utah and downsizing to a smaller house in his home state of Massachusetts.

For sure these potential 2012 presidential candidates are going about the business of staying in the public eye - yet keeping their options open. These aspirants would be wise to take a page from the past - from someone who overcame great odds to balance public exposure and the need to develop a political strategy under the radar screen.

Richard Nixon's comeback was most remarkable, and it set the standard from which others now try to emulate. Following Senator Barry Goldwater's landslide defeat in 1964, Nixon decided the 1968 Republican nomination wouldn't be worth very much if the party could not be rebuild itself in the 1966 congressional elections.

Losing the presidential race in 1960 and the California governors' race in 1962 Nixon had what every politician dreads - a "loser image." Still following Goldwater's defeat, Nixon knew that the party's best interests - and his own - were the same.

With a staff never larger than two Nixon set out to rebuild the party - crisscrossing the country - traveling over 127,000 miles visiting 40 states, speaking before 400 various groups and organizations (there were no speakers' fees back then) all the while focusing on electing Republicans in 1966 and raising money for the party.

In the two months leading up to the 1966 Congressional elections, Nixon quietly campaigned in 82 Congressional districts for Republicans. He noted, "I knew this would be hard, boring, and sometimes thankless work. But this was a job that I increasingly saw as my own".

His efforts were rewarded on election night as Republicans picked up a net of 47 House seats, three Senate seats, 8 governorships and 540 seats in state legislatures. There was no doubt that Nixon had recharged his political career and he would run again for President in 1968.

Just as Rockne - the legendary college football coach - once analyzed - it isn't necessary to see a successful play on the field - one can hear it.

Same with politics.

Robb Austin is a former newspaper reporter and elected Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and has successfully run numerous Congressional campaigns. Learn more at http://robbaustin.com

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Lincoln, Healing A Divided Nation

2009-07-31T01:00:00.000-07:00

"With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan -- to do all which may achieve and cherish a just, and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations." - Abraham Lincoln, from Quotations of Abraham Lincoln.

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Best Political Books

2009-07-28T01:00:00.000-07:00

I feel it's time for me to speak up and be counted. At sixty-three years on our planet now, I figure better late than never. It's still a free country, I do believe, and that's what I am very concerned about - the future of our nation.

I've created , over time, my best political books library. I use "political" in very broad sense. For example, economics, social issues, current events, history, as well as politics, etc., all these would be included under my term "political."

Recently, I read Glenn Beck's Common Sense, The Case Against an Out-of-Control Government. Glenn states that his book was inspired by Thomas Paine, who wrote the original Common Sense in 1776, which, for sure, I have in my best political books library. Included in Glenn's book at the end, is a copy of Thomas Paine's Common Sense, a good deal - getting two books in one.

Glenn reports on how the present government is out of control and what we must do to take our country back. He reports on what both parties have done to undermine our freedoms and concludes with:

"The time has come for a second American Revolution -----bring your passion, but leave your muskets at home. This revolution will take place in our minds and hearts...This revolution will be won when Americans rebel against the lies that are being told by those in power..."

I believe Glenn Beck is a true Patriot, and is bringing a very important message to us at this time. It's "we the people" that have the power, and must realize this and must take our country back from the politicians that do not have our best interest at heart or our children and grandchildren's best interest at heart.

I have read Glenn's book and try to watch him on a daily basis, his program is on the Fox News Channel every afternoon. I highly recommend everyone tune into his program and get a copy of his book Common Sense, it's a must read.

Another book that I have recently read is Catastrophe, by Dick Morris and Eileen McGann.

"How Obama, Congress, and the special interests are transforming...a slump into a crash, freedom into socialism, and disaster into a Catastrophe...and how to fight back."

Another book in my best political books library that needs to be read by every American. I have placed Catastrophe as well as Fleeced, another book by Dick Morris and Eileen McGann, in my library.

Tom Noffsinger a.k.a Liberty Tom, is a concerned American citizen and has decided it's time to make some comments on our country we live in. For more information go to:
http://www.politicalthoughts-libertytom.blogspot.com

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Advice to citizens

2009-07-24T06:18:00.000-07:00

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The US Navy - "Great White Fleet"

2009-07-21T01:00:00.000-07:00

On December 16th, President Theodore Roosevelt sent the Great White Fleet on their journey around the world. It had sixteen new battleships from the Atlantic Fleet. They had painted the battleships all white except for the gilded scrollwork on the bows. This part of the Atlantic Fleet became known as " The Great White Fleet".

This fleet that took a fourteen month sail around the around the world consisted of 14,000 sailors. The trip covered the some of 43,000 miles and made twenty port calls on six continents. It was a great show of the American sea power.
The fleet was joined for the first half of the trip by the "Torpedo Flotilla", which was made up of six early destroyers and several auxiliary ships. The Torpedo Flotilla was following their own itinerary, which was from Hampton Roads to San Francisco. In San Francisco two battleships were detached and replaced with two more.

Under the command of Rear Admiral Robley D. Evans, the flagship the USS Connecticut they sailed from Hampton Roads, Virginia. With this flagship they sailed from December 16, 1907 to May 16,1908. The fleet went from Virginia to Trinidad (West Indies) then to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Sandy Point, Chile; Callao, Peru; Magdalena Bay, Mexico, and up the west coast, then arriving at San Francisco.

The USS Glacier was separated from the fleet after they ported on the West Coast. It later became the supply ship of the Pacific Fleet. Also at this point, Reginald F. Nicholson the captain of the USS Nebraska and Frank E. Beatty the captain of the USS Wisconsin were replaced for the USS Maine and USS Alabama.
In San Francisco, Rear Admiral Charles S. Sperry took command of the Fleet, due to the poor health of Admiral Evans.

The fleet left San Francisco on July 7,1908. The Atlantic Fleet sailed from San Francisco to Honolulu, Hawaii; Auckland, New Zealand; Sydney, Melbourne and Albany, Australia; Manila, Philippine Islands; Yokohama, Japan; Colombo, Ceylon; and on January 3,1909 the fleet ported at Suez, Egypt.

While the fleet was In Egypt they heard about an earthquake in Sicily. This gave the United States the chance to show their friendship, and they offered aid to those who were effected in Italy. The Connecticut, Illinois, Culgoa and Yankton were called immediately to Messina. The crew of the Illinois recovered the bodies of the American consul and his wife, were found in the ruble.

The Scorpion the station ship at Constantinople, and the Celtic, were rushed to Messina. They were rushed so that they could relieve the Connecticut and Illinois, so that they could continue their journey. On January 9 1909 after the fleet left Messina, the Fleet stopped at Naples, Italy, then to Gibraltar, arriving at Hampton Roads, Virginia.

February 22 1909 when they arrived in Virginia, there they were greeted by President Roosevelt. He reviewed the Fleet as it passed into the roadstead. That was the end of there 14 month long journey. That is how the Atlantic Fleet became known as the "Great White Fleet".

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Lincoln on Litigation

2009-07-17T02:58:00.000-07:00

"Discourage litigation. Persuade your neighbors to compromise whenever you can. Point out to them how the nominal winner is often the real loser--in fees, expenses, and waste of time. As a peace maker the lawyer has a superior opportunity of being a good man. There will still be business enough." - Abraham Lincoln, From: Quotations of Abraham Lincoln

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Fascinating Iraqi Perspective on Iraq War

2009-07-14T01:00:00.000-07:00

Iraq Through a Bullet Hole is a book long overdue, primarily because the media has provided us with insufficient coverage of the Iraqis' viewpoint regarding the overthrow of Saddam Hussein and the American occupation of their country. Issam Jameel has come forward to reveal his experiences in his native Iraq, a country he left many years ago, but returned to in 2005 to mourn his nephew's accidental killing by an American soldier. Jameel does not express his opinions on the war, but reports impartially on events and conversations he witnessed and partook in regarding the crisis within his homeland. The strength of Jameel's story lies in his ability to remove himself from the situation while his background provides him with a more knowledgeable understanding than the Western media, not ingrained in Iraqi culture, can achieve.

Jameel was a playwright of the Iraqi National Theater and theatrical critic for Al-Thawra, the official newspaper of Iraq from 1981-1985. He fled Iraq to during Saddam Hussein's regime and worked in Jordan for an Iraqi opposition radio station. During this time, Jameel converted to Christianity. In 2002, he migrated to Australia where he currently resides. His Iraqi background, his distance from the present situation in Iraq from his years' absence, and his Muslim upbringing and current Christian faith provide Jameel with multiple unique perspectives on the situation in his country. In Iraq Through a Bullet Hole, Jameel reports on his experiences honestly and effectively because of this impartial yet informed view. Any reader who wants to understand Iraq's modern history and the moral and political concerns of the U.S. occupation will be enlightened by this striking memoir.

The viewpoint of the Iraqi people has rarely been heard, but Jameel reports on a variety of his countrymen's thoughts, providing us their actual words, words they would not exchange with Americans or the media, but reserve to speak only within the safety of their family circles. Most Americans, whether in moral agreement about the war, believe the U.S.'s purpose is to bring democracy to Iraq; the media depicts Iraqis desiring democracy, as reflected in the repeatedly broadcast depictions of Iraqis pulling down Saddam Hussein's statue and celebrating in the streets over the American takeover of Baghdad. While Iraqis may have found Hussein's regime intolerable, within a couple years, the American occupation has caused many Iraqis to look back with nostalgia to Hussein's presidency.

The people of Baghdad suffer without the electric grid they previously had, relying on generators they only dare run a few hours a day to air-condition their homes or run their basic electric appliances. Worse, the Iraqis live in greater daily fear of the American soldiers than they did of Hussein. They avoid Americans at all costs, following far behind their military vehicles, constantly afraid to make eye contact with the soldiers, while the soldiers are constantly vigilant and ready to pull the trigger at the slightest suspicion that an Iraqi may attack them.

Americans will be astounded that Iraqis first viewed the war as a United States trick to turn Iraq over to Iran. Nor can Iraqis be expected to welcome the American occupation when for years the United States' economic sanctions against Iraq brought hardship. The presence of Westerners in their land has made many formerly non-religious Iraqis turn to extreme forms of Islam for comfort and a sense of control over their situation. Issam Jameel's family rarely followed Muslim rituals while he lived in Iraq but now his family constantly prays and worships at the local mosques.

The most insightful yet disturbing perspective reported by Jameel was from his own brother, a staunch zealot for Islam. Jameel reports many of his arguments with his brother:

I told him that if George W. Bush wants to portray himself as a good Christian by attending a church meeting, that doesn't make him a representative of the Christians in America, because, after all, a lot of churches have been opposing the invasion of Iraq.
In any case, my comments weren't able to change his opinions, and he still assumed that the main aim of America was to destroy Islam, whether in Iraq, Afghanistan, or in any part of the world.
It was easy to see that Mohamed had adopted a radical Islamic perspective, as he made no attempt to hide behind polite words. He declared openly that everyone who didn't adopt Islam should be treated as an infidel, citing the verse from the Qur'an that reads:
"Everyone who follows a religion other than Islam will be one of the losers."
"But the word 'Islam' in that verse doesn't refer to the religion," I said. "You must read the verses that come before it, to understand the meaning of the verse. The Qur'an says that everyone who submits himself to God is a Muslim," I added, trying to explain the meaning of the complex word-play in this verse....on this interpretation, a good Christian or a good Jew is a Muslim.

Such conversations allow the reader to visit Iraqi homes, as if the titular bullet hole is a voyeuristic peephole allowing us to see and listen to conversations that would otherwise never be reported to us. Jameel's reporting is not only impartial but his years of exile from Iraq make the changes in his homeland more visible to him than to his countrymen: "I was sure they couldn't fully appreciate the disaster in which they were living, because they had become accustomed to such scenes over many long years."

As Jameel's first book written in English, Iraq Through a Bullet Hole serves appropriately as an interpreter between Iraq and the West. Jameel style has its imperfections-English is, after all, his second language-but his literary expertise as a playwright has served him in making his report memorable. He never dramatizes his experiences, never exaggerates, embellishes or fictionalizes to glamorize or enhance their horror, but relates each event with brutal, straightforward honesty. The Western media has depicted Iraq as through a camera's angle, marginalizing what it does not want its viewers to see; by contrast, Jameel presents an uncensored snapshot of daily life in Iraq during the summer of 2005-a date sadly less than halfway through what may well become the longest war in U.S. history.

The American public has long waited for this informative, unbiased, uncensored Iraqi voice to provide a more accurate evaluation of the United States' military presence in the Middle East. Iraq Through a Bullet Hole belongs on the desk of every congressman and Pentagon official, on the bookshelf of every military family, and in the luggage of each soldier sent overseas. Issam Jameel has given the Iraqi people a voice, which, after all, is the expressed purpose of the United States' efforts to create a new democracy.

Tyler R. Tichelaar holds a Bachelor's and Master's Degree from Northern Michigan University and a Ph.D. from Western Michigan University. His family's long relationship with Upper Michigan and his avid interest in genealogy inspired Dr. Tichelaar to write his Marquette Trilogy: Iron Pioneers, The Queen City, and Superior Heritage. Dr. Tichelaar is also a professional book reviewer and editor. For more information about Tyler R. Tichelaar, his writing, and his author services, visit:
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Do you deserve to be free?

2009-07-10T06:16:00.000-07:00

Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom in a democracy. Have you been paying attention? Learn more at http://politicalfirestorm.blogspot.com/

The American Abolitionist Movement

2009-07-07T01:00:00.000-07:00

By Karen Peralta

The abolitionist movement, which represented the earliest days of the American Civil Rights Movement, succeeded in every northern state by 1804, although there were still at least a dozen "permanent apprentices" listed in the 1860 census. Three northern organizations advocating this reform were the Society of Friends (Quakers), the Pennsylvania Antislavery Society, and the New York Manumission Society.

This latter group was run by powerful Federalists John Jay, Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. The Federalists opposed State's Rights, arguing for federal legislation abolishing slavery. New York finally abolished slavery, gradually, starting in 1799, making this the largest emancipation of American slaves in history before 1863. New Jersey was the last northern state to abolish slavery, in 1804.

The Constitutional Convention of 1787 agreed to allow the federal government to abolish the international slave trade, and by that time, all the existing states but Georgia had passed laws abolishing or severely limiting the slave trade. Georgia finally passed similar laws in 1798 - and the importation of slaves into the USA was officially abolished on New Year's Day in 1808. This was a major move in the direction of abolition.

However, in the 1830s, the Postmaster General refused to allow the U.S. mails to deliver abolition pamphlets to the South. Northern teachers suspected of anti-slavery "tendencies" were expelled from the South, and abolitionist literature was banned in those states. Southerners were claiming that incidents like John Brown's attempt at Harper's Ferry in 1859 to start a slave uprising was proof northerners were conspiring against them to cause war through slave rebellions.

The North, simply put, was dead set against the South's prevailing attitudes about slavery. Eric Foner once stated: "Northerners came to view slavery as the very antithesis of the good society, as well as a threat to their own fundamental values and interests." However, northern conservatives feared the migration of a large number of freemen into the North, as they tended to accept lower pay. They were being seen, like today's illegal Mexican-American workers, as "undercutting prevailing wages." It was feared that former slaves would cause deep pay cuts for all American workers, especially white ones.

In spite of such difficulties, one white abolitionist, Massachusetts's Abby Kelley Foster, became an "ultra," advocating not only abolition but full civil rights for all black people. An agent for the American Anti-Slavery Society, Foster, known usually as Abby Kelley, thought that free slaves should colonize the new African nation of Liberia. She also recruited Susan B. Anthony and Lucy Stone, other American feminist leaders, to the early Civil Rights Movement. Kelley, who inspired other young women to be known as "Abby Kelleyites," often shared her platform with ex-slaves - despite the additional scorn this entailed. "I rejoice to be identified with the despised people of color. If they are to be despised, so ought their advocates to be," was one of her famous quotes.

Another well-known abolitionist was the wizened but charming black woman known as Sojourner Truth. Her first speaking engagement was with Abby Kelley. Truth originally had the Dutch slave name Isabella Baumfree, but changed her name because "the Spirit calls me." She wasn't much for the white man's religion, though, and frequently spoke against slavery and the mental picture of black women being "unladylike" and subhuman. She was born into slavery in New York, enduring frequent beatings at the hands of her white masters and mistresses.

At one point in time, she was on one of her many "sojourns," or journeys, and a streetcar run by a white male conductor wouldn't stop to pick her up, refusing her as a passenger. She bravely ran along the track and leaped into the path of the streetcar, gauging the distance exactly right, making the conductor stop for her. Her most famous speech was the simply put, "Ain't I a Woman?" where she also gave us the following quote, revised from her 19th century dialect:

"If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back, and get it right side up again! And now they is asking to do it. The men better let them." Maybe that reference is where Dr. King got the idea of making "valleys into hills and hills into valleys," but it's also a Biblical reference. I'll tell you a bit more about the origins of American black religious faith and how they led to Dr. King being a minister toward the end of this section.

Anyway, this quote from Truth's popular speech was spoken at the Ohio Women's Rights Convention, and her recurrent theme was probably based on an incident where a heckler in the audience had called her a man. She proudly opened her blouse, revealing her breasts, a typically bold move on her part which likely led to "Ain't I a Woman?" I guess even your enemies can help you be productive, as in the case in 1960's Birmingham, where local black civil rights leaders said that Police Commissioner "Bull" O'Connor and his violent anti-black tactics were "helping the Movement," due to all the media attention they were getting at the time.

The Catholic faith doesn't tend to exalt the poor and their elevation, which is the general black meaning of "turning things around," as much as the black version of Protestantism does. That may explain the general Catholic lack of sympathy for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s programs at first. Dr. King was the presumed head of the Civil Rights Movement in America in the 1960s.

But for Catholics, there was ample praise of Jesus' faith in the resurrection of the spirit and his attendant faith in the spirituality of all people. Blacks at the time of slavery and in much later American history continued a tendency toward religion that influenced their culture and entire way of philosophy and thought immeasurably, but Truth was probably spiritually-oriented.

She didn't like white men much, or their male-oriented religions. She organized white and black feminists alike to oppose slavery through abolition, but that and colonizing Liberia were not the only actions taken against slavery. Also, throughout American history, there have been movements to attempt the return of African-Americans to the Motherland.

Through the 1820s and 1830s, the American Colonization Society (ACS) kept proposing to stop slavery by returning to Africa, a movement which was broadly supported by both whites and blacks. They saw it as a preferable alternative to emancipation, and Black Nationalist pioneer Marcus Garvey would also start a similar movement. He founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) in 1914, opening a branch in Harlem, New York in 1916.

The UNIA was intended "to promote the spirit of race pride," and was an attempt to cause worldwide unity among all black people, establishing the greatness of their African heritage. Garvey appealed to the black lower classes and rejected any ideals or notions of racial integration. He was certain that blacks could not secure their rights in countries like the USA, where they were a racial minority group, so he began a "back to Africa" movement, and he was considered the most influential black leader of the early 1920s.

However, in the early 1800s there was a series of small attempts to plant settlements on the coast of West Africa, where most of the slaves had been originally captured, and the colony of Liberia was established circa 1821-1822. In the next four decades, thousands of American former slaves settled there. They declared independence in 1847, although not many had survived the move, as they had succumbed to local diseases. The abolition movement caused support for the colony to fade quickly, but the new Liberians ruled their country until the bloody military coup of 1980 by army personnel who assassinated President William R. Tolbert.

Therefore, due to the lack of effective other methods for handling this major American issue, the work of the abolitionists is what finally managed to help end slavery. However, in spite of multiple efforts on the parts of many, it took just about forever to get the South to agree on this. Their intense stubbornness is what led to the continuing hatred and racism ongoing throughout 1960's Birmingham, leading to the tragic deaths of many black children and the continuous bombings of dozens of peaceful citizens' homes.

Read the next article in this series, "White Concerns over Racial Differences" and the other articles in this long article series about why racism was and is so prevalent in the American South.

RAINBOW WRITING, INC. -- featuring Karen Peralta, copy editor, ghost writer and book author. We are affordable professional freelance and contracted book authors, ghost writers, copy editors, proof readers, book rewriters, coauthors, graphics technicians, assistants with publishing and script buying, and film script writers, screenwriters and editors. http://www.rainbowriting.com/.

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I am the United States of America

2009-07-04T01:00:00.000-07:00

I am America, two hundred thirty three years old today.

I am America, conceived of for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

I am America, land of the free and home of the brave. My sons have walked on the moon.

I am America, the sacred blood of justice courses through me. My children fought for freedom for all.

I am America, fifty independent states united.

I am America, a soldier for freedom. WW I, WW II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan...

I am America, a beacon of hope; you sent me your poor and hungry. I fed them and they prospered.

I am America, inventor of the airplane, telephone and integrated circuit.

I am America, purple mountains, fruited plains and golden fields, from sea to shining sea.

I am the United States of America, proud to be one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

We have our differences -- political, social, and scientific -- but we should never forget that we have each other. It is our solemn duty to preserve the freedom our fore bearers fought so gallantly to attain for us. We must do the same for our children. Pass on the memories of this country's glory. Make our children proud to be American's. Teach them that our freedom is paid for with the blood and sweat of many brave men and women who care so much about what America stands for they have pledged their very lives for it. Let freedom ring, And God Bless America.

Happy Birthday America

Joseph L. Conigliaro

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Lincoln the Union and Personal Ridicule

2009-07-03T01:00:00.000-07:00

Lincoln although an abolitionist, like many of his predecessors was primarily concerned with sustaining the Union. The country could have become two or more countries had the south seceded. During the Civil War, Lincoln showed his pragmatism with the following statement:

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

Although his presidency was difficult, Lincoln always managed to keep perspective and a sense of humor.

"I have endured a great deal of ridicule without malice, and have received a great deal of kindness, not quite free from ridicule. I am used to it." -- Abraham Lincoln

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April Morning Written by Howard Fast

2009-06-30T02:31:00.000-07:00

I was once told by another Revolutionary War buff, after reading a good book on that period of our history, that the best book on that war was April Morning. Naturally I had to purchase it and read this "best book" and I do admit it is a great story of one day in a very important time of our nations history.

April 19, 1775 is the day that Howard Fast writes about. The day is told from afternoon to evening of the next day. You are taken from the home of fifteen-year old Adam Cooper, his younger brother, Levi, his mother, father, and grandmother, to war. The British Redcoats were coming. The committeemen, as the leaders of the citizens of that area were called, had gathered in various small villages around the Boston area to decide how they would handle the situation with these Brits. Some wanted to stay home and not interfere but the majority knew they had to defend their freedom and fight the British. This tore apart families with most of the fathers and the older sons marching off with the Committeemen groups from their area. They would meet up with other groups as they traveled.

The first battle was a disaster for the Committeemen's groups. Quite a few were killed and most without a shot being fired from their guns. They had very few good guns. These men were farmers, blacksmiths, forgers, and other work that did not require guns. They would regroup with more communities and return for more fighting using different strategies. Adam's father was one of the first ones killed. This hurt Adam terribly and turned him away from thoughts of battle for a while, feeling sad at what he would have to tell his family upon his return.

While April Morning covers only one day of this period, the descriptions used by Howard Fast are so impressive that you get the sensation that you were beside these soldiers and their families and felt some of that heart-breaking deep sorrow that many families endured. The emotions of those fighting, those wounded, and those of the families were terrifically told. The book is small in size but packed with history. I highly recommend it to any war buff.

Reader review by Cy Hilterman.
Reviewer of many types of books.

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If all men are created equal, why do I pay more taxes than you?

2009-06-26T09:30:00.000-07:00

It is a strange phenomenon that no good deed goes unpunished. Entrepreneurs work to make good only to find they must pay larger sums in taxes and reap less of there hard won income so that someone not as industrious can live better. Get the facts: http://www.pippoproducts.com/products

American Era History Book Review - The Civil War Through the Camera

2009-06-20T17:53:00.000-07:00

By Spencer Holly

The Civil War Through The Camera.
Hundreds of vivid photographs
Actually Taken in Civil War Times
Sixteen Reproductions in Color of Famous War Paintings
A Complete Illustrated History of the CIVIL WAR

By Henry W. Elson, Professor of History, Ohio University

About This Version

The antiquarian version reviewed here is a high quality hard bound book in a large format, with beautifully decorated and framed pages, excellent quality paper and printing of text, and images, mostly actual photographs, and includes sixteen full page color reproductions of Civil War paintings. Editing and production are flawless; a modern word processing program could not have done better.

This book consists of about 260 textual pages, and 317 photographs and images, and the sixteen color prints.

Comments:

Do not be misled by the title; this is not a picture book, though it is loaded with hundreds of fascinating photographs. Published almost 50 years after the end of the Civil War, the author created a comprehensive history of the war with compelling textual style and content, and hundreds of actual photographs.

The author, Henry Elson, had plenty of factual records to research, and digest, and he had the added advantage of living and writing in an era when the Civil War was still part of living history in the minds of many people, including war veterans from both sides.

This is a complete story of the Civil War, from beginning, to end, with all the horror, in between. And the whole story is made even more vivid by the accompanying photographs.

You don't have to know any history of the Civil War in order to read this book; this book will teach the reader, as no modern book will, about the causes, and the conduct of the War. This book tells the story of the Civil War from not only a factual, no nonsense approach, but also from a uniquely human viewpoint, in dramatic prose.

Since this book was written over 86 years ago, most people will note that the textual style, prose, grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc, are somewhat different than our modern day expectations. (This is true of many antiquarian history books of the day). The effect is to provide a interesting, and delightful snapshot of a day and time, 1912, when prose was often unabashedly exciting, and dramatic. Even though the subject is about the horror and misery of war, you will find yourself smiling at the common use of words and phrases that we think of as being overdramatic hyperbole; it seems a little hokey, at times, for our modern world, but, in that day, it was quite common, and, regardless, it added another level of enjoyment.

For instance, the following quotations, are just two examples of many dramatic phrases common throughout the book: (While reading this, I can almost imagine hearing a drum roll as the war descends upon the land.)

On the field of Shiloh, for the first time, two great American armies were to engage in a mighty struggle that would measure up to the most important in the annals of Europe. And the pity of it was that the contestants were brethren of the same household, not hereditary and unrelenting enemies.

or, another example:

A murderous fire from the batteries on the cliff poured into their ranks. Gallantly the attacking columns withstood the deluge of leaden hail and drew near the creek. A few of the more aggressive reached the opposite bank but their repulse was severe.

The fact that this book was published in 1912 does not compromise the factual integrity. I have read modern versions, and this version, and there is no lack of factual historical content. In fact, I am sure that modern works rely heavily on works such as this book. Rather than give just the cold, hard facts of the civil war, this book gives more of an insiders view of the war; the emotion filled tales of sacrifice, and destruction, and death, and deprivation, and hatred, and cruelty, and pain, are balanced by tales of honor, chivalry, kindness, and humanity, and morality, and patriotism.

I am a History Buff; I am particularly interested in American era history; of the various antiquarian American history books that I've read, this one is a superb original work that I'm sure has been the basis for many subsequent Civil War histories.

This book makes for compelling reading. The historical content is without equal, and, while the format is similar to a textbook, it reads more like a novel, and it is hard to put down once you have started reading it. Even if you are a Civil War expert, and you have read many books about the war, I think you will find that you will gain a whole new perspective of the war from reading and studying this book. And if you are not an expert, you will be on your way to expert-hood when you finish this book.

This is a perfect candidate for conversion to a multimedia ebook. The subject, the layout, the text, the prose, the photographs, and all the additional Civil War resources available, are the ideal components of a multimedia enhanced ebook.

If this book were a movie, I would rate it PG, mostly because of the photographs, and because the prose may be a little difficult for the younger, grammar school age kids.

On a scale of 1 to 10, this book is a 10.

The End
EBJEZ030309001

Supplemental Information:

Table of Contents:

Section 00 RECORDS WAR BETWEEN THE STATES
Section 01 BULL RUN THE VOLUNTEERS FACE FIRE
Section 02 FORT HENRY AND FORT DONELSON
Section 03 SHILOH THE FIRST GRAND BATTLE
Section 04 THE FIGHT FOR RICHMOND
Section 05 THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY
Section 06 THE SEVEN DAYS BATTLES
Section 07 CEDAR MOUNTAIN
Section 08 SECOND BATTLE OF BULL RUN
Section 09 ANTIETAM, OR SHARPESBURG
Section 10 STONES RIVER, OR MURFREESBORO
Section 11 FREDERICKSBURG DISASTER FOR A NEW UNION LEADER
Section 12 CHANCELLORSVILLE AND JACKSONS FLANKING MARCH
Section 13 VICKSBURG AND PORT HUDSON
Section 14 THE BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG THE HIGHWATER

MARK OF THE CIVIL WAR
Section 15 CHICKAMAUGA THE BLOODIEST CONFLICT IN THE WEST
Section 16 LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN
Section 17 THE BATTLE IN THE WILDERNESS
Section 18 SPOTSYLVANIA COURT HOUSE
Section 19 COLD HARBOR
Section 20 TO ATLANTA
Section 21 THE LAST CONFLICTS IN THE SHENANDOAH
Section 22 THE INVESTMENT OF PETERSBURG
Section 23 SHERMANS FINAL CAMPAIGN
Section 24 THE LAST INVASION OF TENNESSEE FRANKLIN NASHVILLE
Section 25 THE SIEGE AND FALL OF PETERSBURG
Section 26 APPOMATTOX

If you are hungry to read more about the Civil War, especially from an antiquarian fresh perspective, The Civil War Through the Camera is an excellent choice.

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Grant on Church & State

2009-06-19T13:32:00.000-07:00

"Leave the matter of religion to the family alter, the church, and the private school, supported entirely by private contributions. Keep the church and the state forever separate." Ulysses S. Grant, 1875

The American Creed

2009-06-16T12:10:00.000-07:00

By Patrick W. Tuttle

When asked to name the wars that the United States has been involved in since the Civil War there is one most people overlook. It is a forgotten war for America, yet one with valuable significance. From April to August 1898 we were engaged in the Spanish-American War.

The War was mainly fought over the liberation of Cuba. The most notable events history has recorded are the mysterious sinking of the USS Maine, and the tales of Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders. The Spanish-American War marked the first real entry of the United States into world affairs, and in contrast marked the end of the Spanish empire in Asia, the Pacific and the Americas; a decline in Spanish Imperial power began early in the 19th century as a result of Napoleon's invasion.

In the outcome of the Spanish-American War the United States became the protectorate over the territories of Guam, the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Cuba.

The most valuable significance of the Spanish-American War was that this was the first time since the end of the Civil War in 1865, that Northerners and Southerners, whites and blacks had cause to fight against a common enemy of the United States, this helped to ease the scars left from the Civil War. This was an important development since many soldiers in this war were the children of Civil War veterans on both sides and from their service many friendships were formed between soldiers former only know as Union or Confederates, now they all became United States soldiers.

Also, as part of the healing process, across the Nation there grew a heightened level of patriotism. This can truly be found in an entry to a Patriotic Poetry Contest in 1917, submitted by William Tyler Page. The entry hit such a cord with people that on April 3, 1918, the U.S. House of Representative officially made it the American Creed. It reads:

I believe in the United States of America, as a government of the people, by the people, for the people; whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed; a democracy in a republic; a sovereign Nation of many sovereign States; a perfect union, one and inseparable; established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice, and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes. I therefore believe it is my duty to my country to love it, to support its Constitution, to obey its laws, to respect its flag, and to defend it against all enemies.

It appears that as American conflicts fade in and out of history, so does American Patriotism; brought to the forefront when convenient then put back on the shelf for another time. Too, the American Creed has followed this same path. Unknown to most Americans its direct references to our citizenship and powerful meaning are timeless. It deserves a more prominent place in our society.

Patrick Tuttle lives in Joplin, Missouri. He is a writer and speaker on the historical interest of etiquette, protocol and social decorum; from the times prior to World War II. Writing in a style that mixes nostalgia with interesting social tales, Patrick gives his readers, "Something Worth Thinking About."

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Facts about the Democrats you should know

2009-06-13T12:10:00.000-07:00

Do the democrats really believe what you believe? Is Democratic Party a misnomer? Do democrats really believe in freedom? Find out more: http://historyofdemocraticparty.blogspot.com/

William McKinley Then and Now

2009-06-10T12:10:00.000-07:00

William McKinley the twenty fifth President of the United States was assassinated early in the second term of his presidency by the anarchist Leon Czolgos. ¹ This event ended a life steeped in service to his country. McKinley’s service began as an army private in the civil war where he served under Rutherford B Hayes. He quickly rose through the ranks to become a Major. After the war, he became a lawyer and in 1877 was elected to congress where he advanced protectionist polices by promoting the McKinley Tariff, which allowed for reciprocal trade agreements which in turn enhanced our exports.

In 1891 he became the Governor of Ohio and in 1896 he secured the presidency. As President McKinley:

Continued his protectionist polices with a revision to the McKinley Tariff, the Dingley Tariff.
Presided over the Spanish American War.
Established an American protectorate in Cuba.
Negotiated the Hay-Pauncefote treaties with England which culminated in the building and control of the Panama Canal. ²³
Disseminated the Open Door notes which opposed Chinas dismemberment. ⁴

What of McKinley’s work today?

NAFTA and the WTO govern our trade policies.
The United States no longer owns or controls the Panama Canal.
Cuba is a communist dictatorship.
China is poised to take ownership of the United States.

What a difference a hundred years makes. What the good President McKinley did for the world still survives in the Panama Canal, but his legacy for the nation appears to be slowly being dismantled. With the removal of his protectionist policies and the failure to his successors to make Cuba a free nation the United States is a poorer and less secure nation.

Joseph L. Conigliaro

On Our Countries Freedom

2009-06-05T12:55:00.000-07:00

"Many free countries have lost their liberty and ours may lose hers, but if she shall, be it my proudest pleasure not that I was the last to desert, but that I never deserted her." -- Abraham Lincoln

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"America's Assassinations and Aspirations" by Robert Bruce Baird - Reader Review

2009-06-02T14:43:00.000-07:00

By Gina Reba

Secret societies and political involvement have both been topics of much debate throughout history. From the Illuminati, to the mafia, all the way through the KKK, people have been fascinated by their very existence. Various genres of literature have tackled these topics, leading to a peaked human interest carried on through this medium and right to big screen productions. It was only a matter of time that so-called connections were made between news-making events happening in daily society and prominent figures in the political arena. They are the people we look towards for direction and leadership, yet still they fall victim to character flaws and associations.

In "America's Assassinations and Aspirations", author Robert Bruce Baird reveals his own beliefs regarding many of our great historical figures and their involvement in shady organizations that still remain concealed today. Through his research, he shines the cold light of "truth" upon many events that we have come to know as our countries history and attempts to reveal the clockwork precision working behind them. Did Abraham Lincoln really free the slaves? Was Ben Franklin really trying to create electricity with his kite flying antic? Or where there bigger picture events swirling actively around these momentary stops along our perceived time line? As with any work of this nature it must be taken with a grain of salt...choose to believe what you will, research those that you don't. Whatever the case may be, you will certainly be exposed to new theories regarding people held in high prestige and the circumstances that befell them.

Far be it from me to argue for one side or the other as Mr. Baird makes his own opinions stand strong with his investigation into our past as a nation, and beyond. Even the skeptic is allowed "room and board" within this work as he encourages the reader from the beginning to seek further proof through his listed sources as well as their own study. Recommended mainly for history buffs, this text should allow your current historical views to be broadened while raising questions that may still be to this day unanswered. Allow your inner cynic to awaken, if just for a moment, and try on a few of the notions raised by a curiously creative mind.

Book Link: America's Assassinations and Aspirations

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Rutherford B. Hayes

2009-05-29T16:39:00.000-07:00

Rutherford B. Hayes became the 19th president of the United States after winning a squeaker of an election away from his democratic opponent Samuel J. Tilden. Hayes was a patriotic abolitionist who became a Major General during the Civil War and later became a member of congress. Among his achievement he counts the delivery of Ohio’s ratification of the 15th amendment and the establishment Ohio State University.

During his presidency Hayes continued his abolitionists work by:

• Removing federal troops from southern state after extracting promises form incoming democratic governors to protect black civil rights;

• Vetoing a popular bill which would have prevented Chinese laborers from migrating to the United States;

• Defeating congressional attempts to force him to accept legislation which would have ruined the voting rights of blacks.

A truly great American.

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Ulysses S. Grant

2009-05-25T12:34:00.000-07:00

Civil War general and Mexican American War veteran, Ulysses S. Grant, became the eighteenth president of the United States in 1869 and served two terms as a Republican. Among his presidential accomplishments are:

• The 1872 Treaty of Washington resolving a dispute with Great Britain regarding damages made to American shipping during the Civil War by Confederate raiders built in British shipyards.

• The 1870 Enforcement Act rendering the Ku Klux Klan powerless in the Reconstruction South.

• The 1875 Civil Rights Act extending federal protection to black civil rights in the area of public accommodations.

The above accomplishments were made in an administration that came to be known for it indecisive leadership, inconsistent policy on Southern Reconstruction, and massive corruption during a time of severe economic depression. The scandals caused Republican civil service reformers to revolt in the 1872 election. The issue was kept at the fore by a group of patrician New York Republicans, the "mugwumps," who campaigned against the pervasive corruption.

Today, England is a great ally of the United States and has fought with us to help propagate freedom around the world.

I believe President Ulysses S. Grant would proud to see the fruits of his work as an abolitionist and the strides the country has made in treating all men, regardless of race, creed, or color, equally under the law today. The Ku Klux Klan still exists in many parts of the south today, but the irradiation of an idea or an attitude is much more difficult to accomplish than a change in the law. The war for men's hearts and minds will continue till the end of time, as will the battle against corruption the mugwumps were fighting, but if good men show the same courage and conviction as President Grant did we will have a much greater country and much more peaceful world.

I honor President Ulysses S. Grant as did so many before me for his courage and fight for the principal that all men are created equal. As I honor all good men who continue the fight for justice and freedom around the world today.

Joseph L. Conigliaro

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The Rise of Southern Republicans

2009-05-20T16:28:00.000-07:00

The dramatic rise of the Republican Party in the South is the single most important factor in the transformation of American politics since the 1960s. Earl and Merle Black have described this process in a book that is witty, always filled with insight, and readable to the last page. The Rise of Southern Republicans is indispensable reading for anyone interested in American politics - past, present or future.
--Dan T. Carter, author of The Politics of Rage: George Wallace, the Origins of the New Conservatism, and the Transformation of American Politics (20020401)

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Do you deserve to be free?

2009-05-08T10:24:00.000-07:00

Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom in a democracy. Have you been paying attention? Learn more at http://www.pippoproducts.com/

Lincoln and the New Republic: United we Stand, Divided we Fall.

2009-05-07T10:20:00.000-07:00

The Republican Party first appeared on the presidential ballot in 1856, following the Kansas-Nebraska act of 1854. With the dismemberment of the Whig party and many populous meetings in the upper Midwestern states, the Republican Party opposed to slavery in the western territories was formed. The Republican Party quickly gained popularity in the northern states and, in 1856, Republican presidential candidate, John C. Fremont won 11 out of 16 northern states. The Know-Nothing Party and their candidate, Abraham Lincoln, were later assimilated into the Republican Party and Mr. Lincoln was elected president in 1860.

The Republican Party sought an economy built upon industry and was morally repulsed by slavery. The Democratic Party had at it roots a belief that an agrarian lifestyle was the most noble and the southern Democrats needed slaves to work their plantations. And so, slavery, the long festering birth defect of our new nation, sought remediation by a civil war that would pit brother against brother and, ultimately, cost President Lincoln his life.

After the Civil War, the party became know as the “Grand Old Party” (GOP). The Republicans passed the Thirteenth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments of the Constitution and a radical reconstruction of the South was promoted. In order to secure the votes of 4 southern states in the 1876 presidential election, the Republicans abandoned the policies of radical reconstruction and black civil rights.

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Lincoln and the Decision for War

2009-05-03T10:18:00.000-07:00

In this ‘gotcha’ culture there are those who blame Abraham Lincoln for the secession of Southern states, but Russell McClintock presents the truth in his nuanced Lincoln and the Decision for War. While Lincoln's election provoked secession, there was nothing Lincoln could do to prevent it. McClintock's most important contribution is to show us how coincidence, accidents, and ignored factors, along with Abraham Lincoln's role, affected events. The book is an excellent reappraisal--sincere, intelligent, and absorbing.
— Frank J. Williams, Chief Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court and founding chair of The Lincoln Forum

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Republican Beliefs

2009-05-01T10:11:00.000-07:00

By Ian Pennington

When it comes to the political parties throughout the world you may know by know that there are a lot of different political parties. The two biggest political parties to be found in the United States of America is the Republican and the Democrats. The Democratic Party is known for being the biggest political party but the Republican Party closely follows this. If you are looking for information on the Republican Party then you should continue reading this article because this article will be telling you about the Republican Beliefs.

As any party, many different individuals throughout the United States of America talk about the Republican Party. Many individuals will say bad things about the Republicans but then there are those individuals who are Republican and will only say good things about the Republican Party. Perhaps this is because the Republican Party really does have good beliefs?

So really what does the Republican Party believe in? One thing we know for sure is that the Republican Party believes that the strength of the nation is within the individual. We must say that this is a pretty popular saying when it comes to the Republican Party so chances are you have heard them say it a number of different times. The Republican Party will also tell you that they believe everyone is created equal and no one should be treated differently. The Republican Party believes that everyone should have equal rights, equal opportunity and even equal justice.

You should not treat someone different because of his or her age, race, color, gender, religious beliefs or anything else. Throughout the History of the United States of America the Republican Party has supported a number of different things such as the abolition of slavery. The Republican Party has also supported the freedom of speech rights along with the women’s suffrage. Have you ever wondered who proposed the 14th Amendment? It was the Republicans who proposed the 14th Amendment and as you already know the 14th Amendment is part of the Constitution today.

The first woman to serve in the House of Representatives is Jeanette Rankin and that was for the state of Montana. If you talk to a Republican you will find them to claim that they were the first party to push forward for women’s suffrage. Republican’s also say that they are the party of tax cuts. If you run into a Republican you may hear them speak about their freedom and there is nothing wrong with it. The truth is that all individuals are entitled to freedom and that is exactly what the Republican Party claims. Did you know that the Republicans dominated the 104th Congress? They sure did and they are continuing their deeds today.

Ian Pennington is an accomplished niche website developer and author.

To learn more about Republican beliefs, please visit Ecology and Society for current articles and discussions.

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