10 Years Later

10 years ago - that's 3,652 days. That's quite a long time, but yet it seems like just last week that I watched the twin towers disappear from the Manhattan skyline. I haven't turned on the TV today because I know that all that will be on are the images from that day.

I went to church today and the priest spoke of forgiveness and I thought about how I could never forgive those people who shattered our peace of mind and attacked our liberty. The choir sang "the Lord is kind and merciful" and I thought "where was his kindness and mercy when I watched 2,819 people die?" I got so angry and accused him of abandoning America. But then I prayed. I began my prayer by thanking God for allowing me to live in a country so great as ours. I thanked him for the privilege to be in that church, on my knees, praying to the God that I wanted to pray to, not the God that the government told me I had to pray to. I thanked him for our freedoms and our liberties and asked him to preserve them for us and our future generations, and then I asked him to bless the souls of those 2,819 people, and I asked him to comfort their families and friends.

This picture says more than just what you can see with your eyes. On that day our world came to a screeching halt. Look at the people, almost glued to the spot where they stood, staring wide-eyed in shock and horror as the twin towers smoldered in the sky. But 10 years later we've moved on with our lives. There is a taxi cab whizzing past the person holding that photo, no doubt with someone inside that is in a hurry to be somewhere. People have gone back to work and school, they're still flying on commercial airliners - but I guarantee you that anyone that was old enough to know that was going on that day has not forgotten where they were, let alone how they felt and I hope that memory lasts them a lifetime. We must never forget the innocent souls of all those who died, especially the first responders who risked and lost their lives so that others might have been spared.

I just ask that you say a simple prayer for the gifts we've been given in this country, and for the souls of the victims of September 11, 2001. From the day we declared our independence from England and announced that we were one nation under God, free from tyranny and oppression, we have been hated the world over. We are hated because we elect our leaders rather than having them forced on us, and because we are free to walk into a church of any religion or denomination and kneel down and pray. We are hated because we have something they all want so badly but don't know how to obtain; we have freedom. So I say let them continue to hate us, because these colors don't run and we're not going to compromise what we hold dear just to appease them. And that's what makes America the greatest country on Earth - especially on this day - 10 years later.

Let us celebrate our Independence

235 years ago today, John Hancock set quill to a piece of parchment which contained some of the most inflammatory words the British crown might ever read, The Declaration of Independence. Hancock, who was a true patriot to the American Revolution, and whose signature is the most famous and most recognizable of all the signatures, shouted out victoriously as he signed, "There, I guess King George will be able to read that!" 55 more men, including two future presidents, from all 13 colonies immediately followed suit, affixing their own names upon this single piece of parchment.

One of those future presidents was Thomas Jefferson, who was the primary author of the document. Shortly before he died, Jefferson told his closest friend, James Madison, that there were two things he wished to be remembered for, one of which was writing the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson died on July 4, 1826 - exactly 50 years after the birth of his beloved nation.

Those who won our independence for us believed that liberty was the secret of happiness and that courage was the secret of liberty. By signing the Declaration, these 56 men were committing high treason to the crown of England, a crime punishable by death. Five of them were captured by the British as traitors and tortured before they died, twelve had their homes ransacked and burned, four lost their sons, and nine fought and died in the revolutionary war. By signing the Declaration, these 56 men pledged their lives so that future generations may live free.

A lot has happened in the 235 years since we were born. We've had 44 presidents, fought a civil war, and added 37 more stars to our flag. We truly are one nation, though some would prefer we not be "under God". That is their right I suppose, but I certainly don't agree with them. God truly has blessed this country, and while we have been through some very hard times economically and environmentally, I believe God still smiles down upon the United States of America, and that is what makes America the greatest country on earth.

It's Official! I'm Running For President

CLARKSTON, MI (AP) - The Associated Press has learned that Sean R. Miller, who until recently had vowed not to make a bid for the White House until 2028, has after weeks of exploration and speculation, officially announced his candidacy for the highest office in American Government. Miller, a resident of Clarkston, Michigan made the announcement during an event at the Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Auburn Hills. "Barack Obama has morally and financially bankrupted America." said Miller, adding that "He (Obama) has hidden behind the guise of an inherited economic situation for too long without producing any positive results."

Miller has joined a very large pool of Republican contenders for nomination, among whom are Former Mass. Governor, Mitt Romney and Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. "There are a lot of people seeking this office." Acknowledged Miller, "but my plan for America is the best." As more and more details of Miller's extensive plan for reinventing America are revealed, it does appear that his plan truly is the most well thought out plan of all the contenders. "We need to lower gas prices by drilling here at home while at the same time exploring alternative sources of energy. We need to put Americans back to work. This used to be the land of opportunity, now it's become the land of misery as more and more people struggle to make their house payments and put food on the table for their families. This stops now."

In a race that seems to really be heating up, and lacks any definite front-runner, Sean R. Miller is going to be the candidate to watch. As he closed his speech, he uttered those famous words and officially began his race - "My name is Sean Miller, and I am running for President"

First Amendment Principles

There is a lot of debate about the Mosque whose building is being proposed near ground zero. For some people, the prospect of a Mosque so near ground zero is outrageous. For others it is a celebration of a person's right to freely worship and believe however they so choose. While I am still uncertain about the appropriateness of building a Mosque so near the place that many people regard as hallowed ground, I must, as a son of the Constitution, uphold a person's right to have such a place so they too can worship the way they see fit.

The President recently expressed his views on the matter stating that "Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country." On the other hand, an article in the Wallstreet Journal quoted a conservative blogger and founder of a group called 'Stop Islamization of America' as saying that the President "has, in effect, sided with the Islamic jihadists."

I have stated before that the freedom of religion is a right that the founders of this country held so sacred that it's the second right listed in the Bill of Rights, right behind freedom of speech. In a previous post (coincidentally also about the Islamic faith) I stated that likening Islam to terrorism is akin to likening Christianity to the KKK. Members of the KKK use Christianity as a basis for their attacks. Does that mean all Christians are members of the KKK? Absolutely not. Likewise many terrorists and jihadists use the Islamic faith as a basis for their attacks. Once again, does that mean all Muslims are terrorists and jihadists? No. The idea that terrorism and Islam go hand and hand is preposterous.

The President and I disagree on a lot of issues; Health care, boarder security, his handling of the Gulf oil spill. Though I don't think it's really the President's place to comment on such things, I can say without hesitation, that the President is absolutely spot on with his sentiments on the building of the Mosque. There is no room in this country for religious intolerance. The President has finally lived up to his Oath of Office, that little part that says that he will to the best of his ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.

This country was founded on certain principles, one of them being the freedom to worship and believe however we want. Constitutional scholars will tell you that there is only 1 absolute right, a right that can neither be abolished nor infringed upon and that is the right of belief. Akin to that right is the right to worship so long as your form of worship does not infringe upon another's right to worship. Reverend William Rench, who is the pastor of the church next door to the proposed Mosque site, believes that building the Mosque next door to his church will infringe on his and his congregation's right to worship because he thought "such a large structure on two acres would tower over the church."

Religious intolerance is one of the main reasons our founders left England. This country is founded on laws that afford rights to the people and duties to the government to respect and uphold those rights. That is what makes America the greatest country on Earth.

Patriots Unite!

So it's been a while since I've posted anything. Like most Americans I am growing tired of the political scene, all the mud slinging, opponent bashing rhetoric that has for too long gone unchecked. It's a pitty. This country has strayed from the principles upon which it was founded, the principles that George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and countless others devoted their lives to securing for us.

Recently I got a job working for a Judge. This man has got to be the most patriotic man I have ever met in my life. He is the co-founder of Patriot Week. Every year from September 11th until September 17th (Constitution Day, the day the Constitution was signed) people are asked to show their love for their country. It can be as small as wearing a red, white, and blue shirt, or even simply reflecting on our first founding principles all the way up to holding an event at their homes or someplace else. (visit http://www.patriotweek.org/ for a full run down)

It literally pains me to look around and see what this country has become. We used to be a nation of people who would help one another in a time of crisis, whether we knew the person or not. We devoted our lives to the betterment of mankind and strived to become better people through our actions. Things have changed. Nowadays people are so concerned with where they have to be in 15 minutes, they are so caught up in making money only to spend it on themselves. The other day I saw a homeless man outside my work (they probably aren't supposed to be there, it is, afterall a court house) and a lawyer in a designer suit walked right past him without giving him a second thought, then I saw an older gentleman walk past him, pause, turn around and hand the man a $50 bill. The homeless man was shocked, I heard the older gentleman say "It's only money, I can get more. Besides, we're too busy helping out everyone else in the world we forget about our own here at home..." he paused for a moment and I could see he was reflecting on something and he said "If we don't protect our own then nobody else will."

There is nothing better than being an American. I think if everyone would relax, look around them, and appreciate the opportunities and the privileges they have been given then this world would be a much better place. We've grown complacent and myopic. We only think of ourselves. I firmly believe it is when we give that we receive, however as of late, America has been giving to other countries a whole lot more than we receive from other countries, and yet all they do is dislike us even more. It is time for Americans to rise up and say "no more!" It is time for Americans to demand that we help those here at home first. I am not talking about social programs like welfare and socialized medicene because that does more harm than good and is only a short term solution to a long term problem. I am talking about something bigger, and I don't know what but I am open to suggestions. It is time to have a free, open, uncensored debate, which we can in this country. And that is why America is the greatest country on Earth.

We hold these truths to be self evident...

On July 4th, 1776, The 2nd Continental Congress got together at Independence Hall in Philadelphia and approved the language of the Declaration of Independence which had been written, in large part, by Thomas Jefferson. When the declaration was written, the thirteen colonies were engaged in a tumultuous war with Great Britain that had lasted for almost a year.

The second paragraph of the declaration contains one of the greatest sentences of any document written during the founding of our country. The first sentence of the second paragraph of the Declaration is the basis of our entire belief system here in America. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness...." The first clause of that sentence, "We hold these truths to be self-evident" means that those truths need no further explanation, that everybody should know they exist and know of their meaning.

Recently, I received a mass e-mail that stated that due to the shooting at Ft. Hood, all Muslim soldiers in our military should be discharged. I analogized this to saying that if all Muslims should be kicked out because they may or may not be terrorists, than all Christians should be kicked out because they may or may not be members of the KKK. This e-mail went on to say that ALL Muslims believe in the teachings of hate and death and that there is no such thing as a good Muslim. I am not a Muslim, but I was deeply offended by this statement because the beauty of our great nation is that any person can worship any way they want without being persecuted for it. If a person wants to worship a plate of spaghetti or a book written by L. Ron Hubbard, they should be allowed to do it, and should still be allowed to participate in the military.

How many shootings have occurred in the military in recent years? Only one that I can remember. It just so happens that it was promulgated by a Muslim and occurred in a post 9/11 United States. Had the same shooting, by the same person happened on September 8th, 2001, we wouldn't be having this discussion, we would simply be saying "wow, what a tragedy."

What the writer of that e-mail failed to realize is that his "proposal" would violate the other greatest document ever written, the Constitution of the United States, whose first amendment reads "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...." I am not overly religious, but it is my belief that Jesus taught us compassion, tolerance, and love. And this e-mail, which was written by a Christian fundamentalist group known as www.liveprayer.com would seem to go against the teachings of Jesus.

I will end this here by saying that Christians need to follow the example of their leader. They cannot just conveniently ignore or forget certain sections of his teachings. They need to stop going to church one hour a week and returning to their sinful lifestyles, if they want people to take them seriously, they need to reflect the teachings of Jesus in everyday life. People criticized Obama for telling the Arab nations that the United States is not a Christian Nation, and while I am not at all a supporter of Obama, he had it right. The United States, while founded by Christian men, is a nation of many people, backgrounds, and religions. This is what makes us the Greatest Country on Earth.