Setting the record straight…….
I’ve been watching the news, too much news! It has had a very profound and terrible affect on me. What have I learned from this activity; I voted for Donald Trump in 2016, so; I’m a smelly Walmart person, I am one of those idiots from the middle of America that is still clinging to my guns, God and Bible. I’m in the “Basket of Deplorables”! I’m a white, straight, Christian, therefore; I’m a racist, nationalist, messagenist, homophobic, Nazi. I’m stupid, and should be hated because of my beliefs and my 2016 vote.
For the record, the only part of that, that is accurate is I do like my guns, love my God and believe in the Bible. I shower every day and wear clean clothes, I was born white as were both of my parents. I’m straight but not homophobic, I have lots of friends of color, I am proud to be an American and love my country, so if that is a nationalist, guilty as charged, though I don’t think that is a bad thing. I’ve been married to the same woman for almost 50 years and still am madly in love with her, and have been faithful to her all 49 years of our lives together! I had family members who died in World War II fighting the Third Reich, so I doubt I’m leaning Nazi!!!
So I’ve been lied about, called ugly names, disparaged, and verbally spat on. What has my reaction been? Satan has had his way with me. I’ve developed a hatred towards those that hurl those insults, that have unjustly attacked me. That have reported false news and hurled insults on my President. I was just about ready to start wearing MAGA hat and punch out anyone that even look cross eyed at me!!!! I was mad as hell and wasn’t going to take it anymore!!!
Then I went church this morning……..
My pastor preached on the day that Jesus was crucified. They beat Him, spat on Him, made Him carry his own cross to the hill where He was nailed to that cross and hung Him up to die. He was not guilty of any crimes. The crowd jeered at Him and said if you are the king of Jews, save yourself. The soldiers that had driven nails through his wrists and feet gambled for his only possession, his robe. After all this with blood running down his face from a crown of thorns driven into his scalp, how did he react? He could have called down lightening from the skies and struck them all down, but he didn’t. He said, “Father forgive them for know not what they are doing.” At the remembrance of those words I went down to the alter and wept and asked God to forgive me for hating those that have persecuted me. I asked Him to help me forgive them.
In this season of Easter, I pray that we all find a way to love one another and stop abusing each other, and work together for the common good of our country. This confession of my own sins is my start.
Blessings,
the pilgrim
This entry was posted on Sunday, April 14th, 2019 at 2:37 pm
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That was a MEGA sermon, Bill. God Bless You. I appreciate what you wrote. It helped me.
Thank You,
Lynn Haynes
That’s a good thing!
Thanks you Bill. I needed that. I too have been caught up in all the news. Our country needs a new awaken.
….and if I may, it needs to start at the foot of the cross!
Bill, I am sorry you have been made to feel the way you describe. It is a terrible malady that has seized our country in a very obvious and apparent way since 2016. You may not like what I am about to say, but in my heart, i know it is true. Donald Trump is the worst example of a President we have had in a very long time. He is rude, self-centered, seems to be overly sensitive to any criticism and is bombastic. He lies constantly. All sorts of news agencies have to fact-check him and they all agree that he lies multiple times per day. He makes fun of people with disabilities, excuses white supremacists when they kill people in Charlotte, disrespects our allies around the world, seems to respect and defend Russia more than he does the US. I guess what he does rub off on those who support him and his policies. It shouldn’t. Everyone should be judged by what they do. However, we should also be judged by who we support and vote for. If Donald Trump is your idea of a true American leader, then I must conclude that you support the disrespectful, ill-mannered, rude and lying person and leader that he is. This is a man who has paid hush money to women to keep his affairs quiet, he has cultivated friends in the media to “catch and kill” stories that may incriminate him for his affairs. He supports Saudi Arabia despite the unanimous doubts of his national security team. He has allowed the leader of North Korea to gain worldwide credibility by meeting with him and then duping him and our country. He does not believe North Korea tortured and eventually killed that poor boy who was arrested because he stole a poster. How could anyone look into the eyes of that boy’s parents and tell them that Kim Jun Un didn’t know what was going on? North Korea is one of the worst countries relative to human rights violations, yet Trump defends the guy. How can anyone support Donald Trump when he does things like that? He believes Putin despite the objections of our best intelligence services. He separates migrant families at the border for no good reason. Separating and imprisoning families was something we did with the Japanese at the start of WWII. It was a terrible thing that we now wish had never been done. History will come to the same conclusion about Trump’s policy of separating migrant families. He made an ill-conceived campaign pledge to build a wall to “protect” us from immigrants. Doesn’t he understand we are all immigrants or descended from immigrants? What he is doing to our country is terrible. So, if you support him and his policies, you will need to bear the responsibility for his actions and you will need to be accountable to your maker someday for the terrible behavior, lies, and insults he inflicts on others every day. If that is your idea of what the leader of the greatest nation in the world should be like, then may heaven help you. If it is your idea of what an American president should be, then yes, some of the animosity he creates will probably spill over on you. But that is the consequence of supporting this despicable human being.
Let this deplorable set a few facts straight for you Ron……. you wrote
He separates migrant families at the border for no good reason. Separating and imprisoning families was something we did with the Japanese at the start of WWII. It was a terrible thing that we now wish had never been done. History will come to the same conclusion about Trump’s policy of separating migrant families.
You do know that Obama did the same exact thing yet there is no mention of that at all by you or the media. They all neglect to spew the facts but just the facts as they see them. It has been said multiple times…..just do it legally….immigrate legally. Have you witnessed illegal immigration? I have.
I’l tell you a story, a true story about this guy that went to Canada in 1287 for a month. He stayed up in the the mountains north northwest of Montreal in a small village called Morin Heights. It was in this village the cross country ski competition was held in the Montreal Winter Olympics thus the village refers to itself as the cross country ski capital of the world.
You see this guy liked it so much he tried to immigrate to there. He filled out all the papers sent them off to Ottawa and two months later he gets a large envelope from the Canadian Government and eagerly opens it. What does he see…..a big red stamp that says REQUEST DENIED!
Denied , but why…..
1. He did not show he could speak or write French.
2. He did not show he had at least $15,000 USD in the bank.
3. He did not show proof he head a work sponsor lined up as an employer.
How do I know all this……I was that guy!
So now I wonder, what is wrong with our immigration policy….why is it not like Canada’s policy.
Why do we want to let people enter our country when they do not meet the three denials I received from the Canadian Government, I personally think we should not allow any people in to our country unless they meet these 3 requirements at a minimum. Until all homes in America have running water and sewer we should not be sending ANY money to ANY other country and we should expel the United Nations from our country and turn that land in to a National Park albeit maybe the smallest one.
Earlier this spring when I was photographing in Big Bend I was approached by a guy wearing a backpack as he appeared out of the bushes with a water jug in hand. He asked me in Spanish to call the police. I explained I had no cell service but gave him four bottles of water and pointed him to a ranch house.
Is Trump perfect….no and neither I am I or you or the RINOS or the Libs….but he is doing what we voters expected him to do as President and he is a 1000% better choice than the Socialists Democrats who dream and team up to unseat him at any cost…….any cost, any lie whatever it takes.
I’ll just end it here…….we have a crisis on our southern border…..that is a fact.
I hope you feel better, venting often relieves pressure! I am not the President and I have done none of the things you pointed out here. Obviously I think, (my opinion), that much of what you have charged President Trump with are simply not true, or talking points from CNN or MSNBC. We can disagree and not be disagreeable, which will be my stand! I wish you only the best and appreciate that you read the blog!
Johnny,
You are dead on!
We live in interesting times. People can choose to light a candle or curse the darkness. The Notre Dame cathedral in Paris burned, yet the altar, cross and the candles on the altar survived intact despite a nine hour inferno. And in our own country the cacophony of so far announced presidential candidates has only two who have served our country in the armed forces — a gay guy and a Hindu woman — and both are combat veterans!
You are right, interesting to say the least!
Brother, I just got around to checking up on your blog and read this post. Amen. Very powerful message and I agree. I wish I could develop this attitude of yours of forgiveness but I very much struggle with it. I have considered quitting watching the news several times but I want to try to stay up with current affairs. In a gesture of brotherhood, if you can send me an address for Ron Lacy I will gladly send him some coupons for a discount on CoolAid that I got in the mail the other day. Love you brother and Happy Easter!
Got a good laugh on that one!
There is a bigger danger and it’s that we have let politicians and political parties tell US what to do instead of us telling THEM. Martin Luther King, jr., said it best that there is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. I, too, voted for Trump in 2016. He violated the trust I placed in him. That said, we live in an “either or” society where compromise and independent thinking as well as submission to Christian values takes a back seat to one side trying to stick it to an other in a warped “zero sum” race to Hell. No sane American reading the Muller report could embrace the presidential actions as representing either the best of America or the minimum standard of conduct we expect from a person in his position (or any position of trust, frankly). That said, the antidote isn’t a rush to a bunch of Democrats flailing about like sharks in the water. They are not without issues of their own. We need to bow in prayer and then clean house. Mitt Romney had the courage to take the first step. We need politicians who put America first and right now they are in short supply. The truth, though, is that not everything Trump has done is wrong and neither are positions advocated by many Democrats. What I hoped Trump would have done when he promised to drain the swamp is act like a good businessman and take the best ideas from anywhere, adopt and improve them and move forward but that’s not how the system works. They can’t let anyone else have credit so we get more corruption and gridlock. While impeachment may be attractive to some it would only be more time consuming, distractive and the votes aren’t there to convict. Real leadership would be for Republicans to sponsor resolutions of censure and then move forward to select a candidate for 2020 who can bring America together. All we are looking for is someone who is rational, businesslike, humane and sane. So far there are only two announced candidates that even appear to have some potential of filling that minimum standard: Bill Weld and, oddly enough, Mayor Pete (only Democrat who seems to talk to people and listen as well though I suspect the nation may not be ready for a first consort in the White House). Romney isn’t announced but if he acted like Governor Romney and not the 2012 candidate he might win. But Republicans have to have the courage to do the right thing, say the right things and, yes, admit to failing. The nation is going to Hell and the politicians care more about their own survival than that of the nation — a terribly un-Christianlike performance. My mama told me, of course, don’t criticize someone else if you can’t offer a better idea. So here are mine:
1. National defense: In our day you joined the Guard and Reserves to get out of going to Vietnam and the fact we have Guardsmen on the front lines is simply wrong. We need to build up our military preparedness to the point that nobody should ever entertain the idea of messing with us. And we should get out of where we shouldn’t be. Trump is right that our allies must pay their fair share and accept their responsibilities to the team as well.
2. Economy: We need to address the deficit as well as trade imbalance and fair taxation. We need to adjust the tax brackets so that we restore some deductions (like state and local taxes without limits and employee business expenses) and increase the very top rates plus impose significant taxes on criminal enterprise conduct. Also, those who create American jobs should be rewarded while those who export them are penalized. Free trade with Canada should mean just that and can be said on one page, period. We need to reduce dependence on foreign powers, such as China.
3. Immigration. The system doesn’t work. It’s broken. And neither party has the stones to fix it. Canada had similar problems and threw out their whole system and started over. We need to do that. We need better border security and, where appropriate, the wall is part of the mix but only a small part of the solution. We need to reinstate alien registration, tax employers for hiring illegal aliens and recognize that no matter how hard we try we won’t solve the illegal alien mess, period. So we can start by making it less attractive for other nations to dump people here. Simply stated we begin charging them for taking care of their citizens and then seizing foreign assets if they don’t pay up. No more dog and pony shows. We tax the countries that send us people. As for those who are here, we say get legal or get out and provide a reasonable path to accomplish this.
4. Health care. We pay the most and don’t get what we pay for. Enough is enough. The system is too corrupt, of course. But there are many models in foreign countries to study. Canada has a single payer system with one considerable problem: waiting times for surgical procedures. You mean to tell me we don’t have the talent in THIS country to fix that? Spreading the cost of health care to make it universally accessible is pro-business and enhances the ability of small businesses and entrepreneurs to attract and retain talent. We are already paying too much so it’s not an issue of how much we’re paying but how that money is being spent. We can fix it but we must again root out the corruption.
5. Civil rights. Illegal discrimination is unlawful, immoral and should be severely punished as should false claims that detract from legitimate ones. Also, equality of access does not guarantee equal outcomes.
6. National service. Everyone should in some way, shape or form perform national service (not necessarily military). One year of service equals two years of community college tuition and books. If you are receiving welfare and not working then you should perform service in exchange for assistance and that assistance should be realistic and encourage self-reliance. We have infrastructure needs (ironically Trump said that but Obama was the last one who tried to attack it). How many 1930’s WPA and PWA projects are still up and running? FDR had it right. Work for your welfare.
7. Education. Every child deserves a safe, positive learning environment. If schools are failing, then take control and kick butt.
8. Crime. We need to be tough and smart as well. When little kids die from stray gunfire entering their homes that’s not a police problem. It’s an insurrection and should be dealt with accordingly.
9. Corporate welfare. Free trade and absence from unnecessary government regulation is a two-way street. Government should not be subsidizing businesses and executive who run companies into the ground should not be financially rewarded.
Now, where are we having lunch?
Happy Easter!
Amen brother. We did not actually meet at the Nashville conference this past February, but I much appreciate your work and your Christian stance. Would love to get together in the future. I am a Presbyterian pastor and a lifelong photographer. God bless you as you continue to testify.
Thank you Dan, to God goes the glory!
Pastor Drew Downs
Well said, filled with turth and hard to do, but we must! Thaks you Khurt