bloghead

I am one who usually does not make a New Year’s Resolution. The times I have I found I didn’t keep them, and if I had my life would not have significantly changed. Most resolutions are soon broken and forgotten. The most common are vows to change eating habits, lose weight, work out, etc. And, the more meaningful ones, daily Bible reading, church attendance, finish the remodeling job, etc.also are mostly not kept.

The only one I remember keeping was about drinking coffee. I was drinking several cups a day (as I do now..) and I told my wife as she walked through the room, “I’m not going to drink any coffee for the next year”. Her immediate reply was, “You can’t do that!”. Her reply instantly became my primary motive for leaving my beloved coffee for a year. I didn’t drink a cup for a whole year. I don’t remember feeling any healthier but I showed her! LOL

I am toying with the idea that I might break with tradition and actually make a New Year’s Resolution. I have a few hours to make a decision. There are few things I’m good at. Physically, I’m the clumsiest person on earth and accident prone. Six fresh stitches in my forehead is proof of that. My only real skill is writing. Since about 9th grade I took an interest in writing, in speech, debates, court room trials, etc. For some reason that I don’t understand, there are times when words come very easy, and I can effortlessly turn a phrase. The past several years most of my writing has been along biblical themes.

For about 10 years I blogged at www.gracedigest.com  and much more recently here at royceogle.com. Hundreds of times I have heard the advice, “Don’t talk about religion or politics”. It so happens that religion and politics are my two favorite topics! I started this blog primarily to share commentary on politics and society because I didn’t like sharing those thoughts on GraceDigest which was largely Bible teaching and related subjects.

I hate to admit it, but I have become addicted to social media, and my lack of writing shows it. I almost completely stopped blogging this year and last until the past few days. It’s so easy to say on a Facebook post a condensed version of my view on a subject, or to Tweet in a few characters something on my mind. So, I blame me and my addiction to social media for damaging the one thing I’m pretty good at. My wife wife has encouraged me to write again, especially poems. I read one to her yesterday that I wrote in 1976 to a young woman I had hired to type a paper on the Bible book of Hebrews. I have to say, it was brilliant and funny! And, for added encouragement, I got an A on the paper.

So, I might write more on my blogs in the coming months and less on Facebook and Twitter. There is going to be some great subject matter on the political front and world affairs. And, there is always a treasure to be discovered in the person and work of Christ.

I wish you all a Happy New Year.

Royce Ogle
Dec 31st, 2016

Today the electors of the several states cast their votes and Donald J Trump received more than the magic number of 270. Trump will be the next President of the United States.

Since election night, Democrat operatives, including most of the talking heads of most of the major news outlets, have been busy assessing blame for the loss.

1. FBI Director James Comey
2. The Electoral College
3. Russian Federation President Valdimir Putin
4. Angry white men

These four are the most often mentioned excuses for why Hillary Clinton was soundly defeated. I have considered each of these reasons.

1. The FBI did release some information regarding Hillary Clinton’s email debacle at a very inconvenient time for Secy Clinton. Did that turn the election to Trump? Hardly. The Democrat base, her core supporters, already knew she was a liar. She had proved beyond any reasonable doubt that she was not closely associated with the truth. The idea that Comey’s revelations, as tame as they were, caused would be voters to go vote for Trump is laughable.
2. The Electoral College has served us well for 200 plus years, and still does today. There are two classes of people who object to the Electoral system. The first is angry, hurt, sad, Democrats who can’t face reality and the other is ignorant people who have little knowledge of the Electoral College system. We Americans live in the United States of America. “States” are the pieces of fabric of our country is made of. “States” are extremely important. Except for the genius of the Electoral College “states” would have no voice in national elections. The more populated states (California, Texas, Florida, New York, and Pennsylvania) would decide every election. In the United States Senate there are 100 senators, 2 representing each state of the union. Each state is fairly represented. There are currently a total of 538 electors, corresponding to the 435 Congressmen, the 100 Senators, plus three electors for the District of Columbia as provided for in the Twenty-third Amendment. Each state chooses electors amounting to the combined total of its Senators and Representatives. The Constitution bars any federal official, elected or appointed, from being an elector. No election mechanism is fool proof. The majority is often wrong, President Obama’s election comes to mind. The Electoral College isn’t going anywhere. Our country is not a pure democracy. We are the United States of America, a Constitutional Republic. Never in the history of the world has a political system been more fair or more successful.
3. “I heard that someone said” is not proof that the Russians in any way effected our presidential election. Until there is objective proof there is no proof. I would not be shocked that the Russians hacked into the Democrats data bases. I fail to believe that Putin would rather have Donald Trump in the White House rather than Hillary Clinton. The Democrat talking heads and the liberal press have a habit of stating speculation as if it is gospel truth. It an’t! I have a simple proposition. When you have proof, give us the proof. That’s all.
4. Bill Clinton is now saying it was “angry white men” who cost his wife the election. I think lying Bill is partially correct. It was also angry white women, angry black people, angry Hispanics, and other angry people who despise the direction of the country for the last 8 years.

I suggest that some high visibility Democrat should be honest and get on CNN and admit that it was Hillary Clinton personally, and the Democrat platform in general, that the American people rejected in favor of a political novice who said what the people were thinking. President Obama has been a dismal failure on every measure I can imagine. Our status around the globe, our economy, or military readiness, race relations, and on and on are far worse than when this unqualified community organizer took office. Hillary Clinton was a terrible candidate. Although eminently more qualified than Obama she was a mostly an ineffective Senator with no record of accomplishment, a complete failure as Secretary of State, and a pathological liar. Hardly anyone likes her.

Working people voted for Trump in large percentages. They instinctively know that they are far worse off than they were eight years ago. They are making less money, prices for goods and services are higher, taxes are higher, the national debt is out of control, we are more unsafe at home, unliked globally, and in general have little hope and are ready for change.

President elect Donald Trump, I hope and pray that you are successful. You can hardly do worse.

Royce Ogle

Is The United States of America a “Christian nation” or isn’t it? And should it be? Did the founders want it to be?

This country exists because at great cost men and women fled the oppression of a country whose government dictated that the state version of Christianity would be adhered to with precision. It was for religious liberty that Christian men and women left all they had, got on a boat, and came to a new land with nothing but hope and faith in God.

Our founding document, the United States Constitution, was not, and is not a perfect statement. It has been amended many times and in the very first amendment religion was addressed.

 Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…

The government can not establish a religion, or religious system, nor can it tell anyone, or any group how they should express their beliefs.

The founding fathers and the framers of the Constitution never intended that the United States be a theocracy. A theocracy (“government of a state by immediate divine guidance or by officials who are regarded as divinely guided.”) will never work on this earth until Jesus Christ comes and rules in person. We are not a Christian nation. We are a nation whose Constitution reflects Judaeo/Christian ethics. The people who founded the country and prepared our guiding documents were mostly Christians though some were Deists. But they were wise enough to avoid even the possibility that their new country would one day become what they had fled.

Political types have talked much the last several years about the “separation of church and state” and some even say the phrase is in the Constitution. And they have used a flawed understanding of that term to try to stamp out any hit of the Christian God from the public square. Just to be clear, the term “separation of church and state” is not in the Constitution. The phrase was coined by Thomas Jefferson who wrote a letter to the Danbury Baptist Association in which he said, referencing the First Amendment to the Constitution:

Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, thus building a wall of separation between Church and State.

It is clear to most objective thinkers that both the “establishment clause” and the “exercise clause” of the First Amendment were to protect religious people from the government, not the reverse.

The United States Constitution is the bed rock of our country. Godly men, with I believe wisdom from above, wrote a masterful document and with it’s several amendments has served us well for 240 years.

As laid out in the Constitution, we citizens have the opportunity to elect, or reelect, a United States President and Vice President every 4 years. That process is in full swing as I write these words. How should I choose a candidate to support and vote for? Well, that is for every individual to decide. In my view it should be the person who will best follow the United States Constitution. The Presidential oath of office includes these words:

 “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

If we choose the leader of the free world based on a religious test we are making a mistake. A person can be a fine Christian and a very poor leader. History has proven that point again and again.

We the citizens need to be protected from our sworn enemies. Our borders need to be protected. Our trade with other countries needs to be fair. We need less federal government intrusion, less restrictions on business, and more power to the individual states. When the country was founded it took only about 100 years for the United States to become the most successful country in the world. Following those simple ideals of limited government, free enterprise, and unbridled right to enjoy life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness can have the same results now.

Soon the Presidential candidate field will be down to only two. Voting for the candidate of your choice is a precious privilege that tens of millions of people the world over would like to have. Use that right carefully, but please use it. If good people will only vote the course of a declining nation can be reversed, maybe. I am always hopeful, always looking forward to a better time for my children and grand children and the generations who will come along later.

Please, be involved in the process. Sometimes it isn’t fun but it’s always important. May God give us wisdom as the future of the United States is shaped for the next four years.

If I had to describe the 2016 Presidential race in a word, the word would be “disappointment”. I had real hope that this cycle would be better. I thought that someone would step up to the plate who was the opposite of Obama and would champion what the United States is all about. At this point in the race, as we enter the first of a long primary season, it seems my hopes are dashed. Next November I will likely repeat the process of voting for the least offensive Republican, an exercise I have some experience doing.

Has the United States nothing better to offer as candidates for President? My God! What has happened to us? Even on the Democrat side of the isle, Hillary Clinton? Really? Is she the best they can come up with? Then, to prove the Democrat Party has run off the rails, Hillary’s closest adversary is Sen. Bernie Sanders! Sanders doesn’t believe in our form of government, he is a self described Socialist and he’s proud of it. And, the far left pinheads are filling venues to listen to Bernie’s dribble. Lord help us!

The Republicans are not much better. We have in our stable an egomaniac, Donald Trump, a brilliant surgeon who wouldn’t yell if pigs were chewing his feet off,  the smartest person in the race of either party who is so hated by both parties he can’t win, Sen Ted Cruz, an open borders guy, Sen Rubio, and from there on back a van load of people who can’t get past 6% on a good day.

Who will the eventual nominee be for the GOP? Probably Rubio. He is the GOP establishment choice by default. They wanted Gov Jeb Bush but he can’t get any traction. So like Hillary, he is today in the process of reinventing himself, trying to find a version of Jeb people like and trust. It’s a long shot.

After several months of dominating the TV ratings, many smart people are finally conceding that The Donald could actually become the Republican nominee. One of the things I like about him is what many dislike most. He takes no crap from anyone, he has some courage. What I dislike is that he is too much like Ross Perot when it comes to specifics. Perot was just going to “fix it”, and Trump is just going to “make it great”.

As a life long political junkie, I am not enjoying my spectator sport nearly as much as I would like. It is a long time until the actual nominations take place, so we will see….

Finally, every GOP candidate, on his or her worst day, would be a far better President and Commander in Chief than Hillary Clinton. And, John Bel Edwards is a Democrat and he will govern like a Democrat. Get it?

I am for wealth redistribution. Those who earn great wealth should not get to keep it, most of it should go to the poor.

I believe in free cell phones, free education, free rent, free food, and free health care for the poorest among us. The rich can afford to pay for these things.

I believe in less military spending, across the board. We don’t need war planes, ships, tanks, and bombs. We need to be nice to our global neighbors and they will be nice to us. The USA creates most of the world’s biggest problems.

I believe in freedom of speech only if it doesn’t offend anyone.

I believe in freedom of religion except for Christians who are bigoted and intolerant. The public square should be cleansed of any hint of the biblical God or Jesus Christ. Other religious expression is OK.

I celebrate every kind of perversion (a word I hate but I can’t think of a better one at the moment) People who do not support the right of people to have sex any way they desire are bigoted, homophobic, and narrow minded. They are not smart people.

I believe that every woman should have the absolute right to have her unborn baby killed for any reason. Babies are inconvenient for young women who want to have fun and pursue careers. It’s no ones business if a woman wants to use abortion as birth control. A fetus is worth no more than a used condom in my view.

I believe guns should be illegal, period.

I believe in open borders. Anyone should be able to come to the USA who wants to do so.

I believe immigrants should have the exact same rights as citizens of the US.

I believe that felons should be able to vote just like everyone else.

I believe it is OK for the President, Mayors, and other officials to only obey laws they like.

Who am I?

It’s too bad the U.S. Dept of Wildlife was not around to put the dinosaur on the endangered species list. It’s hard to believe we have done so well without them. Now our friendly govt folks are considering placing Alligator Snapping Turtles on that list. And, as with every govt list you, dear tax payer, will foot the bill.

I was thinking, what does the Alligator Snapping Turtle add to the eco-system? I can’t think of one positive contribution. Some live to be 100 and have no natural predators, other than a few very odd humans. I say let them go, and if I get the news Water Moccasins, Beavers, Mosquitoes, and a few other nuisance creatures are about to become extinct I will not fret.

“2015” is even more odd to say than 2014 was. I am just getting accustomed to writing 2014 on a check or some other document and now it’s 2015 in a few short days!

Almost everyone at a minimum thinks about some resolution to begin the new year. I usually don’t make a new years resolution since I’ve broken most I’ve made. But, short of a stated resolution some things come to mind that can contribute to making 2015 a far better year than if I enter it without any purpose. So, I’ll share some thoughts for me, and if you dare, you can do them too. I don’t expect to do all of these things as well as I would like but a small effort is far better than none.

• Love lavishly! Love is not primarily an emotion. Love requires action. Treat others as if you love them and you will!
• Forgive quickly! Unforgiveness only hurts you. Not forgiving is like drinking poison and expecting someone else to die. Don’t stay shackled to old hurts, just forgive! Treat the offender (if possible, some are no longer around, some are even dead) as if you have forgiven them, and you have! It’s like a “get out of jail free” card. Let yourself out of the prison of bitterness and anger, forgive NOW!
• Smile broadly! I’ll be first to admit I have problems in this area. I would be the world’s worst poker player because my face is a fair representation of what I am feeling at the moment. But sometimes fatigue supplies the same scowl that anger produces. So, I need to smile on purpose. I can do it and so can you. Nothing disarms a tense moment like a warm, sincere, smile. Call people by name and smile when you greet them. You will find them much more pleasant than if you don’t.

Happy New Year! Come on 2015, let’s get it on!

Royce Ogle
Monroe, LA