Newtown Tragedy: We Need Revival

The unthinkable has happened, again. A crazed or angry young man has targeted innocent children in their school. “Why?” we ask.


Donald Trump said, after the election, that we need “a revolution.” He is wrong. The nation needs revival. We need another Great Awakening.

Just this past week, a six-hour concert for Sandy Relief was held. Many of the greatest rock-and-roll artists of our times joined together to raise money for victims of Hurricane Sandy so they could rebuild their homes and put their lives back together. The musicians put aside any of their differences or competitiveness for a good cause.

We need the great ministers, priests and rabbis to come together for “Newtown Relief.” Our nation needs their help to rebuild our spiritual lives and recalibrate our moral compass, if we truly want to stop tragedies like the Newtown killings.

Our founding fathers were godly men. They founded this nation on the bedrock of the Judeo-Christian tradition, particularly the Ten Commandments. The nation’s first colonial constitution was written in 1639 for Connecticut. In this document, "The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut," it proclaims:

"We came to maintain and preserve the liberty and purity of the gospel of our Lord Jesus which we now profess as also the disciples of the churches, which according to the truth of the said gospel, is now practiced among us."

We are no longer the godly nation our founding fathers envisioned and assumed we would be. The Apostle Paul warned in Romans 1:18-32 what would happen to a people who turned its back on God and mocked His moral law.

Instead of protecting them, God would give them over to “corrupted minds (1:28).” Among the consequences of abandoning godly knowledge would be “all kinds of wickedness, evil, greed, and vice (1:29),” including murder and malice. We would, Paul prophesized, end up with people who “have no conscience…no kindness or pity for others (1:31).”

Already today, the gun banners are rallying to use this tragedy for their political purposes. Soledad O’Brien lost all her reporting objectivity and had an emotional meltdown this morning on CNN over gun control.

Would someone please tell O’Brien and other reporters that Connecticut has some of the nation’s toughest gun laws? The state requires registration of all guns. It bans so-called assault rifles, although some were grandfathered in if purchased before the ban. Law enforcement is still investigating, but it appears that the guns used in this tragedy were legally owned and registered by the killer’s mother.

More gun laws would not have stopped yesterday’s gunman. He would have either stolen other guns or used another means to kill. Just yesterday, a villager attacked children with a knife outside a primary school in China, injuring 22. According to the New York Daily News, China, where privately owned guns are outlawed, has had numerous deadly school attacks in recent years. Others have used bombs, box cutters, automobiles, and toxic chemicals to perpetrate mass murder and mayhem in this country.

The innocent children and educators of Newtown who lost their lives yesterday were victims of a corrupted mind. The killer, obviously, had no conscience. He had neither kindness nor pity for others. He was a psychopath or a sociopath. The guns are not to blame. The perpetrator is.

What can we do to prevent future tragedies like Newtown, Columbine, Portland, and Aurora? A spiritual renewal is absolutely essential. The Bible in Second Chronicles 7:14 points the way:

"If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

Correction: Who Owns the National Debt?

On my last post, I made an error in reporting who owns the federal debt, and I apologize for any confusion it may have caused. I originally reported 86 percent is owned by and owed to Americans. Here are the correct facts:


The total public debt as of 8/1/2011 is $14.3 trillion or $46,708 per U.S. citizen. It is higher than the total value of China's, the United Kingdom's and Australia's economies together. Our national debt is growing by $3.5 billion per day or $2 million per minute.

Only 32 percent or about $4.6 trillion is owned by the federal government (intragovernmental holdings) as IOUs for Social Security, federal pensions, etc. About $3 trillion is owed to Social Security and the Federal Reserve Bank holds about $2 trillion.

About $5.3 trillion or 37 percent are private holdings by American investors, corporations (especially banks and pension funds), and holdings by state and local governments.

The remaining $4.4 trillion or 30 percent is owned by foreigners. China owns 8 percent of our debt or about $1.2 billion. This makes the Chinese the third largest holder of U.S. debt. Only the Social Security Trust Fund and the Federal Reserve Bank hold more.

Therefore, about $9.9 trillion or 69 percent, not 86 percent, of the national debt is owned by and owed to Americans.

Sources used include: http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/moneymatters/ss/How-Much-US-Debt-Does-China-Own.htm  http://www.usdebtclock.org/

http://www.treasurydirect.gov/NP/BPDLogin?application=np
http://www.fms.treas.gov/bulletin/index.html
http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/tic/Documents/mfh.txt
http://www.defeatthedebt.com/

"Freedom Tower" Name Change Says It All

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which owns the World Trade Center site, announced on Thursday, March 26, 2009, that the name "Freedom Tower" would be dropped for the skyscraper at the heart of the rebuilding of what was the World Trade Center (W.T.C.). Instead, the replacement building will be named "One World Trade Center." The name change says it all.

The building was intended as a symbol of rebirth and recovery from the September 11th attack that brought the World Trade Center Towers down. The original name of "Freedom Tower" was a message to past and future terrorists that the American people would not let hatred and evil defeat us.

Now, the Port Authority has changed horses and names. Instead of defiance in the face of evil, they are cowering. They have decided that the name "Freedom Tower" would make the building a target for future terrorist acts. It is laughable if they believe changing its name to One World Trade Center would shield it from attack or make the building more marketable to tenants. After all, that was the official name of the former North Tower that was destroyed by terrorists on September 11th. What company's employees would want to be reminded of the memories of that day every time they entered the building?

New York Governor George Pataki was offended by the name change. He protested:

"The Freedom Tower is not simply another piece of real estate and not just a name for marketing purposes," Pataki said.

"In design and name, it is symbolic of our commitment to rise above the attacks of Sept. 11. Where 1 and 2 World Trade Center once stood, there will be a memorial with two voids to honor the heroes we lost — and, in my view, those addresses should never be used again."

When I first heard this report, it made no sense at all. Then, I heard who the first major tenant is Vantone, a Chinese real estate conglomerate closely affiliated with the Chinese Communist government. The Port Authority board voted to change the building's name after signing a 21-year lease with Vantone. They deny the name change had anything to do with this particular tenant, but that is a questionable, if not just plain silly, denial.

In any event, if Communist Chinese front companies are the target market for this building, then calling it the "Freedom Tower" would be an oxymoron. "One World" trade, government, etc., would be a more accurate descriptive.

Sources: The Associated Press http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i9XWcHZvMy8EVBpnerZveJg68ZZAD9776LQ00
MSNBC http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29913195/

Wal-Mart's "Faded Glory" T-Shirts

On the 4th of July, I saw a young girl wearing a t-shirt with an American flag in the shape of the United States. The flag had blotches and scratches through it. Beneath it were the words "Faded Glory 2008." I was appalled that anyone would choose to wear such a t-shirt on the 4th of July.

Further inquiry showed these shirts were sold by Wal-Mart and came in Men's, Ladies', Girls', Boys', infant, and toddler sizes. They even had one for dogs. The whole family could insult our nation together. Priced from $2.50 to $3, you know they cannot be American-made.

Why am I not surprised to find out Wal-Mart sold these America-bashing t-shirts? Is there any company working as hard as Wal-Mart to undermine the American economy by buying from China and other foreign producers? If the Wal-martization of America continues unabated, then these "Faded Glory" t-shirts are a harbinger of our future.

Melamine in Petfood: Thanks, China

Here's the text of a letter I sent to the President, both my Senators, and my Representative:

Congress needs to investigate how melamine and/or rat poison could contaminate so many brands of pet food without detection. It seems obvious that there is not enough inspection requirements or the FDA failed in their responsibilities. The result is much heartbreak for many families, especially young children.

It is my understanding the toxic materials were in wheat gluten imported from China. China and many other countries do not have the same agricultural safety regulations regarding fertilizers and other chemicals applied to food products. U.S. farmers must follow much more stringent rules. Current trade policies hurt our farmers financially by allowing cheaper agricultural products into our food supplies from growers who do not have to follow those rules. This is not only unfair to our farmers, but it is a hazard to American consumers, including our beloved pets. Food exporters should be required to follow our rules for food safety or be barred from shipping their products to the U.S.

Personally, I do not knowingly allow foreign-grown foods on my table. The problem is food processors do not have to label most foods with the countries of origin of the products in the food. Legislation should require this. As a concerned consumer and cat owner, I want to know the sources of the food I bring into my home.