“Politics is such a filthy four-letter word that it requires twice as many letters.” ― Anthony P. Mauro, Sr.

Good morning and welcome. Today is Thursday, October 22, 2020, and, I see more and more folks taking a breather from social media. Many of these signing off for a while state as their reason the political climate we are experiencing these days. The tension is obvious but the response to folks when they express an opinion can be off the charts. Vitriol and yes, old fashioned hate seems to come out of the woodwork if others disagree with a stand or an opinion. The other day when the Senate finished their committee open hearings on the nomination of Judge Amy Cohen Barrett, Senator Diane Feinstein, a very liberal voice, paid a public compliment to Senator Lindsey Graham, conservative committee chair, for how he had conducted the proceedings. She even gave him a brief hug. A mere show of respect for a colleague started an out-of-control avalanche of hate where people began threatening her and for that one act, they wanted her to resign her office. Immediately. The liberal left wanted no part of even a whisper of respect and civility being shown towards those they consider to be their mortal enemies. I am aware it works both ways but my point is how the rhetoric and the venom surrounding our political environment have become not only harsh but perhaps even dangerous. This is why some have chosen to just turn it off and await the outcome.

 

Sometimes we need to take a short break from all the nonsense. Here is a list posted on The Sunday Morning Gospel Show Facebook page. I can identify with many of these. What say you?

My mother taught me LOGIC... "If you fall off that swing and break your neck, you can't go to the store with me."

My mother taught me MEDICINE... "If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they're going to freeze that way."

My mother taught me TO THINK AHEAD... "If you don't pass your spelling test, you'll never get a good job!"

My mother taught me ESP... "Put your sweater on; don't you think that I know when you're cold?"

My mother taught me TO MEET A CHALLENGE... "What were you thinking? Answer me when I talk to you...Don't talk back to me!"

My mother taught me HUMOR... "When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."

My mother taught me how to BECOME AN ADULT... "If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up.

My mother taught me about GENETICS... "You are just like your father!"

My mother taught me about my ROOTS... "Do you think you were born in a barn?"

My mother taught me about the WISDOM of AGE... "When you get to be my age, you will understand."

My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION... "Just wait until your father gets home."

My mother taught me about RECEIVING... "You are going to get it when we get home."

And my all-time favorite thing--JUSTICE... "One day you will have kids, and I hope they turn out just like YOU... then you'll see what it's like."

As far as the election goes, I'll vote but trust God with the outcome. Here is an editorial opinion piece that struck a chord with me.

Citizen-Times Opinion - published October 4, 2020

~ Donald Trump isn't very likable. Here's why I'm still voting for him. 

OPINION Carl Mumpower, Guest Columnist

President Donald Trump is not a very likable person. Though in today’s upside-down world no one seems to like much of anyone, our President has a gifted talent for inflaming, frustrating, and discouraging even the most ardent of supporters. That matters because most Americans vote on the basis of who they like, not on who’s most qualified, effective, or true to their promises. Our current President is a poster child for the phrase, “his own worst enemy.” Hardly a day goes by without a reminder of why. Yesterday it was another of his endless off-the-cuff exaggerations. Today it was a nonsensical bit of narcissistic puffery. Tomorrow it will be another biting personal attack on the latest of a seemingly never-ending list of antagonists. Is it just me, or is it understandably hard to like someone whose social skills seem to have been crafted in middle-school? On the surface of things, not supporting a guy one actively dislikes is easy-peasy. But it’s not. In fact, I have every intention of voting for Trump. Part of the reason is I really don’t trust his opponent. In contrast to Trump’s remarkable willingness to stand for something regardless of the outcome, his opponent stands for absolutely nothing beyond audience-pleasing sound bites. The only reliable measure of any political candidate is their voting record – period. Name about any significant public policy decision of the past forty years and the current Democratic candidate for President demonstrates the consistency of a chameleon stuck on a merry-go-round. Chameleons change colors for their protection – not ours. That’s just one of many reasons I don’t like political chameleons and thus won’t vote for Biden. One may not like Trump’s colors, but there is something epic in the courage and – dare I say it – character found in attempts to act against endless hurdles. Yes, there are lots of things I dislike about Trump’s personality, but there are deeper things about his opposition I dislike even more. 

I don’t like people who think the death of 65 million new lives is a positive solution to a complex social problem; or that the current generation of leftist political chameleons is better able to craft a national governance model than our existing Constitution; or who enable and stir animus between the races; or who believe that the seven deadly sins are a suitable platform for a national political party. I especially don’t like people who believe they can leave out or destroy pieces of American’s traditional success equation and produce the same outcome. What’s that? Liberty + Opportunity + Responsibility = Prosperity, and anyone – like Joe Biden and every other Democrat I know – who tells you it’s not a package deal is an artful dodger. The fact is most of us build our social-emotional model in middle school. Trump’s not an exception, he’s just more open about it. You know, smoking in the boy’s room instead of sneaking out to the bleachers. As President, he’s rightfully under a microscope. Unfortunately, thanks to almost universal liberal media bias, that attention is dedicated to what’s broken in this man and reliably indifferent to what’s good, effective, competent, or special. Don’t believe it? Look at what he’s most recently accomplished in the middle-east and how little you hear about it. The fact that less than seven percent of our journalists identify as Republicans offer testimony on the why. And I’m still going to vote for President Trump in spite of his less than presidential performance in Tuesday’s debate. That’s because his substance remains infinitely more important than somebody else’s pretense at style. This first debate delivered us into the hands of three competing vanity kings. The two that mattered included an insulting artful dodger who failed to answer even one question and a blustering boxer who didn’t know when to hush. I’m going to vote for the boxer because he gets things done, has the courage to stand up to the corruption undermining our Republic, and is willing to call out chicken manure when it's being marketed as chicken salad. As the world’s horizon continues to darken, it’s my sense that a bull in a china shop is going to serve us better than a lizard. ~

May God bless this great nation He gave to us. Amen. .....More later.