As long as we're toppling offensive icons, what about the Democratic Party?

As long as we’re toppling offensive icons, what about the Democratic Party?

Al Sharpton just may be right about the need to remove offensive statues from the American public way.

I'd been somewhat torn on the idea of erasing history by tearing down statues, even Civil War Confederate statues, since destroying public imagery and iconography isn't the kind of thing Americans do.

Actually, it's the kind of thing that ISIS does.

But Sharpton, the noted race hustler, helped me see things in a different way.

Usually, I don't listen to him. But he was interviewed on the Charlie Rose program and talked compellingly about the need to remove statues of white men of the South who fought in the Civil War for a South that wanted to keep slavery.

He said, rightly, that such statues are offensive to many African Americans.

But he also said that such images should be removed, perhaps taken to private museums.

[Texas university removes 'white supremacy' statues overnight]

Sharpton also added that public funding of other offensive reminders of America's racist past, including the Jefferson Memorial, should stop.

"When you look at the fact that public monuments are supported by public funds, you are asking me to subsidize the insult of my family," Sharpton said. "And I would repeat that the public should not be paying to uphold somebody who had that kind of background. … We're talking about, here, an open display of bigotry announced, and over and over again."

Thomas Jefferson, founding father, is the author of the Declaration of Independence, widely considered to be the most eloquent appeal for human liberty that has ever been written.

But Jefferson was also a slave owner who repeatedly raped one of them. That's history.

As a black American, Sharpton believes using federal tax dollars to subsidize the Jefferson Memorial is wrong. And even though the flames of cultural revolution are burning hot, you can understand this.

History is important, but history can also be quite offensive.

But there's one thing wrong with Sharpton. It's not that he goes too far. It's that he doesn't go far enough.

Because if he and others of the cultural revolution were being intellectually honest, they'd demand that along with racist statues, something else would be toppled.

And this, too, represents much of America's racist history:

[Trump opposes removal of Civil War statues]

The Democratic Party.

The Democratic Party historically is the party of slavery. The Democratic Party is the party of Jim Crow laws. The Democratic Party fought civil rights for a century.

And so by rights — or at least by the standards established by the cultural revolutionaries of today's American left — we should ban the Democratic Party.

Not only get rid of it in the present, but strike its very name from the history books, and topple all Democratic statues of leaders who benefited, prospered and became wealthy by cleaving to the party. And shame Democrats until they confess the truth of it.

The Democratic Party's military arm in the South was the Ku Klux Klan. The Democratic Party opposed the 14th and 15th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, making the former slaves citizens of the land and giving them the vote.

If the new cultural revolution was serious, wouldn't it also demand that the Democratic Party be put in a museum somewhere, away from decent people, along with those Confederate statues?

We could put Democrats in exhibits, behind glass, watching white political bosses chomp cigars and pass out goodies for votes, as minorities were relegated, as they are today, to failing schools and lost educational opportunity and neighborhoods that have become killing fields for the young and old.

And in great museums, the Democrats could be studied, safely, without endangering the sensibilities of the children.

We might even peer down on an animatronic Democratic Sen. Robert Byrd, once a leader of the KKK. And with him, prominent animatronic Democrats who, just a few short years ago, said wonderful, moving things about Byrd after his funeral.

That's how it is with history. You can't say the Democratic Party wasn't the slavery party. It's historical fact.

Just as it is also historical fact that the Republican Party was the party of abolitionists.

I mentioned this to a Democrat who was all for the removal of Confederate statues in the South, and I told him I wasn't all that opposed, either.

He thought I was being sarcastic. But when I reminded him that his party was the slavery party, the KKK party, the anti-civil rights party from the 1860s to the 1960s, and should be put into a museum, he made a sour face.

"You're really taking this satire too far," he said. "The Democratic Party isn't a statue. It's an institution."

If the cultural revolutionaries want to topple statues, they can be my guest. They're so inflamed lately — and if you don't believe it, just read the papers — that if you dare disagree with them, you run the risk of being denounced by their high priests as a bigot or as someone without moral character.

My guess is that most Americans are afraid of social punishment. So, the offensive statues will go, and then perhaps offensive iconography, offensive images, offensive books.

One book comes to mind. Let me quote a passage from it.

"Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book has been rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street and building has been renamed, every date has been altered. And that process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Party is always right."

George Orwell. "1984."

John Kass is a columnist for the Chicago Tribune. Twitter, @john_kass

Be Not, An Unadulterated Hypocrite!

John J Kiernan

“They are So Heavenly Minded, they are NO Earthly Good.”
Such are indeed, Unadulterated Hypocrites!
So, whether is it nobler to live the life of a pauper
or enjoy the Lord's rich abundant blessings?
To be or not to be prosperous,
Now that is the question!

In this great land of the free and the home of the brave, why do many choose to live the life of a slave? They practice penny pinching, pauperized  frugal living, virtually barely existing as penniless paupers! Why indeed and does it really matter? Isn't money after all just a temporal thing and thus totally unworthy of discussion? Ought we not forsake the more mundane and concentrate our minds and intellects upon spiritual matters? Yet, do we not read in the scriptures (D&C 29:34) that "all things unto me are spiritual, and not at any time have I given unto you a law which was temporal"? Should we therefore allow ourselves to be sidetracked on mundane monetary matters so the Lord's enemies can laugh at us and gleefully say: "They are So Heavenly Minded, they are NO Earthly Good?" Since Economic and Financial laws are indeed, also spiritual laws, it does then actually matter. Perhaps that question can best be answered by the scripture itself.  All things unto me are spiritual, and not at any time have I given unto you a law which was temporal.  It is therefore incumbent upon us to learn all of God's laws.
 

In (Job 8:20) we read: Behold God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will he help evil doers. If He will not, why should you or I help the evil doer? In (2nd Chronicles 19:2) we read: Jehu son of Hanani the seer, said to king Jehoshaphat, "Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord? Therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord".

So friend, if you profess to be a perfect man, why continue to support the enemies of the Lord and thus also incur his wrath? Do those who will not keep the Lord's day holy, love the Lord or just love money? Do they not make it almost impossible for you, your sons and daughters to attend His house on the Sabbath day to receive His spiritual nourishment? "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the God". (Matt 4:4) See also Leviticus 26.

"Beloved I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in good health, even as thy soul prospereth" (3 John 1:2). "And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundredfold, yea, more" (D&C 78:19). Since the scriptures are so replete with promises of prosperity such as these, if we will but keep the Lord's commandments, Why do some "c”hristian churches teach otherwise, even enticing and inviting members to take and live a vow of poverty? Why do they want us to live in poverty, in misery and in despair? Whose work are they doing? His who said: "I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10), yea really? How then does poverty equate abundance?

Prosperity you know… really is a choice, and yes indeed, you are free to choose!
Do you recall what the scripture really reads in John 10:10? "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." Do we also recall, that He challenged us to; "Come follow me" Luke 18:22 and others.

So whom do we choose to follow? The thief who takes, accumulates and keeps all our money or He who can bless our lives with even more abundance?  Why do we allow ourselves to be brainwashed and blindsided into living lives of poverty… into taking upon ourselves vows of poverty and thus gaining a false feeling of self righteousness? Why do we allow the thief to take control of our lives and convince us that it is preferable to live a life of abject poverty rather than enjoy the Lord's rich abundant blessings?

Didn’t you tell the merchants my friend, while you bade them a very merry holiday season, after they had taken all your money that "Money is the root of all evil"? No, it is not money, but it is the "LOVE of money" and add to that, the "Lack of money" which is the root of all evil. Money itself is a wonderful key to happiness. Even the three wise kings understood, and brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the birth of Jesus Christ. However the Lord has pleaded with us: “Wherefore, do not spend money for that which is of no worth, nor your labor for that which cannot satisfy. Hearken diligently unto me and eat that which is good and let your soul delight itself in abundance.” (Isaiah 55: 2).

If money itself were the root of all evil, the Lord would not ask it of you in the payment of tithes and offerings. He would have nothing to do with such filthy lucre. Just as the Lord puts the money you pay in tithes and offerings to good use, so too can you use the money you accumulate. When one is wealthy, one can do things for other people that they couldn't or wouldn't do for themselves. But if you covet and lust after money for your own selfish ends, and you are unwilling to help others, then you do deserve to remain poor. Do not expect the Lord to give you a large stewardship. He may even take away from you that which you already possess, especially if you are unwilling to develop the talents he has given you. No, it is not wrong to accumulate money. Rather it is wrong to accumulate bad debt, to become a financial slave and a burden to others. If you are weighed down with a huge financial burden you have allowed yourself to become the financial slave of a moneylender. Freedom is your goal. You need to work to obtain that freedom.

Why work? We are commanded by the Lord to work; "Six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work: But on the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth and sea, and all that in them is, and rested on the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it" (Exodus 20:9-11) The Lord will bless us also; if we work to the full extent of our ability, and in obedience to his commandments. One of which reads: "Ye are bought with a price, be ye not servants of men." (1 Corinthians 7: 21-23).  BE Free!

Freedom then is your goal and though obtainable, is not free. It has a high price and you must work to fund it if you wish to obtain it. Work gives our minds an objective to achieve, keeps us focused, on track and out of mischief. It we are unskilled, skilled a professional or a labourer in the employ of a master, it provides us with access to a very thin skein of gold. If we want a bigger skein then the traditional advice: 'Get yourself a good education, so you can get yourself a good job and be able to earn yourself a good living' appears to be good advice, providing you set yourself the target of working 9 - 5pm for your living, and then continue to work 6 - 10pm for your freedom. You need to accumulate money to fund your future freedom. “To achieve financial freedom, you need to understand the difference between job security, financial security, and financial freedom.” Freedom means you can enjoy both time and money. One without the other is not freedom.

But, you say, I only earn a living wage. I don't have any money for anything extra. Oh Really! Well then where are you spending the little money you do have? Do you buy all you need from your own store or do you go to the local store and leave all your hard earned cash and profit in the local store? True the local store has to pay the wholesale cost of the goods sold to you, but who accumulates the Retail Profit upon those goods, you or the local store owners? If you desire Freedom, why don't you learn how to accumulate that Retail Profit yourself? You could be buying from your own store, and thus saving and personally banking your own Retail Profit. You are looking at an average of 30% profit. Go figure it out. Monthly household expenses x 30% x 12 months = ? Well what would you do with all that extra money? What is your goal? What do you want to achieve? What excites you and causes you to become enthusiastic. Enthusiasm means God inspires you. With God all things are possible. In the words of Lord Bulwer Lytton; "What a man wants is not talent, it is purpose; not power to achieve, but the will to labour." In (1 Chronicles 22:16) we read; "Arise therefore and be doing, and the Lord will be with you." Show forth your willingness. Be doing, and the Lord…………….

Samuel Smiles says; "Purposes like eggs, unless they are hatched into action, will run into decay." To make your dream a reality, you must work diligently to achieve it, as otherwise your dream will simply remain an unfulfilled desire. The pain of lost dreams is too much for any soul to bear. "Whatever the mind of man can believe, it can achieve." (Napoleon Hill) "According to your faith be it unto you". (Matt. 9:29) "Even so faith, if it hath not works is dead, being alone." (James 2:17) So add work to your faith and watch your dream become a reality.

Choice! The key is choice. You have options. You need not spend your life wallowing in failure, ignorance, grief, poverty, shame and self pity! "There is a better way to live!" (Og Mandino - The Choice) "Art thou being called a servant?" (Modern terminology: an employee) "Care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather. For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant is the Lord's free man: likewise also he that is called being free, is Christ's servant. Ye are bought with a price; be ye not servants of men." (1Corinthians7:21-23)

Note the words: Be ye not servants of men! "In every human breast, God has implanted a principal which we call love of freedom. Freedom! It is impatient of oppression and pants for deliverance." (Phyllis Wheatley) God's greatest blessing, after life itself, is agency, the freedom to choose. Aided by his other great blessings of intellect and talent we are free to choose our own pathway through life. He has not placed us under bondage, so why should we ourselves do so? "Be free, all worthy spirits, and stretch yourselves, for greatness and for height," (George Chapman). Freedom then is the goal, the vision toward which we should all aspire. “Where there is no vision the people perish;” (Prov. 29:18) Only when we are free can we begin to live our dream.

Will wishing, wanting or needing motivate and cause you to have a burning desire to change your point of purchase to fund the achievement of your dream? Isn’t it worth making that change to obtain; 1) a nice annual vacation, 2) a good retirement plan, or 3) total financial freedom, 4) a family legacy, all funded by the profits you will have saved? Yes, knowledge is power and since you are free to choose, the truth, now that you know the truth, can indeed set you free. Think about it. Follow the money trail and make sure that trail leads right back into your own bank account. If you would like to know how easily this can be done, in this modern internet world, help and guidance is available to help you make the needed changes.

Have you grasped the concept of saving the Retail Profit on your own purchases, the concept of donating your job to your neighbor who really needs it, and your accumulated wealth as a legacy to your own family, yes to your own great, great grandchildren, ad infinitum? “A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just” (Proverbs 13:22). So prepare a legacy of wealth for your great, great, great grandchildren, “for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.” (2 Corinthians 12:14), Why not follow the Lord’s plan towards the fatness of abundance and prosperity. Why not begin now and Do it! Why not Do it for them as commanded by the Lord.

Why not invest the retail profit in your own personal financial freedom, in your own retirement plan, or why not you yourself spend it on a real good family vacation? Why not save and invest it as a family legacy? In this Free Country, you too have the right the choice and the freedom, to achieve your dream.

Shouldest thou love them that hate the Lord, i.e. those who keep not the Sabbath day holy? Why continue to help evil doers, the ungodly? Why invoke the wrath of God upon your own life? Why choose a life of Poverty? Why follow the thief to despair and destruction? “as he(any man) thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). “According to thy faith be it unto thee”(Matt 9:29) So only believe, then Think and Grow Rich!  Believe and thou shalt receive, or doubt and go without.
John J Kiernan   Goldbeard84@gmail.com   907-441-2964 Cell.