Straight From The Hart

My column this weekend. "More Questions Than Opinions" I usually use this column to express my opinions. This week I have nothing but questions. Why isn’t there more of an outcry and an outspoken sense of anger about what is happening to America? Many of us are outraged but why don’t our neighbors and family members sense the urgency or see the danger approaching? During my years as a pastor, I often used the story of the Titanic as an illustration in sermons and I read every book I could find about that tragedy - a tragedy that should never have happened. Why did the passengers and crew ignore the many warnings on that fateful night of April 15, 1912? Why were the people so complacent in believing that the captain and crew were doing their job and watching out for them? Why were they neglectful about having lifeboats at the ready and crew members trained to use them? Sometimes I feel like I’m standing on the deck of the American Titanic and that we are quickly go

Have you seen the insurance commercial on television where the actor says “Did you know that words can really hurt you?” Then a western “loner” rides off into the sunset leaving his lady at the ranch when suddenly the words “The End” appear on the screen and the “loner” rides into the words which apparently knock him off his horse to the ground. Silly, right? But not nearly as silly as some of the words, phrases and statements we hear uttered on the television screen every day by supposedly sophisticated and educated people. I have collected politicians’ words and phrases for years now. Marie Harf, spokeswoman for the State Department, who is always good for a few laughs, outdid herself this week. When asked how many ISIS terrorists we were killing, she admitted we were killing some but went on to say we can’t “kill ourselves out of this war”. Her solution was to provide jobs for them. She said any 17 year old ISIS warrior would probably be much more interested in st

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the king’s horses and all the king’s men couldn’t put Humpty together again. Sitting on a wall is like straddling a fence. It is really difficult and you can’t do it very long without falling off and getting hurt. Our president has reached that point in his presidency. He is overwhelmed. He is in over his head, utterly clueless on a daily basis. As syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer wrote this week: “ The disinterest, the lethargy of this president, the lassitude with which he pursues this war which he declared himself is simply astonishing.” This president came into the oval office with no experience in government.. He is an over-educated community organizer. He can make a good speech from a teleprompter if someone writes it for him. He can campaign and raise funds in front of adoring crowds. But he could not legislate. And he cannot govern. As a one-term U.S. senator he missed 314 of 1300 r

RONALD REAGAN, ADDRESS TO THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF EVANGELICALS (“EVIL EMPIRE SPEECH”) (8 MARCH 1983) [1] President Reagan: Thank you…[Applause]…Thank you very much…Thank you very much…[Applause subsides]…Thank you very much…and, Reverend Clergy all, and Senator Hawkins, distinguished members of the Florida congressional delegation, and all of you: [2] I can’t tell you how you have warmed my heart with your welcome. I’m delighted to be here today. [3] Those of you in the National Association of Evangelicals are known for your spiritual and humanitarian work. And I would be especially remiss if I didn’t discharge right now one personal debt of gratitude. Thank you for your prayers. Nancy and I have felt their presence many times in many ways. And believe me, for us they’ve made all the difference. [4] The other day in the East Room of the White House at a meeting there, someone asked me whether I was aware of all the people out there who were praying for the President. And I,