As I travel the road of life, I find it very interesting how men who lived so long ago and experienced so much of life were able to see what was coming in the future, not to mention what they saw in their own day. Aristotle could not have hit the nail on the head any closer than this:

Tolerance and apathy are the last virtues of a dying society.

No one learns from history

I remember looking at a book once that was titled “What Men Have Learned from History.” As I opened the 100-page book, I found that the pages were all blank. The point was well made. Men do not learn from history. Unfortunately, society has proven this to be the case over and over again. In America today you can see the clear digression of society. What was once evil in our eyes some now call good. The high standards of virtue and morality that were once considered to be the foundation of our families are now laughed at and called “old fashioned” and “outdated.”

We now live in a nation where “tolerance” has become some sort of virtue, and “intolerance” for the things that go against God’s Word is called “hate.” The truth is God is love (1 John 4:8), and God gave His Law because He loves. Yet, America has now become so wise in her own eyes that its people have become fools (Romans 1:22).

Those who fought, bled, and died for our country to establish our Constitution, those who sacrificed to make us free were looked upon as heroes. Now, those who stick to the Constitution and fight to make sure it is adhered to are demonized, criticized by the state-run media and labeled “intolerant haters.”

We now live in a country where “evangelical Christians” are labeled by our own military as No. 1 on the list of terrorists; when if it were not for the “evangelical Christians” found in the “Black-Robed Regiment” who fought to give us this country, we would not have a nation to label anyone anything.

Then there are the do-nothings who give way to apathy. They say, “This is America, it will never happen here!” – as they look at the blank pages in the book of history once again and ignore all the signs of the times that clearly point out tyranny in our government, lawlessness and an attack against all that is good.

What has happened, America? Why have we given over to this change from the founding values of our great nation to the lawlessness we see today? The Bible clearly says in Proverbs 24:21, “… meddle not with them that are given to change.” So why are we changing?

Abraham Lincoln. Daguerreotype: Alexander Gardner, November 8, 1863.

America for the most part has cowered shamefully and refused to lawfully fight against evils.

It was Abraham Lincoln who said,

America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.

Are we allowing our nation to be destroyed? Yes. Are we seeing judgment turned backwards? Yes. But the real question is, are YOU willing to stand up and do something about it? ________ (Your answer here). That remains to be seen.

It’s time for Americans to rise up, learn from the past, and say enough is enough.

An ‘old and confused’ person speaks

Maybe we all could use a little lesson from those who are labeled “old and confused.”

One evening, a grandson was talking to his grandmother about current events. The grandson asked his grandmother what she thought about the shootings at schools, the computer age, and just things in general.

The Grandma replied,

Well, let me think a minute. I was born before television, penicillin, polio shots, frozen foods, Xerox, contact lenses, Frisbees and the pill. There was no radar, credit cards, laser beams or ballpoint pens.

Man had not invented panty hose, air conditioners, dishwashers or clothes dryers, and the clothes were hung out to dry in the fresh air, and man hadn’t yet walked on the moon.

Your grandfather and I got married first – and then lived together. Every family had a father and a mother. Until I was 25, I called every man older than I, ‘Sir.’ We were before gay rights, computer dating, dual careers, daycare centers, and group therapy.  Our lives were governed by the Ten Commandments, good judgment, and common sense. We were taught to know the difference between right and wrong, and to stand up and take responsibility for our actions.

Serving your country was a privilege; living in this country was a bigger privilege. We thought fast food was what people ate during Lent. Having a meaningful relationship meant getting along with your cousins. Draft dodgers were people who closed their front doors when the evening breeze started. Timesharing meant time the family spent together in the evenings and weekends – not purchasing condominiums.

We never heard of FM radios. And I don’t ever remember any kid blowing his brains out listening to Tommy Dorsey. If you saw anything with ‘Made in Japan’ on it, it was junk. The term ‘making out’ referred to how you did on your school exam. Pizza Hut, McDonalds, and instant coffee were unheard of.

We had five and 10-cent stores where you could actually buy things for five and 10 cents. Ice cream cones, phone calls, rides on a streetcar, and a Pepsi were all a nickel. And if you didn’t want to splurge, you could spend your nickel on enough stamps to mail 1 letter and two postcards. You could buy a new Chevy Coupe for $600, but who could afford one?  Too bad, because gas was 11 cents a gallon.

In my day, ‘grass’ was mowed, ‘coke’ was a cold drink, ‘pot’ was something your mother cooked in, and ‘rock music’ was your grandmother’s lullaby. ‘Aids’ were helpers in the Principal’s office, ‘chip’ meant a piece of wood, ‘hardware’ was found in a hardware store, and ‘software’ wasn’t even a word. We were the last generation to actually believe that a lady needed a husband to have a baby. No wonder people call us ‘old and confused’ and say there is a generation gap.

Video: Study The Past

Listen to Bradlee Dean’s radio broadcast, The Sons of Liberty here (http://www.gcnlive.com/CMS/index.php/showinfo?showCode=39)

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