Curtis Dahlgren
The week of Trumpets: NO MORE BULL!
By Curtis Dahlgren
"My thoughts go to her who gave me many things in life, but her most important gift was the knowledge of happiness and solace to be gained in prayer . . . I think then of her and others like her in that small town in Illinois, gentle people who possessed something that those who hold positions of power sometimes forget to prize . . "
SPOKEN LIKE A TRUE SMALL-TOWN "BITTER-CLINGER," EH? Actually, those words are from a President's farewell address to the United Nations(!) – the Gipper's farewell 25 years ago. To complete the thoughts, here is some more of the speech:
"No one [from Dixon] could have imagined the boy from the banks of the Rock River would come to this moment and have this opportunity. But had they been told it would happen, I think they would have been a bit disappointed if I'd not spoken here for what they knew so well: that when we grow weary of the world and its troubles, when our faith in humanity falters, it is then that we must seek comfort and refreshment of spirit in a deeper source of wisdom, one greater than ourselves."
I wish I could be a fly on the wall in the White House and the State Department these days, to see how much praying goes on there. I once held a high position in Washington myself. Illinois. I lived there and was trimming a soft maple tree (high up there). It was only ten miles from Reagan's alma mater in Eureka, right on one of Lincoln's old circuit-riding paths. Well, I retired from tree work 11 years ago to save what was left of my shoulders, etc. Since then I have written almost 550 columns (and some people are still going "Like, what's your point?). The title of my first book was "NO MORE BULL," get the point yet?
Just to clarify, "bull" is not a swear word. English has three distinct bull words: the male animal, the edict (as in the executive order), and finally the ludicrous or self-contradictory statement (as in "Irish Bull"). John Ayto says that the origin of the latter is unknown, but probably has a connection to the Middle English noun 'BUL' (a LIE) and the later verb 'BULL' (to mock or cheat), as in Blake's words:
Mock on, Mock on Voltaire and Rousseau
Mock on, Mock on: 'tis all in vain!
You throw the sand against the wind,
And the wind blows it back again.
During our days as a colony, Americans actually had a purer form of English than England, and a more standardized one (the King James Bible started that phenomenon, as well as literacy among the common people). But today's "historians" don't even acknowledge the contributions of religion to our Heritage, and academia is moving us closer every day to Orwellian "Newspeak," essentially a new politicized and dumbed-down language. And "freedom" is slavery and "tyranny" is Freedom; down is up, up down; sour, sweet and so on.
Speaking of politics, Syria is obviously the story of the week, so I wonder if the Commander-in-chief is beginning to think back to that "deeper source of wisdom" of Reagan's generation? We can only pray so, since he can't vote "present" on the Syrian issue.
There are so many other topics to talk too. I could write seven columns this week, but for the sake of brevity, I'll try to cover those topics in one line or less:
- When this old world is history, the history of the world will be written, and the year 2013 will certainly be a significant one; I've written before about 100-year cycles.
- Machiavelli wrote "The Prince" in 1513; in 1813 Napoleon said to the legislature "Who are you? I am the throne!" (he was in exile a year later); in 1913 we inaugurated a college professor as Prez (he promised to keep us out of the war that started the next year); in 2013 we inaugurated an adjunct college lecturer (and we could be getting closer to another world war).
- As for that gas attack near Damascus, fact is, we don't actually know for sure if Assad or the "Rebels" were responsible. As Rush said yesterday (9/03),
RUSH: "My friends, do you remember when the Syrian rebels overran and controlled a government base that had chemical weapons last summer? Even Leon Panetta admitted that chemical weapons may have fallen into their hands. This was last summer. . . " [from http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/ (9/04)]
As a reason for going to war, that gas attack may be the most dubious one since an Austrian was assassinated by one Serb. And in this case we don't even know which side was to blame; it would be like saying the Austrian "started it" in 1914 (not that the Austrians were pure and innocent either, but the whole thing spiraled out of control). We're talking World War, despite centuries of cultural "progress." A hundred thousand have died already in Syria and we can't decide which "peaceful Muslim" side we want to be on. Sarah Palin says, "Let Allah sort it out." Amen.
BTW, I would be remiss without mentioning the 50th anniversary Martin L. King gathering. A few points:
- The Park Service must make crowd estimates on the amount of litter left behind (that's why Tea party and pro-life rallies are always under-counted).
- I wonder if Jackie Robinson's name ever got mentioned at the event (I saw #42 play in person in 1955 and I'm not sure that from Robinson-to Obama-to Holder is "progress"; Jackie usually voted Republican, and he and Branch Rickey were both professed Christians – spiritual brothers – something not mentioned in the movie "42").
- The MLK memorial wasn't ready for the anniversary because critics demanded the removal of some of his own words (believe it or not), because they sounded "too biblical" (evidently). King's words were a direct quote and paraphrased Micah 6:8, but these days, PC Newspeak doesn't allow words such as "righteous" (that might imply that some people aren't!). Welcome to 1984 plus 29!
Without doubt, the column-of-the-week was "Do not call America's Founders 'Founding Fathers'" by Jake Jacobs www.RenewAmerica.com/columns/Jacobs/130902 and here's just a tidbit:
"The October 3, 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation passed by the House & Senate and signed by President Washington called for Prayer and Thanksgiving to God Almighty for our Constitution. In context that is not a secular expression about our Constitution it is the framers of our Federal Constitution expressing a Republic under God."
My punch-line is that the 44th President is out to scuttle the Constitution (what checks and balances?). He recently said that if Congress keeps saying NO, "I'm not going to twiddle my thumbs for the next three years."
P.S. Thursday 9/05 is the Feast of Trumpets (just thought I should remind you). I'm not a poet, but I dabble, and the following is from "NO MORE BULL" (2004):
LOOK UP!
The shining city upon the hill,
A peculiar nation of law,
Even as Israel of old:
New Salem, milk and honey.
May God mend thine every ill,
and heal thine every flaw.
He shed His grace on America bold;
Let Him thy gold refine, and not just the money.
He soundeth forth the trumpet, will;
It's time to stand in "shock and awe";
Look up upon the mountain cold,
America the shining, America the sunny.
And please, no more bull!
PPS: You can get a clarification at WND.com, but in conclusion, a few words more by Ronald Reagan – to the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1988:
"The deliberations of great leaders and great bodies are but overture . . . the truly majestic music, the music of freedom, of justice, and peace is the music made in forgetting self and seeking in silence the will of Him Who made us."
© Curtis Dahlgren
September 5, 2013
"My thoughts go to her who gave me many things in life, but her most important gift was the knowledge of happiness and solace to be gained in prayer . . . I think then of her and others like her in that small town in Illinois, gentle people who possessed something that those who hold positions of power sometimes forget to prize . . "
SPOKEN LIKE A TRUE SMALL-TOWN "BITTER-CLINGER," EH? Actually, those words are from a President's farewell address to the United Nations(!) – the Gipper's farewell 25 years ago. To complete the thoughts, here is some more of the speech:
"No one [from Dixon] could have imagined the boy from the banks of the Rock River would come to this moment and have this opportunity. But had they been told it would happen, I think they would have been a bit disappointed if I'd not spoken here for what they knew so well: that when we grow weary of the world and its troubles, when our faith in humanity falters, it is then that we must seek comfort and refreshment of spirit in a deeper source of wisdom, one greater than ourselves."
I wish I could be a fly on the wall in the White House and the State Department these days, to see how much praying goes on there. I once held a high position in Washington myself. Illinois. I lived there and was trimming a soft maple tree (high up there). It was only ten miles from Reagan's alma mater in Eureka, right on one of Lincoln's old circuit-riding paths. Well, I retired from tree work 11 years ago to save what was left of my shoulders, etc. Since then I have written almost 550 columns (and some people are still going "Like, what's your point?). The title of my first book was "NO MORE BULL," get the point yet?
Just to clarify, "bull" is not a swear word. English has three distinct bull words: the male animal, the edict (as in the executive order), and finally the ludicrous or self-contradictory statement (as in "Irish Bull"). John Ayto says that the origin of the latter is unknown, but probably has a connection to the Middle English noun 'BUL' (a LIE) and the later verb 'BULL' (to mock or cheat), as in Blake's words:
Mock on, Mock on Voltaire and Rousseau
Mock on, Mock on: 'tis all in vain!
You throw the sand against the wind,
And the wind blows it back again.
During our days as a colony, Americans actually had a purer form of English than England, and a more standardized one (the King James Bible started that phenomenon, as well as literacy among the common people). But today's "historians" don't even acknowledge the contributions of religion to our Heritage, and academia is moving us closer every day to Orwellian "Newspeak," essentially a new politicized and dumbed-down language. And "freedom" is slavery and "tyranny" is Freedom; down is up, up down; sour, sweet and so on.
Speaking of politics, Syria is obviously the story of the week, so I wonder if the Commander-in-chief is beginning to think back to that "deeper source of wisdom" of Reagan's generation? We can only pray so, since he can't vote "present" on the Syrian issue.
There are so many other topics to talk too. I could write seven columns this week, but for the sake of brevity, I'll try to cover those topics in one line or less:
- When this old world is history, the history of the world will be written, and the year 2013 will certainly be a significant one; I've written before about 100-year cycles.
- Machiavelli wrote "The Prince" in 1513; in 1813 Napoleon said to the legislature "Who are you? I am the throne!" (he was in exile a year later); in 1913 we inaugurated a college professor as Prez (he promised to keep us out of the war that started the next year); in 2013 we inaugurated an adjunct college lecturer (and we could be getting closer to another world war).
- As for that gas attack near Damascus, fact is, we don't actually know for sure if Assad or the "Rebels" were responsible. As Rush said yesterday (9/03),
RUSH: "My friends, do you remember when the Syrian rebels overran and controlled a government base that had chemical weapons last summer? Even Leon Panetta admitted that chemical weapons may have fallen into their hands. This was last summer. . . " [from http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/ (9/04)]
As a reason for going to war, that gas attack may be the most dubious one since an Austrian was assassinated by one Serb. And in this case we don't even know which side was to blame; it would be like saying the Austrian "started it" in 1914 (not that the Austrians were pure and innocent either, but the whole thing spiraled out of control). We're talking World War, despite centuries of cultural "progress." A hundred thousand have died already in Syria and we can't decide which "peaceful Muslim" side we want to be on. Sarah Palin says, "Let Allah sort it out." Amen.
BTW, I would be remiss without mentioning the 50th anniversary Martin L. King gathering. A few points:
- The Park Service must make crowd estimates on the amount of litter left behind (that's why Tea party and pro-life rallies are always under-counted).
- I wonder if Jackie Robinson's name ever got mentioned at the event (I saw #42 play in person in 1955 and I'm not sure that from Robinson-to Obama-to Holder is "progress"; Jackie usually voted Republican, and he and Branch Rickey were both professed Christians – spiritual brothers – something not mentioned in the movie "42").
- The MLK memorial wasn't ready for the anniversary because critics demanded the removal of some of his own words (believe it or not), because they sounded "too biblical" (evidently). King's words were a direct quote and paraphrased Micah 6:8, but these days, PC Newspeak doesn't allow words such as "righteous" (that might imply that some people aren't!). Welcome to 1984 plus 29!
Without doubt, the column-of-the-week was "Do not call America's Founders 'Founding Fathers'" by Jake Jacobs www.RenewAmerica.com/columns/Jacobs/130902 and here's just a tidbit:
"The October 3, 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation passed by the House & Senate and signed by President Washington called for Prayer and Thanksgiving to God Almighty for our Constitution. In context that is not a secular expression about our Constitution it is the framers of our Federal Constitution expressing a Republic under God."My punch-line is that the 44th President is out to scuttle the Constitution (what checks and balances?). He recently said that if Congress keeps saying NO, "I'm not going to twiddle my thumbs for the next three years."
P.S. Thursday 9/05 is the Feast of Trumpets (just thought I should remind you). I'm not a poet, but I dabble, and the following is from "NO MORE BULL" (2004):
LOOK UP!
The shining city upon the hill,
A peculiar nation of law,
Even as Israel of old:
New Salem, milk and honey.
May God mend thine every ill,
and heal thine every flaw.
He shed His grace on America bold;
Let Him thy gold refine, and not just the money.
He soundeth forth the trumpet, will;
It's time to stand in "shock and awe";
Look up upon the mountain cold,
America the shining, America the sunny.
And please, no more bull!
PPS: You can get a clarification at WND.com, but in conclusion, a few words more by Ronald Reagan – to the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1988:
"The deliberations of great leaders and great bodies are but overture . . . the truly majestic music, the music of freedom, of justice, and peace is the music made in forgetting self and seeking in silence the will of Him Who made us."
© Curtis Dahlgren
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