Now I don't want to get off on a rant here...

Optimism and the American Dream II

Unity in the face of opposition. Solidarity in the face of division. Courage in the face of fear. These aren’t easy objectives to obtain, nor are they easy to sustain. But they are necessary for victory. Victory against a view of tyranny, a view of fear and a view of murder. Victory in the War on Terror.

This is what encompasses our reason, our need to fight. “And we fight today because terrorists want to attack our country and kill our citizens, and Iraq is where they are making their stand. So we'll fight them there, we'll fight them across the world, and we will stay in the fight until the fight is won.” This is President Bush’s path to victory. It is not paved in gold, but it is paved in hope for the future and freedom for all.

We are reminded by President Bush who our enemies are and why we have hope. “After September the 11th, 2001, I told the American people that the road ahead would be difficult, and that we would prevail. Well, it has been difficult -- and we are prevailing. Our enemies are brutal, but they are no match for the United States of America, and they are no match for the men and women of the United States military.”

We see that defeat is not in the hands of those that seek to kill us, but in our own hands. There are those that see the War on Terror as an impossible victory and one that is provoked by our own actions. They blame us for the actions of Osama Bin Laden and his terrorist regime. They fail to see that, “Bin Laden's whole game plan is to turn the people of the democratic world against their governments. He thinks democracies are weak because their people, who are more easily frightened than their governments, can bring those governments down.” And they play into the hands of defeat when they lose hope.

The path to victory and hope for the future is not new. It has been our path since the American Dream was born as we fought for our independence. “We have seen freedom conquer evil and secure the peace before. In World War II, free nations came together to fight the ideology of fascism, and freedom prevailed… In the Cold War, freedom defeated the ideology of communism and led to a Europe whole, free and at peace…And just as America and Great Britain stood together to defeat the totalitarian ideologies of the 20th century, we now stand together against the murderous ideologies of the 21st century.”

Will we stand firm on the promises of freedom? Will we stand against those that seek to divide us with fear? Will we unite in victory over terror?

President Bush believes in optimism and the American Dream, “History teaches us that we can be confident in the future because the darkness of tyranny is no match for the shining power of freedom… The only way the terrorists can win is if we lose our nerve. This isn't going to happen on my watch. America and its allies will continue to act decisively, and the cause of freedom will prevail.” And so do I.

Sources and Context Below:

President Addresses Nation, Discusses Iraq, War on Terror
Wednesday, June 29, 2005

We see the nature of the enemy in terrorists who exploded car bombs along a busy shopping street in Baghdad, including one outside a mosque. We see the nature of the enemy in terrorists who sent a suicide bomber to a teaching hospital in Mosul. We see the nature of the enemy in terrorists who behead civilian hostages and broadcast their atrocities for the world to see.

The lesson of this experience is clear: The terrorists can kill the innocent, but they cannot stop the advance of freedom. The only way our enemies can succeed is if we forget the lessons of September the 11th, if we abandon the Iraqi people to men like Zarqawi, and if we yield the future of the Middle East to men like Bin Laden. For the sake of our nation's security, this will not happen on my watch.
…
America and our friends are in a conflict that demands much of us. It demands the courage of our fighting men and women, it demands the steadfastness of our allies, and it demands the perseverance of our citizens. We accept these burdens, because we know what is at stake. We fight today because Iraq now carries the hope of freedom in a vital region of the world, and the rise of democracy will be the ultimate triumph over radicalism and terror. And we fight today because terrorists want to attack our country and kill our citizens, and Iraq is where they are making their stand. So we'll fight them there, we'll fight them across the world, and we will stay in the fight until the fight is won.
…
After September the 11th, 2001, I told the American people that the road ahead would be difficult, and that we would prevail. Well, it has been difficult -- and we are prevailing. Our enemies are brutal, but they are no match for the United States of America, and they are no match for the men and women of the United States military.

People Power
The terrorist plot to destroy democracy from within.
By William Saletan
Posted Friday, July 8, 2005

Bin Laden's whole game plan is to turn the people of the democratic world against their governments. He thinks democracies are weak because their people, who are more easily frightened than their governments, can bring those governments down. He doesn't understand that this flexibility—and this trust—are why democracies will live, while he will die. Many of us didn't vote for Bush's government or Blair's. But we're loyal to them, in part because we were given a voice in choosing them. And if we don't like our governments, we can vote them out. We can't vote out terrorists. We can only kill them.

Remarks By President Bush On The War On Terror
Monday, July 11, 2005

The terrorists remain dangerous, but from the mountains of Afghanistan to the border regions of Pakistan, to the Horn of Africa, and to the islands of the Philippines, our coalition is bringing our enemies to justice, and bringing justice to our enemies. (Applause.) We will keep the terrorists on the run until they have no place left to hide.
…
The heart of our strategy is this: Free societies are peaceful societies. So in the long run, the only way to defeat the ideologies of hatred and fear, the only way to make sure our country is secure in the long run, is to advance the cause of freedom.

We have seen freedom conquer evil and secure the peace before. In World War II, free nations came together to fight the ideology of fascism, and freedom prevailed. And today Germany and Japan are allies in securing the peace. In the Cold War, freedom defeated the ideology of communism and led to a Europe whole, free and at peace.

Today in the Middle East freedom is once again contending with an ideology that seeks to sow anger and hatred and despair. And like fascism and communism before, the hateful ideologies that use terror will be defeated by the unstoppable power of freedom and democracy.
…
This week there's great suffering in the city of London, but Londoners are resilient. They have faced brutal enemies before. A city that survived the Nazi blitz will not yield in the face of thugs and assassins. And just as America and Great Britain stood together to defeat the totalitarian ideologies of the 20th century, we now stand together against the murderous ideologies of the 21st century.

History teaches us that we can be confident in the future because the darkness of tyranny is no match for the shining power of freedom. There will be tough fighting ahead; there will be difficult moments along the path to victory. The terrorists know they can't defeat us on the battlefield. The only way the terrorists can win is if we lose our nerve. This isn't going to happen on my watch. (Applause.) America and its allies will continue to act decisively, and the cause of freedom will prevail.

PEACEMAKERS: Confession Brings Freedom

Our college and careers ministry, Spectrum, is going through a series on peacemaking. The first lesson I led was on conflict providing opportunities for us to glorify God, serve others and grow to be like Christ.

This past week’s lesson was on the freedom that is found in confession by recognizing our role in conflict and gently restoring these relationships.

The Confessional

When we kneel before the foot of the cross we are humbled and joyful at His sacrifice for us and reminded of our need for confession, for repentance. It is difficult not to see our brokenness in light of His.

Examples of Broken Relationships (taken from PostSecret)

• “I hate my father because he cheated on my mother, on my family, but really it’s because I don’t want to admit that I AM just like him...”
• “I pretend that losing my virginity to him didn’t matter, but it’s only to hide the regret I feel knowing that he took it and ran”
• “People think I’ve stopped lying, but I’ve just gotten better at it”
• “His temper is so scary that I’ve lost all my opinions”

2 Corinthians 12: 7-10 (Finding strength in our weakenesses)

And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

MORE THAN A FEELING – EXAMINE YOURSELF

Our confession, repentance and sorrow must be more than a feeling. There must be change, must be something to act on. To repent literally means to change the way we think. There are two ways to look at sorrow. A worldly sorrow is being sad we got caught and of the consequences forthcoming, while a Godly Sorrow is recognizing we offended God.

Looking at our own hearts we can see so many ways we can, will and do offend God. We sin by failing to do what God commands, by doing what God forbids, by omission or doing nothing in certain situations and by shifting blame and not accepting responsibility for our own actions.

Sometimes we have difficulty recognizing our role in sin, our role in conflict. When this happens we should turn to prayer, God’s Word and wise counsel to help us see the error of our ways. This will aide in our confession and understanding of repentance.

WAYS WE SIN

1. Using our tongues as weapons

a) Slander (Leviticus 19:16) – speaking false, malicious words about another person
b) Falsehood (Proverbs 24:28) – includes lying exaggeration, telling half-truths, destroying trust
c) Reckless Words (Proverbs 12:8) –saying what springs to mind without thinking about consequences
d) Gossip (Proverbs 16:28) – betraying a confidence or discussing unflattering personal facts about a person
e) Worthless Talk (Ephesians 4:25) – careless, critical, meaningless words not designed to benefit others
f) Grumbling & Complaining (James 5:9) – when others feel we are critical or ungrateful

2. Controlling Others (2 Timothy 2: 25) - Rather than control or impose our beliefs or our views on others we are to “gently instruct”.

3. Breaking our word (Psalm 15:4) - When you make a promise – Mean it and keep it – learn from your mistake if you didn’t mean it.

4. Failing to respect authority (Romans 13:1-7) - All authority comes under the rule of God’s authority and that must be respected, honored and obeyed.

5. Forgetting the Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12) - Treat others with love and respect for this shows love and respect to God – be reconciled to one another.

6. Serving Sinful Desires (1 John 2:15-17) - The sinfulness of this world seeks to corrupt our hearts by taking our focus off the love of our Heavenly Father. We are tempted by lust, pride, love of money, fear of man and good things that we want too much.

SEVEN A’s OF CONFESSION

1. Address everyone involved. In doing so we recognize that heart sin is only against God and social sin is against others. Our confession should reach as far as our offense.

2. Avoid “if”, “but”, and “maybe”. These are words used to shift blame and minimize or excuse our guilt. IF is a superficial statement to transfer fault, BUT cancels all the words that precede it, and MAYBE will neutralize the rest of our confession. Even words such as HOWEVER and PERHAPS are just the smart mans BUT and MAYBE and should be avoided.

3. Admit specifically. This will convince others of our honesty and show genuine repentance. It will identify behavior that needs to change and deal with our actions as well as attitudes. It is also wise to identify the biblical principles violated, showing a genuine heart for confession.

4. Acknowledge the hurt. We will show that we understand how the other person felt or open an opportunity to learn by asking. By acknowledging their feelings we validate that we know we contributed to this.

5. Accept the consequences. By doing so we will show our willingness to work hard to make restitution.

6. Alter your behavior. We ought to be making attitude, character and behavior changes when we confess. To enforce this change we should seek accountability and acknowledge that we are depending upon God for change.

7. Ask forgiveness; allow time. Rather than say, “I’m sorry” we should look to say, “Please forgive me”. This will frame our apology, our confession, our sorrow over doing something wrong in a humble light. We also may have to exercise patience and be willing to give the person time to truly forgive us. Not all forgiveness can come so quickly.

YOU CAN CHANGE

In order to make a change we must recognize we can’t do it alone and that God must play an integral part in our transformation. Fortunately we can rest assured our prayers are heard and pray for growth, strength, and to be clothed with the righteousness of Christ. We should delight ourselves in the Lord by trusting in His everlasting promises.

Change is much like building and sustaining authentic relationships and we must be intentional about this process. If we take this to heart we will find ourselves studying God’s word seeking the wisdom and knowledge necessary to deal with our need to change. We will also develop a disciplined practice as Paul encourages in Philippians 4:9, “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you”. What a great promise?! If we are willing to be intentional about our need for change, we will experience the joys and peace of being in fellowship with God.

When we kneel before the foot of the cross we are humbled and joyful at His sacrifice for us and reminded of our need for confession, for repentance. It is difficult not to see our brokenness in light of His. And we have the pleasure of resting in His promise of sufficient grace and turning our weakness into strength (2 Corinthians 12: 7-10).

Looney Tunes Liberal Hour

There sure has been some excellence in broadcasting lately. Changing the channel from blog to DNC website and so forth has certainly provided for some great entertainment. I must have missed something, is Karl Rove running for some sort of national office as a democrat? His picture has been up on the DNC’s homepage for about a week now, front and center. Are they giving up on Hillary 08 and going for Rove? Quite a surprise move if you ask me.

I will admit that I am thoroughly confused about this super secret agent whose life has been put in danger. “Did it not occur to our super sleuths of spycraft [CIA, Joe Wilson, Valerie Plame] that a nationally distributed piece [Wilson’s op-ed piece in the New York Times] about the incendiary topic of weapons of mass destruction -- which happens to be Wilson's wife's expertise -- could result in her involvement being raised?” This very poignant question was raised in January by two contributors to the writing of the law that has allegedly been broken and don’t see how it applies here.

Had Joe Wilson spent more time on researching the facts of his report to the CIA which has been found seriously lacking by a bi-partisan committee and refrained from writing an op-ed piece there would be no reason to discredit his baseless accusations. However, “In short, Joe Wilson hadn't told the truth about what he'd discovered in Africa, how he'd discovered it, what he'd told the CIA about it, or even why he was sent on the mission.”

Near as I can tell, a known employee of the CIA asked to have her husband do an investigation in Niger, to which he was not held to any confidentiality agreement. He did a less than spectacular job and tried to use the incomplete information he gathered during an election to hurt the President’s chances of reelection. Thanks to reporting revealing discrepancies in his report and seriously calling into question his credentials to even provide such a report, he failed.

Of course I should be careful and not prejudge the facts here. Scott McClellan cautioned the Press about this yesterday, “We don't know all the facts, and it's important that we not prejudge the outcome of the investigation. We need to let the investigation continue…The President directed the White House to cooperate fully, and that's what we've been doing.” I wonder though if the White House is just enjoying the show too much to make it stop?

Those Looney Tunes sure are fun to watch.

The Plame Game: Was This a Crime?
By Victoria Toensing and Bruce W. Sanford
Wednesday, January 12, 2005

As two people who drafted and negotiated the scope of the 1982 Intelligence Identities Protection Act, we can tell you: The Novak column and the surrounding facts do not support evidence of criminal conduct.
…
At the threshold, the agent must truly be covert. Her status as undercover must be classified, and she must have been assigned to duty outside the United States currently or in the past five years…Since Plame had been living in Washington for some time when the July 2003 column was published, and was working at a desk job in Langley (a no-no for a person with a need for cover), there is a serious legal question as to whether she qualifies as "covert."
Did it not occur to our super sleuths of spycraft that a nationally distributed piece about the incendiary topic of weapons of mass destruction -- which happens to be Wilson's wife's expertise -- could result in her involvement being raised?

Karl Rove, Whistleblower
He told the truth about Joe Wilson.
OpinionJournal.com – On the Editorial Page
Wednesday, July 13, 2005

Mr. Wilson, who first "outed" himself as a CIA consultant in a melodramatic New York Times op-ed in July 2003. At the time he claimed to have thoroughly debunked the Iraq-Niger yellowcake uranium connection that President Bush had mentioned in his now famous "16 words" on the subject in that year's State of the Union address.

another inquiry headed by Britain's Lord Butler delivered its own verdict on the 16 words: "We conclude also that the statement in President Bush's State of the Union Address of 28 January 2003 that 'The British Government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa' was well-founded."
In short, Joe Wilson hadn't told the truth about what he'd discovered in Africa, how he'd discovered it, what he'd told the CIA about it, or even why he was sent on the mission

Press Briefing by Scott McClellan
July 18, 2005

MR. McCLELLAN: No, I disagree, Terry. I think that the President was stating what is obvious when it comes to people who work in the administration: that if someone commits a crime, they're not going to be working any longer in this administration. Now the President talked about how it's important for us to learn all the facts. We don't know all the facts, and it's important that we not prejudge the outcome of the investigation. We need to let the investigation continue. And the investigators are the ones who are in the best position to gather all the facts and draw the conclusions. And at that point, we will be more than happy to talk about it, as I indicated last week.

The President directed the White House to cooperate fully, and that's what we've been doing. We want to know what the facts are, we want to see this come to a successful conclusion. And that's the way we've been working for quite some time now. Ever since the beginning of this investigation, we have been following the President's direction to cooperate fully with it, so that we can get to the -- so that the investigators can get to the bottom of it.

Do Not Fear

This is a much different reaction than the “Sorry Everybody” people. Thankfully there are people that believe in the courage that unites over the fear that divides.

Isaiah 51:7
"Hear me, you who know what is right, you people who have my law in your hearts: Do not fear the reproach of men or be terrified by their insults"

Optimism and the American Dream

Being an optimistic person myself I gravitate towards stories of hope, courage and triumph. This is the American story and a constant reminder of what the American Dream is all about. As Romans 1 reveals all of creation reflects God’s glory, and thus each of us in the image of our Creator are endowed with a similar dream. This dream as described by David Gelernter in an article Americanism –and Its Enemies is a common belief that “every human being everywhere is entitled to freedom, equality, and democracy”.

Now I might quibble over the use of entitlement, but the common thread in all humanity is a dream of freedom, equality and democracy. This is embodied in the “American Creed” or the American Dream as I prefer to call it. This is what unites us under one flag; this is what knits us together as a country. The same dream that both entices others to become a part of our society and creates our enemies.

This dream is being tested right now and put to the fire. It was forged in the flames of our past and it will be purified by the refiner’s fire of the present. Gelernter writes about four “crucial turning points” or Churchillian “climacterics” in our country’s past that have forged and certified this American vision. These decisive events were the colonies declaration of our independence, the unifying power of the Civil War, the global power defining World War I, and finally the steadfastness at the beginning and end of the Cold War.

We have entered a time of the fifth cataclysmic event: The War on Terror. This flame is fanned by an ideology that stands in direct contrast to our American Dream of freedom, equality and democracy. Our response, like in the past is crucial to the preservation of these ideals and victory against our enemies.

Optimism, hope, courage, triumph, faith and love are important components to our victory. Freedom, equality and democracy are how these components are lived out in our lives and give evidence to this vital American Dream. My wife has reminded me on more than one occasion, that it is not the differences that make us amazing but that we continue to be united despite these differences.

Unity in the face of opposition is the loudest sound we can make. It trumps any partisan beliefs; any fears that seek to divide. It shows the courage and resolve necessary for victory. These are the times we live. There has never been a perfect generation; even the often touted “greatest generation” was flawed. Let our unity raise above our flaws in common pursuit of the American Dream.

Resolve

Firm resolve, courage in the face of uncertainty and hope for the future; this is what makes a leader. We are exceedingly fortunate to have two such men guiding our countries at this time in history.

Tony Blair: "The purpose of terrorism is not only to kill and maim the innocent, it is to put despair and anger in people's hearts."

President Bush: “The war on terror goes on.”

Tony Blair: ""[Terrorism] is by its savagery designed to cover all conventional politics in darkness, to overwhelm the dignity of democracy and proper process with the impact of bloodshed and of terror. ""

President Bush: “I was most impressed by the resolve of all the [G8] leaders in the room. Their resolve is as strong as my resolve. And that is we will not yield to these people, will not yield to the terrorists. We will find them, we will bring them to justice…”

Tony Blair: ""There is no hope in terrorism, nor any future in it worth living. And it is hope that is the alternative to this hatred. ""

President Bush: “[W]e will spread an ideology of hope and compassion that will overwhelm their ideology of hate”

Courage That Unites

As the blasts of fireworks exploded over the Baltimore Harbor on Monday night’s 4th of July Celebration there were plenty of “ooh’s and ahh’s” heard. There was also music over the loud speakers accompanying the flashes of light across the night sky. One song in particular stood out to my wife and me, “God Bless the U.S.A.” by Lee Greenwood. For me it was the lines that rang out, “And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me. And I’d gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today.”

As those lyrics echoed in the recesses of my cluttered brain, my mind wandered to my surroundings and all the people around me. I thought about all the people that were around watching the spectacle and the possibility of a real bomb going off in the crowd. Not one that lit up the sky, but one that lit up the ground and destroyed life. I thought about the policemen I had seen in the area and wondered how vigilant they had to be in preventing something like that from happening.

Yesterday New York was attacked on September 11, 2001 and America’s resolve was tested while our allies provided comfort. Today London was ravaged by bombs and America returns the comfort they provided us. Who will need the aide and comfort of their allies tomorrow?

President Bush had these words to share about our friends across the lake on November 19, 2003, “America has always found strong partners in London, leaders of good judgment and blunt counsel and backbone when times are tough…[During WWII] we saw an island threatened on every side, a leader who did not waver, and a country of the firmest character. And that has not changed. The British people are the sort of partners you want when serious work needs doing...America is fortunate to call this country our closet friend in the world.” And today, July 7th 2005, just 2 days after the celebration of our declaration of independence from the British, we stand united with them once again to defeat evil.

Despite the best efforts of terrorist to divide our country and our friends by fear, they fail to see that we are ultimately united by our courage. This is evident in Tony Blair’s words this morning, “Whatever they do, it is our determination that they will never succeed in destroying what we hold dear in this country and in other civilised nations throughout the world.”

Tony Blair stood firm as he added, “It is important that those engaged in terrorism realise that our determination to defend our values and our way of life is greater than their determination to cause death and destruction to innocent people in a desire to impose extremism on the world.”
The United States and the United Kingdom have found their resolve to lead the world with their courage to stand up and not back down. President Bush emphasized, “We will not yield to the terrorists. We will find them; we will bring them to justice.”

On the radio this morning I heard that, “America can choke on a gnat, and swallow a tiger hole.” It is our differences that cause us to divide and choke out freedom and it is our courage, our resolve that unite us to defeat our enemies. Let our countries, our citizens and even our world not choke on the gnat of fear, but swallow the tiger of terrorism hole with our courage.