Yearly Archives: 2012

Open letter to President Obama (Part 74)

May 10, 2012 – 6:56 am

Uploaded by on May 3, 2011

This Economics 101 video from the Center for Freedom and Prosperity gives seven reasons why the political elite are wrong to push for more taxes. If allowed to succeed, the hopelessly misguided pushing to raise taxes would only worsen our fiscal mess while harming the economy.

The seven reasons provided by the video against this approach are as follows:

1) Tax increases are not needed;
2) Tax increases encourage more spending;
3) Tax increases harm economic performance;
4) Tax increases foment social discord;
5) Tax increases almost never raise as much revenue as projected;
6) Tax increases encourage more loopholes; and,
7) Tax increases undermine competitiveness

_____________________

President Obama c/o The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President,

I know that you receive 20,000 letters a day and that you actually read 10 of them every day. I really do respect you for trying to get a pulse on what is going on out here.

Raising the taxes on the rich may sound good in a class warfare strategy but it doesn’t work out like people would think. Here goes France again.

France Will Show U.S. How (Not) to Do It

Posted by Marian L. Tupy

Francois Hollande is a man on a mission—to increase the top rate of tax on income to 75 percent. The Socialist candidate, who is poised to beat Nicolas Sarkozy in the French presidential election, said, “Above 1m euros [£847,000; $1.3m], the tax rate should be 75% because it’s not possible to have that level of income.”

Hollande’s “unassailable” logic aside, the measure would remind those who are too young to remember the 1970s of what happens when the rapacious state makes work really unprofitable. I can just see the Whitehall mandarins wring their hands with joy as thousands of French high-earners, from actors to businessmen, pour across the English Channel to London. If anything, the disastrous effect of the French tax will be greater than four decades ago—the world, after all, has become even more competitive and the cost of relocation has fallen appreciably. Karl Marx is supposed to have said that “history repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce.” Hollande may well prove him right.

____

Thank you so much for your time. I know how valuable it is. I also appreciate the fine family that you have and your committment as a father and a husband.

Sincerely,

Everette Hatcher III, 13900 Cottontail Lane, Alexander, AR 72002, ph 501-920-5733, lowcostsqueegees@yahoo.com

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in President Obama, Taxes | Comments (0)

One of Waldron’s best died this week: Don Sevier

May 9, 2012 – 8:51 pm

One of Waldron’s best died this week.

Coach Don Sevier

 

Coach Don Sevier

  • BORN: August 17, 1934
  • DIED: May 5, 2012
  • LOCATION: Russellville, Arkansas

Coach Don Sevier, 77, a true Arkansas sports legend, passed away on Saturday, May 5, 2012, while holding his wife and daughters’ hand at the Johnson Regional Medical Center in Clarksville.
Coach Sevier was a standout high school athlete at Waldron High School and a two sport star in basketball and football at Arkansas Tech where he graduated in 1957. Don was offered a professional football contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League and a basketball contract with the Phillips 66ers but chose to devote his life to coaching and teaching young men. Coach Sevier coached former White House Chief of Staff Mack McClarty when Mack was in Junior High and went on to teach and coach for nearly forty years at Hope, El Dorado and Russellville High Schools and Arkansas Tech University where the Wonderboys played for the NAIA national championship in football in 1971, as Don assisted then head coach, Don Dempsey.
Coach Sevier finished his career at Arkansas Tech by serving as the Director of Athletics for nineteen years. During that time, he was instrumental in the leadership of the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference and was a true pioneer in helping Arkansas Tech transition to the NCAA and helped form and compete in the most powerful division two conference, The Gulf South. Don’s original belief was that the Arkansas schools would be better off competing in a smaller league made up of the old “AIC” and the division two schools in Oklahoma. Coach Sevier saw that come to fruition this year in the formation of the new Great American Conference. For his service to Arkansas Tech, Don was inducted into the Arkansas Tech Hall of Distinction in 2001.
Don was a man of solid character, honesty and faith and cherished so much the relationships he fostered with players, coaches and other administrators throughout his career. Coach Sevier retired in 1994 and enjoyed spending time with friends and family. Don was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Russellville.
Coach Sevier is survived by his wife of fifty-six years, Joan of Russellville; his only daughter, Jolie Leeds; his son-in-law, Dr. Blaine Leeds; and two grandsons, Brandt and Brennan Leeds, all of Clarksville. Coach Sevier’s nephew, the Mike and Cindy Webb family, their children and grandchildren reside in Ft. Smith.
The funeral will be held at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, May 9, 2012, at First United Methodist Church with the Rev. Roy Smith and Mr. Jerry Burns officiating. Burial will be at 4:30 p.m. at Duncan Cemetery at Waldron under the direction of Shinn Funeral Service.
Honorary pallbearers will be Leon Anderson, Rick Thone, Jim Murphy, Kelly Davis, Howard Ritchie, Dr. Stanley Teeter, Dr. Robert Thurlby, Dan Leeds, Charley Ford, Jerry Burns, Chuck Horn, Don Dempsey, Billy Gene Davis, John Montgomery, Cleo Simmons, Bill McSpadden, Ed Bates, Larry Brown, Joe Hoing, Jim Parker and every young man his life influenced.
The family will receive friends following the service in the fellowship hall of First United Methodist Church.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts in Coach Sevier’s name may be made to the First United Methodist Church of Russellville at 479-968-1232 or to the Don and Joan Sevier Endowment Scholarship to Arkansas Tech through the Johnson County Community Foundation at 479-754-5842.

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Don played for my wife’s grandfather LR “Tom” Sawyer. Here is a post I did on him earlier and it mentions Don.

My wife’s grandfather was Lecil Richard “Tom” Sawyer and he lived from September 30, 1906 to September 5, 2004. He was one of the most outstanding men I have ever known. In Waldron, he was a legendary football coach that won 87% of games during the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s, and they would later name the football field after him.
Coach Sawyer was married for over 60 years to Vera Mae Martin Sawyer, and their children are Tom Franklin Sawyer of Houston, Texas (who is my father-in-law) and State Senator Mary Anne Salmon of North Little Rock (who is my wife’s aunt).
Most of the details for this article come from an interview I had on Dec. 22nd with Edward “Odell” Fryar who was a running back on the Waldron Bulldog team. Odell and his wife Peggy live in Little Rock, and I got to know them in 1983 when I was a member of Little Rock’s First Baptist Church.
“Coach Sawyer was probably the best high school football coach in Arkansas,” Fryar said. “He was a task master on the practice field and made sure every player played hard every play. Moreover, he was an even better person off the field.”
Tom Franklin Sawyer noted, “My father cared about his players, but he got the most out of them. I remember that if a running back fumbled the ball in a game, then that player would carry a football with him to all his school classes the next week.”
“My father was a great motivator and encourager and those two qualities brought out the best in his players,” daughter Mary Anne Salmon said.
Fryar was a junior on the  district winning 1948 team, and actually Waldron won the district all three years that Fryar was on the team (1947-49). Waldron was a small town of only 1,292 people in 1948 and Benton had over 6,000 people. Fryar said it was not unusual for Waldron to have 30 players dressed out and to be facing teams that had many more players and also the opposing players would be much larger than they were.
The day after Thanksgiving in 1948, Waldron had traveled to Bentonville and beat the undefeated Tigers. Fryar said that the Tigers should have won the game, but  two trick plays resulted in big plays for Waldron.
The first was on a kick off when Herman Jones faked a hand off to Buddy Rogers while returning a kickoff, and all the team blocked for Rogers. The result was that the whole Bentonville team tried to pursue Rogers while Jones hid the ball on his hip and ran slowly all the way to the 10 -yard line.
The second trick play involved Fryar getting a pitch from the quarterback, Leon Bobbitt, and running hard to the left. When the defense  rushed him,  he threw a long 45 -yard lofty pass to Bush McGaugh who was wide open, and McGaugh ran under it and took it for a long touchdown play. That resulted in a  20-19 victory over a very good Bentonville team. Now, Waldron would advance to play the Benton Panthers in the state playoffs.
The victory over Bentonville was a costly one for the Waldron Bulldogs. Johnny Evans, the star running back,was banged up and Fryar had to replace him most of the time for the Benton game.
Fryar said there was  a big crowd on hand and a thick fog settling over the field. The Panthers had more players suited out than Waldron, and they looked much bigger than the Bulldogs did too. However, Waldron had the tallest player on the field with tight end Don Sevier who was 6-8, and later Sevier earned All Conference honors for Arkansas Tech in basketball as their center, and eventually served as the Athletic Director for Arkansas Tech.
Benton Panther standout players included Bill Level, a 225 lb tackle, who was a four year letterman, and “Shoat” Shoppach, 165 lb left halfback.
According to the December 9, 1948 issue of The Benton Courier, the Benton Panthers defeated Waldron 13-6 at C.W. Lewis Stadium. Here is what the article reported:
The Benton Panthers were pushed to defeat the unbeaten and untied Waldron Bulldogs 13-6 at Lewis Stadium Friday night.
The Panthers scored late in the second quarter on a pass from Erwin to Jennings, who was standing in the end zone. Lovell’s try for the extra point was good. The Panthers led 7-0 at the half.
Benton kicked off to start the last half. One play after the kick off Buddy Rogers got on a 75 yard run, and was brought down on the 5 yard line. Two plays later Herman Jones try for the extra point was blocked. Benton led 7-6.
Benton scored in the last quarter on a pass from Erwin to Smith that was good for 35 yards and Smith ran 20 more to score. Lovell’s kick for the extra point was blocked.
Waldron was hampered by injuries, and many of the players had to be taken from the field. There was a fog all the last half which made seeing the ball difficult for the players, as well as the fans.
The final score was Benton 13, Waldron 6.
Probably the greatest legacy that Sawyer had was the family and friends that he influenced. Not only did Sawyer serve as football coach but he was the Waldron School Superintendent from 1934 to 1975 and Mayor of Waldron from 1975 to 1983. He also taught a men’s Sunday School Class at the Waldron First Baptist Church for many years.
“There are few people in my life that have received the level of respect I hold for L.R. “Tom” Sawyer,” state representative Terry Rice of Waldron said. “I guess the saying, ‘You give respect, you get respect’ fits well here. Whether it was a small child who needed reassuring, a student who had acted up, or an adult from any walk of life, I witnessed someone who could be as kind, as tough, or as knowledgeable as possible while always listening”
Rice said that even though Sawyer could have moved on to have “achieve lofty heights and big pay,” he chose to stay and touch the lives of thousands of people in Scott County.
William Roy Wilson, Jr., an United States Senior District Judge, recalls a story from his senior year at Waldron High School involving Sawyer and some chewing gum.
“I was in the library chewing gum, and Mr. Sawyer called me outside and told me, ‘Billy Roy, you are kind of a leader and I need for you do me a favor,” Wilson recalls. “’If you see anyone chewing gum, tell them it is against the rules and I am sure they will listen to you.’ I swallowed that gum on the spot.”
About a year ago, my wife Jill and I talked about the legacy of her grandfather  who we called, “PapPaw.” I told her that I decided to have my grandkids call me PapPaw out of honor of the memory of her grandfather. The complicating factor was that my 3 yr old grandson, Luke Hatcher, had already been calling me “Granddaddy.” However, he did well in the transition, and he told my son , “Granddaddy wants me to call him PapPaw!!!”
I hope that one day Luke will ask me why I chose the name “PapPaw, and I will be glad to tell him.
• • •
Everette Hatcher is a regular contributor to The Saline Courier. He is the fourth generation in his family to work in the broom manufacturing business. Everette and his wife Jill have four children and live in Alexander.

LR “Tom” Sawyer shown at his desk at Waldron School District around 1940.

 
By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Current Events | Comments (0)

You can buy Bobby Petrino’s motorcyle!!!

May 9, 2012 – 3:31 pm

I wish the Bobby Petrino series of mistakes never started last fall. It all started with eating lunch with a young lady that was not his wife and she said, “When are you going to get around to kissing me?”

The Arkansas Times blog reported today:

harley2.JPG

 

A Twitter from Mallory Hardin at Channel 4 says, and I’ve confirmed, that this wrecked Harley now up for auction in Northwest Arkansas is the cycle former Hog football coach Bobby Petrino was riding when, well, you know the rest.

Current bidding is at $2,550 for the 2007 model with “Hawg Wild” emblazoned on the side and more than a few scratches and dents. The bidding will continue until noon May 30, when it will go “live” for up to two more hours of bidding.

The bike is being auctioned by Copart, a Prairie Grove auction company that handles sales, such as this one, for insurance-company owned vehicles on which claims have been paid. A spokesman said there’d been quite a bit of interest in the Harley because of its history and several people had asked to come out and be photographed with it. The bike has 1,032 miles and will be sold “as is where is.” Current bidding doesn’t reflect anyone who might have authorized a higher price depending on what other bids come in.

The site of Bobby Petrino's motorcycle crash in Madison County, photographed on Monday. The object in the right-center is a lamp from the motorcycle.
Image by Chris Bahn

The site of Bobby Petrino’s motorcycle crash in Madison County, photographed on Monday. The object in the right-center is a lamp from the motorcycle.

In this undated image released by the University of Arkansas, Razorback Foundation assistant director Jessica Dorrell is shown. Dorrell was a passenger of Arkansas football coach Bobby Petrino during a weekend motorcycle ride that ended with a crash that sent him to the hospital, according to a police report released Thursday, April 5, 2012. (AP Photo/University of Arkansas, Wesley Hitt)

Bobby Petrino and Jessica Dorrell

Bobby Petrino and Jessica Dorrell

Related posts:

Youtube has not been too kind to Arkansas’ new football coach John L. Smith April 23, 2012 – 3:50 pm

John L. Smith new razorback coach, Who is he? April 23, 2012 – 2:19 pm

 
 

Bobby Petrino’s phone records come out April 12, 2012 – 6:50 am

Jessica Dorrell and Bobby Petrino on ESPN together in 2011 April 12, 2012 – 6:38 am

 

How about a coach swap? :Charlie Strong to Arkansas and Bobby Petrino to Louisville April 11, 2012 – 7:37 am

 

Bobby Petrino statement April 11, 2012 – 6:51 am

 

Bobby Petrino fired, but now seeking forgiveness April 11, 2012 – 6:20 am

 

Video and transcript of Jeff Long’s press conference announcing firing of Bobby Petrino April 11, 2012 – 5:53 am

 

Bobby Petrino’s arrogance led to his downfall April 10, 2012 – 3:46 pm

 

 

Petrino 911 Call – Jessica Dorrell And Bobby Petrino Refuse Help April 9, 2012 – 7:03 am

 

Earlier concerns about Petrino’s character are coming back up again April 9, 2012 – 6:24 am

 

Bobby Petrino has achieved the American Dream, but still is looking for something more April 8, 2012 – 1:46 pm

Rex Nelson speculates that Petrino may be fired because “…trust has been so broken…” April 8, 2012 – 12:06 pm

Lying about Jessica Dorrell may get Bobby Petrino in a lot of trouble April 7, 2012 – 1:38 pm

Can Bobby Petrino, Tom Brady and Coldplay all find the satisfaction they are seeking? April 6, 2012 – 2:15 pm 

Bobby Petrino to survive this wreck? April 6, 2012 – 11:08 am

Pictures of Bobby Petrino April 6, 2012 – 9:11 am

Who is Jessica Dorrell? (with pictures) April 6, 2012 – 9:06 am

Major coverage of Bobby Petrino mistake April 6, 2012 – 6:51 am

What will be Jeff Long’s decision on Bobby Petrino? April 6, 2012 – 5:36 am

Bobby Petrino admits to an affair April 6, 2012 – 4:41 am

What impact will breaking trust with Bobby Petrino’s family have? April 6, 2012 – 4:24 am

Two choices now for Bobby Petrino: Follow the path of purity or impurity

If Bobby thinks he is bruised now, then he needs to read about the guy in Proverbs 7:10-27 and what happened to him. I really am hoping that Bobby Petrino can put his marriage back together. He has a clear choice between two paths. In the sermon at Fellowship Bible Church at July 24, 2011, […]

Jessica Dorrell was taking a long ride with Bobby Petrino April 5, 2012 – 4:52 pm

Bobby Petrino hurt in wreck (picture included) April 2, 2012 – 9:31 am

Adrian Rogers’ sermon on Clinton in 98 applies to Newt in 2012

It pays to remember history. Today I am going to go through some of it and give an outline and quotes from the great Southern Baptist leader Adrian Rogers (1931-2005). Max Brantley of the Arkansas Times started this morning off with some comedy: From pro golfer John Daly’s Twitter account following last night’s Republican debate, […]

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Current Events | Comments (0)

Liberal blogger makes a good point about surplus under Bill Clinton

May 9, 2012 – 7:15 am

One of my liberal opponents on the Arkansas Times Blog is a person who uses the username of “Sound Policy.” He recently asserted:

Here, try some sobering facts for a change of diet:

http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxfacts/displayafact.cfm?Docid=200
The 4th column (surplus or deficit in current dollars) is annual federal budget deficits/surpluses. The Bill Clinton years? Why, amazingly every year after Clinton took his oath of office the deficit dropped lower and lower until it completely disappeared and magically turned into a record surplus which he left as a present for W Bush.

And W’s team? They took that surplus and turned it into a record deficit of $1.4+ trillion in Fiscal Year 2009 when they left office.

I am not happy at all with the way that George Bush spent money and I am very pleased that Newt Gingrinch and President Bill Clinton were able to put in real spending cuts and balance our budget.

I really got out of this table that “Sound Policy” told me about ( http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxfacts/displayafact.cfm?Docid=200 ).

In Bush’s last two years there was a Democratic congress that he had to deal with. In 2009 President Obama went in and had a 60-40 margin in the Senate. Since 2009 the deficit has been in the worst condition of any nonwartime president.

Below you see an article and videos by Dan Mitchell of the Cato Institute concerning Reagan and Clinton. First lets look at where we are now with Obama.

Over the last 10 presidents was have had 16.9% of GDP of deficits total from five Republican presidents and 12.7% total from Democratic presidents. However, what is most disturbing is that 8.3% of the 12.7% comes from the Obama administration who is currently in power and we are no longer in the cold war era. That is almost double the total of all the other four Democratic presidents combined under just one president. Take a look at the chart below from the Heritage Foundation:

Rob Bluey

January 1, 2012 at 9:56 am

Over the past 50 years, 10 U.S. presidents have made annual budget requests to Congress, projecting deficits both big and small. But no other president compares to Barack Obama when it comes to the size and scale of the current budget deficit facing the United States.

The country is facing an 8.3 percent estimated average national deficit of a two-term Obama administration — the biggest of the past 50 years. By comparison, the current estimate for Obama is nearly double the percentage under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush — and they were fighting the Cold War.

Political party doesn’t tell the whole story, however. President Bill Clinton leads the pack of presidents since 1961, according to data from the White House Office of Management and Budget. Heritage put together this graphic as part of our Budget Chart Book.

So what does the current trajectory mean for the United States? We’re certainly no longer looking at a continuation of manageable deficits in the years to come. This is a dramatic change in the magnitude of annual shortfalls at the federal level. That’s one reason Heritage came up with a plan to fix the debt crisis.

If you have a suggestion for a chart we should feature in the future, please post a comment below, email us at scribe@heritage.org, or send me at tweet @RobertBluey.

_______________________
Here is a perspective from Dan Mitchell of the Cato Institute:

To Fix the Budget, Bring Back Reagan…or Even Clinton

Posted by Daniel J. Mitchell

President Obama unveiled his fiscal year 2012 budget today, and there’s good news and bad news. The good news is that there’s no major initiative such as the so-called stimulus scheme or the government-run healthcare proposal. The bad news, though, is that government is far too big and Obama’s budget does nothing to address this problem.

But perhaps the folks on Capitol Hill will be more responsible and actually try to save America from becoming a big-government, European-style welfare state. The solution may not be easy, but it is simple. Lawmakers merely need to restrain the growth of government spending so that it grows slower than the private economy.

Actual spending cuts would be the best option, of course, but limiting the growth of spending is all that’s needed to slowly shrink the burden of government spending relative to gross domestic product.

Fortunately, we have two role models from recent history that show it is possible to control the federal budget. This video from the Center for Freedom and Prosperity uses data from the Historical Tables of the Budget to demonstrate the fiscal policy achievements of both Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton.

Spending Restraint, Part I: Lessons from Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton

Uploaded by on Feb 14, 2011

Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton both reduced the relative burden of government, largely because they were able to restrain the growth of domestic spending. The mini-documentary from the Center for Freedom and Prosperity uses data from the Historical Tables of the Budget to show how Reagan and Clinton succeeded and compares their record to the fiscal profligacy of the Bush-Obama years.

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Some people will want to argue about who gets credit for the good fiscal policy of the 1980s and 1990s.

Bill Clinton’s performance, for instance, may not have been so impressive if he had succeeded in pushing through his version of government-run healthcare or if he didn’t have to deal with a Republican Congress after the 1994 elections. But that’s a debate for partisans. All that matters is that the burden of government spending fell during Bill Clinton’s reign, and that was good for the budget and good for the economy. And there’s no question he did a much better job than George W. Bush.

Indeed, a major theme in this new video is that the past 10 years have been a fiscal disaster. Both Bush and Obama have dramatically boosted the burden of government spending — largely because of rapid increases in domestic spending.

This is one of the reasons why the economy is weak. For further information, this video looks at the theoretical case for small government and this video examines the empirical evidence against big government.

Another problem is that many people in Washington are fixated on deficits and debt, but that’s akin to focusing on symptoms and ignoring the underlying disease. To elaborate, this video explains that America’s fiscal problem is too much spending rather than too much debt.

Last but not least, this video reviews the theory and evidence for the “Rahn Curve,” which is the notion that there is a growth-maximizing level of government outlays. The bad news is that government already is far too big in the United States. This is undermining prosperity and reducing competitiveness.

Spending Restraint, Part II: Lessons from Canada, Ireland, Slovakia, and New Zealand

Uploaded by on Feb 22, 2011

Nations can make remarkable fiscal progress if policy makers simply limit the growth of government spending. This video, which is Part II of a series, uses examples from recent history in Canada, Ireland, Slovakia, and New Zealand to demonstrate how it is possible to achieve rapid improvements in fiscal policy by restraining the burden of government spending. Part I of the series examined how Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton were successful in controlling government outlays — particularly the burden of domestic spending programs. http://www.freedomandprosperity.org

 
By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Cato Institute | Tagged , | Comments (0)

David Barton: Was John Adams really an enemy of Christians? (Part 1)

May 9, 2012 – 7:09 am

1 Of 5 / The Bible’s Influence In America / American Heritage Series / David Barton

Evangelical leader Ken Ham rightly has noted, “Most of the founding fathers of this nation … built the worldview of this nation on the authority of the Word of God.” I strongly agree with this statement by Ham.

Dr. Michael Davis of California has asserted that he has no doubts that our President is a professing Christian, but his policies are those of a secular humanist. I share these same views. However, our founding fathers were anything but secular humanists in their views. John Adams actually wrote in a letter, “There is no authority, civil or religious – there can be no legitimate government – but that which is administered by this Holy Ghost.”

In June of 2011 David Barton of Wallbuilders wrote the article, “John Adams: Was He Really an Enemy of Christians?Addressing Modern Academic Shallowness,” and I wanted to share portions of that article with you.


 At WallBuilders, we are truly blessed by God, owning tens of thousands of original documents from the American Founding – documents clearly demonstrating the Christian and Biblical foundations both of America and of so many of her Founding Fathers and early statesmen. We frequently postoriginal documents on our website so that others may enjoy them and learn more about many important aspects of America’s rich moral, religious, and constitutional heritage that are widely unknown or misportrayed today.

_______________________________

We recently posted a December 21, 1809, letter from John Adams to Dr. Benjamin Rush (a close friend of Adams and a co-signer of the Declaration of Independence). That letter was Adams’ reply to a remarkable letter written him by Dr. Rush on October 17, 1809, describing a dream Rush believed God had given him about Adams. WallBuilders providentially obtained this original letter from an amazing presidential collection of a 100+ year old Floridian woman.

We often use quotes from that letter, including Adams’ bold declaration that:

The Holy Ghost carries on the whole Christian system in this Earth. Not a baptism, not a marriage, not a sacrament can be administered but by the Holy Ghost. . . . There is no authority, civil or religious – there can be no legitimate government – but that which is administered by this Holy Ghost. There can be no salvation without it. All without it is rebellion and perdition, or in more orthodox words, damnation. 1

This letter certainly contains profound Christian content, but that is not particularly surprising, for Adams wrote dozens of letters with similarly powerful Christian declarations. Also not surprising is the fact that liberals and atheists have attacked this letter and its content; they dismiss it with the excuse that Adams didn’t really mean what he said in the letter, or that it was code for something different from what he actually said. But what was surprising and unexpected is that this letter and its remarkable content did not set well with some Christians, especially Chris Pinto. Pinto has produced videos claiming not only that America does not have a Biblical foundation but specifically asserting that the Founding Fathers were largely pagans who represented the spirit of the Anti-Christ. He believes that Christians should not be involved in the political arena or similar areas of culture. 2

Pinto seems to have developed a fixation with WallBuilders, joining with liberals and atheists to demean it and the Founding Fathers. For example, in one video he prepared against me and the Founding Fathers, he specifically addressed the John Adams letter we posted, claiming:

Barton makes it appear as if John Adams was speaking favorably about the Holy Ghost in a letter he wrote to Benjamin Rush. In reality, Adams was mocking the idea of “Holy Ghost authority” and called Christians “dupes” for believing in it. 3

Pinto concludes:

In truth, the letter Barton is presenting provides some of the most damning evidence found anywhere, and is consistent with many of the writings of the Revolutionaries, proving their contempt for Bible-based Christianity. In this letter, John Adams was not speaking in approval of the Holy Ghost, but was rather mocking the idea of it and of the faith of true Christians. . . . Adams did not believe the Holy Ghost was real, and he spoke about it in what can only be called insulting and irreverent terms. 4

Normally, we simply ignore these types of absurd claims, for we believe that the truth speaks for itself and that it will always eventually prevail. In fact, this is why we post so many original and hand-written Founding documents and letters online – we want individuals to see and read them for themselvesto be personally aware of what is and is not true. It is important to follow the model praised by the Apostle Paul in Acts 17:11: always check original sources to establish truth. This is why we heavily document quotes and facts back to original sources – such as our best-selling book Original Intent: it contains some 1,700 footnotes, the vast majority of which are dated to primary-source documents published while the Founders were still alive.

(By the way, a notable ACLU attorney decided he would disprove our thesis that the Founding Fathers were largely Christian. He therefore took Original Intent and undertook a project to expose what he considered to be its falsehoods; he went back and checked our quotes against the original sources cited in the book. At the end of his research, he concluded that we had understated the faith of the Founders – that there was actually much more evidence to support their Christian faith than even what we had cited. This ACLU attorney was completely converted and went on to become an eminent court of appeals judge – all because he followed Paul’s model of Acts 17:11 and checked the evidence for himself. We have numerous similar testimonials of the dramatic change that has occurred in individuals who investigated the original facts for themselves.)

So although we typically do not respond to critics such as Pinto, in this case, his videos have confused many Christians who have respectfully asked us to help them sort out the facts and discern the truth. Hence we have chosen to address Pinto’s patently false claims about John Adams.

Significantly, Pinto reached his conclusions that John Adams was mocking the Holy Spirit only by ignoring, omitting, or not understanding lengthy and important segments of Adams’ letter (which is why we posted the complete letter online: to make it much harder for individuals to twist and distort its true meaning). When the segments that Pinto ignored or did not understand are returned to the letter, it becomes obvious that his premises have been infected with three of the five historical malpractices that characterize the current study of history: Modernism, Minimalism, and Deconstructionism (the other two of the five are Poststructuralism and Academic Collectivism, which Pinto also uses in other areas of his videos).

1.John Adams letter to Dr. Benjamin Rush on December 21, 1809, from an original in our possession (see original at:http://www.wallbuilders.com/LIBissuesArticles.asp?id=59755). (Return)

2. See, for example, a series of podcasts “The Hidden Faith of the Founding Fathers,” Waking Jonah (at: http://wakingjonah.com/tag/david-barton/) (accessed on June 13, 2011). (Return)

3. Chris Pinto, “David Barton Approves of Sharia Law in America and Misleads Jon Stewart?, Worldview Times, April 10, 2011 (at:http://www.worldviewweekend.com/worldview-times/article.php?articleid=7153). (Return)

4. Chris Pinto, “David Barton Approves of Sharia Law in America and Misleads Jon Stewart?, Worldview Times, April 10, 2011 (at:http://www.worldviewweekend.com/worldview-times/article.php?articleid=7153). (Return)

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in David Barton, Founding Fathers | Comments (0)

Why doesn’t Woody Allen show up at the Oscars? “Woody Wednesday”

May 9, 2012 – 7:00 am
Take The Money And Run (1969)
 
Take The Money And Run (1969)

Allen’s second directorial foray (following 1966’s re-dubbed comedy, What’s Up, Tiger Lily?), also marked the second time he wrote, directed and starred in a film. The mockumentary chronicled Allen’s failed bank robber character, Virgil Starkwell. 

I wonder why Woody Allen never attends Oscars?

By JULIA KATHAN
Feb. 25, 2012—
go.com
 

“Midnight in Paris” is nominated for four Academy Awards, will Allen show up Sunday?

Woody Allen once famously said that “90 percent of life is just showing up.”

Now, with Allen’s “Midnight in Paris” nominated for four Academy Awards, including best picture, a lot of people are wondering if Allen might actually show up at this year’s Oscars, being broadcast this Sunday night on ABC.

But, if past awards ceremonies are any indication, don’t bet on it.

“Midnight in Paris,” which charmed critics and audiences alike, also earned Oscar nominations for best director, original screenplay and art direction. The tale of a modern-day Hollywood screenwriter, Gil (Owen Wilson), who travels back to the Paris of the 1920s to mingle with Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald, is Allen’s biggest box office hit ever.

Since opening last May, it’s taken in more than $56.5 million in this country, and almost $92 million more worldwide. And at age 76, with 41 movies to his credit, Woody Allen is enjoying some of the best reviews of his career, after a string of films that garnered lukewarm reviews.

Peter Travers, whose program “Popcorn” airs on ABC News Now, named “Midnight in Paris” to his Top 10 list, saying, “Allen’s love letter to the City of Light is his best and most beguiling film in years.” In his Rolling Stone review, Travers wrote, “Not since 1979’s Manhattan, in which he rhapsodized over the New York of his black-and-white dreams, has Allen used a camera to make such urgent, passionate love to a city.” He added, “For all the film’s bracing humor and ravishing romance, there are also haunting shadows. That alone makes it a keeper.”

Oscar Sunday: Everything you need to know

And what has made this particular romantic comedy and fantasy such a hit with audiences?

On the website Metacritic, one moviegoer said, “I’m ashamed of myself that I never watched a single Woody Allen movie until now. ‘Midnight in Paris’ is just simply dazzling. The script is smart and provokes intriguing ideas.” Another wrote, “Woody Allen’s latest film is as light as air, but still manages to say something of substance about the dangers of nostalgia and romanticizing the past.”

Woody Allen himself, the quintessential neurotic New Yorker, might have a thing or two to say about the raves.

In a recent Allen biography on PBS’s American Masters, Allen said of his many films, “So few of them are worth anything.”

But almost 50 years since his first screenplay (1965’s “What’s New Pussycat”) and his directorial debut (1966’s “What’s Up, Tiger Lily”), Hollywood begs to differ. Allen’s writing and directing have earned him more than 20 Oscar nominations, and he was even nominated once for Best Actor for his role in Annie Hall, which won a total of four Academy Awards in 1977, including best picture.

So why is the smart betting money he’ll be a no-show on Sunday?

Through all the decades of accolades, Woody Allen has consistently shunned awards shows. Already this season, he skipped the Oscar nominees’ luncheon and took a pass on the Golden Globes, where “Midnight in Paris” won best screenplay.

Back in 1974, when his funny, futuristic hit “Sleeper” was ignored by the Academy, Allen was quoted as saying, “The whole concept of awards is silly. I cannot abide by the judgment of other people, because if you accept it when they say you deserve an award, then you have to accept it when they say you don’t.”

Oscars Red Carpet

But there has been one, and only one, time that Allen appeared at the Oscars. He took the stage at the 2002 ceremonies, to show his support for New York in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks and urge the industry to keep making movies in the Big Apple.

In his own kind of personal love letter to the wounded city, he said New York was still a great, romantic, exciting place. In more typical Allen fashion, he acknowledged the standing ovation by quipping, “Thank you very much. That makes up for the strip search.”

Now, Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris,” his love letter to the City of Light, has him front and center at Oscar time once again.

Is he likely to be a winner? Thelma Adams, contributing editor for Yahoo! Movies, tells us that “Midnight in Paris” has its best chance for an Oscar with its writing, and that in the best original screenplay category, it’s the one to beat.

And will Allen be a no-show once again? When ABC News contacted his publicist’s office on Wednesday, we were told they were not able to comment on that.

But, if 90 percent of life is showing up, when the awards are handed out Sunday night, Woody Allen will probably stick with the 10 percent.

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By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Current Events | Comments (0)

Open letter to President Obama (Part 73)

May 9, 2012 – 6:43 am

President Obama c/o The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President,

I know that you receive 20,000 letters a day and that you actually read 10 of them every day. I really do respect you for trying to get a pulse on what is going on out here.

I know that you have complained about not getting all your appointments through the Senate. Max Brantley called it a cold war between the White House and the Republicans in the Senate over these appointments that were being held up. Today he jumps on this again in the Arkansas Times Blog (March 2, 2012).

Where did this “cold war” start? I contend that it started back during the Bush years when Mark Pryor and his Democratic buddies were holding up judges like Miguel Estrada for no good reason.

Paul Greenberg in the editorial “Dept. of Hypocrisy: Mark Pryor’s Selective Outrage,”  (May 3, 2010) pointed out that Pryor was angry that Republicans were holding up the  President’s picks for the federal bench. ”There’s just no place for this in the Senate,” he huffs. “There’s no place just to play partisan political games with these judicial appointments.” Greenberg went on to show how hypocritical this was of Pryor.

Liberal columnists seem to be the most hypocritical though. Take a look at this article below that shows how the NY Times keeps changing their opinion on this according to who is in the White House:

Elizabeth Garvey

February 27, 2012 at 11:35 am

In an editorial last month, The New York Times argued that the Senate should adopt President Obama’s plan requiring the Senate to vote on judicial nominees within 90 days—thus eliminating the filibuster as applied to those nominations.  The Times notes that this is a “major change in position” from its stance that the filibuster “goes to the center of the peculiar but effective form of government America cherishes.”  As Ed Whelan pointed out, this is not the first time the Times has reversed course on the use of the filibuster.  In 1995, the Times argued that the Senate, or “the greatest obstructive body,” should stop using the filibuster as it had “become the tool of the sore loser.”

Whelan noted that coincidentally, the Times opposed the filibuster when Senate Republicans used it to stall President Clinton’s executive-branch nominees but “hailed” its existence when it was used to block a number of President Bush’s judicial nominees.  So, we won’t be surprised when the Times’ latest reluctant revelation that the filibuster “threaten[s] to paralyze government” us reversed yet again during the next Republican administration.

As for Obama, he voted as a Senator to filibuster a number of President Bush’s nominees—including Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Alito and Court of Appeals Judges Janice Rogers Brown, William Pryor, Priscilla Owen, and Leslie Southwick (and as Whelan discusses, Senator Obama not only voted for filibuster but led the unsuccessful attack against Southwick).  As president, Obama now opposes the filibuster since it’s been used to thwart some of his nominees, including Goodwin Liu and Caitlin Halligan.

What the Times doesn’t discuss is one rather obvious reason why President Obama is calling for the Senate to change its rules now.  The proposal itself raises the stakes if conservatives in the Senate slow down confirmation of judicial nominations to challenge the President’s recent unconstitutional “recess” appointments to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the NLRB.  As Hans von Spakovsky discusses in this recent piece, conservative senators have yet to take meaningful action in response to the president’s purported recess appointments, but there reportedly are some senators who want to follow in the steps of Senator Robert Byrd, who infamously challenged President Reagan’s recess appointments by holding up a variety of Executive Branch nominees and even 5,000 military promotions.  Eliminating the filibuster would further neuter the Senate in the face of future, illegal recess appointments—as the New York Times certainly knows.

______________

Thank you so much for your time. I know how valuable it is. I also appreciate the fine family that you have and your committment as a father and a husband.

Sincerely,

Everette Hatcher III, 13900 Cottontail Lane, Alexander, AR 72002, ph 501-920-5733, lowcostsqueegees@yahoo.com

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in President Obama | Comments (0)

Switchfoot is a Christian Band with a great message (Part 3)

May 9, 2012 – 1:20 am

Making of Stars-Switchfoot

 

Saturday 14 July 2012

Switchfoot

Venue

Magic Springs Theme Park 1701 E. Grand Ave. 71901 Hot Springs, AR, US

Venue info and map

Switchfoot is a Christian Band with a great message (Part 3)

One of my favorite bands is Switchfoot. Tim Foreman is the front man and this band has always been very vocal about their Christian faith. I am really enjoying this series on their band.

__________________________________

For many years, those who follow the Christian music scene have speculated whether or not Switchfoot is a Christian band. They began their career with that “label”, but once they achieved mainstream success they seemed to want to distant themselves from that “box”. Many of their songs contain a “Christian” message although they seem to avoid using the name of Jesus Christ in their songs.

For those of you not familiar with Switchfoot, they are an alternative rock band from San Diego, California. They have become one of the most popular alternative rock bands in the world in fact. The members of the band include Jon Foreman (vocals and guitar), Tim Foreman (bass guitar and backing vocals), Chad Butler (drums and percussion), Jerome Fontamillas (guitar, keyboards and backing vocals), and Drew Shirley (guitar and backing vocals).

But is Switchfoot a Christian band?

Should they even be included on this site?

How do they actually view their faith?

Jon Foreman put it this way in one interview: “We’ve always been very open and honest about where the songs are coming from. For us, these songs are for everyone. Calling us ‘Christian rock’ tends to be a box that closes some people out and excludes them. And that’s not what we’re trying to do. Music has always opened my mind—and that’s what we want”.

So is Switchfoot a Christian band or do they just cozy up to the Christian music industry when it will further their career. That is for you to decide.

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Current Events | Comments (0)

Reasons why Mark Pryor will be defeated in 2014 (Part 3)

May 9, 2012 – 12:16 am

It is apparent from this statement below that Senator Mark Pryor is against the Balanced Budget Amendment. He has voted against it over and over like his father did and now I will give reasons in this series why Senator Pryor will be defeated in his re-election bid in 2014. However, first I wanted to quote the statement Senator Pryor gave on December 14, 2011. This information below is from the Arkansas Times Blog on 12-14-11 and Max Brantley:

THREE CHEERS FOR MARK PRYOR: Our senator voted not once, but twice, today against one of the hoariest (and whoriest) of Republican gimmicks, a balanced budget amendment. Let’s quote him:

As H.L. Mencken once said, “For every complex problem there is a solution which is simple, clean, and wrong.” This quote describes the balanced budget amendment. While a balanced budget amendment makes for an easy talking point, it is an empty solution. Moreover, it’s a reckless choice that handcuffs our ability to respond to an economic downturn or national emergencies without massive tax increases or throwing everyone off Medicare, Social Security, or veteran’s care.There is a more responsible alternative to balance the budget. President Clinton led the way in turning deficits into record surpluses. We have that same opportunity today, using the blueprint provided by the debt commission as a starting point. We need to responsibly cut spending, reform our tax code and create job growth. This course requires hard choices over a number of years. However, it offers a more balanced approach over jeopardizing safety net programs and opportunity for robust economic growth.

____________________

Mark Pryor has voting over and over to spend more than we have. A Balanced Budget Amendment would make that impossible. PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST OFFENSIVE THINGS THAT PRYOR HAS DONE IS CONTINUE TO VOTE TO PASS BUDGETS THAT ARE NOT BALANCED AND NOW HE HAS BEEN GUILTY OF EARNING OUR COUNTRY A CREDIT DOWNGRADE. THAT IS ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS ARKANSANS WILL VOTE HIM OUT IN 2014 AND PUT SOMEONE IN THAT WILL VOTE FOR A BALANCED BUDGET AMENDMENT (like they did in 2010 when they replaced Senator Lincoln with a conservative Republican).

Congressman Walsh Issues Statement on His Vote Against Debt Deal

08/01/11

WASHINGTON–  Today, Congressman Joe Walsh (IL-08) voted against the latest debt ceiling deal brokered by President Obama and Congressional leaders.

“Last night’s deal shows how far the debate has moved in just a few months,” said Congressman Walsh. “At the beginning of this debate President Obama demanded a blank check increase in the debt limit with no spending cuts attached.  When that didn’t work, he insisted on huge tax increases on American families and job creators. The Republican Party, however, stood strong and refused to pay for reckless spending withmoretax increases.”

“While I give my Republican leadership all the credit in the world, I cannot support this latest deal: it spends too much and cuts too little.  While this deal will cut $2.4 trillion from the national debt over the next 10 years, Washington will still add another $7 trillion to the national debt over that same period.”

“The fact that there are only $7 billion in cuts next year, an election year, shows how blatantly political this bill is.  We need to be slashing reckless spending now and in the future, not just when it is politically convenient for the President.”

“Democrats still don’t get it and refuse to make the spending cuts necessary to avoid a credit downgrade. I have made it clear from day one that I will never vote for an increase in the debt ceiling unless it fundamentally and structurally changes the way Washington spends money. I believe that the way to do that is through statutory spending caps and a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution.”

Uploaded by on Jun 14, 2011

Our country’s debt continues to grow — it’s eating away at the American Dream. We need to make real cuts now. We need Cut, Cap, and Balance.

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in spending out of control | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Entitlements must be changed soon or we are on a sinking ship

May 8, 2012 – 4:11 pm

My liberal friends on the Arkansas Times Blog (Elwood and Sound Policy) are always upset when I suggest that we should have some real spending cuts in the budget but we can no longer kick the can down the street. I have heard people say that for years but after several deficits of a trillion in a row I am starting to really believe that fact.

Emily Goff

April 20, 2012 at 2:03 pm

The General Services Administration’s (GSA) scandalous spending at a 2010 conference has gotten plenty of attention. Rightly so, because the GSA officials’ misconduct resulted in a gross misuse of taxpayer dollars. But there is much more than egregious abuses of public resources by federal employees and managers.

One of the underlying drivers of such irresponsible spending is a big, bloated government that has a penchant for waste and an accompanying lack of oversight. Taxpayers deserve a better return on their money, a truth that Congress should put into practice by cleaning up any and all government waste.

Washington also misuses taxpayer dollars in less blatant ways. Take the 47 federal job training programs the federal government runs, for example. Or the 15 agencies involved in food safety and inspection. Congress ought to identify areas of program duplication and fragmentation and then consolidate or eliminate unnecessary ones. This recent Government Accountability Office report offers a myriad of programs to cut, combine, or restructure.

Don’t be fooled, though, by thinking that tackling waste alone or combining a handful of programs will solve the country’s twin crises of spending and debt. Waste is deplorable and unacceptable, yet it is small in comparison to the trillion-dollar-plus deficits recorded in recent years. More importantly, it is not the main contributor to Washington’s spending problem. The three major entitlement programs—Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security—constitute the lion’s share of current spending.

The future portends an even more oppressive burden from entitlement spending. The first baby boomers have reached retirement already, and millions more will become eligible for Medicare and Social Security benefits. Entitlement spending is on track to eclipse all tax revenues, meaning at that point the federal government would have to tax or borrow money to fund all other programs.

Congress and the President are expected to spend today’s taxpayer dollars wisely. They can accomplish this by rooting out waste, eliminating duplicative programs, and returning to a more limited government at the federal level. All of this will help restore Americans’ trust in their government. But to assure Americans that their children can have an even more prosperous future than they had, Congress should do the hard work of proposing entitlement program reforms—reforms that will get spending under control and unshackle future generations from crushing levels of taxes and debt.

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in spending out of control | Comments (0)