Category Archives: Current Events

If Petersen turns Hogs down then who will we turn to next?

December 4, 2012 – 7:13 am

Who is going to be the next coach for the Razorbacks? This morning I heard Tommy Smith on 103.7 the buzz while he was down at the Broyles Award say that Chris Petersen and Kirby Smart may no longer be in talks with the Razorbacks and we may need to look at Gus Malzahn at Arkansas State.

I personally think Gus would be a great choice. Other SEC teams have some good choices out there too. I personally am jealous of Auburn since they are looking at Petrino. I have written a lot about Petrino and at one point I looked into talk that he had more than more girlfriend (I think he probably didn’t.)Below is an article on that came out about 15 hours ago.

Auburn Football: Would Kirby Smart Be a Better Hire over Bobby Petrino?

Uspw_5882994_crop_exact

 

The Auburn Tigers are narrowing their search for their next head football coach, with Kirby Smart and Bobby Petrino both joining the ranks of top options for the Tigers.

How Smart has maneuvered into the discussion is a bit of a mystery, but he appears to be a solid option for Auburn. While he has a winning pedigree, it is a tough sale to push for Smart over a proven winner like Petrino.

Then again, depending on what camp you reside in, a Bobby Petrino hire may be inexcusable.

Auburn is looking to rebuild a broken program after the firing of Gene Chizik, as the team needs a return to the basics in every facet of the game. Team discipline has become an issue, and the Tigers need a solid disciplinarian to return the program to prominence.

Both Petrino and Smart would bring a tough-as-nails approach to the game for Auburn and install a new order.

If Auburn were to hire Smart, it would be making the safe hire. Petrino brings a lot of baggage, and the images of him with a neck brace and jacked-up face are hard to shake, making him the far riskier option for the Tigers.

 

Making the Case for Petrino

The hiring of Bobby Petrino would bring a lot of national backlash, as it would look like Auburn is desperate to find a winner to challenge Nick Saban. It would be a “win-at-all-costs” approach, and one that a number of Auburn fans would not be in favor of.

Petrino would provide a surge for Auburn offensively and would likely mold a successful quarterback out of Jonathan Wallace in one offseason. Still, there is no guarantee of success in the SEC.

Hi-res-6157552_crop_exact USA TODAY Sports

 

Although Petrino is a proven winner, he has struggled to win the big games against Alabama and LSU, going 2-6 against the two West division powers in his four years at Arkansas.

While that doesn’t represent what he could accomplish at Auburn, it is an interesting stat line to consider.

Bobby Petrino would be a big-name, national-attention-grabbing hire for Auburn. It might draw negative press to start, but if Petrino wins, his woes will be all but forgotten.

 

Making the Case for Smart

Kirby Smart is one of the up-and-coming names on the coaching circuit. Eventually, Smart will get his chance to be a head coach, but would he fit at Auburn?

The past six years of Alabama football have been ingrained with tough defense, and Smart has been the leader of the nation’s top unit. Questions follow Smart regarding how much of the defense is his doing and how much of it is Saban’s.

He has no head-coaching experience, but he has served under one of the greatest administrators the game has ever known.

Smart is a relentless recruiter and is the head recruiter for a number of Alabama’s top prospects. He would certainly have a positive impact on the recruiting trail for Auburn, helping solidify commitments and bring in new options for the Tigers.

There have been a number of coordinators-turned-head-coaches that have had major success at their first jobs. Chip Kelly comes to mind.

Given the options that Auburn has for its head-coaching position, Smart would be as solid a hire as any.

 

Would Smart be Better?

Whether Smart would be a better hire than Petrino is tough to answer. They both have impressive resumes that they bring to the table, but Smart brings zero baggage.

Smart would also be a name that could garner support relatively quickly once hired.

 

Who is the better hire for Auburn right now?

Bobby Petrino Kirby Smart Neither Submit Vote vote to see results

Who is the better hire for Auburn right now?

  • Bobby Petrino

    32.1%
     

  • Kirby Smart

    38.8%
     

  • Neither

    29.2%
     

Total votes: 4,639

 

Petrino is a dangerous hire for Auburn from day one. Even if he steps in and succeeds, he would have a tough time winning over a number of important Tigers backers. If Petrino doesn’t win immediately, Auburn may be looking for another head coach sooner than expected.

If the Tigers were to hire Smart, they would likely have more patience. This will be a tough turnaround for the Tigers and it won’t happen overnight. Pulling Smart into the fold would provide Auburn with one of the hottest names in football, and if he wins early, the administration would look like geniuses.

At this point, Smart would be the better hire of the two. Both coaches could and would succeed at Auburn, but Smart would do it with more public support and patience while the product developed.

Auburn needs to make the right move, but the Tigers also need to make a calculated decision. At this point, Smart looks to be the better option of the two.

By Everette Hatcher III | Comments (0)

Remembering Francis Schaeffer at 100 (Part 6)

December 4, 2012 – 2:21 am

This is one of my favorite film  clips from the movie “Whatever  Happened to the Human Race?” about the flow of history.

This year Francis Schaeffer would have turned 100 on Jan 30, 2012. I remember like yesterday when I first was introduced to his books. I was even more amazed when I first saw his films. I was so influenced by them that I bought every one of his 30 something books and his two film series. Here is an article that I got off the internet that quotes Schaeffer and it comes from Chuck Colson’s website www.breakpoint.org :

It’s a Natural
By Chuck Colson|Published Date: August 01, 2011

Clarence Thomas

Supreme

Chuck’s 1991 commentary on Justice Clarence Thomas reminds us of the importance of realizing that there is a natural law to which we are all subject – and which we must not ignore.

In politics Americans like to fall comfortably in the middle of the road. And so it’s a common tactic of politicians to present their own views as the mainstream, while painting their opponents as extremists – on the fringe.

Call it the weirdo factor. If you can’t undercut someone by rational argument, just make him look weird, out of the mainstream.

We’re seeing that very tactic at work in the debate today over Clarence Thomas’s nomination to the Supreme Court.

Judge Thomas believes in natural law – that human laws have to be measured against an objective standard of morality and justice. A higher law.

Opponents have labelled this view weird. Harvard professor Lawrence Tribe said no Supreme Court nominee in 50 years has held a natural law philosophy.

That’s a wild exaggeration. In fact, most people hold a form of natural law. How about you? Do you believe the government can pass a law that is unjust? If so, you believe in natural law. You believe a law has to measure up to some outside standard of justice; otherwise it’s unjust.

Natural law has been the dominant legal philosophy throughout Western civilization. Its roots reach back to the ancient Greeks and Romans – to Plato and Aristotle, Cicero and Seneca.

It was the dominant philosophy of law in the Middle Ages. The great theologian Thomas Aquinas related the secular concept of natural law to the Biblical concept of divine law. Both refer to an objective standard against which human laws are to be judged.

The Reformers talked about natural law, too. John Calvin wrote that God’s law is “engraved upon the minds of men” through conscience and natural law.

Our modern nations are based on the writings of men such as John Locke and Montesquieu, who offered their own theories of natural law.

Need we belabor the point any further?

Natural law has a long and venerable heritage in Western thought. It is hardly novel or unusual. And certainly not weird.

In fact, it is the only basis for human rights. Judge Thomas argues that minority rights depend upon the idea of natural law found in the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration talks about certain rights as inalienable – which means a just government can’t take them away.

But rights are not inalienable unless they are based on something beyond the government.

As the late Francis Schaeffer so eloquently put it, Where do inalienable rights come from? From the state? Then they are not inalienable. Because what the state gives the state can also take away.

That’s why the Declaration of Independence says inalienable rights are endowed by the Creator. The state doesn’t create these rights; it merely acknowledges them as pre-existing by divine creation.

It’s not only Judge Thomas who believes this. Recently a Jewish rabbi named Haberman wrote that without a higher law – a law above the state – there is no standard of Justice to which we can hold the government accountable. Then there is nothing to prevent it from falling into tyranny and totalitarianism.

Rabbi Haberman knows what he’s talking about: He had to flee Germany for his life when the Nazis came to power.

For Jews, for Blacks, for all of us – the only sure basis of civil rights is natural law. And there’s nothing weird about that – whatever Clarence Thomas’s detractors may say.

Want to learn more about the crisis of ethics in America? Order your copy of the DVD series, Doing the Right Thing, and gather with some friends to study this important 6-part series on why natural law matters.

schaeffer

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Francis Schaeffer would be 100 years old this year (Schaeffer Sunday)

Dr. Francis Schaeffer – Extra – Interview – Part 2 Francis Schaeffer had a big impact on me in the late 1970′s and I have been enjoying his books and films ever since. Here is great video clip of an interview and below is a fine article about him. Francis Schaeffer 1912-1984 Christian Theologian, Philosopher, […]

Francis Schaeffer’s “How should we then live?” Video and outline of episode 10 “Final Choices” (Schaeffer Sundays)

E P I S O D E 1 0 How Should We Then Live 10#1 FINAL CHOICES I. Authoritarianism the Only Humanistic Social Option One man or an elite giving authoritative arbitrary absolutes. A. Society is sole absolute in absence of other absolutes. B. But society has to be led by an elite: John Kenneth […]

Fellow admirer of Francis Schaeffer, Michele Bachmann quits presidential race

What Ever Happened to the Human Race? Bachmann was a student of the works of Francis Schaeffer like I am and I know she was pro-life because of it. (Observe video clip above and picture of Schaeffer.) I hated to see her go.  DES MOINES, Iowa — Last night, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann vowed to […]

Francis Schaeffer’s “How should we then live?” Video and outline of episode 9 “The Age of Personal Peace and Affluence” (Schaeffer Sundays)

E P I S O D E 9 How Should We Then Live 9#1 T h e Age of Personal Peace and Afflunce I. By the Early 1960s People Were Bombarded From Every Side by Modern Man’s Humanistic Thought II. Modern Form of Humanistic Thought Leads to Pessimism Regarding a Meaning for Life and for Fixed […]

Francis Schaeffer’s “How should we then live?” Video and outline of episode 8 “The Age of Fragmentation” (Schaeffer Sundays)

E P I S O D E 8 How Should We Then Live 8#1 I saw this film series in 1979 and it had a major impact on me. T h e Age of FRAGMENTATION I. Art As a Vehicle Of Modern Thought A. Impressionism (Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, Sisley, Degas) and Post-Impressionism (Cézanne, Van Gogh, Gauguin, […]

Francis Schaeffer’s “How should we then live?” Video and outline of episode 7 “The Age of Non-Reason” (Schaeffer Sundays)

E P I S O D E 7 How Should We Then Live 7#1 I am thrilled to get this film series with you. I saw it first in 1979 and it had such a big impact on me. Today’s episode is where we see modern humanist man act on his belief that we live […]

Francis Schaeffer would be 100 years old this year (Schaeffer Sunday)

Dr. Francis Schaeffer – Extra – Interview – Part 2 Francis Schaeffer had a big impact on me in the late 1970′s and I have been enjoying his books and films ever since. Here is great video clip of an interview and below is a fine article about him. Francis Schaeffer 1912-1984 Christian Theologian, Philosopher, […]

Francis Schaeffer’s “How should we then live?” Video and outline of episode 6 “The Scientific Age” (Schaeffer Sundays)

E P I S O D E 6 How Should We Then Live 6#1 I am sharing with you a film series that I saw in 1979. In this film Francis Schaeffer asserted that was a shift in Modern Science. A. Change in conviction from earlier modern scientists.B. From an open to a closed natural system: […]

Francis Schaeffer’s “How should we then live?” Video and outline of episode 5 “The Revolutionary Age” (Schaeffer Sundays)

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Francis Schaeffer’s “How should we then live?” Video and outline of episode 4 “The Reformation” (Schaeffer Sundays)

How Should We Then Live 4-1 I was impacted by this film series by Francis Schaeffer back in the 1970′s and I wanted to share it with you. Schaeffer makes three key points concerning the Reformation: “1. Erasmian Christian humanism rejected by Farel. 2. Bible gives needed answers not only as to how to be right with […]

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How Should We Then Live 3-1 I was impacted by this film series by Francis Schaeffer back in the 1970′s and I wanted to share it with you. Schaeffer really shows why we have so many problems today with this excellent episode. He noted, “Could have gone either way—with emphasis on real people living in […]

Francis Schaeffer’s “How should we then live?” Video and outline of episode 2 “The Middle Ages” (Schaeffer Sundays)

How Should We Then Live 2-1 I was impacted by this film series by Francis Schaeffer back in the 1970′s and I wanted to share it with you. Schaeffer points out that during this time period unfortunately we have the “Church’s deviation from early church’s teaching in regard to authority and the approach to God.” […]

Francis Schaeffer’s “How should we then live?” Video and outline of episode 1 “The Roman Age” (Schaeffer Sundays)

How Should We Then Live 1-1 Today I am starting a series that really had a big impact on my life back in the 1970′s when I first saw it. There are ten parts and today is the first. Francis Schaeffer takes a look at Rome and why it fell. It fell because of inward […]

Andy Rooney was an atheist

How Now Shall We LiveClick here to purchase Chuck Colson and Nancy Pearcey’s How Now Shall We Live?, dedicated to Francis Schaeffer.

Click here for a list of Francis Schaeffer’s greatest works, from the Colson Center store!
SchaefferBooks
By Everette Hatcher III | Also posted in Francis Schaeffer, Prolife | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Remembering Francis Schaeffer at 100 (Part 5)

December 3, 2012 – 2:08 pm

 

__________________________________________________________________

Francis Schaeffer: How Should We Then Live? (Full-Length Documentary)

Published on Aug 3, 2013

Think you know world history? Think again.

As one of the foremost thinkers of the twentieth century, Francis Schaeffer long pondered the fate of declining Western culture. In this brilliant film, he analyzes the reasons for modern society’s state of affairs and presents the only viable alternative.

________________

Dr. Francis Schaeffer – Episode VII – The Age of Non Reason

This year Francis Schaeffer would have turned 100 on Jan 30, 2012. I remember like yesterday when I first was introduced to his books. I was even more amazed when I first saw his films. I was so influenced by them that I bought every one of his 30 something books and his two film series. Here is a tribute that I got off the internet from Chuck Colson’s website www.breakpoint.org :

Enlightened Ethics?
By Chuck Colson|Published Date: August 08, 2011

The Failure of Secularized Morality

Cheat

This commentary was first published November 1, 1995.

Christina Hoff Sommers, who teaches ethics at Clark University, tells a wonderful story—one that exposes the bankruptcy of modern ethics. After Sommers had written an article arguing that a just society begins with individual virtue, one of her colleagues berated her for holding to “an antiquated, Victorian, view of ethics.”

Modern ethics, her colleague informed her, is social justice. It is concerned not with personal morality but with causes, such as saving Brazilian rain forests and preventing Third World exploitation by multinational corporations.

Three months later the same colleague came back sheepishly to Sommers and said: “I have just had a shocking experience in my ethics class. Half of my students cheated on a take-home exam. And this is an ethics course!”

The woman confessed she needed to reread Sommers’s article about private virtue. When people see how flawed the modern view of ethics is, it opens a grand opportunity for a Christian apologetic.

Our modern dilemma in ethics began with the French Enlightenment. Like Sommers’s colleague, the Enlightenment thinkers believed that Christians were wrong about individual sin, that people were good, corrupted only by social structures. So reforming social structures would produce a perfect society.

For 200 years ethicists have tried to create ethical systems without God. The result has been the dismantling of any objective standard of right and wrong, leaving the individual to act according to his or her own “personal preference.”

But what happens when someone’s “personal preference” happens to be cheating on an exam? Or stealing? Or—for example—collaborating with murderous Nazis? That is exactly what happened in the very homeland of the Enlightenment. During wartime France the Vichy government rounded up Jews and handed them over to the Nazis. Seventy-five thousand French Jews perished in the death camps. French President Jacques Chirac recently acknowledged that shameful chapter of his country’s history. “France,” he said, “the homeland of the Enlightenment, and of the rights of man . . . committed the irreparable. Breaking its word, it handed over those who were under its protection to their executioners.”

How did the Enlightenment notion of the “rights of man” break down in wartime France? Well, ethical precepts in themselves have no moral force unless individuals view themselves as responsible to a Supreme Being. The French existentialist Jean Paul Sartre understood very well that ethics had no meaning once God was removed from the equation. “It doesn’t matter how you act,” Sartre said, “as long as you ‘authenticate yourself’ by an act of the will.”

Thus, to borrow a trenchant Francis Schaeffer illustration, you can decide to help an old lady across the street—or to push her into the path of an oncoming car. For Sartre, because there is no God, it doesn’t matter what one chooses to do. (WATCH THE 9 MINUTE VIDEO CLIP FOR THE CLASSIC EXAMPLE SCHAFFER GAVE.)

So the next time someone argues that ethics has nothing to do with obedience to God, show him exactly where that logic leads. And remind him that it is precisely because God exists that there is ultimately no getting away with cheating—or, for that matter, murder.

Want to learn more about the crisis of ethics in America? Order your copy of the DVD series, Doing the Right Thing, and gather with some friends to study this important 6-part series on why natural law matters.

schaeffer

Related posts:

Francis Schaeffer would be 100 years old this year (Schaeffer Sunday)

Dr. Francis Schaeffer – Extra – Interview – Part 2 Francis Schaeffer had a big impact on me in the late 1970′s and I have been enjoying his books and films ever since. Here is great video clip of an interview and below is a fine article about him. Francis Schaeffer 1912-1984 Christian Theologian, Philosopher, […]

Francis Schaeffer’s “How should we then live?” Video and outline of episode 10 “Final Choices” (Schaeffer Sundays)

E P I S O D E 1 0 How Should We Then Live 10#1 FINAL CHOICES I. Authoritarianism the Only Humanistic Social Option One man or an elite giving authoritative arbitrary absolutes. A. Society is sole absolute in absence of other absolutes. B. But society has to be led by an elite: John Kenneth […]

Fellow admirer of Francis Schaeffer, Michele Bachmann quits presidential race

What Ever Happened to the Human Race? Bachmann was a student of the works of Francis Schaeffer like I am and I know she was pro-life because of it. (Observe video clip above and picture of Schaeffer.) I hated to see her go.  DES MOINES, Iowa — Last night, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann vowed to […]

Francis Schaeffer’s “How should we then live?” Video and outline of episode 9 “The Age of Personal Peace and Affluence” (Schaeffer Sundays)

E P I S O D E 9 How Should We Then Live 9#1 T h e Age of Personal Peace and Afflunce I. By the Early 1960s People Were Bombarded From Every Side by Modern Man’s Humanistic Thought II. Modern Form of Humanistic Thought Leads to Pessimism Regarding a Meaning for Life and for Fixed […]

Francis Schaeffer’s “How should we then live?” Video and outline of episode 8 “The Age of Fragmentation” (Schaeffer Sundays)

E P I S O D E 8 How Should We Then Live 8#1 I saw this film series in 1979 and it had a major impact on me. T h e Age of FRAGMENTATION I. Art As a Vehicle Of Modern Thought A. Impressionism (Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, Sisley, Degas) and Post-Impressionism (Cézanne, Van Gogh, Gauguin, […]

Francis Schaeffer’s “How should we then live?” Video and outline of episode 7 “The Age of Non-Reason” (Schaeffer Sundays)

E P I S O D E 7 How Should We Then Live 7#1 I am thrilled to get this film series with you. I saw it first in 1979 and it had such a big impact on me. Today’s episode is where we see modern humanist man act on his belief that we live […]

Francis Schaeffer would be 100 years old this year (Schaeffer Sunday)

Dr. Francis Schaeffer – Extra – Interview – Part 2 Francis Schaeffer had a big impact on me in the late 1970′s and I have been enjoying his books and films ever since. Here is great video clip of an interview and below is a fine article about him. Francis Schaeffer 1912-1984 Christian Theologian, Philosopher, […]

Francis Schaeffer’s “How should we then live?” Video and outline of episode 6 “The Scientific Age” (Schaeffer Sundays)

E P I S O D E 6 How Should We Then Live 6#1 I am sharing with you a film series that I saw in 1979. In this film Francis Schaeffer asserted that was a shift in Modern Science. A. Change in conviction from earlier modern scientists.B. From an open to a closed natural system: […]

Francis Schaeffer’s “How should we then live?” Video and outline of episode 5 “The Revolutionary Age” (Schaeffer Sundays)

E P I S O D E 5 How Should We Then Live 5-1 I was impacted by this film series by Francis Schaeffer back in the 1970′s and I wanted to share it with you. Francis Schaeffer noted, “Reformation Did Not Bring Perfection. But gradually on basis of biblical teaching there was a unique improvement. A. […]

Francis Schaeffer’s “How should we then live?” Video and outline of episode 4 “The Reformation” (Schaeffer Sundays)

How Should We Then Live 4-1 I was impacted by this film series by Francis Schaeffer back in the 1970′s and I wanted to share it with you. Schaeffer makes three key points concerning the Reformation: “1. Erasmian Christian humanism rejected by Farel. 2. Bible gives needed answers not only as to how to be right with […]

Francis Schaeffer’s “How should we then live?” Video and outline of episode 3 “The Renaissance”

How Should We Then Live 3-1 I was impacted by this film series by Francis Schaeffer back in the 1970′s and I wanted to share it with you. Schaeffer really shows why we have so many problems today with this excellent episode. He noted, “Could have gone either way—with emphasis on real people living in […]

Francis Schaeffer’s “How should we then live?” Video and outline of episode 2 “The Middle Ages” (Schaeffer Sundays)

How Should We Then Live 2-1 I was impacted by this film series by Francis Schaeffer back in the 1970′s and I wanted to share it with you. Schaeffer points out that during this time period unfortunately we have the “Church’s deviation from early church’s teaching in regard to authority and the approach to God.” […]

Francis Schaeffer’s “How should we then live?” Video and outline of episode 1 “The Roman Age” (Schaeffer Sundays)

How Should We Then Live 1-1 Today I am starting a series that really had a big impact on my life back in the 1970′s when I first saw it. There are ten parts and today is the first. Francis Schaeffer takes a look at Rome and why it fell. It fell because of inward […]

Andy Rooney was an atheist

How Now Shall We LiveClick here to purchase Chuck Colson and Nancy Pearcey’s How Now Shall We Live?, dedicated to Francis Schaeffer.


Click here for a list of Francis Schaeffer’s greatest works, from the Colson Center store!
SchaefferBooks
By Everette Hatcher III | Also posted in Francis Schaeffer, Prolife | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Chris Petersen next Arkansas Razorback football coach?

December 3, 2012 – 1:50 pm

I first read this on Jason Tolbert’s blog, but I did not take it serious. However, on Dec 2, 2012, I heard Bill Vickery say on his “Sunday Buzz” show on 103 .7 FM that a friend of his who was an agent contends that Jeff Long is working out the final details with Chris Petersen for the Arkansas Razorback football head coaching job. A lot of blogs have jumped on board with this same view. (Although some say that Petersen is moving on and channel 4 in Little Rock reports that Mike Gundy has been given an offer.) (Actually Brett Bielema was named the coach at 6pm on 12-4-12.)

Wally Hall has thrown around these names:

Art Briles, Baylor

Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State

Tommy Tuberville, Texas Tech

Chris Petersen, Boise State

Sonny Dykes, Louisiana Tech

Gus Malzahn, Arkansas State

Hog Country reports:

Petersen to be named new coach Tuesday

By on December 1, 2012 | HOG COUNTRY3 Comments

The announcement that Boise State coach Chris Petersen will be the Hogs’ next coach is expected to come Tuesday.

The long-awaited announcement for Arkansas fans should come Tuesday.

But don’t be surprised if there’s another smokescreen or two along the way.

As of Saturday evening, multiple sources have said that Boise State coach Chris Petersen is expected to be named the new Razorbacks coach Tuesday. Considering the Hogs will play Oklahoma in basketball that evening at Bud Walton Arena, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he could be formally introduced to the fans then after an earlier press conference for the official announcement.

That’s assuming, of course, nothing changes. After the Dana Altman experience of 2007, Arkansas fans have seen just about the strangest of the strange things happen when it comes to new coaching hires. That was when the Creighton coach was hired to replace the fired Stan Heath, took the job and backed out the next day.

This one doesn’t figure to go that way.

Petersen, the 48-year-old coach of the Broncos, has compiled a gawdy 83-8 record in seven seasons at Boise (a 91.2 percent winning percentage). He took over the reins from Dan Hawkins, who accepted the Colorado job and left a team that Petersen guided to a Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma in 2006.

In Petersens’s most recent contract features nothing prohibitive (from the Idaho Statesman):

• Petersen’s buyout is $750,000. The school’s buyout of Petersen is $250,000 per year left on the deal, plus any guaranteed money left in the deal, plus the pro-rated amount of his longevity incentive for the year he was fired. If Petersen leaves, he must do so after the end of the season, including a bowl game. The buyout applies to three kinds of jobs: FBS head coach, assistant coach at a school in Boise State’s conference or a conference Boise State has contractually agreed to join; or NFL head coach.

• Petersen must provide written (or e-mail) notice at least 24 hours before interviewing for a coaching job at another college or with a professional team.

The only part that may cause some pause to Razorback fans is the leaving after a bowl game at the end of the season. The simple matter is most college coaches’ contract have that clause and most athletic directors ignore it unless the team is in a position to be in a BCS bowl game where it matters. Most bowl projections call for the Broncos to be in the MAACO Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 22.

As for the 24 hours’ notice, it really depends on if Petersen and Arkansas athletics director Jeff Long have talked directly and what exactly constitutes an interview. For full reference to that, look back at all the fancy footwork in the recent Les Miles’ smokescreen that everyone had to endure for a couple of days last week. That, quite simply, provided a distraction for Long to focus on wrapping up some final details with Petersen’s representatives.

After all, Petersen reportedly has been Long’s first choice all along. All the rest of the names and other rumblings have simply been well-placed smokescreens, according to some folks in a position to know within the UA.

The bottom line is none of that will matter.

These days, contracts in sports are simply the starting point for negotiations

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Wally Hall says the Hogs have their coach but it is not Gundy

Wally Hall tweeted at 12:12 pm on 12-4-12, “Hogs have their coach. Not Gundy. Should be announced today.” I reported earlier today that Gundy would be named the coach. David Bazzel was my source and he had a friend in the athletic dept. However, other news outlets differ with that. Rumors Swirl About Mike Gundy Offer […]

A look back at new Hog coach Mike Gundy’s famous 2007 rant

      Pat Bradley of the show “The Zone” on 103.7 FM the buzz said on the show today at 12:12 that CBS Sports has confirmed that Mike Gundy will be named the new Razorback football coach. I thought that we should look at some of the past things that Gundy has done and […]

Mike Gundy will be named Arkansas Razorback Football Coach!!!!

I was listening to 103.7 FM the  buzz at 11:30 and a source close to the Athletic Director told David Bazzel that Mike Gundy of Oklahoma St will be named the Razorback coach. Below is an article from earlier today that said Gundy was considering an offer. It is still unclear if Chris Petersen was […]

Chris Petersen next Arkansas Razorback football coach?

I first read this on Jason Tolbert’s blog, but I did not take it serious. However, on Dec 2, 2012, I heard Bill Vickery say on his “Sunday Buzz” show on 103 .7 FM that a friend of his who was an agent contends that Jeff Long is working out the final details with Chris […]

 

Bobby Petrino’s first interview since affair and his effort to put his marriage together

Some people have praised the way the University of Arkansas handled the firing of Bobby Petrino, and I am part of that group. However, if he puts his marriage back together I think it would be great if he returned as our head football coach at Arkansas. He has fallen from the top. He had […]

Bobby Petrino to Texas in 2013?

When I started thinking about which school would have the best chance to get Bobby Petrino in 2013, I immediately thought of Tennessee because they are in the SEC. However, there is a downside to being in the SEC. The pressure to win the conference is about the same to win the national championship. Actually […]

Bobby Petrino was a great coach and babysitter

Everybody admits that Bobby Petrino was a great coach. Take a look at this comment from Chris Smith of Forbes: Petrino has plenty of time to find a new job, and he is likely to receive several offers. Morally repugnant as he might be, Petrino’s on-field performance has been stellar. Through eight seasons as head […]

Bobby Petrino unloads one of his two Fayetteville homes

Bobby Petrino and Jessica Dorrell Bobby Petrino always had plans to live in Fayetteville the rest of his life. Why else would he have committed to the 18 million dollar buyout in his contract. He also showed that he had longterm plans to stay in Arkansas because he invested 2.5 million in a home here. […]

Is Bobby Petrino through or will he return as a top coach in the future?

Bobby Petrino and Jessica Dorrell I was so happy a few months ago with the Razorbacks’ football future firmly in Bobby Petrino’s hands. Things were going so well.  I mentioned to a friend that I was 16 back in 1977 when Lou Holtz led the Razorbacks that season to a 11-1 record and a third […]

You can buy Bobby Petrino’s motorcyle!!!

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:   A Twitter from Mallory Hardin at Channel 4 […]

Bobby Petrino had the whole world at his feet

Bobby Petrino and Jessica Dorrell I read this blog this morning about Bobby Petrino and the verse “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36) really made me think a lot about our perspective on life. Bobby Petrino and the Lesson of Good Friday Posted: […]

Bobby Petrino’s actions and the fallout from them

Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino Sometimes we lose perspective on what is really important and I thought I would share this below. Will Davis Jr. is a Christian pastor and here are his thoughts: The Sad Case of Bobby Petrino 11 Apr Bobby Petrino, the three-year football coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks, has been relieved of […]

Bobby Petrino and the issue of Integrity

A good article I came upon below: A Question of Integrity Posted by Jerry Godsey in Adultery, BLOG, Family, Featured, How To Be a Man, Leadership, News Media, Sports | Monday, April 16th, 2012 If you are a college football fan, you are pretty aware of the Bobby Petrino scandal at the University of Arkansas. […]

Opinions on the morality of Bobby Petrino

Bobby Petrino and Jessica Dorrell I have read a lot of opinions throughout the USA on the morality of Bobby Petrino and I wanted to share with you some of their thoughts: 1. Columbus Ledger Enquirer 2. Marissa Levy at Fordham Law 3. Curmudgeon’s Attic 4. Vanderbilt Law School Bobby Petrino bears witness: Character Counts! […]

By Everette Hatcher III | Comments (0)

Music Monday “Ringo Starr tour Part 6”

December 3, 2012 – 6:37 am

I went  to a Ringo Starr concert on July 4, 2012 at Orange Beach, AL and enjoyed it very much and here are some of the songs I heard that night:Ringo Starr – Octopus’s Garden

Ringo did not play this at the July 4, 2012 concert although it is one of my favorites.

Ringo Starr and Barbara Bach«

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Last concert of Beatles:

The Beatles – Rooftop Concert (Full Version)

Uploaded by     on Jan 18, 2012

Last Concert Of The Beatles On The APPLE RECORDS on Abbey Road
Get Back – 01:03 Don’t let Me Down – 04:18 I’ve Got a Feeling – 07:53 One After 909 – 11:35 Dig a Pony – 14:38 Get Back 18:30

__________________________–

Ringo Starr and Barbara Bach«

By Everette Hatcher III | Comments (0)

Remembering Francis Schaeffer at 100 (Part 4)

November 30, 2012 – 2:02 pm

schaeffer

This

THE FRANCIS SCHAEFFER CENTENNIAL – INVOCATION – PASTOR TONY FELICH

Uploaded by on Feb 3, 2012

Pastor Tony Felich of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Overland Park, KS gives the invocation to the mini conference event in honor of Francis Schaeffer’s 100th Birthday.

__________________________

This year Francis Schaeffer would have turned 100 on Jan 30, 2012. I remember like yesterday when I first was introduced to his books. I was even more amazed when I first saw his films. I was so influenced by them that I bought every one of his 30 something books and his two film series. Here is a tribute that I got off the internet from Chuck Colson’s website www.breakpoint.org :

A Jeremiah Summer
By Diane Singer|Published Date: August 29, 2011

sun

“And I will declare my judgments against them, for all their evil in forsaking me. They have made offerings to other gods and worshiped the works of their own hands.” Jeremiah 1:16

Prophetic timing
The summer of 2011 has been a memorable one, but for all the wrong reasons. Much of the country has been gripped by an unrelenting heat wave, the nation is reeling from ever-worsening economic news, violence has broken out in a number of cities here and abroad, and the battle for traditional marriage and moral decency lost another round with New York state’s endorsement of same-sex marriage.

During this time, I’ve been teaching Jeremiah in my Sunday morning Explore the Bible class. It wasn’t my idea to teach this particular book at this particular time: it’s part of a nine year through-the-Bible curriculum established by Lifeway publishers. However, the timing does seem, well, prophetic. The similarities between the stiff-necked rebellious people of Judah living six centuries before Christ and the stiff-necked rebellious people of America living today are terrifying — terrifying because of the strong possibility that Judah’s fate foreshadows America’s not-too-distant future.

I realize that many people will say, “America is not Judah. God does not have the same relationship with America as He did with Israel and Judah; therefore, it’s impossible to draw parallels.” They’re wrong. While I concede that no two nations are alike, let alone two nations separated by more than 2500 years of history, we must recognize that God establishes and rules over all nations from the beginning of history to its end. Time does not erase what He requires, both for those who rule and for those who are ruled. Think about it:

  • God is still the same.
  • His holiness hasn’t diminished.
  • His standards for what constitute a good and just society haven’t altered.
  • Our responsibility to hear and obey His Word hasn’t been negated.
  • The “law of cause and effect” (sowing and reaping) is still in effect.

Furthermore, to ignore the warning signs of a nation on the verge of destruction – signs we see in Jeremiah – is to make a liar of the apostle Paul, who wrote that all of the Old Testament is written for our instruction (Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:11). It also makes a liar out of God, who speaking through the prophet, asserts that “If any nation will not listen, then I will utterly pluck it up and destroy it” (Jeremiah 12:17).

The indictment against Judah
Jeremiah had a great deal to say about why the people of Judah were headed for destruction:

  • They “went after worthlessness and became worthless” (2:5).
  • They “turned degenerate” (2:21) and wore themselves out sinning (9:5).
  • They were so wicked that they even taught “wicked women” things they didn’t know (2:33).
  • They “polluted the land with [their] vile whoredom” (3:2).
  • They were callous and unjust toward the poor (2:34).
  • They repeatedly claimed that they had not sinned (2:35).
  • They were greedy, conniving, unashamed, and self-deluded regarding their true status (6:13-15).
  • They treated the Word as an object of scorn (6:10).
  • They were incapable of speaking the Truth (7:28).
  • They followed their own hearts and went after false gods even more diligently than their forefathers had (9:14).
  • They broke their covenant with the Lord (11:1-13).
  • They were not correctable: they would not listen to God’s prophet (2:30; 5:3), and they would not obey His Word.
  • They assured themselves that God would not judge them, that disaster would not fall (5:12).

They were wrong, as history demonstrated in 586 BC when Judah was crushed by the Babylonians.

The indictment against America
It doesn’t take much effort to read through the list of Judah’s sins and see America’s. Even a casual perusal of the television shows being offered today provides plenty of examples of “worthlessness” and of an exuberant, even gleeful, promotion of every kind of immorality and perversion. The poor, and even the middle class, are being destroyed by the government’s irresponsible fiscal policies and by a welfare policy that keeps them dependant and living in poverty. Movies, television shows, and many so-called news programs are boldly promoting their anti-Christian agenda – one designed to keep Bible-believing Christians intimidated and cowed into silence when it comes to the public square. (If you don’t believe this, consider how people who support the Bible’s view of marriage are now labeled homophobic haters in the media.) And public figures who speak up about what the Bible has to say about the state of the nation are ridiculed as backward, desperate, and dangerously out of touch with reality. Even our president has characterized Bible-believing Christians in disparaging terms.

At the 2011 Resolved Conference, pastor John MacArthur made a claim, based on a passage in Isaiah 5, that particularly offended the anti-Christian crowd: “Materialism, drunkard pleasure seeking, arrogant conceit, defiant sinfulness, moral perversion, and corrupt leadership…Do you not see [them] in America?,” MacArthur asked. He then explained that just as these sins resulted in the destruction of Israel in 721 BC, these sins have brought the USA under divine judgment today.

The Christian response
MacArthur’s pronouncement comes as no surprise to anyone who has read Francis Schaeffer’s 1969 book Death in the City. Schaeffer not only claimed that both Europe and America were even then under “the wrath of God,” he also addressed the question of the contemporary relevance of Jeremiah:

“We do not have to guess what God would say about this because there was a period of history, biblical history, which greatly parallels our day. That is the day of Jeremiah. The Book of Jeremiah and the Book of Lamentations show how God looks at a culture which knew Him and deliberately turned away.

But this is not just the character of Jeremiah’s day of apostasy. It’s my day. It’s our day. And if we are going to help our own generation, our perspective must be that of Jeremiah, that weeping prophet Rembrandt so magnificently pictured weeping over Jerusalem, yet in the midst of his tears speaking without mitigating his message of judgment to a people who had had so much yet turned away.” (emphasis mine)

Our response to the evil of our day – to the millions of people who “knew Him and deliberately turned away” – therefore, must mirror Jeremiah’s sorrowful but unflinching response:
By Everette Hatcher III | Also posted in Francis Schaeffer, Prolife | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Senator Boozman’s response to my letter on fiscal cliff and possible debt ceiling increase

November 30, 2012 – 7:04 am

It is obvious to me that if President Obama gets his hands on more money then he will continue to spend away our children’s future. He has already taken the national debt from 11 trillion to 16 trillion in just 4 years. Over, and over, and over, and over, and over and over I have written Speaker Boehner and the Congressmen (Griffin, Womack, Crawford) in Arkansas concerning this. I am hoping they will stand up against this reckless spending that our federal government has done and will continue to do if given the chance.

I have written and emailed Senator Pryor over, and over again with spending cut suggestions but he has ignored all of these good ideas in favor of keeping the printing presses going as we plunge our future generations further in debt. I am convinced if he does not change his liberal voting record that he will no longer be our senator in 2014.

I have always given credit to public officials who take the time to respond back to the people they represent. President Obama has done an excellent job in this regard and Senator John Boozman has too.

I asked Senator Boozman not to raise the debt ceiling unless we got a Balanced Budget Amendment passed first. We have enough votes in the Senate to block passage of the debt ceiling increase and President Obama knows that. However, I don’t think Republicans have the guts to stop the spending.

The problem in Washington is not lack of revenue but our lack of spending restraint. We almost had a balanced budget in 2007 and if we had frozen spending at 2007 levels then we would be close to a balanced budget now. Instead of controlling spending our spending has gone from 2.7 trillion to 3.8 trillion in just 5 short years!!!

Several of Senator Boozman’s Republican Senate friends  voted to cut the Food Stamp Program and I was very happy that they were brave enough to do that even though they lost the vote. We got to start making the tough spending cut decisions!!!!

At least Senator Boozman is a strong proponent of the Balanced Budget Amendment while our other Senator (Mark Pryor) has always opposed it. Below is the email I got from Senator Boozman followed by some links on this same issue.

Dear Mr. Hatcher, 

Thank you for contacting me to express your thoughts regarding the federal debt ceiling. It is good to hear from you. 

I believe that our nation is facing a fiscal crisis. We are on a path of unbridled spending that simply cannot be sustained. To date, the federal debt is $16 trillion dollars, and the U.S. Treasury estimates that our current debt limit will be reached by the end of this year. The federal government’s rising debt is reckless, irresponsible and dangerous, and there must be a mechanism that will prevent overspending in the future. 

Throughout my time in office, I have fought for a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution. You will be pleased to know I am a cosponsor of  S.J.Res . 3 and S.J. Res. 10, balanced budget resolutions introduced by Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) as well as S.J. Res. 4, a balanced budget resolution introduced by Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL). All of these measures would propose a Constitutional amendment that stipulates that the United States cannot spend more than its total revenue for any given fiscal year. Additionally, Senator Hatch’s resolutions would require two-thirds majority vote in both chambers of Congress in order to impose a new tax.  S.J.Res . 3,  S.J.Res . 4 are currently being considered by the Senate Judiciary Committee and  S.J.Res . 10 failed to pass during a vote on December 14, 2011. 

I believe there are multiple ways to curb federal spending, from the elimination of wasteful and duplicative programs to a sizeable reduction in the size and scope of the federal budget. As the father of three daughters, I believe it is very important that our future generations are not saddled with exorbitant taxes and record deficits. Please be assured that I will remain steadfast in supporting legislation that encourages fiscal restraint, aggressively tackles our runaway deficits, and begins to pay down our nation’s crushing debt. 

Again, thank you for contacting me on this very important issue. Please be sure to visit our website at  www.boozman.senate.gov . I look forward to your continued correspondence.

Sincerely,

John Boozman
U.S. Senator

_________

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By Everette Hatcher III | Tagged | Comments (0)

Open letter to Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin concerning their choice to raise their kids in the Jewish Faith (part 10)

November 30, 2012 – 6:35 am

Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin (CP)

The Arab Israeli Conflict – part 3

I have posted before about the religious views of Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin. Now it appears they have rejected their agnostic statements of the past and have decided to raise their children in the Jewish faith.

Here is a post from the Huffington Post:

After appearing on the television program, “Who Do You Think You Are,” Gwyneth Paltrow has decided to raise children Apple, 7, and Moses, 5, as Jewish.

According to The Daily Mail, the NBC ancestry show sparked the discovery that the actress descended from a notable line of Eastern European rabbis. Though she’s long practiced Kabbalah, Gwyneth had previously stayed neutral about a formal religion upbringing in her household, which includes crooner husband Chris Martin, who is of Christian background.

“I don’t believe in religion. I believe in spirituality. Religion is the cause of all the problems in the world,” the actress once told The Daily Mail.

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Below is a letter I mailed to Chris and Gwyneth recently:

To Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow, c/o Go Go Pictures, 12 Cleveland Row, London, SW1A 1DH, United Kingdom, , From Everette Hatcher, 13900 Cottontail Lane, Alexander, AR 72002, USA:

I have been a huge fan of both of you and have posted many times on my blog about your religious views which have seemed to have changed over the years. I know that Chris was brought up as an evangelical Christian, but has long ago left the faith behind although he did revisit many biblical themes in his 2008 and 2011 cds.

In fact, on June 3, 2011 on my blog (www.thedailyhatch.org) I wrote:

I have shown what thought processes Solomon went through in Ecclesiastes and then compared them to the evident changes that are occurring with Coldplay. By the way, the final chapter of Ecclesiastes finishes with Solomon emphasizing that serving God is the only proper response of man. My prediction: I am hoping that Coldplay’s next album will also come to that same conclusion that Solomon came to in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14:
13 Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man.

14 For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil.

I have also written before about Gwyneth’s famous Jewish relatives which includes a famous Rabbi and I have wondered if she would decide to return to those roots. Actually that is what has happened. I salute you for rejecting your earlier statements against organized religion and for making the decision to teach your children the Bible and to have faith in God. 

I know that you will spending lots of time in the scriptures and I wanted to share with you some key scriptures that talk about the Messiah.

Uniqueness of Jesus

Who Is Jesus Christ?

By Bill Bright

What if you could predict that a major world event would take place five minutes from now? What if you could accurately describe what would happen? Would knowing the future give you unusual power? Would anyone believe you? Possibly some would, but how many would not?

Many people do not believe the Bible, yet it miraculously foretells hundreds of events, sometimes in minute detail, and usually hundreds – sometimes thousands – of years ahead. Some prophecies concern cities and countries, such as Tyre, Jericho, Samaria, Jerusalem, Palestine, Moab, and Babylon. Others relate to specific individuals. Many have already been fulfilled, but some are still in the future.

Jesus Christ is the subject of more than 300 Old Testament prophecies. His birth nearly 2,000 years ago, and events of His life had been foretold by many prophets during a period of 1,500 years. History confirms that even the smallest detail happened just as predicted. It confirms beyond a doubt that Jesus is the true Messiah, the Son of God and Savior of the world.

The following chart lists some of the amazing predictions concerning Jesus Christ, together with the record of their fulfillment:

His Birth
Old Testament Prophecy: Isaiah 7:14
Fullfillment in Jesus: Matthew 1:18,22,23

His Birthplace
Old Testament Prophecy: Micah 5:2
Fullfillment in Jesus: Luke 2:4,6,7

His Childhood in Egypt
Old Testament Prophecy: Hosea 11:1
Fullfillment in Jesus: Matthew 2:14-15

The Purpose for His Death
Old Testament Prophecy: Isaiah 53:4-6
Fullfillment in Jesus: 1 Corinthians 15:21; 1 Peter 2:24

His Betrayal
Old Testament Prophecy: Zechariah 11:12-13; 13:6
Fullfillment in Jesus: Matthew 26:14-16; 27:3-10

His Crucifixion
Old Testament Prophecy: Psalm 22
Fullfillment in Jesus: Matthew 27

His Resurrection
Old Testament Prophecy: Psalm 16:9-10
Fullfillment in Jesus: Acts 2:31

The printed version of this study contains 29 pages of preparatory notes not included in the online version of this study. Click here to order the printed study guide, The Uniqueness of Jesus.

Isaiah 53-54

English Standard Version (ESV)

53 (A)Who has believed what he has heard from us?[a]
    And to whom has (B)the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 For he grew up before him like a young plant,
    (C)and like a root out of dry ground;
(D)he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
    and no beauty that we should desire him.
3 (E)He was despised and rejected[b] by men;
    a man of sorrows,[c] and acquainted with[d] grief;[e]
and as one from whom men hide their faces[f]
    he was despised, and (F)we esteemed him not.

4 (G)Surely he has borne our griefs
    and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
    (H)smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 (I)But he was pierced for our transgressions;
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
    (J)and with his wounds we are healed.
6 (K)All we like sheep have gone astray;
    we have turned—every one—to his own way;
(L)and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
    (M)yet he opened not his mouth;
(N)like a (O)lamb that is led to the slaughter,
    and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
    so he opened not his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away;
    and as for his generation, (P)who considered
that he was cut off out of the land of the living,
    stricken for the transgression of my people?
9 And they made his grave with the wicked
    (Q)and with a rich man in his death,
although (R)he had done no violence,
    and there was no deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet (S)it was the will of the Lord to crush him;
    he has put him to grief;[g]
(T)when his soul makes[h] an offering for guilt,
    he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
(U)the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see[i] and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall (V)the righteous one, my servant,
    (W)make many to be accounted righteous,
    (X)and he shall bear their iniquities.
12 (Y)Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,[j]
    (Z)and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,[k]
because he poured out his soul to death
    and was numbered with the transgressors;
(AA)yet he bore the sin of many,
    and makes intercession for the transgressors.

The Eternal Covenant of Peace

54 (AB)“Sing, O barren one, who did not bear;
    break forth into singing and cry aloud,
    you who have not been in labor!
For the children of (AC)the desolate one (AD)will be more
    than the children of her who is married,” says the Lord.
2 (AE)“Enlarge the place of your tent,
    and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out;
do not hold back; lengthen your cords
    and strengthen your stakes.
3 (AF)For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left,
    and your offspring will possess the nations
    and will people the desolate cities.

4 “Fear not, (AG)for you will not be ashamed;
    be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced;
for you will forget the shame of your youth,
    and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more.
5 (AH)For your Maker is your husband,
    the Lord of hosts is his name;
(AI)and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer,
    (AJ)the God of the whole earth he is called.
6 (AK)For the Lord has called you
    like a wife deserted and grieved in spirit,
like a wife of youth when she is cast off,
    says your God.
7 (AL)For a brief moment I deserted you,
    but with great compassion I will gather you.
8 (AM)In overflowing anger for a moment
    I hid my face from you,
(AN)but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,”
    says the Lord, your Redeemer.

9 “This is like (AO)the days of Noah[l] to me:
    as I swore that the waters of Noah
    should no more go over the earth,
so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you,
    and will not rebuke you.
10 For the mountains may depart
    and the hills be removed,
but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,
    and (AP)my covenant of peace shall not be removed,”
    says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

11 (AQ)“O afflicted one, storm-tossed and not comforted,
    behold, (AR)I will set your stones in antimony,
    (AS)and lay your foundations with sapphires.[m]
12 I will make your pinnacles of agate,[n]
    your gates of carbuncles,[o]
    and all your wall of precious stones

By Everette Hatcher III | Comments (0)

What is in a handshake?

November 30, 2012 – 12:02 am
  1. Former President Bill Clinton and former Vice President Al Gore are scheduled to attend a memorial service on Saturday for former Tennessee Gov. Ned McWherter. I remember like yesterday a conversation I had with my great uncle Mack Hatcher who was the Road Commissioner of Williamson County which was located right outside of Nashville, Tennessee.

Mack was a yellow dog Democrat that had never voted for a Republican. However, it took me by suprise when he told me that there was not much to our Republican Governor Lamar Alexander (in 1980). I asked him for specific reasons that he did not like Alexander. He did not have any but he did say with much authority:

“I SHOOK GOVERNOR ALEXANDER’S HAND AND THERE WAS NOT MUCH THERE. NOW MY BUDDY NED MCWHERTER KNOWS HOW TO SHAKE A HAND. THERE IS SUBSTANCE THERE!!

I laughed and just said I wondered what Mack  thought when he shook my hand!!!

It just so happened that a few months later I was at Memphis State and heard George Bush speak at an campaign event. Afterwards both Governor Alexander and candidate Bush walked out and shook my hand on the way out. I could not help but smile because I thought about what about Mack had said about how a man shakes a hand. Governor Alexander gave me a good handshake, but maybe McWherter had a more firm hand shake?

The Associated Press reported:

McWherter, a two-term Democratic governor and longtime House speaker from West Tennessee, died Monday of cancer at the age of 80.

The service at 2 p.m. in the War Memorial Auditorium in Nashville will be open to the public. Another service is set for 1:30 p.m. Sunday in Dresden on the front lawn of McWherter’s home.

On Thursday, members of the House and Senate both unanimously honored McWherter with a resolution.

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By Everette Hatcher III | Comments (0)

Civil war battle of Jenkins Ferry depicted in movie “Lincoln” took place near Sheridan, Arkansas

November 29, 2012 – 12:54 pm

Jenkins’ Ferry Battlefield State Park

Published on Nov 23, 2012 by

Jenkins’ Ferry Battlefield State Park, located in Grant County, Arkansas near the town of Sheridan was the scene of one of the largest Civil War battles in Arkansas history, on April 29-30, 1864.

The Civil War in Arkansas: 150 Years Later, Part 1

Uploaded by on May 6, 2011

Mark Crist of the Department of Arkansas Heritage and Richard Davies, Director of Arkansas Parks and Tourism, discuss the Civil War as it pertains to Arkansas history and heritage.

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The Civil War in Arkansas: 150 Years Later, Part 2

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I have spent a lot of time researching details about the historical characters mentioned in the movie “Lincoln” but I failed to look up the details on this battle which was fought in Arkansas. You will notice a scene from the movie shows the battle in the trailer above. I have put links to several of my previous posts below.  This article is from the 11-29-12 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Lincoln battle scene depicts Jenkins Ferry

By Wayne Bryan Published 12:00 a.m.
Updated November 28, 2012 at 9:22 a.m.

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PHOTO BY: Curt Youngblood

Joe Walker, author of Harvest of Death: The Battle of Jenkins’ Ferry, Arkansas, talks about the battle near the site where the Union Army crossed the Saline River. The battle is featured in the opening scene of Lincoln.

 

SHERIDAN — The movie Lincoln, now attracting crowds across the country, begins with a violent Civil War battle, set on marshy ground during a heavy rain.

In the fighting, African-American Union soldiers ferociously kill Confederate soldiers who are trying to surrender.

The scene, depicted in the movie, portrays an attack during the Battle of Jenkins Ferry, along the Saline River in April of 1864, in what is now Grant County.

Joe Walker, author of Harvest of Death: The Battle of Jenkins’ Ferry, Arkansas, said the scene in the movie is historically accurate.

“It was during a hard rain,” Walker said. “One Union officer wrote that he had never seen it rain so heavy before in his life. The Saline River was filled up to the full height of the banks so that the Confederate forces caught up with the Union Army as it was slowly crossing the river on a pontoon bridge.”

Jenkins Ferry Battleground State Park is at the site of the pontoon-bridge crossing southwest of Sheridan. Visitors can still see where soldiers dug into the banks on both sides so that the temporary bridge, resting on boats, could be anchored.

“Imagine there were 15,000 men standing around on this spot and across the river in a terrible storm, trying to get horses and wagons over the bridge,” Walker said, standing along the slope to the river on a quiet Friday morning.

Walker said most of the fighting occurred across the river from the park where Union soldiers were waiting for the rest of the force to cross the river.

The part of the battle shown in the movie Lincoln was at the end of an encounter in a soggy cornfield between the 2nd Colored Kansas Infantry, commanded by Col. Samuel Crawford, and members of two Confederate artillery batteries under the command of Lt. John Lockart.

The two batteries, each with about 12 cannons, were moved across the cornfield to slow the Union assault.

What was about to happen, Walker said, began with a clash between the 1st Colored Infantry and Southern troops near Camden on April 15, in an area known as Poison Springs.

A Confederate assault overwhelmed the Kansans. No black troops were captured, and those left wounded on the battlefield were killed, scalped and stripped.

The Confederate forces were fighting under the “Black Flag,” meaning they would take no African-American prisoners or spare any wounded.

Days later, a newspaper in Arkansas justified the action, declaring, “We cannot treat Negroes taken in arms as prisoners of war without the destruction of the social system for which we contend.”

As the 2nd Kansas Colored crossed the muddy field of knee-high corn, the cannons fired on the soldiers with canister shot.

“Canister is a can or bag filled with these,” Walker said, taking from his pocket an oval-shaped ball of iron, almost an inch wide. “The shot, along with nails and other pieces of metal, would go through the oncoming soldiers like a huge shotgun blast.”

After the cannons has fired a round, Col. Crawford ordered his men to fix bayonets and charge.

Again from a pocket, Walker drew a bayonet more than a foot long. He pointed to how the blade was shaped like a solid triangle.

“The Civil War bayonet was a French invention,” he said. “With three sides on the blade, the wound would not close. This type of bayonet was outlawed before World War I.”

A third of the way across the field, the Kansas unit fired, killing the horses used to move three of the guns and scattering the other animals. With a cry of “Poison Springs,” the African-American troops overran the batteries and fell upon the 60 or so men with their bayonets.

“As you see in the movie, it was raining, and the mud was about ankle deep, with standing water on the ground,” Walker said. “The fighting was fierce and hand to hand.”

According to Walker’s book, a group of white soldiers from Iowa came in behind the Kansas troops during the fighting around the Confederate guns. The new troops intervened, stopping the fighting.

Confederate doctors who later treated the wounded found near the guns reported what had happened.

“We found many of our wounded had been mutilated in many ways,” states one letter now held by the University of Arkansas. “Some of the ears were cut off, throats cut, and there were knife wounds.”

Lt. Lockart was captured unharmed and taken to Col. Crawford after the engagement.

According to a book written by Crawford years after the war and quoted in Walker’s book, he told the young Confederate officer he would be released.

“You are not a prisoner of war. We do not take prisoners,” Crawford said. “Your president has placed his army under the ‘Black Flag,’ so far as our colored troops and their officers are concerned, and Gen. Price’s troops carried out that order to the letter over there at Poison Springs, the other day.

“We are the 2nd Kansas Colored Infantry. My name is Crawford, and I am colonel of this regiment. You see and know what this regiment has done here today. I am going to send you back through the lines, not as a prisoner of war, but as a messenger of peace. Tell them I accept their new flag and that from this day forward, … I shall simply tell the men to remember Poison Springs.”

As the battle ended and the Union wagons and any soldiers began to make their way to Little Rock, the 2nd Kansas was stayed as the rear guard and were the last to cross the bridge.

Some of the Union wounded were left behind, including some men from the Kansas regiment. They were taken to a field hospital, but some were then shot by Confederate officers, Walker said.

In the movie, two veterans of the 2nd Kansas are talking with President Lincoln at a train station as solders are headed to fighting in Virginia in 1865. They talk with the president about the battle.

According to one review published nationally, the scene introduces the issues facing Lincoln in the last months of the war that move him to work for passage of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, outlawing slavery in America.

Walker said the Battle of Jenkins Ferry left a permanent mark on the land.

“About five farms were destroyed, the corn trampled and the soil torn up,” he said. “People just moved away, and no one has lived there again.”

The battlefield is now covered with trees, and Walker said he would not venture into the battle area during deer season.

“There are still two burial trenches out there that have never been touched,” he said. “It has all been reclaimed by nature after what happened.”

Another reminder of the Civil War activity in the area is place names. Grant County, which was formed from out of Saline County, is named for the commanding general of the Union army and later president, Ulysses S. Grant, and the county seat is named for Gen. Philip Sheridan, a major Union commander in the western campaign of the war and cavalry general in Virginia.

The battlefield park beside Arkansas 46 is small and features a few picnic tables and a pavilion, along with a few historic markers.

Some of the markers are based on information gathered in 1961 during the Civil War Centennial. Walker said he found military engineers’ maps that unveiled two additional fields through which the battle raged, including Groom Field, where the Kansans fought.

Walker said he hopes the movie generates more interest in the battle and the park, not only locally, but around the country.

To get to Jenkins Ferry Battleground State Park from Sheridan, take Center Street to South Rose Street, and turn left on Arkansas 46. The battle field is about 12 miles from downtown Sheridan. The park is on the right.

Staff writer Wayne Bryan can be reached at (501) 244-4460 or wbryan@arkansasonline.com.

Tri-Lakes Edition Writer Wayne Bryan can be reached at 501-244-4460 or wbryan@arkansasonline.com.

By Everette Hatcher III | Comments (0)