John F. Kerry's Vietnam buddies are divided. Some of them contend that Kerry would make a great President. Most of them insist that he wouldn't. Their opinions are largely based upon Kerry's actions during and shortly after the Vietnam war. His Senate voting record certainly leaves much to be desired from the standpoint of national defense, a fact that could sway a military man's opinion. That notwithstanding, is it really fair to judge Kerry's potential as President based upon his decades-old millitary service?
The real question is this: If you knew, beyond any doubt, that John Kerry was a real war hero, would you then vote for him? The fact is that his Vietnam service may or may not be an indicator of his leadership capabilities. I have failed as a leader many times in the past, but judging my present leadership capabilities based upon my past performance might not be fair, because I just might have learned something from my mistakes. Kerry's service record is largely irrelevant to the question of whether or not he is fit to serve as our President.
The proper criterion by which any candidate--presidential or not--should be evaluated has been, and will remain, his understanding of the sanctity of human life. Virtually every other issue, from our right to bear arms, to individual liberty, to the proper role of the federal government, hinges upon whether or not a candidate understands the sanctity of human life; that is, "that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
If a candidate rejects the self-evident truth that the taking of innocent Life--be it via abortion, euthanasia, embryo reasearch, or what have you--is anathema to the very core of our nation's existence, then that candidate does not understand the sanctity of human life. He cannot, then, be expected to understand the broader concepts of the Constitution, which are predicated upon an understanding of the sanctity of human life. Therefore, he cannot represent the best interests of any citizen who values Life, and he cannot be trusted to defend the United States Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. He is not fit to govern; he needs instead himself to be governed.
The real question, then, is not how John Kerry acted in the war, but rather how he acts in the womb.
Kudos to the California Supreme Court for pointing out that elected public officials must obey the law (see the Fox News story)! Many people seem to be disappointed that the Court did not make some sort of sweeping ruling that would grant special legal rights to those who choose to engage in a depraved and dangerous lifestyle. Instead, the pesky court confined themselves to the "narrow issue" of an elected public official using his office to break the law. The nerve!
This "narrow issue" was, in fact, the entire issue. Nobody (except the leftist media, perhaps) expected the court to issue an edict against sodomizer "marriage"; most simply hoped that the court would remind Mr. Newsom that everyone, local officials included, must obey the law. California law, at present, recognizes that the institution of marriage, as defined by God, is a union between one man and one woman, and there is simply no such thing as "marriage" between same-sex couples. The California Supreme Court performed their constitutional duty to uphold the law.
The Court might easily have taken another route; notice what happened in Massachusetts, and is happening elsewhere. The past few decades have seen the courts take a radical departure from the precedent of thousands of years of civil law. For example, abortion is now protected under U.S. law, so we have to put up with baby-killing in our midst. In this case, though, the U.S. Supreme Court's rulings reversed, rather than upheld, existing law. Ditto for prayer in public school, and public display of the Bible, the cross, and the Ten Commandments. In short, the Word of God has been replaced by the Word of the Court. As a whole, these rulings ignore the fact that our civil law is predicated upon Biblical morality, and they mock the idea that the People are the final civil authority in our land. We the People are allowing ourselves to be ruled by black-robed tyrants, who change our laws at will, circumventing our elected legislatures and tearing at the very fabric of our society.
This is exactly why we must insist that the President nominate, and the Senate confirm without delay, God-fearing constructionist justices for the federal bench. If they refuse to do this, we need to elect those who will. When a federal judge steps outside his constitutional role of upholding the law, we must ensure that he is impeached post-haste. Otherwise, it won't be long before sane rulings, such as the one made by the California Supreme Court, will become a distant memory. Already, they are too few and far between.
I made a day trip to Bahrain to see my brother, who was on shore leave there. I'd tell you all about him, but I remember the old WWII slogan, "Loose lips sink ships," and just in case it's still true for the war on terrorism, suffice to say that I am very proud of my "little" brother, and his service as a soldier and as a father. Funny how we had to meet on the other side of the world in order to get to spend a whole day together. Life does seem to get in the way of relationships, doesn't it?
Bahrain gets you coming and going. It costs 5 dinars (about $8) for the visa to get through customs, and 3 dinars for the "airport tax" to get back out. Seems to me, if I pay them to get into the country, they should pay me to get out of the country. Since so many visitors to Bahrain come across the causeway from Saudi Arabia, there are road signs everywhere pointing out the direction back to Saudi Arabia...as if any sane human being would want to go back there without a direct order from God Himself.
After renting a Mazda M-6 and unsuccessfully trying to find a map of the area, I set out to pick up my brother, using the directions he had sent to my mobile phone via SMS. That got me within a few miles of him, anyway, and he put a helpful MP on the phone to talk me the rest of the way in. We hit several of the malls in Bahrain, a couple of restaurants (Seņor Paco's for lunch, Fuddrucker's for dinner), had Indian tea (sometimes called "karak" tea, brewed cowboy-style with cardemum, milk, sugar, and maybe some saffron), took in a movie (Shrek 2, hilarious), and attempted to catch up with each other's lives. We did finally manage to find a map, tucked away in the last bookstore in the last mall we visited. Let me know if you need a copy.
This was a rich day. When I figure up the cost of the airline ticket, car rental, meals and entertainment, I come up feeling like a man who has just paid a nickel for a pot of gold. This is not an advice column by any stretch, but I encourage the reader to look for opportunities to renew and cultivate relationships, because that's where rich living begins. Don't let life get in the way of living!