

When Politics Trumps Your Love, Your Soul Suffers






I'm setting my watch.

How about you?


Christiane said...

Thank you for this post, Wade. I needed it.

I was thinking about how love over-rules divisions among mankind and I thought "The Christmas Truce": that miracle that happened in WWI

some events reveal who we were really meant to be on this Earth, and that wonderful true story is one of them, and all because the hymn was recognized by both ‘sides’ and hearts were touched . . .

the 'truce' was heart-felt and sadly, passed as the next day, fighting resumed again.
But for a few hours, there was a kind of peace, like the Peace of Christ present on that battlefield and those young men sang to God that hymn in English and in German, and in another 'language' also, one that all of us who are human need to hear sung more among mankind.
May it be so.


Wade Burleson said...

You bet Christiane, I did too!

Rex Ray said...


So, you were 18 and voted for Ragan. I had on my machinist tool box: “Vote for Ragan” at General Dynamics where Robert Kennedy had the proof that they gave LBJ a $100,000 kick-back for receiving a contract to make the F-111 fighter plane.

Yesterday, I didn’t know our great speaker for a men's meeting at a First Baptist Church in Bonham, Texas was Abraham; your youth minister at Enid. He told of playing football for the Minnesota Vikings when they lost 15 of their 16 games. In high school, he was asked to led their team in prayer before a game started. He got a lot of criticism from his team mates for him asking God to help them accept Christ as their savior, but one player told him that took a lot of guts and wanted to hear more. Abraham let him to the Lord.

I asked him since Scripture states the brothers of Jesus did not believe in him, if Jesus had not appeared to James after Calvary, would James have believed in Him. He said he thought he would. Later, we talked and he had not heard of “Foxes Book of Martyrs” that tells how important James was to the Jews.

Rex Ray said...


Wonder if the “Civil War” might start over again between Democrats and Republicans? :)

Years ago, Democrats had the philosophy of Republicans today, and the same with Republicans. But they switch their thinking.

At ‘family reunions’ and ‘visits’ politics is a ‘no-no’ for discussion because I guess we practice the “6-oclock”.

Rex Ray said...


This story is not funny unless you look at it as being absurd and ridiculous.

Hez’s father-in-law owned some apartments. Hez was near them when a policeman said, “Coach, (Hez had been his wrestling coach) I’ve got a tip there’s two BAD guys here, but they’ll leave before ‘back-up’ arrives. The only way I can get them is to shoot them and I don’t want to do that. If you’ll help, I know we can take them.”

When they entered the room, a woman went from a bed to a closet and a guy jumped through a window. (neither had clothes)

Policeman yelled, I’ll chase this one, you get the guy in bed.”

He was under a blanket and Hez piled on top of him. It took a while for Hez to realize why he couldn’t pin him down because there were too many arms.

Hez was glad to get off the bed when the policeman came back with his guy in handcuffs and took command.

Christiane said...

wow, REX RAY, that sounds like a cross between a Chinese fire-drill and a 'clown car' scene. I have questions, but I'm afraid of the answers. :) It must have been quite a romp. Hez was good to try to help the policeman, but I question the policeman's judgement in calling on Hez for 'help'. (I've been watching the reality police shows and it's not safe out there on the streets, wow)

Hope all is well with you, or as good as is possible.

My Coast Guard son is moving up in the Coast Guard and, when they pay him if ever, he will get quite an increase in pay, which for a mom is always good to hear. But for now, no pay check this cycle. He says the young guys with wives and kids are struggling and if this carries on another month or so, they will be having some major problems, especially the ones with children. My son says, that when all this is over, and things 'change' politically, he thinks they will have legislation that won't this happen again to people in uniform. They've turned the Chief's Mess into a food bank, and the community is donating a LOT in order to help out, which is what this country is all about when hard times come. I hope the trouble is over soon for these young families. It's too much to put on them to ask for a service commitment and not to receive pay to support their families.... that's too much to ask in my opinion. They don't deserve this, no.

Rex Ray said...


As always, thanks for the reply. You’re quite funny yourself.

Yes, there needs to be some laws that Congress can’t break in caring for the Coast Guard and others that are not being paid.

I think ‘Term Limits’ should apply to those in Congress. It’s like they can become Kings, Dictators, you name it in that they answer to no one and can make laws that benefit only them.

I’m glad Trump had the means to stop Nancy from having a sight-seeing vacation at the expense of the taxpayer during the ‘shutdown’.

Wade Burleson said...


Abe told me he met you! I didn't even know he was speaking in Bonham. He's a great person, a wonderful staff member, and an excellent speaker!

Still reading your books - amazing stuff.

Rex Ray said...


Glad you’re liking the books. I agree Abe is a wonderful speaker.

I believe if Christians read Foxes Book of Martyrs, they understand the Book of James better in knowing how they should act but not how they became Christians. James was raised a Nazarite; never cut his hair etc.


That was James’s daily job. He was the only one allowed in the Holy Place where he prayed for Israel.

Because he testified for Jesus, he was thrown from the temple and later stoned. Later, when Israel fell, the people believed God was angry because of James’ death. They complained to the King so much, he ordered the temporary High Priest who order James’s death to be ‘fired’.

The question is: Why did James keep doing his ‘job’ if he understood Calvary eliminated it?

Anonymous said...

I could get on board in a hurry term limiting all 3 branches of the federal govt. And I would love to see this shutdown apply only to the paychecks of those three branches in leadership. As in no pay or money for congress, the executive branch, and supreme court only if there is a shutdown.

But then, having been born and raised in a border state (NM), having lived in border states or states bordering them (and on the interstate) a great deal of my life, with family still in those states, I do realize we have both a border war in progress and a humanitarian crisis.

I for one would like to see the wall, plus more of all the other border security, plus a whole bunch more federal assistance dealing with illegal aliens who do make it across. Some do need asylum. Some need to wait their turn for legal immigration. Some are just criminals coming either fleeing the law at home, to commit crime here (especially drug cartels), or both. Those need both us and their home countries to deal harshly with them.

I would like to see the govt give both the republicans and democrats pretty much an "all of the above" solution, including a limited daca program and a reinstated legal guest worker program beefed up and a stronger military presence to ensure a tight border.

And both Trump and Pelosi should have to live in Laredo or El Paso or better yet, Antelope Wells until this is settled.


Christiane said...

I am not a 'wall' person. To me, a 'wall' as a symbol represents something profoundly un-American and always will.
I realize others see this differently, and I am okay with that. People need to be able to express themselves on this topic freely without worrying about being dis-respected personally which IS a tenet of 'who we are' as an American people.

But I sure hope no American is at peace with sending our Coast Guard out to sea from San Francisco for deployment in the Pacific at a time when the guardians' families are left behind without financial support and will face eviction and all manner of hardship . . . . there is something profoundly wrong with the wealthiest nation on Earth doing this to the morale of its own who will defend this country with their lives if necessary.

We can do better than this.

Scott Shaver said...

Federal and military employees miss a paycheck or two and the moralizing "chicken littles" in this country go spastic screaming that the sky is falling.

Questions: During the government shutdown do these federal and military employees still have access to their medical benefits and other job-related perks? Are they in danger of losing back-pay when the government reopens?

Seems anymore that if Americans are not employed by state or local governments or the military they are little more than second-class citizens who are expected to pay taxes and quietly suffer the consequences of much longer term negative cash flow without the intervention of government or sympathetic business owners. Many of them have been in that position for years rather than 30, 60, 90 days without safety nets of any kind.

Probably explains why huge swaths of our society could currently care less if the government stays shut down indefinitely. Many of them no less willing to sacrifice their lives for the good of the nation collectively than those who receive government checks.

Their attitude: "Hey, join the club...and let's see how long you last before the squawking starts!"

Their attitude is "Hey, join the club".

Scott Shaver said...

If we don't need walls. Why do we need a Coast Guard?

Chris Riley said...

I wish we could have the courage to love beyond boundaries, care across lines, and have the courage to move against conventional wisdom for a better way of relationships. I miss the days of simple respect and moving forward.

Scott Shaver said...

What days were those?

Christiane said...

Hello Chris Riley,

I can appreciate your comment.
I found help for my own perspective in a film that I have watched every Lenten season:

"Men live together as brothers only in the Kingdom of Our Lord. No where else."

I also find some comfort in the Franciscan call to 'seek not so much to be understood as to understand';

but when it comes to seeing innocent people attacked, is good to take their part and defend them in so far as one is able to do it, which IS the Christian way revealed by the selfless example of Our Lord

Rex Ray said...

Scott Shaver,

Good point! The Coast Guard is like a WALL on water in protecting our borders, but their boats don’t do well on land.

We were in Florida once, and the Coast Guard had seized a boat full of drugs.

Richard Lamm, Governor of Colorado wrote:
“All great nations commit suicide with 7 steps.”

1. Have America to use more languages than English.

2. Encourage immigrants to maintain their culture.




6. Be labeled a “racist” if you disagree with ‘Victim’.

7. Make it impossible to enforce immigration laws.

Would anyone like to say if America has accomplished any of these steps?

It’s also been said, “All great nations fall from within.”

Lex Rex said...

Hey Wade,
Having voted for Reagan (who I should add was a decent man; a faithful husband, generally kept his word, etc) how come you still plan to vote for Trump? You are not being consistent! Or am I missing something? Truth as you well know is the center of our being.

Rex Ray said...

Les Rex,

I’m not Wade, but this is my opinion why I’ll vote for Trump again:

He’s NOT a politician.
He’s NOT afraid to tackle the impossible.
He fights FOR America.
He’s done MORE for us in a short time than most Presidents.
He’s DRAINED a lot of the swamp.
He BELIEVES and prays to God and doesn’t refer to the Koran as Holy as Obama did.
He’s trying his best to protect our Nation’s borders.
‘Fake News’ is AGAINST him.

Anonymous said...

If we don't need walls. Why do we need a Coast Guard? I agree 100%. The coast guard stops all the illegal immigrants who try to enter when land won’t work. We get so mad at the wall and southern border but not at the coast guard who do the same thing only on the water. Where is the outrage ?

Christiane said...

for them what does not understand the Coast Guard's mission, this may help some:

and environmental stewardship in U.S. ports and waterways. In this capacity, the Coast Guard protects and defends more than 100,000 miles of U.S. coastline and inland waterways, and safeguards an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) encompassing 4.5 million square miles stretching from North of the Arctic Circle to South of the equator, from Puerto Rico to Guam, encompassing nine time zones – the largest EEZ in the world. As one of the five Armed Services of the United States, the Coast Guard is the only military branch within the Department of Homeland Security.


The over 56,000 members of the Coast Guard operate a multi-mission, interoperable fleet
of 243 Cutters, 201 fixed and rotary-wing aircraft, and over 1,600 boats. Operational control of surface and air assets is vested in two Coast Guard geographical Areas (Pacific and Atlantic), nine Coast Guard Districts, and 35 Sectors located at strategic ports throughout the country. Six Mission Support Logistics and Service Centers provide services for operational assets and shore facilities. Coast Guard program oversight, policy development, and personnel administration are carried out at Coast Guard Headquarters located on the St. Elizabeths campus in Washington, DC"

a personal story from my USCG son's witness:
the cutter intersected with a 'boat' carrying Haitian refugees seeking to come ashore in Florida, and the 'boat', a shabby make-shift structure, was disintegrating and the people were endangered. The people were taken aboard the cutter and fed and given blankets and a medic checked some that needed help. My son, a new Coastie, was very moved by this experience. He said that, likely, if the Cutter had not come upon the refugees, they would have perished, as the 'boat' was not at all sea-worthy. I said to my son: 'Providence' and he nodded.

I believe the idea of 'the wall' seems an ineffective solution, but what the USCG does is modern and efficient and respectable service to our country, and above all deserves the $upport of our nation.

The USCG service members earn their pay and give good value for money in the spirit of the man who founded them: Alexander Hamilton, who said this:

— Alexander Hamilton, founder USCG


Anonymous said...

Thousands of people try to enter this country illegally every year by sea, many via highly dangerous and illegal smuggling operations. Intercepting these offenders at sea means they can be safely returned to their country of origin without the costly processes required if they had successfully entered the United States.

As the United States' primary maritime law enforcement agency, the Coast Guard enforces immigration laws at sea. The Coast Guard conducts patrols and coordinates with federal agencies and foreign countries to detain undocumented migrants at sea and prohibit entry via maritime routes to the United States and its territories.

From the coast guard website

Rex Ray said...

Google states Calvary was somewhere between 30 A.D. and 36 A.D.

It also states James, brother of Jesus, died in 62 A.D.

That would mean James kept his job as the Nazirite praying for the people from 26 to 32 years after:

“Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from the top to the bottom. (Matthew 27:50-51 NLT)

The “torn curtain” meant anyone can pray to God without James or anyone praying for them.

But James ‘sewed the curtain’ and it was business as usual. Catholics followed his footsteps.

Anonymous said...

Christiane--I agree all should be able to state their views without being disrespected.

You see walls and unAmerican. I have lived with the stranger at my door. Yes, some are simply good people trying to survive. But some are from the cartels and will kill you as easily as knocking on your door. And at 3 a m it is danged hard to know which is at the door. A wall-literal, electronic, however it is down is a metaphor in many ways for a secure border. Which we need. At the same time we need far more funds to screen so those truly in need of asylum go to the head of the line in legal immigration. And we need to aid those simply seeking economic asylum to find that in their own lands.

Borders are human constructs. If we had no borders we would still have areas under control of those who hurt people, and areas that cannot support an infinite populace. But common sense reason would also tell us that we cannot pile people up indefinitely in the more habitable areas that happen to have better rulers. Rather, we need long term to work to make all areas of this planet under good rule and as habitable as possible.

No easy answers, but a secure border is the starting point. Whether you call it a wall or not doesn't matter, no?


Scott Shaver said...

Appreciate their role nut do not see them as privileged citizens because of their chosen occupation. Live and expect no better than your fellow Americans. Is that not fair?

Scott Shaver said...

Coast Guard is our WALL on the water. Nothing more, nothing less. As far as "rescuing those in distress on the water", I am sure that no conscientious fisherman in a bass boat would attempt to do less.

Rex Ray said...


I’m abbreviating good comments you made.

1.state your views without being disrespected.
2.some are good people…cartels will kill you…at 3 a m it’s hard to know which is at door.
3.more funds to screen those in need of asylum go to head of line in legal immigration.
4.aid those in their own lands.
5.Secure border is starting point.

Last week, I experience number (2) a 3 A.M. when I woke to hear knocking. We live 200 feet form a country road while two other houses are around 1,000. Around 250 cars go by every day and our doors are locked at night. Did someone need help or would I be looking at a gun? I turned on the porch light to look through the glass but the bulb had burned out. I finally opened the door a little but no one was there. Never figured out what made the noise.

Christiane said...

Good Morning REX RAY,

good that you got up and checked when you heard a noise . . . I remember a time when I didn't and this is a true story:

early morning, I am resting with the flu and my husband had gone to work ..... I did hear a 'thump' but it was muffled and I thought it was something that was happening out on a nearby highway, so medicated me goes back to sleep . . . bad mistake

soon, the doorbell is ringing non-stop and I get up, throw on my robe, and come to the front door of the house, open the door and nearly faint from what I saw!

It was the Police, and there was a pick-up truck up on our front porch balanced precariously against what had been a window shutter, with one wheel off the porch . . . boy did I wake up fast!

It seems a young kid came speeding around a bend on our road, lost control, and tried to break, nearly missing two large trees in our front yard (there IS a God!) and ended up on the front porch in a precarious position! He was barely seventeen years old, just a young pup of a boy. HE WASN'T HURT, THANK GOD!!!

I was so sorry I didn't get up when I heard that noise, but cold and flu medicine can mess with your hearing, I suppose, but if the child (he really was a young seventeen) had been injured, I wouldn't have forgiven myself for not responding to the 'thump'.....

all that was lost was a streak of tire marks on our front lawn where the boy braked, a box-wood bush by the front stairs, and a bit of a mess by the window where the truck took out a shutter . . . . no big deal, as the boy was not injured, once again thank God!
His father replaced the shutter and did some repairs to the porch himself, and we asked for no money from him for the box-wood as it was a bit straggly from the winter anyway.

So all was well, except I am up and on my feet when I hear noises at night, and I don't take flu medicine anymore, I get flu shots instead (wisdom comes hard sometimes, yes).

The policeman talked about punishing the boy, but I said, 'You can't, he's just a kid.'
Then he explained he meant for the boy to attend court and to get some classes in safe driving, and I saw the wisdom in that, of course. Whew! THE BOY WAS SAFE. How could I be mad at him? I wanted to HUG him, I was so glad he was 'okay'. What a close call.

So you did good to get up and check. You never know when some young kid is going to slam his father's pick up truck up onto your front porch. You can't make this stuff up.
I called my husband and told him to get home, he had to see this . . . and he also was amazed that the child was safe. God is merciful. I was so thankful. Still am. :)

Rex Ray said...




Flu-shots; YES

Anonymous said...

In their increasing effort to prove they are needed to stop the flow of drugs, the Coast Guard has continued to go further and further out into these international waters. When they capture these boats, the people on the boats—who are often indentured servants to drug lords trying to feed their families—are brought aboard these floating prisons and shackled to the deck outside, in the elements.

However, they aren’t shackled to the deck of a ship for a few hours or even a few days. These torturous waits can last for weeks or months, according to the Times.

The Coast Guard claims they can keep these folks in such torturous conditions because they aren’t under arrest until they get back to the United States. In the NY Times article, Seth Freed Wessler reported this story and covered the case of one person who happened to endure time on one of these floating prisons.

Wessler explained that Jhonny Arcentales, a fisherman who was paid to drive a boat to South America and Central America, was caught up in one of these busts.

Scott Shaver said...

Wow. Will check this story out. Would much rather be shackled on land than at sea.

Scott Shaver said...

Found a boat load of news reports on the Coast Guard's "floating prisons". They are now requesting a prison ship.

Rex Ray said...


Have you read “Foxe’s Book of Martyrs” that was first published in England 1563 A.D.?


“The book was produced and illustrated with over sixty distinctive woodcut impressions and was at that time the largest publishing project ever undertaken in England.”

My father told me I should read his book, but I didn’t do it for 20 years. There’s an easy to read (modern English) written but it makes James (brother of Jesus) look like a Baptist preacher.

While we’re waiting for another of Wade’s post, I’ll tell a story I’ve told before.

There’s something about 3 A.M. That’s when a policeman knocked on my door and said, “We’ve arrested a man in your backyard, and we’re looking for another one. My wife of 55 years had met Jesus, and I lived alone. That night my grandson, was visiting me. He had heard a disturbance and walked out the back door. He really got shook up: “Put your hands in the air!” (Several police had their guns on him.)

The guy they’d arrested was a passenger when his buddy tried to avoid a speeding ticket. He took an abandoned road that ended where a bridge used to be. They split up. The driver fell and hurt his leg so bad a man that gave him a ride took him to a hospital where he was arrested later.

The passenger was released the next day and came back to find his glasses. Said he’d been down the slide.

Christiane said...

Hello REX RAY,


LOL . . . . sounds harmless enough, but you never know

about eight years ago, during summertime, (we have a gated backyard with a large in-ground pool) I saw two grown young men in my backyard and I went out and asked them what was the matter. They were rude and said that they were 'looking for something', and I asked them WHY they hadn't come to the front door of the house and rang the bell and asked for permission to come in to the back yard . . . . again, they were quite rude and acted like they had a right to be there, whereupon I asked them to leave the property immediately and they DID. (I used my best authoritative teacher voice and it worked.) Now, I examined the gate and realized that they had to have reached over the gate and lifted the iron bar off the latch in order to enter, which a grown-up could do if they were tall enough, but no child could possibly do (which kept children out of the pool area unsupervised). I never saw them again.

My husband said I should have called the police, but our neighbor at the time was a police detective, so I always felt a certain amount of security because it is a very good neighborhood. I figured maybe these men (they were young) had hit a ball or frisbee or something over the fence, maybe, but I could not imagine what they were really up to. . . .

In retrospect, I should have called the police. My bad.

Now across the street, my neighbor Foster had a burglar hide in his crawl space, but the police were already in pursuit of the guy and the police dog helped locate the culprit.

For a 'safe' neighborhood, we have our own stories, yep. (P.S. if I had been that 'passenger' come back to find my glasses, I would have gone down your slide TOO! ) :)

Christiane said...

more on the experiences of my Coast Guard son:

he has been on many cutters over the years and yes, they will 'shackle' drug-runners on the deck with the canopy overhead, and a Coastie is on duty there with a weapon so there is no funny business;
when the prisoners are taken into port, they are turned over to the proper authorities by the Coast Guard but until then, they are treated as humanely as possible and eat well on the sea rations that feed our own Coasties . . . they have coverings against the cold, but it is a temporary and not ideal situation . . . BTW, many of the cutters are over fifty years old and the crew live in compartments that are less comfortable than found in many of our nation's prisons, so it might be time to think about how they serve without complaint as it is the USCG command that speaks for the need for modern cutters.

My son is an honorable person who has not seen any prisoners abused during his service, and he is confidant that the code of the USCG definitely supports the humane treatment of all taken aboard any USCG cutter. I believe my son's witness. He does say that sadly, many of these drug-runner prisoners are forced to do the bidding of the drug lords who will kill their families if they do not participate in the drug-running. Which leads me to wonder about WHY it is that so many who would put down our service men and women would ALSO deny refugees a chance to come to our country for a better life, or for live itself (?)

I see 'the wall' as a terrible racist symbol and as the daughter of an immigrant from Canada, I have only contempt for the many lies told about the characters of so many who flee from the violence, bullying, and terrorism that of the drug cartels in their homelands. (If our many of own citizens were not so great of customers of illegal drugs, would there be so much of a need for decent souls to want to flee from the drug cartels???)

SAFE, wise, border security is needed. Yes. But a vanity wall for a spoiled childish temperamental bully? I don't see it. Our country is stronger and more responsible and will find the better way through this trial. A better symbol for our country? THIS is who we are:

Scott Shaver said...

Sounds to me In your case Christianne that "honor" exists only in the eye of the beholder...or should I say the mother.

Scott Shaver said...

Floating prisons in International waters sounds far worse than anything our President seeks to accomplish at the border. Again, if we don't need walls and border security, who needs a Coast Guard? Double-standard is glaring here.

Scott Shaver said...

She has now transitioned from blasting President Trump to blasting unnamed U.S. citizens.

Anonymous said...

Christiane, you yourself said your son is a newbie. Look up the articles and you will be shocked. Far worse than the land border. Nobody is accusing your son of doing anything but the organization he belongs to is far more sinister than you want to believe. You harp on the border all the time but now is the time to be outraged by the coast guard. Read the articles !!!!!!

Christiane said...


Scott Shaver said...

Does the American thirst for drugs also apply to those who often and repeatedly admit to being under the influence of prescription meds?

Scott Shaver said...

When progressive liberal agendas grow to the point of endangering an entire nation and the inhabitants thereof, YES! I'm willing to sacrifice "friendships" for the sake of politics.

Anonymous said...


Scott Shaver said...

One can always make new and better "friends". Cycle of life.

Scott Shaver said...

Great quote. Whose words?

Scott Shaver said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Scott Shaver said...

Would appear that Christianne's "contempt" applies only to those who would shackle the "victims" of druglords on land rather than at sea.

Scott Shaver said...

Full-term abortions at will and the collapse of U.S. borders were not on the table in the days of Reagan and O'Neil.

This ain't Kansas anymore Dorothy!

Scott Shaver said...

Big Pharma...the distinctly "American" and whitewashed drug cartel.

Scott Shaver said...

Sounds like Christianne should get out of her gated and fenced backyard with swimming pool and spend a few days down here with us on the Texas/Mexico border.

Anonymous said...

It’s easy to be a proogresssive while sitting around the swimming pool and surfing the internet all day cherry picking only the articles you want. I would have thought at Christianes age with a big house and pool she would be hosting immigrant families there. Oh well there is the rest of us.

Scott Shaver said...


Scott Shaver said...

Another argument for border walls is to protect illegal immigrants from the kind of frustrated American land owners who will shoot them with high powered scopes and rifles when spotted trespassing and simply cover the bodies with bulldozers. Nobody knows the number of hidden and unmentioned graves scattered like potsherds along 1200 miles of desert-like terrain down south.

Rex Ray said...


“In August 2016, WikiLeaks denied direct communication with Stone. Stone then said his communication had been though a "mutual friend" and "go-between," and he "continued to communicate with members of the Trump Campaign" about what WikiLeaks might have from Hillary Clinton and the Democratic National Committee.”

This link left off Roger Stone’s descriptive arrest as a “circus” by 17 FBI agents before sunrise as if he was a terrorist.

Stone said the FBI treated him nicely, but he would have reported to them by a phone call.

At his interview on TV, it was hard to hear him over all the angry voices. It wouldn’t surprise me if they were paid by Hillary because she had been exposed in destroying her many emails rather than turning them over to the FBI.

Christiane said...

Good Morning, REX RAY

The FBI is on alert for our national security and this is possible reason why the FBI pulled a morning raid with an immediate arrest of Stone:

"In February 2017, The New York Times reported that as part of its ongoing investigation into the Trump campaign, the FBI was looking into any contacts Stone may have had with Russian operatives.[112]

In March 2017, after reports surfaced in The Washington Times that Stone had direct-messaged alleged DNC hacker Guccifer 2.0 on Twitter, Stone admitted to having contact with the mysterious persona and made public excerpts of the messages. Stone claimed the messages were just innocent praise of the hacking.[113] According to a publicly released report by U.S. intelligence agencies, the U.S. intelligence community believes Guccifer 2.0 to be a false persona created by Russian intelligence to obscure its role in the DNC hack.[114] The Guccifer 2.0 persona has since been linked with an IP address believed to originate at the Russian intelligence agency, GRU, in Moscow; apparently this was discovered by the FBI when a user with a Moscow IP address logged into one of the Guccifer social media accounts without using a VPN.[115]

In March 2017, the Senate Intelligence Committee asked Stone to preserve all documents related to any Russian contacts.[116] The Committee Vice Chair, Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), called on Stone to testify before the committee, saying he "hit the trifecta" of shady dealings with Russia."

Rex Ray, you do realize that the FBI and the CIA on on anything suspicious to do with Americans interacting with Russian intelligence? It is considered a matter of national security and it is their business to investigate all such contacts for the sake of our country.

Not saying Stone is a 'traitor', no. You can't be a 'traitor' if you are not 'at war' with the country to which you are giving aid to or receiving aid from, and technically we are not 'at war' with Russia, other than the 'cyber-war' invasion which has been confirmed. No, likely Stone is just another grifter up to his ears in lies and witness tampering and he will be judged according to our legal system fairly in time. Is he a traitor at heart?
Or just a foolish super-smart, super-arrogant grifter?

Rex Ray said...


You said, “The FBI is on alert for our national security and this is a POSSIBLE reason why the FBI pulled a morning raid…”

Hey! The same could be said if they arrested anyone; (Christiane, Wade, Rex, Pope, etc.)

I believe they arrested Robert Stone because whoever tells the FBI what to do wanted to make Stone look guilty as if given a chance he would run.

And ‘night raid’ would be more correct when people are still asleep.

You quoted the New York Times. Ha, ha

A Politico article states Donald Trump has frequently criticized The New York Times on his Twitter account. Trump labels the NYT as “fake news”, “naive”, “dumb”, and “the failing New York Times.”

I believe people’s opinions may be based whether they watch CNN or Fox news.

As far as the CIA goes, they may still answer to no one. That’s the way it was when John F. Kennedy was alive. He found out they planned to kill Castro and he was going to do away with the CIA. It’s been said they did away with him.

I hope the FBI is more honest than when J. Edgar Hoover was head of it.

“Hoover considered his FBI more important than Congress or the President. He referred to the FBI as the Seat of Government. His secret memo written within minutes of Oswald’s death to all FBI Departments said, Our job is to convince the American public that Oswald is the real assassin. Hoover was one of the most morally corrupt men to ever serve our country.” (Written in James Tague’s book, “LBJ and the Kennedy Killing”.

I think the cartoon of B.C. in today’s paper about sums up America today.

“CHAOS: A sustained state of affairs that serves both news media and government at the expense of everyday people.”

Scott Shaver said...

Kudos Rex Ray, the depth of your homespun wisdom is always a pleasure to read.

Scott Shaver said...

Hoover was a bonafide basket case and the tradition continues in exponential spades.

Rex Ray said...

Scott Shaver,

“homespun, huh? Ok, I can live with that. Thanks.

There’s bound to be BIG MONEY that’s fighting Trump. I think his worst enemy is the person who he beat for President. These links tell how that money was made.


Peter Schweizer a former speech-writing consultant for President George W. Bush, wrote a book, “Clinton Cash: The Untold Story of How and Why Foreign Governments and Businesses Helped Make Bill and Hillary Rich”.

This book states: “Hillary Clinton used her clout as secretary of state to do favors for foreign donors who gave millions to the Clinton Foundation — and who paid millions more to her husband, in speaking fees. Records show that of the $105 million the former president raked in from speeches over 12 years, about half came during his wife’s four-year tenure at the State Department. This raised questions what actions Hillary took in her official capacity in exchange for cash.


“Clinton's tax returns show that she and former President Bill Clinton have made $240 million since leaving the White House, thanks largely to speaking engagements and books. Forbes attributes a large portion of that—$189 million—to Bill Clinton, leaving Hillary with a $51 million profit so far.”

Scott Shaver said...

"Homespun" is the best kind of wisdom IMO Rex. Born of real life wisdom and healthy spiritual substance.

Stands in opposition to the kind of facism being cloaked as "enlightenment" coming out of political, educational and church "leadership" circles these days.

Christiane said...

I like to think that, in time, we will have a country with less emphasis on 'the important people' a.k.a. 'the super wealthy';
and, in time, ALL of our citizens will live in a better situation for humane treatment and opportunities for achieving a better life, which is something that used to be 'standard' for our citizens, unless they were discriminated against. Now, in our present time, we have a very large gap growing between our 'middle class' and the super-wealthy, with less and less opportunity for people in the middle class to improve their situation, educate their children, and be debt-free by retirement age.

The one thing I think will help ALL of our people is a national health-care system, with advantages like those in Congress now enjoy for THEIR health care. We can afford it, but it will have to be paid with some of those funds USUALLY handed over to the extremely wealthy and the large corporations in our own present time, in short: re-design the tax system so that the super-wealthy and corporations pay their fair share. It's time.

We could build on the current Medicare system and expand it, or adopt systems like they have in civilized nations like Canada and the Scandinavian countries for THEIR medical care. It's just time to do the right thing. The super-wealthy and the corporations do not 'trickle down' to the middle class, no. So let's take another look at fair taxation and live with a little more 'homespun' wisdom: if it ain't trickling down, then giving the bulk of our tax benefits to the super wealthy and corporations is NOT good for the rest of us American people. . . . the time for fairness has come. Looking forward to better days.

Rex Ray said...

Yesterday’s newspaper:

“Roger Stone, 66, was arrested at his Fort Lauderdale, Florida home in an early-morning raid Friday that was filmed by CNN. He is free on a $60,000 bond and is to be arraigned in Washington on Tuesday.”

(I wonder how did CNN know about the raid? Maybe the money behind CNN instigated the raid?)

“Trump asked what about the lying to Congress by Comey, Brennan, Clapper, Lisa Page & lover, Baker, and so many others? Trump’s ire over Stone’s arrest led him to return to a favorite topic: Hillary Clinton’s emails. He tweeted, “What about Hillary lying to the FBI and her 33,000 deleted Emails? What about Lisa & Peter’s deleted texts & Anthony Wiener’s laptop?”

It seems to me in our government if people are against Trump they obtain a “get out of jail card”.

Scott Shaver said...


I find your comments regarding the "super wealthy" and "important people" in the U.S. both UNAMERICAN and UNCHRISTIAN as follows.

1. People in the U.S. capitalistic system who are able to accumulate wealth (massive wealth) do so for two reasons. To either pass that wealth along or to hand it off. The world has benefited immensely since the onset of the Industrial Revolution primarily due to that characteristic of wealthy people who have the freedom to operate in a capitalistic system.

2. Your expressed longing for outside control and regulation of the "important" and "super wealthy" reveals at least a measure of ENVY if not hatred on your part, both attitudes expressly forbidden in our holy writ. It is the desire to HAVE or CONTROL that which DOES NOT BELONG to you.

Perhaps you would be more comfortable in a purely socialistic society.

Have a nice day.

Scott Shaver said...

At least we in America still have a "Middle Class". Christianne proposes a society in which there are only two classes. The ruling elite and everybody else.

Anonymous said...

"The more you bring back the people into the sphere of faith, of ideals, the more will it cease to regard material distress as the one and only thing which counts."

Scott Shaver said...


Rex Ray said...

Today’s Radio politics commentator:

Democrats were praising Nancy Pelosi how she triumphed over Trump. Trump will get five billion to protect the border, but Democrats insist it CANNOT be named a “Wall”. It can be called a ‘barrier’ or words to that effect but not a wall.

Makes me wonder how petty can you get, or do we have spoiled children in Congress?

Scott Shaver said...

Happening now, five police officers shot serving warrant in SE Houston. 2 suspects dead. One still barricaded.

Can't confirm but all sounds very cartel or gang related.

Christiane said...

THIS is 'who we are' as a nation, not a bunch of people intent on slandering lies about our Coast Guard service men and women. So very proud of these Americans today! Kudos to the patriotic citizens of Kileen TX, I honor you.


Christiane said...

"Justice" has to do with 'right' and 'wrong'; not with power and control, but lately that idea has got confused among good people and if it does not return to a good place, we will have lost something precious in our land

The many definitions of 'social justice' that have to do with power and control are usually pro the powerful, of course. And those the powerful see as their 'opponents' are then labeled 'the bad guys' and are seen as threatening the status quo.

But there is another definition of 'social justice' and it has to do with restoring respect for 'right' and in this definition, there is a thought that a powerful person or group doesn't have the 'right' to hurt the rest of us because they can, because of their greed, because they can lawfully poison the water and the air for whole communities where they would not set foot themselves. . . .

It is the group that destroys for greed that usually bad-mouths 'social justice' because they fear losing money if their schemes to make it at all costs, even human safety and health, are halted for the sake of 'the common good'. 'The common good'? A socialist term?
No. It means that NO government or group of wealthy politicians EVER has the right to poison innocent citizens so that the powerful can increase their wealth. It means American citizens, regardless of their status, have the right not to be poisoned with bad, lead-tainted water and 'social justice' means that those who have knowingly done the poisoning must be held accountable to clean it up. God will deal with those who knowingly support the ones who poisoned the innocent for profit. But for those of us with consciences, best avoid the greedy powerful interests who 'promise' but never deliver 'justice' for the unborn, while making the lives of living children hell on Earth.

some thoughts about 'justice'

A long time ago it was said that you could tell the goodness of a people from how they cared for the children of their COMMUNITY, how they cared for the sick, how they cared for those unable to care for themselves because of advanced age, or disability. So if we want to take our temperature as a nation, we need to look at the well-being of them which cannot survive without our care...... even if it costs us time and effort and money, for the sake of the One for Whom we witness before the watching world. The Good News never was 'I'm saved and I don't need to do anything to help the suffering people around me, so I won't.'

The Good News tells of a Savior Who teaches us to give of ourselves abundantly to those He places in our paths who are in great need of our kindness. In giving, we receive. There is no 'gospel' of selfish self-centered greed in a world where suffering is.

Scott Shaver said...

Good morning Comrade Christianne.

Glad to see those meds are kicking in.

Christiane said...

Good news yesterday!

"Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says Islamic State and al-Qaida militants still pose a “serious threat” to the United States — and he's cautioning the Trump administration against an early exit from Syria and Afghanistan."

When McConnell stands up to Putin, maybe DT will think twice about following Putin's plan to take over the Middle East. Even Republican senators now are beginning to look after our nation's interests over Putin's wishes and that confrontation with Trump signals a sea-change in the power of Putin to call the shots for our 'foreign policy'.

Good to see some strength and backbone coming back into the Republican Party. And yesterday's panel of United States intel leaders confronted Trump's many lies by telling the truth to the nation. These leaders were all appointed by Trump, but they are showing loyalty to the nation. Not one time did the subject of 'the wall' or 'caravans' come up because it is not something they perceive as important to the nation.

All I can say is 'thank God' adults are taking responsibility. Putin's power was greatly diminished yesterday. We can be thankful as he is an enemy of our country, without doubt, and for reasons we do not fully yet understand, Putin seems to have undue influence over Trump. It's getting interesting.

Kudos to McConnell, CIA Director Gina Haspel, FBI Director Christopher A. Wray, and Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats for their patriotic stand against Putin. The 'system' of our government is holding. There is patriotism among our leaders with some real loyalty to the United States of America. I am encouraged.

Rex Ray said...


I agree Putin is an enemy of our country, but I think you’ll agree our worst enemy is the ‘division in our country’.

This is a link how bin Laden was murdered.



Many people in the White House watched a movie from a drone. Obama was one of them. They knew how tall ben Laden was to be sure they’d killed the right man, a man of his height was compared to the body. Obama was angry they didn’t have a tape measure. DNA of his blood proved he was bin Laden.

I believe he was murdered because there were no weapons near him and he was trying to hide. I also believe he was killed because ‘Dead men don’t talk’.

I’m glad Roger Stone wasn’t killed when he opened his door and a rifle was pointed at his chest. Now he CAN talk or can he? We watched TV and it was obvious someone didn’t want him to be heard because of all the yelling. (Were these people being paid by Hillary?)

His arrest in some ways was more elaborate than bin Laden. Besides the armored vehicles in front of his house, there was an ‘Assault Amphibious Vehicle in water behind his house. He said, “I can’t even swim.”

His arrest was as bad as Hitler’s secret police called the SS Gestapo!

I can’t imagine anything worse unless its Nancy Pelosi President and Hillary Vice President. :)

Christiane said...


Good morning!

Just a word about Roger Stone, this:
He had threatened a witness with death, and even though he does tend to exaggerate, the Feds took him at his word and behaved accordingly with his arrest.

I think he's crazy, and a traitor to our American way of life. But being crazy, I wouldn't hold him so much to account as some others who KNEW EXACTLY what they were doing vis a vis Russian ..... for them, I think they should be prosecuted to the max. (unless of course, they cooperate with Mueller)

Everyone thinks the next arrest may be Jr. but we shall see. If it IS 'Jr.', then OMG will things go crazy, but at least now, I have some faith in McConnell and some more of the Republican senators than I did the day before yesterday (thank God).

Hope you doing good. I've just been to my doctor and found out he's retiring. Oh well.
We can count on 'changes' in this life so not surprised. Be well.

This whole political thing will work itself out and in the process we will all learn some lessons. It's painful. But I am confident we will survive all this trouble, yes.

Rex Ray said...


I set out to prove you wrong in saying Stone threatened a person with death, so I checked with a source I trust:


After reading this link, I believe Stone should be ‘tarred and feathered’. (No smiley face)

His first ‘trick’ (that he calls smart) is recorded when he was 8 years old. He wanted JFK to be president and told his classmates that his opponent, Nixon, was in favor of having school on Saturdays.

Of course everything Stone did was not bad. Of the five books he wrote, I agree with “The Man Who Killed Kennedy” and tells LBJ was behind the conspiracy.

Rex Ray said...


A lot of things remind me of my twin brother, Hez, being like Stone in tricking people to get what he wanted. While kids, Hez had a lot of practice on our younger sisters. Candy was scarce, but we got some from Mother when we went to town and ate it in the car while she was shopping. Once, he acted and sounded like a monkey while saying, “Feed the monkey.” When their candy was gone, he enjoyed eating his in front of them.

Another time when Mother came back, our sisters were crying their eyes out because Hez had told them a sad story. “WHY ARE YOU CRYING?”
“The puppy died!”

Once, we bet a dime with our sisters that we could beat them to the end of the field picking four rows of cotton while they picked two rows. When they got ahead, Hez started telling them a long made up story about something. When he stopped picking, they did also and didn’t notice I kept picking our rows. (Maybe I was the sucker on that deal.)

Well, there’s too many stories to tell. His ‘tricking days’ are over as he has to be helped from a wheel chair to bed etc. He lives with his daughter in Seattle. I told her that Judy and I planned to visit them several days around our birthdays. She said it would be an answer to prayer if we could change to a later time as they’d been unable to find someone to stay with Hez while she and her husband (he’s a pastor) had to go to a Conference. So, we’ll be there latter.

Christiane said...

sorry to hear your brother is so poorly these days, but at least he has his daughter's care and that is important . . .

my husband is one of seven sons, the youngest, and boy howdy, does he have stories to tell of the 'trickster' type, in which he was most often, the 'victim' . . . but he endured, and did that with a great sense of humor, but he is 'steel-town tough as nails' and, with all of his memories that were difficult, he has a good will about him that is remarkable

I guess living with 'tricksters' is challenging, but there comes a time when most of them grow up . . . and if they don't, you always hope there are some adults in the room to supervise the goings-on, preferably adults with a moral and ethical code of honor;
especially in the world of politics these days

People like Stone rejoice in their 'trickster' image and reap much pleasure from publicity; but I guess he crossed some lines that you don't cross in our country without being held accountable, and now he is in trouble. No doubt he will plead 'not guilty' but Mueller's charges are backed up with evidence on top of evidence gathered way before Stone's arrest, so Mueller isn't wasting anyone's time. Will Stone be treated fairly? I think so. But he will be held accountable as we are first and last, a nation of laws and none of us is above the law.

Again, sorry Hez is so poorly these days. You must be worried. I know how it is to be worried about a family member who is not well. May you be comforted, my friend.

Scott Shaver said...

"Accountability"? Hillary crossed lines, Comey crossed lines, DOJ, FBI et al ad infinitum. Some things you get away with in THIS country like smooth criminals. Party and politics seem to be the determinative factors.

"Principles" are things of the past Comrade Christianne.

Scott Shaver said...

Reality defines "what we are as a nation". Not the musings of a lady with a laptop sipping margaritas beside her swimming pool in a fenced and gated backyard.

Rex Ray said...


How’s this for a trick?

One night, Hez’s daughters and wife found out what he had done when they saw the local Seattle TV news. They showed a house being torn down by machinery and hauled away in dump trucks. (Hez had called the TV Station to film the project.) They asked him to explain.

He said it was a drug house that the community had tried in vain to get removed for many years. Several children had died there. Hez compared it to the “Boston Tea Party”.

Christiane, now comes the “Rest of the Story” of why/how the “trick”.

Hez had bought an old house to fix up and sell. Across the ‘farm-to-market-road’ from him was a vacant damaged ‘drug house’ that he knew nothing about. Some of it caught fire when they burned the evidence of drugs.

He was almost finished with his house when a bunch of ‘druggies’ started living in the house across the road. They’d been released after serving time in jail.

Hez talked to the City and learned they had a $3,000 fine against the house and the owner was the main drug lord. Hez thought of a plan.

The owner told him every time the City presented the fine, they deeded the house to another relative which had been going on for years.

Hez told him the community didn’t like the house where it was and they’d move it free farther down the road out of the City’s jurisdiction which would do away with the fine.

“Where’d you move it?”

“Your father-in-law owns land a few miles down the road.”

“I like the idea. I’d rather have it there anyway.”

“Just sign this paper authorizing us to move it, and we’ll get started right away.”

Christiane said...

THAT's tricky! LOL

was a wonderful old man in a town in northern Jersey where we had a lake-house for years and years . . . he was of Irish descent and had a number of boats in his yard, mostly really old and worn out, but there was one that was his pride and joy

came time for the annual St. Patrick's Day parade down the main street of the town and the lake association was looking for an old boat to be donated so they could make a 'pirate ship' float out of it for the parade . . .

sooooo . . . the old man said, I'm working tomorrow, but you can go by MY house and get one of the old wooden boats to use for the float

next day, one of the lake residents, a carpenter from Hungary, went and got the boat and began to work . . . he called up the old Irishman and told him 'Thank you for that beautiful boat in your front yard . . . we went and got it and sawed it in half and we are busy creating a great float for the parade . . . but that boat was awfully nice . . . .

the old Irishman came driving up to the clubhouse to see the Hungarian carpenter, thinking all the while that the guy had taken his GOOD BOAT and ruined it !!!!

but the Hungarian was kidding him and took only one of the old wooden junk boats . . . no harm done, except the old Irishman never got over the shock and the whole town laughed when they heard the story

the float? It won first prize. Beautiful!!! a Hungarian and an old Irishman with big hearts made the town proud . . . north Jersey was blessed with talented immigrants, yes :)

Anonymous said...

Christine, now that we know you have a house with a swimming pool and used to have a lake house please enlighten us on how easy it is to champion for the few but refuse to give up what you have for the greater.

Anonymous said...

someone needs a good laugh


Rex Ray said...


To finish the story of ‘Hez vs. drug guy’; his two daughters that lived nearby would not let their families visit their father for fear the drug guy would put a bomb in his house. But much later, his oldest daughter, Debbie, and her husband, Eddie, came from Arizona to visit. At the same time his son, Hez Jr. came. He’d been in the Navy.

The two Hez’s stayed up late talking when they heard a knock on the door. They opened the door but no one was there. After the third knock, they figured someone was hiding in the bushes and Hez told his son, “Code Red’! (They turned all lights off.)

They threw his small dog in the bushes, but nothing. This woke Debbie, and she asked what was wrong. Their explanation scared her and she wanted Hez to call the police. He said no, and she went back to bed.

After a while she came back laughing. Said that every time Eddie started snoring, she would knock on the headboard to make him stop.

Rex Ray said...


Your story of the ‘old boat vs. new boat’ parade was funny, but I’ll tell about a ‘Hez parade’ that wasn’t funny.

He was a coach in the high school at the time. He planned to have his best trampoline student to demonstrate his skills as they pasted the ‘parade judges’. It was a spur of the moment idea that left little time for the students to prepare. They had everything ready when Hez arrived but told him they couldn’t find a trailer. The parade was to start in a few hours.

Hez drove through the countryside looking for a trailer. Found one but the owner wasn’t home. He took it and they made the parade with his student jumping very high and looking good. When they passed the judges, the jumper was lying flat on the trampoline as he had knocked himself out on a ‘red-light’ the block before.

Meanwhile the owner of the trailer had called the police about his trailer being stolen. Watching the parade on TV, he recognized his trailer and called the police again. They were waiting for Hez at the end of the parade.

Anonymous said...

Rex - The sky is falling! :) Ken


Christiane said...

Yikes! But Hez only 'borrowed' the trailer for the parade, of course, which must have been his 'defense' (since the owner wasn't home to be asked properly for the loan) . . . but since the owner didn't know who 'borrowed' it, he assumed the worst, and that's the goodest spin I can put on this)

It is comical that the student was jumping very high and looking good and then gets knocked out by a red light . . . unless of course, he was seriously hurt.

I don't think Hez had a bad intent there, but IF he had left a note for the owner of the trailer, he might have avoided getting arrested . . . maybe. . . 'just sayin and all'

What happened in court? Was the student okay after he woke up from being knocked out by the light?

This 'story' is epic, REX RAY. Another classic. Only in America! :)

Scott Shaver said...

I was asking myself the same question, Anonymous. If in her concern for the welfare of innocent children she thinks walls at the Southern border are "unchristian" or "unAmerican"...would she at least be willing to erect one around the Archdiocese of Galveston TX?

Anonymous said...

You can't make this stuff up: Liberty University fireman/Prophet Mark Taylor:
check out his proto-type in character fireman Randel Portman, scroll down for Portman's interview about his super powers

Rex Ray said...


The ‘trampoline student’ being “knocked out” was only temporary and he continued jumping after the Judges were passed.

Yes, if Hez had left a note, things would have been different. Maybe he didn’t have a pencil, maybe he thought he’d return the trailer before the owner returned; I don’t know.

In Fairbanks, Alaska, Hez was well known as he was the ‘Alethic director of Fairbanks, and a lot of what he did or was done to him was put in the local paper. It could have been the time his father-in-law slammed the newspaper on the table and told his wife, “IF THEY STRING THAT BOY UP, WE’LL HAVE OUR DAUGHTER AND FIVE GRANDKIDS LIVING WITH US!”

Hez’s wife told me this year that a lot of times she’d learn what he’d done by reading the paper.

Anonymous said...


everette said...

Building a wall around the Archdiocese would not do any good. The victims were already within its walls. Similarly, the vast majority of crimes committed in the US are committed by native-born Americans (who break the law at a significantly higher rate than immigrants do).

In addition, the vast majority of illegal immigrants in the US are people like Melania Trump--i.e., people who come here on a tourist or student visa, and then start working without a green card. Building a wall won't send those people home.

Finally, the main reason that illegal immigrants come to and remain in the US is because they know that huge numbers of American employers will gladly break the law and hire them if it is economically convenient.

If we really want to go after people who break immigration laws, we should require that people like Donald Trump--who knowingly hire or marry an illegal immigrant--should pay a fine that is proportional to their income, and that they be forced to move to another state at least 1000 miles away from their home and not return for 10 years (which is similar to what we currently do to illegal immigrants).

But of course, no politician ever got elected by pointing out to his constituents where they are wrong. Instead, politicians prefer to polish their voters' backsides. People who confront their own kind are instead called prophets, and they tend to have a very short political and actual life expectancy, especially when they are correct.

Christiane said...

Hello Everette,

as the daughter of an immigrant, I can tell you that the MAIN reason any immigrant comes to THIS country has always been to make a better life for themselves and their children, whether that be a matter of freedom, of opportunity to work and to be educated, of respite from persecution.

Until the forced separation of children from their mothers' arms, with the resulting placement of the children into cages;
I had thought this country tried to do what was right according to our laws, but also according to what was HUMANE. Since the discovery of thousands of children who need help to reunite with their parents and who now are NOT getting that help from OUR leaders, I have come to realize that those who reject our democratic principles are willing to also reject our human values in ways that are meant to be openly cruel for cruelty's sake, designed as a 'deterrent' to those mothers fleeing persecution from failed states . . .

hopefully, the Church will recognize the diabolical and cruel nature of this evil and will speak against it politically in time;
although many in the Church now stand with the immigrants seeking asylum from persecution.

I see the Church's witness as standing with those who suffer, not siding with those who are cruel to people already suffering. I hope the Church will stand strong for what is right.
There is a higher law that calls us to turn from what is evil and towards what is good, and no man-made rules are able to trump that higher law.

Christiane said...


so the student survived, but Hez's father-in-law had quite a reaction to reading about Hez's stunt in the newspaper . . . so Hez didn't go to prison, his in-laws didn't receive their daughter back with the five littles into their care, and Hez's reputation grew thanks to the newspaper which relied on his antics to sell newspapers, LOL.

You know, some folks are meant to live life full speed ahead, and they may upset an apple cart or two along the way, but my goodness, their light shines brighter while it lasts and there seems to be a wholeness to their enthusiasm that inspires more than it frustrates. Hez sounds a lot like some people I have known up in the mountains of northern Jersey and I'm sad when I think that now he is in a wheelchair. . . but he has his memories and you can tell his story so well and that's a good thing. Some people never take risks or break out of conventional rules, but when they come to the end of their safe lives, I wonder if they have regrets. . . . I don't think Hez meant any harm to people, no. Quite the opposite, God love him.

everette said...

Thanks Christine. I'm a 3rd-generation American on one side and an 8th-generation American on the other side, though my great-great-great-great-great grandfather who came to the US in 1747 was an illegal immigrant. (He was kicked out of Scotland for being a piper in the Young Pretender's army and was sentenced for transport to Barbados; but his ship was captured by the French and he wound up in Martinique, and from there illegally emigrated to Virginia).

I don't actually hate Melania Trump for having illegally immigrated to the US; I think that it's highly possible that she didn't realize that her visa prevented her from taking modeling gigs. After all, 23-year olds are rarely experts in anyone's law, much less the immigration laws of a country thousands of miles away.

And I'm not really advocating for American employers to be forcibly displaced; I'm just tired of rich, powerful, and (largely) white people openly flouting immigration laws while simultaneously demanding harsh penalties for poor, weak, and brown people who do the same thing, in the same way that the same billionaire NFL owners who regularly violate the US flag code get to be heroes while a poorer, brown employee who does the same thing gets pilloried.

Christiane said...

I'm familiar with the military codes for how our nation's flag is to be handled . . . there is a protocol for that and the military are bound to honor it, and they do.

But that flag wouldn't be worth honoring in the same way IF it didn't represent the freedom to protest injustices and the day has come when some say that 'you cannot take a knee' or you will dishonor the flag . . . .

I think 'taking a knee' represents a very fine way of honoring what that flag stands for, and I am appalled at the shallow concept that is being touted as 'honoring the flag' by those who don't understand that the peaceful protest of American citizens is a part of our way of life.

When I think of the treatment of Colin Kaepernick, I am saddened. I am beginning to realize how much of an American hero he is. And how those who belittle him have so little understanding of why it is that I can BOTH honor Colin's protest AND treasure the flag that covered my father's coffin before his burial.

I hope for a depth of patriotism to return to our country soon . . . post Putin.
We need to understand that kneeling is not an insult to our flag or our anthem, it's an affirmation of both.

I get what you are saying, and it is good for you to be able to express yourself freely, and it is good for me to be able to agree with you,
and it will good also for those who do not see things the same way to be able to express themselves also. . . .

it's the ones who hurt people for 'taking a knee' that need to rethink what they are doing, because they are the ones who dishonor the flag in a way that they are not yet able to understand

Thanks for responding to my comment.

Rex Ray said...



You remind me of me when my father told me, “Rex, you’re always right, but when you’re wrong, you’re dead wrong.”

The American rule for respecting the National Anthem is :


“During rendition of the national anthem when the flag is displayed, ALL PRESENT except those in uniform should stand at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. Men not in uniform should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart.”

I don’t like Jerry Jones but I respect him telling his players if any ‘took a knee’ they’d be kicked off the team.

Christiane said...

Good Morning, REX RAY

You know I always listen to what you have to say, even though we sometimes disagree and on this issue, we must agree to disagree.

That flag and anthem for me have a very deep meaning. They are 'symbols' for a way of life that has always sought to honor the rule of law and of justice also, and there is a tradition of peaceful protest in this country that is a part of what those symbols stand for.

Some have said that the foot ball players were 'just employees' and had to 'obey their team's owners' or be fired. But the sporting event brought in the flag and conducts the singing of our national anthem, which raises the matter from a 'labor dispute' to a higher one of the rights of a citizen of our country to protest peacefully an injustice (this is my opinion). That flag drapes many coffins of our war dead who fought for our freedoms in this country, so for me, it's too dear of a symbol to be used to quash peaceful protests. If the soldiers died for our freedoms, then their flag should represent those freedoms, or we dishonor ourselves when we deny the truth of this:
we can't disrespect 'the flag' by peacefully protesting in its presence; but we can disrespect ourselves and our war dead 'using' the flag and its anthem as a symbol to foster a political agenda by attempting to control the behaviors of our own citizens by taking away their rights to protest an injustice.

Many ways to see this debate, I know. But I find the flag and the anthem to be too anchored to our rights as American citizens to let one faction co-opt these symbols by questioning and belittling the lawful and peaceful protests protected by the First Amendment of Our Constitution. I do feel very strongly about this, as I lost a cousin in the Viet Nam War.

I accept your opinion as your own and that it is meaningful to you and that's okay. I applaud your freedom to express that opinion . . . in some countries people don't have our freedoms to speak up about what is important to us, but while we still do in THIS country, I'm glad you can share your thoughts openly. I do stand on my own opinion (sorry for pun) and I also celebrate my freedom to express my own thoughts. It's all good, this freedom thing, it's all good. :)

Rex Ray said...


I agree the flag symbolizes the right for peaceful protests. But there can be WRONG for peaceful protests.

How would you feel about this peaceful protest near your cousin’s funeral who died fighting for American?


One sign said, “Thank God for dead soldiers”.

I don’t know if the ‘kneeling Black football player was a member of the “Black Lives Matter” (BLM) group or not, but he was protesting the way police treated Blacks. In the long run, he hurt their cause just as the BLM did with their peaceful demonstration in Dallas when four policemen were killed while protecting their right to do so.

everette said...

Comparing Westboro Baptist Church and the Black Lives Matter movement is like comparing the KKK with the National Right to Life movement.

The KKK, like Westboro Baptist church, has no "positive" agenda; those organizations just want to terrify the people that they've decided to hate.

But the National Right to Life and Black Lives Matter have genuinely positive goals.

It's fair to ask what, specifically, Kaepernick is trying to achieve by kneeling. But at least he's kneeling for the admirable goal of seeing people treated fairly.

On the other hand, it is illegal to display the US flag horizontally (USC 36, chapter 10, section 176 (c) ), and it's also illegal to use the flag for commercial purposes (same section, part (i), or be part of a non-military uniform (part j).

The NFL owners regularly violate these parts of the flag code--not for some lofty purpose, but only because they think it will sell them tickets. What's admirable or defensible about that?

Christiane said...

I do believe that a love for justice was at the root of Colin Kaepernick's protest, and that he was instead accused of disrespecting the very symbols of that justice . . .

it depends, I suppose, on who you are in a land where what is 'popular' may not be what is right;
and when you speak up for an injustice, you run the risk of being judged and condemned for your 'stand', and you accept that risk.

But the one thing that is unacceptable in our country is that a government leader would try to silence criticism or peaceful protests;
and further, that the same government leader would then try to rouse a crowd against a person's right to protest according to his conscience.

It's complicated. But in time, I think Colin's protest will be seen in a much different light by future Americans who will have grown weary of any leadership style that wants to squelch criticism as is done in Russia and in N. Korea, and was done in other settings where there was no tolerance for those who were brave enough to stand/kneel in the gap.

I support what Colin did because, for him, it was an observance of his freedom to express his conscience on his belief that there was injustice in our land still occurring and he wanted to do something to get people talking and he DID. He paid for his action. But it was an act of a man with a conscience and it was a peaceful action, and future Americans will come to see him as a brave American in a troubled time.

You know, in 1961, a young black man volunteered to participate in the Freedom Rides, which challenged segregation at interstate bus terminals across the South. He risked his life on those Rides many times by simply sitting in seats reserved for white patrons. He was also beaten severely by angry mobs and arrested by police for challenging the injustice of Jim Crow segregation in the South. But today, he has a very special place in our country. This man is known as "the conscience of the U.S. Congress,” and Roll Call magazine has said, "John Lewis…is a genuine American hero and moral leader who commands widespread respect in the chamber.”

I do know that there will always be injustices and that when we confront them, there will be pushback, which is the risk involved in protesting injustice;
but we have the FREEDOM to protest now, and some day we may lose it, if we don't recognize what that flag and anthem really symbolize. To silence even one conscientious person's voice because authority has decreed they no longer have the freedom to peacefully protest injustices, when that day comes, we will no longer be America as we know it.

There is much to think about, but we can't abandon who we are if we want to work towards that 'more perfect union' . . . and there is still much work to be done indeed.

Scott Shaver said...

Glad to hear it. How many illegal immigrants had dinner and slept at your house last night?

Scott Shaver said...

At the root of Kapernick's protest was Kapernick. That's why he's still looking for work. Why haven't Oprah, Michael Moore, or Barak already hired him? Where are his Hollywood friends?

Anonymous said...


Rex Ray said...

CHRISTIANE and Everette,

This link tells all about the Westboro Baptist Church.


They believe “He turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into heaps of ashes and blotted them off the face of the earth, making them an example for all the ungodly in the future to look back on and fear.” (2 Peter 2:6 Living)

All in all, I believe they’re crazy. It seems this church membership runs between 40 and 70. They claimed in 2009 they protested in all the states of the United States, and have been in over 41,000 protest since 1991. If any tragedy happens they give praise to God as if it was his wrath for punishment that caused it; such as 9/11.

Christiane said...

Hello there REX RAY,

Yes, I remember Westboro Baptist Church because I had seen them protesting a soldier's funeral on television and caught the word 'Baptist' and wondered if that was the same denomination that my grandmother had belonged to, so I decided to come and find out the truth. By a gift of grace, I found Wade's blog because I also called a cousin who told me that Grandmother had been a Southern Baptist and NOT connected to that Westboro group. What a relief, although I already knew from remembering my grandmother's kindness that she could not have been a part of anything so vicious as those Westboro folks.

I think Westboro is a 'cult' and their mis-use of the word 'Baptist' is completely wrong of them as those who do not know Baptist people will wonder, as I did, what DID Baptist people believe. I did right to come to a Baptist source to find out, and I do believe I was directed by grace to Wade's blog. And my goodness was it reassuring to know that Southern Baptists had no connection to the Westboro cult. I agree that the cult shows some craziness in its behaviors and you can see that when it torments innocent grieving people, it is doing evil and not good. . . . what a mess!

I was proud that motorcycle clubs began to show up at soldiers' funerals to protect the families and mourners from the Westboro abuse, but just by coming between the cult and the funeral gathering.

Does Westboro have a 'right' to demonstrate that way? Not a moral right, no,as they intend to bring suffering emotionally on already devastated families;
but in our country, the question must be answered by examination of the First Amendment of our Constitution.

I think the general public is horrified by them, but also realizes that they are extremists who are of ill-will to the point of being irresponsible in their intent to disrupt in order to get publicity . . . . you have to be certainly 'sick' to do what they do, yes, so 'crazy' does indeed fit their actions, I agree.

Rex Ray said...


I’m glad we agree that the ‘purpose’ of some cancels them the right for them to have (in their mind) a peaceful protest.

This event happened yesterday. We have a lake with barrels supporting a deck that has a walkway to it. One barrel was hanging by the side after it had filled with water, but was connected with thick wire. Judy (more mobile than me) failed to cut it with wire cutters. After I failed, I tried to break it with vice grips and using a file with no success. Went to town and bought a hacksaw. Hanging over the side with water up to my elbows I began to saw while flat on my stomach. For a better position I moved too far forward. The wire broke but I knew I was in trouble when a cold wave slapped my face. With replacement knees, I couldn’t move back.

“Judy, help!

She grabbed my ankles and pulled me back. I felt like the dumbest of the “Three Stooges”. Today, we plan to put a large wagon under it and pull it out of the water.

Christiane said...

Oh my goodness! thank God Judy was with you, REX RAY

God looks out for you, I have no doubt, and I'm wondering if Judy's middle name is 'Grace'. :)

Please don't go working on that walkway without Judy . . .

We had a dock on the lake in northern Jersey, but you had to swim to the dock . . . no walkway. Problem was, to get to diving depth of the water, the dock was almost out in the middle of the lake, which was fed by another lake's dam overflow, which was fed by icy streams from the mountains. Every ten years or so, these lakes had to be dredged to keep them deep enough for recreation. We went there around the time they had dredged and by the time we left the area to move to another part of the country, that lake was in need of another dredging. . . it was beautiful there, but very high maintenance, you bet.

Be careful, and good on Judy for saving you this time!

everette said...


I don't know Christine and can't speak for her. But I know that I've had hundreds of people eat in my home and dozens stay in my home over the years--both Americans and foreigners. I've never asked the Americans if their drivers' license is up to date or if they filed their taxes on time, and I've never asked the foreigners about the status of their visas.

This is because 1) I don't care and 2) it's not my business.

So yes, I've probably had illegal immigrants in my home, just as I've had likely had Americans with criminal records, unpaid taxes and tickets, etc. But none of them has ever robbed or hurt me.

And if someone needed a place to stay and I had room and felt comfortable with them, i'd be happy to put someone up for a night or two. I wouldn't ask about any legal issues they might have, because that's not my business unless they choose to share it with me.

However, I've never met an immigrant who expected to live in my home with me long-term. On the contrary, the immigrants I know all want to find their own homes to buy or rent, with money that they've earned themselves. This is because they are human beings with as much self-respect and dignity as any native-born American citizen.

But thanks for asking.