The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Greetings to ever one in western Illinois and all readers of The Quill.
There it is almost the end of January already. It seems that mighty strong wind we had us over the weekend intended to blow the month out in grand finale. Bring'n with it was a passel of very cold air.
Ben Stein Thoughts
The boys shared the follow'n piece of information attributed to Ben Stein, a TV commentator. In it he seems to be ask'n fer a little sanity and was presented as a confession of sorts.
Ben Stein's live confession (c. 2005) about Christmas, being a Jew, and atheism. Here's an excerpt of his impassioned message:
"I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees.. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are: Christmas trees.
It doesn "t bother me a bit when people say, "Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu .
If people want a cr•eche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away. I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.
Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.
(the following portion by an unknown writer was added to Stein's statement but, is not from Stein, but added to get you thinking.)
"Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her "How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Katrina) Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, "I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'
"In light of recent events: terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.
"Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr Spock's son committed suicide). We said an=2 0 expert should know what he's talking about. And we said OK.
"Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.
"Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with "WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'
"Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says.
"Funny how you can send "jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing.
"Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.
"Are you laughing yet?
"Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.
"Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.
The boys also had Ben Stein's writings from 7/24/2009:
WE'VE FIGURED HIM OUT
Why is President Barack Obama in such a
hurry to get his socialized medicine bill passed?
"Why was President Barack Obama in such a hurry to get his socialized medicine bill passed? Because he and his cunning circle realize some basic truths:
"The American people in their unimaginable kindness and trust voted for a pig in a poke in 2008. (Pig in a poke means: an offering or deal that is foolishly accepted without being examined first. A poke means sack.)
"They wanted so much to believe Barack Obama was somehow better and different from other ultra-lefists that they simply took him on faith.
"They ignored his anti-white writings in his books.
"They ignored his quiet acceptance of hysterical anti-American diatribes by his minister, Jeremiah Wright.
"They ignored his refusal to explain years at a time of his life as a student.
"They ignored his ultra-left record as a "community organizer," Illinois state legislator, and senator.
"The American people ignored his total zero of an academic record as a student and teacher, his complete lack of scholarship when he was being touted as a scholar.
"Now, the American people are starting to wake up to the truth.
"Barack Obama is a super likable, super leftist, and not a fan of this country.
"The American people have already awakened to the truth that the stimulus bill-a great idea in theory-was really an immense bribe to Democrat interest groups, and in no way helped ALL Americans. The American people already know that Mr. Obama's plan to lower health costs while expanding coverage and bureaucracy is myth, a promise of something that never was and never can be-"a bureaucracy lowering costs in a free society," Either the costs go up or the free society goes away...an historical truth.
"Now, we face a devastating loss of freedom at home in health care. It will be joined by controls on our lives to "protect us" from global warming, itself largely a fraud, if believed to be caused by man.
"Hilary has also signed on to a Small Firearms Treaty at the U.N. This is a back door gun control move. If this is approved by the Senate and a 2nd Amendment majority doesn't exist in the Senate now. It will supersede all U.S. Law and the 2nd Amendment. All citizen possession will be eliminated through confiscation. Just like Great Britain and Australia.
"Mr. Obama knows Americans are getting wise and will stop him if he delays at all in taking away our freedoms. There is his urgency and our opportunity. Once freedom is lost, America is lost. Wake up, beloved America."
Ben Stein is a writer, economist, and lawyer and writes "Ben Stein's Diary," for every issue of The American Spectator.
Thar ya has it then, just as it was given me.
The boys will "jaw" on Mr. Stein's thoughts dure'n these long cold days of winter, fer a spell, to pass along the time. As fer me, I'll dwell on his words fer a spell, long enough to determine fer who and what good they was presented. I hope you are celebratin' Ground Hogs Day Sunday, Feb. 2nd and hopin' that our fat little friend doesn't see his shadow when he pokes his head out in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. In case you wondered how it all started in 1887, a local newspaper editor, Clymer Freas, convinced his friends-known as the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, for their love of hunting groundhogs-to visit Gobbler's Knob. After observing a groundhog emerge from his hole, they determined that seeing his shadow was a bad omen and meant there were at least six more weeks of winter.
That's it fer this week folks.
Wherever ya is, what ever ya be a do'n BE A GOOD ONE!
Keep on Smile'n and a hope'n to see ya in church this week.
Catch ya later,
BARNYARD BRUKE