It seems a fair question to ask of God, and in searching for an answer Clara Bow voiced the often further and companion question “Why can’t we know?” concerning an afterlife during a Liberty Magazine interview. In this interview and in many other ways she proved her deep mind and thoughts were far beyond her Hollywood celebrity status. Despite anecdotes and jokes to the contrary beauty and brains often go together, but there is no denying that celebrity is no guarantee of a profound mind like that of Clara Bow’s, and too often the media seizes on some celebrity’s comments as though they had the weight of oracular utterances.

This thing called “faith” is getting a lot of attention because of the present political contenders, but if I got any of these alone I would ask them what it is they think they are supposed to believe? However, unlike politicians celebrities are more prone to act like human beings and as such are subject to the same doubts and uncertainties as anyone, so it isn’t surprising when we hear of some of them getting involved with sects and cults, attending séances and looking for spiritual advice of one kind or another proving themselves to be normal human beings trying to find answers to questions we all have.

The question we don’t hear is “What am I supposed to believe?” No doubt the question is there, but somehow it remains unasked. One reason being some think it a sign of weakness as though being cast in the role of a supplicant. Some seem to have the confidence in someone having the answer to such a question that implies a great deal of trust in that person, while others are content to let some organization like a church handle their beliefs concerning the metaphysical. And some simply leave it in the silence of their own minds, turning it over and over without let.

As to Clara Bow’s question, the majority of people who have searched for answers to the ultimate questions of life and death confronting what they are supposed to believe have asked the same question since the beginning of human history. The religions and philosophies abounding are the human inventions attempting to find an answer to the question. But at what point in our lives does the question first enter our minds? Do you recall when the question first entered your own mind? Does the question have something to do with the formation of the soul? We don’t believe infants are capable of such questions concerning the soul and an afterlife, questions concerning the soul and immortality, but at what point in the child’s life do such questions begin to form? Is the seed of a soul only planted, and as with all seed may or may not germinate and come to full flower? Just how do expressions such as “food for the soul” gain credence? Why would the Scripture have it “The soul that sinneth shall die!” as though such a fate is possible?

When it comes to the metaphysical we have many questions, but Clara Bow’s preeminent one remains unanswered. However, once such questions begin to insinuate themselves upon our minds we begin to grapple with the question what am I supposed to believe? Unfortunately for our species this question seems to remain unasked by many of those born and raised to certain beliefs, and to question these beliefs is to invite punishment in one form or another and all too often very harsh punishment.

Clara Bow was fortunate to be living in America and at a time in our history when she had the freedom to even ask her question knowing it would be published in the media without fear of being punished for doing so. Sinclair Lewis and others were writing their books calling many things of religion and government into question, and taking full advantage of the safety America offered them, not fearing being burned at the stake as heretics or witches.

Freedom of speech and of the press are among our most important and cherished freedoms as Americans. When these are abused, especially to promote politicians, we find ourselves asking what we are supposed to believe? But in respect to the questions of God, of immortality, the soul and an afterlife it is only reasonable we ask ourselves and even God, most especially God just what are we supposed to believe? It’s as though the question is there and won’t go away, the search for an answer accounting for so many and diverse attempts to find some meaning for our lives.

Here in America we are very fortunate we can express our doubts and fears, even our opinions openly, but I am not qualified to tell anyone what they are supposed to believe when it comes to spiritual matters; nor do I think anyone else holds such a divinely ordained distinction. The really troubling thing is the great many people who seem to think they are qualified to answer the question for others. And whether it be celebrities drawn to Scientology or ordinary people sitting in conventional pews it is troubling to me so many seem willing to abdicate their personal responsibility for what they are supposed to believe to any other person or organization. In just this way religious hatreds are taught and spread as well as the ideologies of tyrants.

It may be the ancient prophets and Jesus had some insights to the mind of God. And during my Biblical studies I have found much to which I can relate. But when it comes to what I am supposed to believe, ah, that seems to be my personal quest for answers and I won’t, and perhaps can’t, abdicate this to any other human being, though sharing my thoughts with others like-minded brings me much comfort in the search for answers. However, this like-mindedness is established on the basis of the sharing of thoughts rather than any telling others what they are supposed to believe.

From the L. A. Times: “Peter Davenport runs the National UFO Reporting Center from an abandoned missile complex in Washington state. He is passionate that there is something out there…” As those who are really into UFOs know, Davenport is not a nut and puts his money and his energy where his mouth is. And since we know those in government lie to us as a matter of course, I continue to follow the saga of those searching for the “real thing” with great interest all the while hoping Klaatu may yet land in DC.

But for an attention getter this one is a real grabber: “Doomsday Fears Spark Lawsuit.” A very close friend of many years and I were discussing several things of current mutual interest the other day. The discussions become quite lively due in no small part to his UC Berkeley background. But we both share an intense interest in literature and science, so you can imagine we find ourselves in agreement on many issues while agreeing to disagree on others. One thing we recently found agreement over was the work going on with the Large Hadron Collider and the mix of SciFi and actual science hovering all about the project. The headlines being generated by this project would seem to lean more to SciFi if you are keeping track.

MSNBC Cosmic Log: March 27, 2008. Alan Boyle: Doomsday Fears Spark Lawsuit. The builders of the world's biggest particle collider are being sued in federal court over fears that the experiment might create globe-gobbling black holes or never-before-seen strains of matter that would destroy the planet. Representatives at Fermilab in Illinois and at Europe's CERN laboratory, two of the defendants in the case, say there's no chance that the Large Hadron Collider would cause such cosmic catastrophes. Nevertheless, they're bracing to defend themselves in the courtroom as well as the court of public opinion. The Large Hadron Collider, or LHC, is due for startup later this year at CERN's headquarters on the French-Swiss border. It's expected to tackle some of the deepest questions in science: Is the foundation of modern physics right or wrong? What existed during the very first moment of the universe's existence? Why do some particles have mass while others don't? What is the nature of dark matter? Are there extra dimensions of space out there that we haven't yet detected? Some folks outside the scientific mainstream have asked darker questions as well: Could the collider create mini-black holes that last long enough and get big enough to turn into a matter-sucking maelstrom? Could exotic particles known as magnetic monopoles throw atomic nuclei out of whack? Could quarks recombine into "strangelets" that would turn the whole Earth into one big lump of exotic matter…?

The several citations and links in Boyle’s column can lead in many different directions, and the comments certainly become quite animated, even hostile. Since I have other sources to pursue for information I often give the column a glance and move on. But this one concerning the LHC was noteworthy in covering some of the issues many scientists do not want to talk about but are scattered about elsewhere. And my old friend being so familiar with me given to some esoteric philosophical speculations including some with a scientific bent this is where he and I got into a very interesting discussion on the topic.

For example, apart from hypothetical doomsday scenarios suppose the Europeans discover how to pierce the moon through with a hole the size of a pencil. Using such technology could they drill a hole into the earth’s core inexpensively and draw enough heat to make the use of oil and coal unnecessary? It isn’t just the SciFi ultimate weapon that might evolve from discoveries made by scientists using the LHC, suppose complete energy independence whether of inexpensive fusion processes or others should be the outcome? What would the nations dependant on oil sales do with all that sand? What would happen to the Big Oil conglomerates? Will the EU emerge the Big Stick on the world scene, or as some surmise fulfill the Biblical apocalyptic prophecies of the “End Times?” One thing is quite obvious; the amount of money and brainpower poured into this project it had to hold promise of an enormous “payoff” other than advertised for common consumption in the media.

My friend and I do know this; the scientists working on the first atomic bomb were not certain but what when they pushed the button it might result in an uncontrolled chain reaction threatening the entire planet. That the fears of a few were thought to be of little real moment and gave place to the majority opinion and the “device” worked without destroying the planet proved the majority was correct. But does science invariably subsume all else for the sake of scientific inquiry, investigation and experimentation? Sometimes the potential “payoff” is enough to quell all doubts and misgivings.

It’s the fascinating stuff of SciFi and intriguing to speculate about. But when I consider what the mind is capable of, what could have been more farfetched than someone in 1860 believing they could actually record their voice on a piece of paper: SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – “At first listen, the grainy high-pitched warble doesn't sound like much, but scientists say the French recording from 1860 is the oldest known recorded human voice… The 10-second clip of a woman singing ‘Au Clair de la Lune,’ taken from a so-called phonautogram, was recently discovered by audio historian David Giovannoni. The recording predates Thomas Edison's ‘Mary had a little lamb’ -- previously credited as the oldest recorded voice -- by 17 years. The tune was captured using a phonautograph, a device created by Parisian inventor Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville that created visual recordings of sound waves. Using a needle that moved in response to sound, the phonautograph etched sound waves into paper coated with soot from an oil lamp…”

Now this is the kind of thing that gives me pause and is of more interest to me than portents of doomsday scenarios, and a whole lot more fun to speculate about. In all the years I lived with coal oil lamps, the cleaning of chimneys and the many uses for “lampblack” made from various materials for various purposes like “blacking” tires that I was aware of, the thought of using it to record my voice on a piece of paper never once occurred to me. The mind and the wonder of its workings, a never ending source of speculation about so many things; why can’t it always turn to marvels like recording a voice on a piece of paper rather than seeking bigger and better bombs and trying to gain power and authority over others? It’s a mystery.

It was delightful for me to read the post about memories of childhood in the Bakersfield Californian blog by my dear friend “Alicen,” and the several comments from others sharing their childhood memories. Granting not all of us had anything like “idyllic” childhoods nevertheless most of us seem to be able to call on some memories of the past as children to get us through some rough times as adults. As we grow older much of life tends toward the cautionary words of Mr. Raymond in “To Kill A Mockingbird” that children eventually grow out of their sense of injustice and weeping over this and have to come to grips with the world as it is, a world of adults in which the innocence of children gives way to the “practical” issues of life.

Harper Lee prefaced her literary masterpiece with a quote from the great essayist Charles Lamb: “Lawyers, I suppose, were children once.” And, this supposition applies to scientists as well.

Over the decades my personal list of those with whom I share information on a variety of subjects in the scientific community has grown substantially. But most of us understand the need for brevity in such communication, though a few like me enjoy allowing our imaginations to become somewhat playful in these exchanges of information and points of view. Apart from these fruitful and interesting exchanges with individuals I find some of their personal thoughts often expressed in the science journals. Just recently one of my old friends at Stanford called my attention to something we had been discussing that had found its way into the journal Nature: “Desegregating science and the public: Explaining research through playful analogies can enliven discussion with nonspecialists. The limits of these analogies can be used to explore the limits of explanatory scope intrinsic to scientific hypotheses.”

A few years ago a friend and concert pianist from Japan was my houseguest. He was born in Romania but had taken up residence in Japan, had gotten married there and for years considered that his home country. But his memories of Romania as a child were filled with stories right out of Bram Stoker’s famous novel; he had known “witch’s” as a child, and though very well educated and gifted those stories about vampires and werewolves, charms and incantations remained with him, and he told me there were times when he had good cause to wonder where such things and science might yet come together? Since I am a writer, he understood my being given to many a “playful analogy” when expressing opinions of various thoughts in the scientific community, and he thanked me for some of the work I had done like my critique of TKM with the emphasis on children and how they view the world.

“Wouldn’t it be a marvelous thing,” he said, “if we could only retain the sense of wonder we had as children about so much before we had to grow out of those things that make childhood so marvelous?” Of course, he knew Harper Lee had called attention to this very thing in her novel, but he also knew it always bears repeating. There is nothing in science to compare with a child’s view of the world; it would be like trying to watch a butterfly in flight for the first time completely unaware of all the science that has gone into “explaining” butterflies. And as science begins its inevitable incursion on childhood, the “mystery” of the butterfly, the sense of childhood wonder at such a marvel is exchanged for the science explaining butterflies.

The wonders of our planet, our solar system and the universe still abound even for adults; and few of us can look at the Milky Way on a clear night without being filled with a sense of wonder even as was the Psalmist. Ah, that is where the “explanatory scope” of science must yield to analogies, playful or otherwise. This is where my pianist friend keeps his childhood memories of Romania alive through the myths and legends, and even my friends in the scientific community often express their wistful longings for the wonders and mysteries of childhood, that while these have given way to mysteries and wonders of another kind cannot recapture how some of these were viewed as children.

A few years ago when a university professor in Czechoslovakia and I were sharing our thoughts on the subject of love, as an atheist he was of the opinion it was an entirely bio/electro/chemical process. But he did qualify his opinion allowing there was much to the subject that for lack of scientific explanation could well be called “mysterious.” And so it is with many things in science when it hits a wall, a wall that some interpret as the mysteries of God, but children in their innocence filled with a sense of wonder and not yet having become either scientists or theologians are charmed by the mysteries surrounding them.

When NEWSWEEK's Ana Elena Azpurua interviewed Nobel laureate Steven Weinberg at the University of Texas in Austin at one point she asked, “Would it be accurate to say that you are an atheist?” He replied, “Yes. I don't believe in God, but I don't make a religion out of not believing in God. I don't organize my life around that.”

Reading the interview I agreed with Weinberg, but also considered the many things people choose to organize their lives around. For many it is their idea of God in different forms, for others it seems to be power and wealth, some organize their lives around collecting stamps. Over the past years, for me it has been organizing my thoughts in written expression. But if I had the choice, I would rather organize my life around being a child once more, knowing the truth of Harper Lee’s world seen through the eyes of children and Thoreau’s observation that children play at life with more wisdom than adults live it.

Growing old, aging, has taken me quite by surprise and not all of it is pleasant. As a state senator friend of mine for many years and I agreed some time ago, we feel at times we have lived too long and know too much. After all, it is only in childhood that angels and butterflies find their proper place and occupations and somehow deep within me there is still that child that in his innocent wisdom knows what the real priorities of life should be.

While this would seem to describe the present political scene in America, it would have been a nice touch if CERN, the convention signing on September 29, 1954, had been one focus of "more" attention in both “Holy Blood, Holy Grail,” and “The Da Vinci Code.” In my opinion the writers were too smart to risk making the connection; particularly if an ultimate weapon should come about in the hands of the European Union.

In a few months the CERN Large Hadron Collider may discover Higgs boson, the “God Particle.” But God may be found after all to play dice with the universe. The Standard Model of physicists is useful, but is also known to be considerably less than satisfactory. As to the LHC and its purpose, to quote one scientist: “That's the essence of experimental particle physics: You smash stuff together and see what other stuff comes out.” The splitting of the atom had some particularly nasty side effects in politics and the dreams of tyrants, but if what “comes out” with the LHC search for the god particle just happens to be the ultimate weapon…

Suppose George Soros, Carlos Helu, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, and a few other likeminded billionaires got together and decided to destroy America. They would finance the ACLU, advocate open borders and fan the fires of racial and religious hatreds, destroy the schools and health services, promote walled cities protecting the wealthy, and they would control our federal government. Well, they may not agree on the particulars, but when it comes to “smashing things together to see what other stuff comes out” they are all on the same page intentionally or not. And when we watch TV “news,” controlled by those with the gold, it would seem our media is on the same page as well.

As a consequence GIGO is very much alive in the MSM. As Jon Robin Baitz says, “If you keep MSNBC on, as the day goes on, you start to feel insane because the same stuff is rehashed in a sisyphusian cacophony from dawn to midnight, with some breaks for shows about prisoners and their tattoos.”

In my opinion Baitz speaks of the MSM as a whole, and while sisyphusian is accurate there is no mistaking the overriding element of GIGO throughout. For example, Ms. Clinton doesn’t lie she “misspeaks,” and Obama didn’t really mean “Typical white people” nor does his church really mean “God Damn America!” only Caucasians. GIGO: As with all politicians and the MSM. And it would not occur to any of these to use the correct terms “Caucasian” and “Negro” all the while the incorrect terms “white” and “black” are the really racist ones. In just this manner illegal aliens become “immigrants.” As with GIGO, Orwellian doublespeak continues to bury the truth as effectively as any Goebbels and the “hyphenated-American” remains an oxymoron, as well as the threat to America Marilyn vos Savant pointed out years ago.

Black Liberation Theology doesn’t preach a “gospel” of all Negroes returning to Africa any more than La Raza preaches a doctrine of all Mexicans returning to Mexico. But both share a mutual hatred of Caucasians, demonizing them at every opportunity in collaboration with the mayors of Los Angeles and New Orleans and Obama’s Jeremiah Wright and his church. But if I were attempting to destroy America I would be demonizing Caucasians and encouraging things like BLT and La Raza.

Scientists are too knowledgeable to claim the Higgs boson if discovered will answer the two greatest mysteries of the universe; life and death. And most would agree without an answer to these there cannot possibly be any “theory of everything.” Knowing this, I also realize life and death may in the end have no meaning at all apart from what these mean to individuals and God may just be playing dice with the universe. It’s a most uncomfortable position to take, but the thought does compare favorably with what politicians and those fomenting racial strife seem to be doing to America. And if politicians are not playing dice with America, perhaps they are attempting to make our nation over into a LHC intent on “smashing things together and see what other stuff comes out.”

“The Andromeda Strain” was an excellent SciFi film. But in 1971 it was quite fashionable to feign offense that such an installation in the desert might be actually intended for the purpose of researching biological warfare rather than constructed for purely scientific purposes. If people were paying attention to what is going on with CERN and the one “accident” already encountered with the LHC it should give us pause to wonder? That this marvel of science is located on the border between Switzerland and France is certainly not a coincidence, nor is it any coincidence that what it may yield is more than scientific knowledge to be used for “peaceful” purposes.

I ask myself, if I could make the Dome of the Rock disappear as though by magic using a “portable black hole” or other means would I “push the button?” You can fill in the blanks for anything you think might be suitable to “disappear,” say, Los Angeles or New York. The European Organization for Nuclear Research should have played a significant role in Holy Blood, Holy Grail and The Da Vinci Code. But as I said, perhaps the writers knew better than to take such a risk. Whether or not, it seems those “leading” America are determined to smash things together to see what comes out while the European leadership seems on quite another course when they smash things together with the LHC.

Eventually it would be the universities of Europe and America that would decide on “official” versions of history, and those historians that wanted to hold their positions in the universities would be governed by this overriding concern rather than things that might call the approved versions of history into question. This was especially true of things impacting on strongly held religious and political ideologies. And while scholars seldom indulged in outright fraud, nevertheless wherever there might be a threat to those in power by telling the whole truth or expressing any doubt over the officially approved position there is often found some accommodation by temporizing rather than taking risks.

“Holy Blood, Holy Grail” certainly caught my interest when it first hit the bookstores. Now these years later it continues to be of interest because of my calling into question so many things I used to believe about Christianity, and due to my extensive theological studies I began to write about these questions. The one certainty I had as I began to write was much of history is distorted because of both a point of view on the part of historians and whatever happens to be the “official” status granted by whoever is in charge at the time of the writing.

In the case of Western Civilization that owes so much to the Bible and the development of Christianity as a civilized religion there were obvious dangers inherent to calling accepted dogma of the Church into question. But from the time of the Reformation when some of the teachings of the Roman Church in particular began to have their doubters and the Scriptures began to be read by the common people some were emboldened to express their doubts about many things openly.

By the time of HBHG enough was known and had been written to give the writers of the book sufficient to speculate about, especially in light of the fact so much of the actual history of Christianity had been purposely obscured through the several attempts to justify the doctrine of the divinity of Jesus. And it was the increasing emphasis upon this that began to evolve very early into a religion as opposed to a political movement. If you don’t have the miracles of the Bible culminating in the resurrection you are left with only politics and the historical Jesus. At that, much of such history lends itself more to speculation than factual conclusions.

Much of Christianity along with all other religions belongs to the rule “When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.” The rationale is easily understood in light of the need for legends, especially when the facts are so unpalatable as to lend no encouragement or comfort whatsoever, and most especially when our most cherished beliefs may be at stake.

However, along with my questioning so many things like the “approved” versions of history in many cases, the building of the pyramids of Giza, UFOs, the assassinations of JFK, RFK, 9/11 and so much more is my growing belief the writers of HBHG and The Da Vinci Code have it more right than wrong. Stripped of all mysticism, the facts of the case are a growing European Empire and a declining America.

There is no question in my mind that while America is suffering from attempts to define itself in terms of religion, Europe is drawing away from this. European nations are moving in the direction of pragmatism while America is involved with a growing tumult over religious beliefs. And the most recent of these is emphasized by debates over Mormonism and questions surrounding those like Obama and his close association with religious, fanatical zealots. And it may be that in the end Christianity in its various forms may be the doom of America while Europe gains the ascendancy.

No matter how farfetched this sounds, Mexico is a Roman Catholic nation; and the vast proportion of Hispanics in America, legal and illegal, are Roman Catholics. So here is the Roman Catholic Richardson endorsing Obama who would seem if at least not far removed from the RC church, may in fact be an enemy of such a religion. The question would then seem to be whether the religion of each of them is secondary to their political ambitions. Whether or not, the more obvious thing is each of them having a constituency that advocates our government at all levels is to be devoted to minorities which includes expanded welfare benefits and open borders with Mexico rather than concern for the majority Caucasian population.

On the world stage you have a Hispanic pledging fealty to a Negro, while at the same time each of these groups they represent are at war with each other. Adding to the witch’s brew of politics is the religion of each group, one being predominantly Protestant and the other predominantly Roman Catholic. Obama and Richardson may shake hands with each other on this stage before the cameras, but the question remains at what point would this political opportunism degenerate into open warfare as each begins to attempt accommodation to their disparate constituencies?

The problem begins to take on transcendent proportions as economic hard times impacts a growing number of Americans. And it is the economics of the situation I fear bodes so ill for America. That such a deteriorating economic condition for the majority will find expression in growing political and religious hatreds is a given. But the worst possible scenario is one in which each of these feeds the other erupting into widespread violence.

Want and Ignorance are the real enemies of civilization; they are the growing enemies of America. Hispanics and Negroes are the majority populations breeding Want and Ignorance resulting in increasing violence together with increasing demands for social services at taxpayer expense, the productive extorted to care for the unproductive, and regardless of how politicians attempt to address this growing threat to America it remains one of race an evidence of such being our jails and prisons together with growing numbers of welfare recipients and declining schools, emergency rooms, etc. Obama and Richardson represent how impossible a political solution to this threat is. Even crediting idealism on their part, which I don’t, the hard facts of their disparate constituencies in conflict will remain, especially when it comes to the obvious need for birth control among Negroes and Hispanics. While both Obama and Richardson may realize this, neither will address it. But then, both, as with Bush et al., have interests in building a constituency of slave labor subsidized by taxpayers serving those in power.

While Europe moves in the direction of pragmatism, America is being threatened by racial and religious conflict. And it is at this point it would be well to understand why Mussolini kept a copy of “The Prince” on his nightstand. While I advocate people know the Bible, it would serve them well to be familiar with Machiavelli and HBHG also.

In my opinion McCain will be our next president. But unless America can overcome the growing threat of racial Want and Ignorance a European Union will continue to make progress, the Euro will gain in value while the dollar falls as America continues on a downward spiral. It does seem we need a miracle, and at this point We the People can’t be faulted for hoping for a miracle though it would be foolish to believe Obama and Richardson represent such a thing. On the contrary, they represent what could culminate in our worst fears being realized; the total deconstruction of an already dangerously fragmented and divisive America.

What happened to the old cartoon strips showing people painting themselves into a corner? I suppose most folks can no longer relate to varnishing or painting floors. But alas, it certainly comes to my mind considering the situation Obama has found himself in; he has in fact painted himself into a corner.

We can hope McCain will choose a VP people can have some confidence in, many of us realizing the Senator’s geriatric side is too much in evidence to expect him to carry the whole load. But as I was recently sharing with a friend, the Democrats are in such disarray one wonders how McCain can possibly lose no matter who he chooses as his running mate. As extreme as that sounds, it’s the way I see it.

Politicians are not noted for being artists, so I don’t wonder Obama has painted himself into a corner and wants to slide concerning his relationship with his mentor and spiritual advisor Wright and some others, that he wants a pass demanding Imus be fired while his own hypocrisy like that of Jackson and Sharpton be overlooked by voters. But this is not going to be overlooked by voters, and the more the MSM tries to spin in favor of Obama the more convinced voters are going to be he is a racist demanding his own double standard of Affirmative Action be applied in his favor. And should he win the Democrat nomination, which I very much doubt, things are going to become increasingly ugly.

The more charitable might think of the expression “Please be patient; God isn’t finished with me yet.” In this way some people have expressed the idea they are a work in progress and perfection should not be expected of them, that on the contrary mistakes are going to be made along the way as God attempts to smooth out the rough spots in people, the potter fashioning the clay. But the threats we are facing as a nation do not allow of much patience; the threats are real and real specifics addressing them, real action is demanded to be taken in the face of these growing threats.

But it may be our species is a “work in progress” by God and this would indicate he (she, or they) has a great deal of patience. The great works of sculpture like those of Michelangelo evidence not only the artistic genius, but the enormous patience of the artist. So if the universe is the work of God, as I believe, a work of Intelligent Design, it seems reasonable to me to suppose it began in the mind of the artist and each part of it requires not only the genius of the artist but extraordinary patience and an extraordinary amount of attention to detail. At that, even the greatest works of art upon close examination are going to show some imperfections. It is because of these imperfections real artists never believe they have done the best of which they are capable. And perhaps it is this way with God as well.

The Old Testament does grant the possibility of errors on the part of God, and there is the recurring theme of certain individuals being a disappointment to him, failing of his expectations of them. How very like family, these failings are; no perfect parents or children, aunts, uncles, and so on. All may be said to be works in progress ongoing to the time of their death, and in most cases a great deal of patience is required all along the way, both on the part of the persons for themselves as well as toward others.

When I was involved with the gun business a fellow brought me a new Browning semi-auto in .30-06 caliber. It was a beautiful rifle, but he wanted to trade it in for another gun. When I asked why he wanted to trade it he pointed to an infinitesimal scratch on the top of the receiver. He explained that while attempting to mount a scope he slipped with a screwdriver and made the scratch. This fellow was such a perfectionist that despite this being easily covered by bluing he would always know it was there, and this ruined the rifle for him. True story.

While inconceivable to most people, this fellow had what some might call a “fetish” concerning his demand for perfection; at least when it came to guns. I didn’t bother pointing out to him that if he looked closely enough he would find tool and machining marks in the finest gun ever made; that no gun existed that would fail to show such things upon close examination. But I did understand his explanation concerning the imperfection resulting from his own carelessness, and while some might call this a nearly psychotic reaction it is something to be found among many people about various things; it is even reflected in the story of the Deluge and God’s intention to destroy all of humankind.

My novel “Donnie and Jean, an angel’s story” is largely autobiographical. In the book I write about a stepfather that was a master machinist, and one of the things he could do was construct model airplane engines from the casting of the parts to the final machining of them. He especially loved to build model airplanes, and one that I recall was a beautiful model of a Piper Cub, so complete it had a joystick that would actually operate the control surfaces exactly like the real plane.

We lived at the time in a second story apartment in Cleveland, Ohio. When my stepfather had finished the model, he took it out to the back porch with me following. I thought he might try sailing it from the porch to the backyard as I had seen him do with some others. But no; to my utter consternation he set fire to the beautiful model and then tossed it from this upstairs porch! Why do people do such things? Maybe the stepfather demanded such perfection of his work he had to destroy the model because somewhere along the line it hadn’t measured up to his standard? I have read of similar incidents with artists and in a way this stepfather was such an artist.

America could do with an artist, and while we don’t really expect one as our next president and none are being offered neither would we want one so temperamental as to demand the kind of perfection exhibited by that stepfather or some “Hitler” that would destroy the nation because it failed to meet his standards. For the most part we Americans are pretty practical people; what we want is someone capable of doing the job. The job doesn’t have to be “perfect” by the standards of an artist, but it does have to be practical; and while we may appreciate artists we need someone practical.

“My head is made up!” I loved that line by William Bendix in “The Life of Riley,” and the program was a favorite of mine on radio during the 40s. Of course, there was also that signature line “What a revoltin’ development this is!” and “Digger” O’Dell “the friendly undertaker” always made us laugh. But that line “My head is made up!” reminded me of Obama’s speech and something in “To Kill A Mockingbird.”

When Calpurnia takes Scout and Jem to church with her Reverend Sykes welcomed the children, but she is upbraided by some in the congregation for bringing “white chillun” to their church. As one of them accusingly pointed out to Calpurnia “they got their church, we got our’n.”

After church the children are trying to make sense out of things. So Calpurnia tries to explain it by telling them “You’re not gonna change any of them by talkin’ right, they’ve got to want to learn themselves, and when they don’t want to learn there’s nothing you can do but keep your mouth shut or talk their language.” In other words, as per Chester A. Riley “their heads are made up.”

It was while my good friend Byron, the Episcopal Priest, and I were discussing the issue he gave me a very nice compliment saying I made a good apologist for Obama’s mentor and spiritual advisor Jeremiah Wright. From my own experience in places like Watts I had told Byron I understood the anger and hatred Wright had for Caucasians and America; that once you come face to face with the abject hopelessness and despair of those trapped in the ghettos of our nation you have to accept some of the ugly realities of the racism of Wright not learned in any softer fashion.

That Jeremiah Wright is voicing the hopelessness and despair of so many Negroes is understandable. But it would be a mistake to think Obama believes any differently now than during the twenty years he has attended Wright’s church. The leopard has not changed his spots no matter how hard he tries to disavow them, no matter how some in the MSM try to spin and defend Obama. There was no declaration of an epiphany from which he emerged changed, suddenly realizing he had been brainwashed for twenty years and all at once saw the Damascus light blazing about him.

However, anyone that belongs to an exclusive club and mixes only with those in such a club invariably becomes secluded from the real world about them. Such a fantasy world is commonly that of politicians, not excepting Obama, the wealthy and powerful, but also applies to those of fanatical religious beliefs that only associate and mix with those likeminded. Of such is Jeremiah Wright and those of his congregation like Obama.

But as an apologist for Wright I go back to the beginning of slavery in America, to Lincoln’s War and what happened during “Reconstruction,” the decisions by the Supreme Court and actions of politicians that increasingly made for the situation Negroes find themselves in today that have created those like Jeremiah Wright and his followers.

I have the utmost regard for Tyree Toliver, the pastor of St. John Missionary Baptist Church in Bakersfield for many years and have written about him several times, often tuning in to his broadcast Sunday mornings. His sincerity is so unfeigned as to remind me of the words of Jesus about Nathaniel, “Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile.”

Both Toliver and Wright know the conditions of Negroes in America, they both know the obstacles but Toliver preaches an old time Gospel message of hope and redemption devoid of any hatred while Wright preaches a “gospel” of hatred for Caucasians and America. The real difference is a matter of choice based on a point of view. But when someone’s “head is made up” and “when they don’t want to learn there’s nothing you can do but keep your mouth shut or talk their language.”

Some thirty years ago I read a very short article about an old fellow who was quite a storyteller. In old age he lived with his son and daughter-in-law but he had a group of youngsters including his grandchildren eager to hear his stories of the old west, of battles he had fought, of rustlers and gunslingers, cowboys and Indians, and the children would hang on his every word. But one day, his son brought home a TV and placed it in the living room where his aged father would sit and the children would gather about him to listen to his stories.

In no time at all it was that TV that captured the attention of the children, and the old man found he had lost the audience for his stories. A few weeks passed as the old fellow would sit there, trying to get used to this “monster” that had stolen away all he had that made life meaningful to him and had left him alone with none of the children any longer interested in either him or his stories. But one day, the old man couldn’t take it any longer. Drawing out an old “Peacemaker” he had carried for years while actually living the events of the past he would describe to the children he took aim and fired a bullet right through the TV screen.

It is impossible to calculate the loss to children of the storytellers that used to be a part of their growing up. Due in large part to TV very few children today are growing up exercising their imagination the way children of my time did, and there are very few parents now that were blessed with storytellers during their own childhood. And not a few my age can relate to the old fellow shooting that TV, something George Lucas obviously understood in his “RadioLand Murders.”

Harper Lee was correct about the storytelling tradition of the South. The opportunities to visit theaters, art galleries, museums, opera houses, the things the cities of the North had in abundance were scarce in many southern states where the average populations of towns might consist of only a few hundred people and “big cities” were few and far between. Harper Lee called attention to this, emphasizing how important storytellers were under such conditions, of how children would become so imaginatively inventive in creating their own “theater” in the games they would improvise, and how important reading was under such circumstances. Sinclair Lewis and others could poke fun at the provincialism, but the great southern writers like Harper Lee knew the depth of literary riches the small southern communities offered those with imagination encouraged by the storytelling tradition she referred to during the interview by Roy Newquist that appeared in his book of interviews, Counterpoint, published in 1964.

Ms. Lee observed “There are people who write, and then there are people who must write.” And among the latter those who must write bend their efforts to learn how to write well, serving a very long apprenticeship mastering the discipline of writing while devouring the very best of literature that will help guide them in their own writing. And those who have served the proper apprenticeship have learned how important the mechanical parts of language are in conveying their often complex thoughts in written expression, things such as making sure a comma is not lacking or misplaced for example, as well as paying close attention to things like syntax and choosing their words with the utmost care.

But storytelling such as Harper Lee and I knew and experienced as children along with writing of much let alone great value has fallen on hard times throughout America, even in Harper Lee’s beloved South due to the proliferation of TV and electronic devices that do not encourage imagination, human contact and interaction. The stories are there amongst some of us oldsters with a background like that of Harper Lee steeped in the traditions of the South and the stories that come out of such a rich heritage. But children no longer gather around to listen to our stories; the electronic media cannot take the place of storytellers like that old man or those to whom Harper Lee refers. Along with the loss of children reading good books, the loss of a literary heritage is the loss of the storytellers that once meant so much to making America the greatest nation in history.

Be of good cheer folks, read their lips: “This is not a bailout.” And we are also asked to believe open borders and all the trade policies of our government work in the favor of America, and in no time at all there is going to be a federal alchemist that is actually going to turn base metal into gold. No one has to believe in the divinity of Jesus to realize the truth of “the world loves its own.” Unhappily for most people, the world referred to is the dominion of Satan, and trade continues to curse all it touches.

Satan or not nothing has changed since it was first acknowledged those who have the gold make the rules, and they haven’t changed since the time of the old Robber Barons when J. P. Morgan pronounced his dictum putting things in perspective from Wall Street “The public be damned!” But J. P. only voiced the opinion of all those enjoying wealth and power when it comes to the “little people” who pay taxes: If God didn’t want them to be sheared he wouldn’t have made them sheep. Anything said to the contrary about this philosophy on the part of politicians is mere rhetoric.

There is a very good reason as well for the dictum “Religion is a means to keep the poor from killing the rich.” But suppose enough of the poor were following the preaching of Obama’s spiritual mentor and advisor? And suppose a Caucasian preacher favoring McCain or Clinton was to rise up in opposition preaching as forthrightly and loudly Jeremiah Wright’s brand of “balancing the scales of justice?” Who is so naïve as to think religion and race are not major factors in this election? “It’s the economy, stupid!” isn’t going to put the demons of religion and race to rest. On the contrary, they are fomenting factors to which the wealthy are paying great attention, using and manipulating these wherever useful to their purposes.

A story I recall from childhood emphasized something the ancient Egyptians believed and the Hebrews incorporated into their own belief system having to do with weighing a person’s heart in order to enter an afterlife. One of the descriptions of Satan from the Bible is his not only being the deceiver of humankind but “the accuser of the brethren.” It is in his capacity as the accuser the childhood story came to mind.

The Devil was disputing with God over the soul of a man that had just died and piled all his misdeeds on the scale where the man’s heart was being weighed. The Devil named off the many faults of the man, rightly accusing him of many things, loading his side of the scale with all these things. But God called the attention of Satan to the time when the man had saved a mule from dying in a deep pit of mud in which it had become mired. Satan scoffed, telling God the weight of that one good deed could not possibly tip the scale in the man’s favor. Then God began filling his side of the scale with all the mud from that pit until it tipped in the man’s favor and saved his soul.

For those of us who believe there is a God, it seems reasonable to suppose the way we see things is not always the way God does; which stands to reason since we could not be reasonably expected to even know our own hearts much of the time, and one of the more comforting passages of Scripture is where we are told if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts. And I think of the mud pouring into that scale saving the man’s soul. He could not possibly know at the time the significance of that one good deed or the things God considered of importance to balance the scales of justice. But just perhaps, if we were able to do so maybe more of us would be “lighthearted” as the Egyptians had it, meaning a good heart, rather than condemning ourselves too harshly at times. Though the best advice continues to be “Keep thine heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.” And, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.”

I suppose a good heart is preferable to great wealth and the trouble it brings. But I sure hope there is a pile of mud waiting when I die to tip the scale in my favor. Of this much I am certain; if such mud awaits me it won’t be the kind politicians roll in and use to gain power and wealth.

It’s a charming and fetching scene in “The Da Vinci Code” toward the end of the film when Audrey Tautou “tests” her foot on the surface of the water of that pool; then shaking her head in the negative turns with a smile toward Tom Hanks, and as she walks away says to him in farewell perhaps she will do better with the wine.

Miracles, if there are any such, are a never ending source of both contention and debate. Some of the better known stories of the Bible describe various miracles such as the ones Audrey refers to of Jesus walking on water and the turning of water into wine. The problem with miracles is the difficulty of replicating them in such a manner as to dispel doubt among skeptics. There are many instances in which something of the miraculous does in fact occur, things that defy any rational explanation, but they just don’t occur in such a manner they invite scientific scrutiny in the laboratory.

So I understand the punch line; would the flesh and blood descendant of Jesus destroy faith, or would she renew it? And I understand what matters is what you believe. The historic problem with beliefs is separating these from knowledge, and punishing those who do not share someone’s beliefs. This problem is not confined to the religious realm by any means but happens in many other areas of life, though religious beliefs for the most part have earned the infamous distinction of being the more detrimental to world peace. One might well include politics as being dangerous to world peace but politicians are not subject to any system of belief apart from their seeking their own self-interests, and readily change their position in a moment if it serves their self-interest. The same cannot be said of those that are fanatical about their religious beliefs.

I have asked myself the question if all the stories of miracles were removed from the Bible, what would be left and how would the stories of the Bible then read? The same question suggests itself about other stories throughout human history. How might things turn without stories of miracles, stories of various deities, witches, conjurors, seers, and shamans, without astrology and alchemists, and so many other similar things? Would we be the richer or poorer for the lack of these things; would the lack of them destroy faith or renew it? We might conclude there is a need for stories of the miraculous, things beyond any rational explanation, and further conclude it would depend on the story and how it is told.

But there is a difference between hope and belief. I hope there is a hereafter where I will rejoin my departed loved ones and friends, a place where all tears are wiped away, where love prevails and everything will be right with no place for injustice or inequities. But when I ask myself honestly whether I believe this I face some difficulty. I know death may be the end and that will be that. So, do I live in hope or belief? This is not an easy question to answer. And because I have difficulty with the question I have to suppose there are others who face a like difficulty. But I also know how a strongly held belief can confuse anyone looking for answers to such questions.

I believe we humans are spiritual beings; I believe there are angels and demons and the many myths and legends, many of the stories of miracles, have a factual basis. But when I examine my beliefs about such things I discover my hope of a hereafter as I describe is not contingent on these beliefs. It is a hope, and attempting to convince myself I believe this presents difficulties for me; so much so that I cannot conceive of punishing any who disagree with my beliefs. So what kind of “demon” drives some that will commit actual atrocities against those that do not share their beliefs? It is at that point my own beliefs concerning angels and demons come to the fore.

The consolations of religion are many, but the rational part of my mind declares those that believe they have a religious duty to punish any who disagree with them brings on those personal beliefs concerning angels and demons. And if I am to have angels and demons in my own belief system, then it must admit of miracles as well. This is where things become somewhat obscure once more. Do I hope there are in fact angels and demons, miracles, or do I really believe this?

The Bible describes faith as the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. But can you have hope that is not based on belief? Is faith a synonym for belief? Some suppose so; but I don’t find it necessarily so. The last verse of I Corinthians chapter 13 has it there abides faith, hope, and love, that the greatest of these is love. I certainly have no argument with the conclusion, but it seems the writer wanted to distinguish between faith, belief if you will, and hope. Perhaps the writer faced the same difficulty I have with hope and belief.

While I have experienced things miraculous, things that defy rational explanation, no part of my hope is based on these. Nor do I have any beliefs about such things I am willing to punish others who do not share a like belief. Ah, but when I lay my head on my pillow at night I go to sleep in hope. And it isn’t miracles or beliefs that get me through each day; it is hope. However, it is not the hope that things will eventually come right in a demon-haunted world, which I believe it to be, but in the world to come. Or as the Bible has it, hope that is seen is no longer hope. Opposed to beliefs that can injure yourself or others I don’t think anyone is made to suffer for hope.

It was fascinating to read the recent article about how baby sand dollars manage to survive. Ah, if only we humans had the same degree of intelligence. But we seem bent on proving we aren’t even as smart as baby sand dollars.

Once the dust has cleared perhaps Barack Hussein Obama will check into a celebrity rehab center and his wife will announce she is no longer proud of America. The people who hoped for real change through Obama have my genuine sympathy; but now that he has made himself a pathetic figure asking everyone to believe the unbelievable about many years of the relationship with his mentor, the unabashedly racist Jeremiah Wright, he is doomed. His attempts at disavowal have made him appear not only pathetic but willing to sacrifice anyone, even his closest friends, in seeking power. No one can survive the issue of hypocrisy and betrayal of trust on such a scale. Obama is now thoroughly discredited and tarred with the racist brush and he can’t escape it. If he ever had a chance at the nomination, which I very much doubt, that is now gone.

Well, there may very well be riots but little can be done about that; it is just too easy to fan the fires of racial hatreds. Much like the cries to impeach Bush and bring the troops home now to secure our borders some things just seem unpreventable or beyond our power to accomplish. And given the immense power of the money interests on a global scale controlling our government it would seem such unrest as with the refusal to secure our borders for the sake of slave labor serves the purpose of these interests. It’s all well and good to point out knowledge is power, but without wisdom knowledge only becomes a tool of those with the power of wealth making knowledge a servant to their purposes.

Giving him credit for his avowed purpose to make knowledge the servant of wisdom, this would explain the assassination of John F. Kennedy and his brother Robert. But we have come to such a sorry pass as a nation that not only do we not know the truth of these assassinations, we have been lied to for so long and on such a massive scale no one knows when those in our government are telling the truth about anything. If there are in fact conspiracies involved with things like the Kennedy’s and 9/11 they are on such a scale as to leave us numb with incomprehension, that such evil on such a scale could exist in America! We accept such things commonly happen in third world countries, but in America? Unthinkable!

Well, not really. There was such a time in America, but not anymore. And especially not in an America when gold hits $1,000 an ounce, oil is well over $100 a barrel and our government is so blatantly in bed with moneylenders while bread and milk are becoming “luxury” items for ordinary working Americans. And given a government that has proven itself to be capable of lying on a massive scale, without any accountability to ordinary Americans but takes care of its own it isn’t any wonder few of us are not willing to credit conspiracy theories of some kind.

But it is a great weariness to write of such evil over which none of us have any control; the masters and rulers throughout human history have never deviated from an evil course in pursuing power and wealth, and those having the rule over America are of kind. So, how about a different kind of conspiracy, one in which scientists and archeologists conspire to withhold the truth?

As though reports of UFOs and government cover-ups about these were not enough to cause speculation, all those squared stones used in walls and monuments of the past just could not have been done by humans without some “outside” help. This might be considered a flight of fancy on my part, a welcome diversion from the evil men do threatening to ruin America, but there is just something about watching programs viewing the stone walls and monuments of the ancient past that causes me no little consternation.

Many of you have watched programs dealing with the issues of Atlantis including the one in the sea off the coast of Japan. There have been many computer generated images of Minoan architecture along with “reconstructed” castles, the cities of the Mayans and so on. My own fascination with ancient Egyptian culture and monuments like the three pyramids of Giza has led to my questioning the theories of those purporting to be “experts” about such things, and the attempts to demonstrate how such things might have been done are for the most part very unconvincing.

I’ve had a lot of experience in the building trades, and I am expert in masonry. But when I see videos of walls and structures built of very large, squared stones I am nonplussed. How many of you have ever taken a large stone weighing about a hundred pounds and tried to shape it into a smooth rectangular shape? Then try to imagine doing this to a thousand such stones for a wall or other structure. I can envision a few hundred laborers working like ants to do something like this, but it seems improbable all these hundreds are skilled masons.

Like the various theories of how those three pyramids of Giza may have been built and how great obelisks were set in place none of these make any practical sense to me. And when attempts are made to demonstrate such things on a smaller scale, they fall far short of being the real thing, much like comparing a kite with a modern airliner.

I can’t bring myself to believe those who have dedicated their lives to science and archeology are involved with a vast conspiracy. But neither can I accept many of the theories I read and programs we see on TV as “explanations” for some things that simply make no sense according to the theories offered. Every once in a while something pops up to tell us ancient people had access to technology not thought possible to them.

It was fascinating to read the recent article about how baby sand dollars have learned to survive; and I couldn’t help thinking that if only we humans were capable of exercising the same degree of intelligence as a baby sand dollar we wouldn’t be bending our efforts toward “bigger and better” means of our extinction as a species, but rather would be attempting to be more user friendly toward our planet and dedicating more of our efforts to understanding how those thousands of stones were squared off and proving we can be just as smart as baby sand dollars.

“Sowing their wild oats” has been given the imprimatur of tacit approval for young men, but young women doing the same thing are called “sluts.” It is a hypocrisy ongoing throughout history and not likely to change, but it does point up the fact the world is neither fair nor just and we are expected to do our best to muddle through life best we can.

Thoughts of exogenesis in its various forms have been around since at least the time of the Greeks. Recently it is getting some renewed attention with a more thorough examination of meteorites that some are speculating anew might be a plausible means of “seeding” life. It may be as I have speculated the universe itself was a kind of “seeding” process much as in the Parable of the Sower in the Bible. I am inclined to the belief there is good seed and bad among humans, there are good souls and bad, that the soul itself is a planted seed that may or may not mature, and if it grows to maturity may be a foxtail or cornstalk.

Politicians are in the foxtail group. Economics, race, and religion continue to be the witch’s brew of politics they have ever been. But I hold firm to the dictum no truly good person ever wants power and authority over others, that politics is a dirty business that attracts only those willing to roll in the mud with other bottom feeders like lawyers. When it comes to politics it has never been something attractive to good people with good hearts, and much as some might trumpet the merits of their particular candidate over others a moment of sober reflection would impress upon sober minds the choices are seldom between good and bad candidates, but the lesser of evils.

But it is an evil system born of evil men, and the most some hope for is to come out of it alive in the end, a vain hope in too many cases of the various governments throughout history since their doom is invariably that of those driven by the lust for power and riches that become rulers over the masses. At present, there is little prospect of change for the better though the lesser of evils precludes anyone like Obama who obviously presents the greater evil.

However, it continues to boggle the mind that Democrats could have been as purblind to believe anyone like Mr. Obama would be a viable candidate, or fail to realize his candidacy would be one fraught with risks of great magnitude. Unlike Ms. Clinton, Mr. Obama poses a more immediate threat of race riots in America fomented by those like Mr. Obama’s spiritual leader and every malcontent blaming Caucasians for the woes of Negroes. So, while I see this as the Devil’s work throughout and it isn’t likely Mr. McCain will solve the woes of America there is our Hobson’s Choice, made so by what at least superficially would appear to be disastrous decisions and blunders by the Democrat Party.

Alas my fellow Americans, we are in the hands of thieves and liars, 545 of them having the rule over America. Much like Mr. Obama attempting to distance himself from his church and spiritual advisor publicly, who believes we will be under the rule of a noble leader no matter who wins the presidency. All of them lie to get elected and lie to stay elected and there is no honor among them. Once more, because of an evil system led of evil people, bad seed, bad souls, our “choice” is as usual the lesser of evils.

But the Democrats have only themselves to blame they could offer nothing better than Clinton or Obama. A woman like Ms. Clinton or a Negro like Mr. Obama should have been immediately dismissed from the start. Were they that hard up for choices without so much politically “inconvenient” baggage? And it is puzzling why this was not obvious to the leadership of the Democrat Party? It reminds me of a story Thoreau told of his ax sliding to a hole in the ice of Walden and falling through as though guided by the hand of some evil genii. Many of us have had a like experience, something inexplicable we could not have accomplished had we intentionally attempted to do so. It is at such times not a few of us have been willing to credit some malevolent supernatural force at work.

But since Satan is not divided against himself, what do you suppose he has in store for America because of this debacle by the Democrat Party? Nothing better; of that much I am certain. Alright, dismiss Satan as only a figment of religious superstition and belief. Questions surrounding the Democrat choices of candidates much like Thoreau’s ax still remain unanswered by any ordinary means.

Not to excuse Republicans, but what would we be hearing if the presidential contenders were actually saying openly what they thought of each other personally? I have no doubt it would never get past the media censors, and if it should would probably draw hefty fines wholesale from the FCC. The realities are quite ugly once you get past the pandering and patronizing condescension of political correctness, and no one doubts both Ms. Clinton and Mr. Obama would really love to tear the lungs out of each other all the while declaring hypocritically “Race isn’t an issue!” when such a thing is so blatantly obvious to the whole world. Race has always been an issue in America just as it has been throughout all the nations of the world. Just who are these fools that keep trying to sweep this under the rug with the pretense of calling it a “non-issue?” As Emerson and Thoreau pointed out, civilized manners are the only thing that keeps people from coming to blows. However, civilization is only a veneer in too many cases, and is easily stripped away by ugly and cruel circumstances; especially those of economics, race, and religion.

But it appears America is fast losing the civilized manners of a civilized nation as barbarians increasingly use guns to terrorize and take what they want from their helpless victims, including wanton murder! Like most normal people I wish everyone could just get along together, that we could all live in peace with one another; but the monsters of Want and Ignorance will quickly disabuse any that believe once these two monsters are unleashed on a large enough scale such is possible. And America is facing the prospect of these monsters being unleashed on a scale large enough with the potential of bringing our nation to ruin!

There are too many monsters among us taught to hate just like the Muslim suicide bombers, murderers we read about every day. There are too many here in America taught to hate because they have been taught from birth society “owes” them, and they have the right to excuse the most heinous barbarisms against those they feel have “cheated” them of the riches and easy lives they see on TV.

How many votes do you think Obama lost because of the recent atrocity committed against a defenseless young Caucasian woman, Eve Carson, murdered in cold blood by two monsters that happen to be Negroes? Who could be so naïve as to think such an atrocity won’t cost him votes? And why didn’t she at least have a gun to protect herself from such monsters? Because society has taught the monsters they are free to prey on the helpless and defenseless while continuing to prevent such young women from arming themselves against such monsters; just as those attempting to excuse the criminals by pointing out the jails and prisons hold a disproportionate number of minorities choosing to ignore the fact these commit a disproportionate number of crimes.

But when the whole world is watching this barbaric, murderous atrocity committed against a helpless victim like Eve Carson play on TV what is seen are two ugly and vicious monsters without conscience and nothing of any redeeming value taking the life of a beautiful young girl, a university student body president who would have made a valuable contribution to society. How can such things fail to engender hatred toward such monsters casting further suspicion upon Obama and cost him votes in the process! It’s not about “fair,” it’s all about perception no matter what spin is attempted to disarm the suspicion and hatred. Certainly Caucasians commit atrocities, but this is only useless patronizing to point out because of perception. And it is more than merely perception to point out for example a Negro or Latino is safer in a Caucasian neighborhood than a Caucasian would be in a Negro or Latino one. This is an ugly fact, but a fact nevertheless and one that won’t go away simply because it is politically incorrect to talk and write about such a thing.

America is becoming increasingly divided by race where entire cities are given over to gang violence and terrorism, places where the barbarians are well armed and law abiding citizens are helpless to defend themselves against the barbarians and the police are emasculated from protecting the helpless. Pretending this is not the case borders on criminal negligence on the part of politicians and the MSM!

As ordinary working American citizens face an increasingly hostile economic environment watching the obscenely rich getting obscenely richer while bread and milk are becoming “luxuries” and workers have increasing difficulty making ends meet, there is going to be a growing hostility toward those like politicians and illegal aliens. But with increasing economic hard times for so many millions of ordinary working Americans there is also going to be an increasingly intolerant and even belligerent attitude toward all those getting a free ride on the backs of taxpayers, especially those on welfare. The lessons of history are immutable when it comes to harsh economic realities. The Biblical injunction to care for widows and orphans distinguishes those who are “widows indeed” for example.

Geraldine Ferraro hardly in a position to cast stones might have pointed out the more obvious problem with Barack Hussein Obama’s candidacy. Notwithstanding the normal and quite legitimate questions and suspicions concerning his background, associations, and many not wanting a “Hussein” in the White House, what if Obama does not win the nomination; will there be riots? What if he wins the nomination and loses the election; will there be riots? What if he is assassinated at any point in time; will there be riots? Of course! It shouldn’t be surprising if Muslim fanatics haven’t considered this as a means of throwing America into chaos, and what will Farrakhan, Jackson, and Sharpton do to attempt to soften the attitude of their constituencies toward Caucasians in any of these eventualities; faint hope for anything of that nature from these individuals. On the contrary, there is no denunciation by these of atrocities committed by Negroes against Caucasians, only the other way around.

As I asked when Obama first began to become a serious contender, what in the world was the thinking of Democrats? Couldn’t they foresee what a potential calamity Obama presented? Well, apparently not since they put the country at risk of those “burn baby burn” riots by even promoting someone like him as a presidential contender. Apparently those like Ferraro either did not recognize the problem or failed to bring it up in the very beginning.

Even more incredulous is how the Clintons with their vaunted political perspicacity and machine could possibly have been blindsided by the Obama candidacy? Something about this strikes me as diabolical, something Satan might contrive to throw America into upheaval. But if not, where did Ms. Clinton ever get the idea she was a viable candidate? Could it all be a consuming passion for power that blinds such people like the Clintons and Obama to the realities? Certainly that’s possible given the egos involved, but it still appears the Devil’s work to me.

Just who is being served by the Utopian idiocy of preaching a “multicultural colorblind” America? “Oh, if we all just do our part and try to work together” does not play in the real world no matter how much the universities and MSM preaches this “gospel.” Aren’t the mug shots of Negroes that have committed horrendous atrocities against young, attractive Caucasian women enough to inflame the passions of those who believe the hatred of some Negroes against Caucasians is already being played out by criminals without any semblance of a conscience across America without putting forth a Negro candidate for the presidency thereby inviting disaster? No matter what spin is put on it race is an issue in this campaign, and the more it is ignored as though it does not exist, the more people are penalized and called “racist” and “bigot” for addressing the issue the more dangerous the situation becomes.

Having been a high school teacher in Watts during the 60s I know what real racial hatred is directed at Caucasians. I had a front row seat during the riots and never want to see such a thing again. But when such a minority has had decades of propaganda directed at them telling them they are “victims” of Caucasians and are “entitled” and are encouraged in this by corrupt politicians that pass laws in effect stigmatizing minorities making them increasingly odious to the majority you are going to eventually reap a whirlwind of that hatred coming to a boil as it did during the riots of the 60s I witnessed and those that have followed.

The so-called “music” associated with some Negroes denigrating women and glorifying criminal violence and drugs obviously serves to associate all Negroes with these. As false as it is, in all honesty perception is what matters the most. It’s bad enough so many well qualified Negroes in positions of authority anywhere, especially in the schools, are viewed with suspicion about their genuine qualifications because of Affirmative Action and not being held to the same standards as Caucasians. But for some to engage in barbaric lyrics dehumanizing women, glorifying criminal violence and drugs, attacking Caucasians in the name of “entertainment” only adds considerable fuel to the fires of suspicion and even hatred.

Want and Ignorance are going to be an increasing threat to America as jobs continue to become scarce for unskilled labor due to outsourcing and open borders. The outsourcing of jobs for skilled labor threatens our manufacturing base and national security. In all of this, the absence of leadership capable of addressing these problems America is facing portends catastrophic consequences for all of us. It’s all well and good to “have a dream,” but dreams do not rule nations; harsh economic realities rule nations no matter how bright and worthy the dreams.

That America has been betrayed and sold out for power and profits by a Federal Tyrant, a Federal Dictatorship encouraging the monsters of Want and Ignorance is quickly turning the brightest dreams into nightmares for all of us. Dreams are the source of hope, but hope quickly fades when it is no longer possible to dream. But I speak of dreams in the best sense of the word, not the Pollyanna dreams of fools or the baseless hopes of fools that continue to believe there is any such thing as a free lunch. Life is neither fair nor just and no amount of laws, no amount of socialist Utopian dreaming will make it so; and shibboleths remain what they have always been throughout human history and this is no time to temporize given the grim threats our nation is facing. As it stands, it would appear Democrats are determined to hand the election to Republicans by default; and if so, then what?