JFK On Freedom of Information

 

We Are Americans

We are in desperate need of God-honoring, wise, commonsensical patriots. Ronald Reagan was one. Today, I am simply sharing with you portions of his First Inaugural Address.


“...We must act today in order to preserve tomorrow. And let there be no misunderstanding--we are going to begin to act, beginning today.

“The economic ills we suffer have come upon us over several decades. They will not go away in days, weeks, or months, but they will go away. They will go away because we, as Americans, have the capacity now, as we have had in the past, to do whatever needs to be done to preserve this last and greatest bastion of freedom.

“In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.

“From time to time, we have been tempted to believe that society has become too complex to be managed by self-rule, that government by an elite group is superior to government for, by, and of the people. But if no one among us is capable of governing himself, then who among us has the capacity to govern someone else? All of us together, in and out of government, must bear the burden. The solutions we seek must be equitable, with no one group singled out to pay a higher price.

“We hear much of special interest groups. Our concern must be for a special interest group that has been too long neglected. It knows no sectional boundaries or ethnic and racial divisions, and it crosses political party lines. It is made up of men and women who raise our food, patrol our streets, man our mines and our factories, teach our children, keep our homes, and heal us when we are sick--professionals, industrialists, shopkeepers, clerks, cabbies, and truck drivers. They are, in short, "We the people," this breed called Americans…

“So, as we begin, let us take inventory. We are a nation that has a government--not the other way around. And this makes us special among the nations of the Earth. Our Government has no power except that granted it by the people. It is time to check and reverse the growth of government which shows signs of having grown beyond the consent of the governed.

“It is my intention to curb the size and influence of the Federal establishment and to demand recognition of the distinction between the powers granted to the Federal Government and those reserved to the States or to the people. All of us need to be reminded that the Federal Government did not create the States; the States created the Federal Government.

“It is time for us to realize that we are too great a nation to limit ourselves to small dreams…

“We have every right to dream heroic dreams. Those who say that we are in a time when there are no heroes just don't know where to look. You can see heroes every day going in and out of factory gates. Others, a handful in number, produce enough food to feed all of us and then the world beyond. You meet heroes across a counter--and they are on both sides of that counter. There are entrepreneurs with faith in themselves and faith in an idea who create new jobs, new wealth, and opportunities. They are individuals and families whose taxes support the Government and whose voluntary gifts support church, charity, culture, art, and education. Their patriotism is quiet but deep. Their values sustain our national life…

“Can we solve the problems confronting us? Well, the answer is an unequivocal and emphatic ‘yes.’ To paraphrase Winston Churchill, I did not take the oath I have just taken with the intention of presiding over the dissolution of the world's strongest economy…

“On the eve of our struggle for independence a man who might have been one of the greatest among the Founding Fathers, Dr. Joseph Warren, President of the Massachusetts Congress, said to his fellow Americans, ‘Our country is in danger, but not to be despaired of.... On you depend the fortunes of America. You are to decide the important questions upon which rests the happiness and the liberty of millions yet unborn. Act worthy of yourselves.’

“Well, I believe we, the Americans of today, are ready to act worthy of ourselves, ready to do what must be done to ensure happiness and liberty for ourselves, our children, and our children's children.

“And as we renew ourselves here in our own land, we will be seen as having greater strength throughout the world. We will again be the exemplar of freedom and a beacon of hope for those who do not now have freedom…

“As for the enemies of freedom, those who are potential adversaries, they will be reminded that peace is the highest aspiration of the American people. We will negotiate for it, sacrifice for it; we will not surrender for it--now or ever.

“Our forbearance should never be misunderstood. Our reluctance for conflict should not be misjudged as a failure of will. When action is required to preserve our national security, we will act. We will maintain sufficient strength to prevail if need be, knowing that if we do so we have the best chance of never having to use that strength.

“Above all, we must realize that no arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women. It is a weapon our adversaries in today's world do not have. It is a weapon that we as Americans do have. Let that be understood by those who practice terrorism and prey upon their neighbors.

“I am told that tens of thousands of prayer meetings are being held on this day, and for that, I am deeply grateful. We are a nation under God, and I believe God intended for us to be free. It would be fitting and good, I think, if on each Inauguration Day in future years it should be declared a day of prayer.

“This is the first time in history that this ceremony has been held, as you have been told, on this West Front of the Capitol. Standing here, one faces a magnificent vista, opening up on this city's special beauty and history. At the end of this open mall are those shrines to the giants on whose shoulders we stand.

“Directly in front of me, the monument to a monumental man: George Washington, Father of our country. A man of humility who came to greatness reluctantly. He led America out of revolutionary victory into infant nationhood. Off to one side, the stately memorial to Thomas Jefferson. The Declaration of Independence flames with his eloquence.

“And then beyond the Reflecting Pool the dignified columns of the Lincoln Memorial. Whoever would understand in his heart the meaning of America will find it in the life of Abraham Lincoln.

“Beyond those monuments to heroism is the Potomac River, and on the far shore the sloping hills of Arlington National Cemetery with its row on row of simple white markers bearing crosses or Stars of David. They add up to only a tiny fraction of the price that has been paid for our freedom…

“Under one such marker lies a young man--Martin Treptow--who left his job in a small town barbershop in 1917 to go to France with the famed Rainbow Division. There, on the western front, he was killed trying to carry a message between battalions under heavy artillery fire.

“We are told that on his body was found a diary. On the flyleaf under the heading, ‘My Pledge,’ he had written these words: ‘America must win this war. Therefore, I will work, I will save, I will sacrifice, I will endure, I will fight cheerfully and do my utmost, as if the issue of the whole struggle depended on me alone.’

“The crisis we are facing today does not require of us the kind of sacrifice that Martin Treptow and so many thousands of others were called upon to make. It does require, however, our best effort, and our willingness to believe in ourselves and to believe in our capacity to perform great deeds; to believe that together, with God's help, we can and will resolve the problems which now confront us.

“And, after all, why shouldn't we believe that? We are Americans…” (1)

1. https://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/reagan1.asp

Our Presidential Heritage

It is always great to reflect on the influence God has had on the founding and growth of America. Though revisionists try to erase God from our history, as Founding Father John Adams so plainly stated, “Facts are stubborn things.”

Today we celebrate this godly heritage and ask God to once again give us leaders who revere and honor Him. He has offered us mercy and deliverance from the powers of darkness that have ruled our nation for several decades, and we stand on His gracious promise. We also ask Him to give us righteous leaders in government, leaders who will honor Him, our heritage, and life.

The remainder of today’s post is just a few of the hundreds of quotes from previous Presidents, stating their faith in God, respect for His Word (the Bible), and honor of Christ and Christianity. Enjoy! 

~ Dutch Sheets

“It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible." George Washington

“The propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right, which Heaven itself has ordained." George Washington

“We recognize no sovereign but God, and no King but Jesus!" John Adams

“I consider a decent respect for Christianity among the best recommendations for public service.” John Adams

“The reason that Christianity is the best friend of government is because Christianity is the only religion that changes the heart." Thomas Jefferson

“The Bible is the first and almost the only book deserving of universal attention." John Quincy Adams

“My custom is to read four or five chapters of the Bible every morning immediately after rising. It seems to me the most suitable manner of beginning the day. It is an invaluable and inexhaustible mine of knowledge and virtue." John Quincy Adams

“We have staked the whole future of American civilization not on the power of government, far from it. We have staked the whole of our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government, upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves according to the commandments of God. The future and success of America are not in this Constitution, but in the laws of God upon which this Constitution is founded.” James Madison

“Finally, it is my most fervent prayer to that Almighty Being before whom I now stand, and who has kept us in His hands from the infancy of our Republic unto the present day, that He will so overrule all my intentions and actions and inspire the hearts of my fellow-citizens that we may be preserved from dangers of all kinds and continue forever a united and happy people.” Andrew Jackson

“We have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand, which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us." Abraham Lincoln

“I am profitably engaged in reading the Bible. Take all of this Book upon reason that you can, and the balance by faith, and you will live and die a better man." Abraham Lincoln

“All must admit that the reception of the teachings of Christ results in the purest patriotism, in the most scrupulous fidelity to public trust, and in the best type of citizenship." Grover Cleveland

“Before any man can be considered as a member of civil society, he must be considered as a subject of the Governor of the Universe. And to the same Divine Author of every good and perfect gift we are indebted for all those privileges and advantages, religious as well as civil, which are so richly enjoyed in this favored land." James Monroe

“A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education." Theodore Roosevelt

“The foundations of our society and our government rest so much on the teachings of the Bible that it would be difficult to support them if faith in these teachings would cease to be practically universal in our country." Calvin Coolidge

“The study of the Bible is a post-graduate course in the richest library of human experience." Herbert Hoover

“The rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God." John F. Kennedy

“You can’t divorce religious belief and public service. . . I’ve never detected any conflict between God’s will and my political duty. If you violate one, you violate the other.” James Earl Carter, Jr.

“We asked for God’s help; and now, in this shining outcome, in this magnificent triumph of good over evil, we should thank God.” George H. W. Bush

“Each day millions of our citizens approach our Maker on bended knee, seeking His grace and giving thanks for the many blessings He bestows upon us." George W Bush

“Of the many influences that have shaped the United States into a distinctive nation and people, none may be said to be more fundamental and enduring than the Bible." Ronald Reagan

“If we ever forget that we are one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under." Ronald Reagan

Pray with me:

Father, it is an indescribable privilege to be part of a nation raised up by You to propagate the gospel of Your kingdom. You birthed America, and You have prospered and blessed us beyond measure. Our Founders knew You were involved in our formation; they knew and honored You as the only King. They worshiped You, honored Your Word, and believed in Your Son, Jesus Christ. And they led from “servant hearts” and unselfish motivations.

America now has many leaders who do not know You, do not respect You, and do not want You honored in our nation. They do not honor Your principles in Scripture, do not honor life, and many have become fools. They have led America down a path of rebellion and wickedness. Like the prodigal in Scripture, we have squandered our inheritance and wasted it on sin and selfish desires.

But also like the prodigal, we believe in Your mercy. We believe in the power of the shed blood of Jesus. We believe it cleanses us from all sin and unrighteousness. And we believe in restoration. We believe that You are restoring America to You and to our calling. We place our faith in nothing but Your blood and grace and, because of them, we boldly declare, “America shall be saved!”

Our decree:

We decree that America shall once again have a God-honoring person as our President, and a Congress led by a majority who love God and His ways.

Copyright © 2022 Dutch Sheets Ministries, All rights reserved.

Monday's Quote of the Day

'Nuff said.

How Times Have Changed (Edited, With an Explanation)

“I want the people of America to be able to work less for the government, and more for themselves. I want them to have the rewards of their own industry. This is the chief meaning of freedom. Until we can reestablish a condition under which the earnings of the people can be kept by the people, we are bound to suffer a very severe and distinct curtailment of our liberty.” 

~ President Calvin Coolidge, speaking in favor of a national income tax (before there was one; the nation was a hodge-podge of differing tax rates, and the argument FOR a tax was that the federal government could level the playing field for interstate commerce, and lessen individual tax burdens while still providing revenue for the government to provide its essential services.)



"We don't have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven't taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much"  

~ President Ronald Reagan, speaking on lowering taxes (and reducing spending)

More Than Just Words for Memorial Day

"Once each May, amid the quiet hills and rolling lanes and breeze-brushed trees of Arlington National Cemetery, far above the majestic Potomac and the monuments and memorials of our Nation's Capital just beyond, the graves of America's military dead are decorated with the beautiful flag that in life these brave souls followed and loved. This scene is repeated across our land and around the world, wherever our defenders rest.

"Let us hold it our sacred duty and our inestimable privilege on this day to decorate these graves ourselves -- with a fervent prayer and a pledge of true allegiance to the cause of liberty, peace, and country for which America's own have ever served and sacrificed.

"... Our pledge and our prayer this day are those of free men and free women who know that all we hold dear must constantly be built up, fostered, revered and guarded vigilantly from those in every age who seek its destruction. We know, as have our Nation's defenders down through the years, that there can never be peace without its essential elements of liberty, justice and independence. Those true and only building blocks of peace were the lone and lasting cause and hope and prayer that lighted the way of those whom we honor and remember this Memorial Day.

"To keep faith with our hallowed dead, let us be sure, and very sure, today and every day of our lives, that we keep their cause, their hope, their prayer, forever our country's own."

~~ Ronald W. Reagan, 40th President of the United States

Quote of the Day

The people cannot be all, and always, well informed. The part which is wrong will be discontented, in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive. If they remain quiet under such misconceptions, it is lethargy, the forerunner of death to the public liberty. And what country can preserve its liberties, if its rulers are not warned from time to time, that this people preserve the spirit of resistance?


~ Thomas Jefferson

How Far We Have Fallen

Click to enlarge

President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the last President of a Constitutional Republic.

Thought for the Day

At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? 
I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. 

As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.

~ Abraham Lincoln


Love him or hate him, Lincoln was right on the money with this one.

Quote of the Season:

In 1913, President Woodrow Wilson approved the Federal Reserve Act. A few years later, he reflected:

"I am a most unhappy man. I have unwittingly ruined my country. A great industrial nation is controlled by its system of credit. Our system of credit is concentrated. The growth of the nation, therefore, and all our activities are in the hands of a few men.

"We have come to be one of the worst-ruled, one of the most completely controlled and dominated governments in the civilized world -- no longer a government by free opinion, no longer a government by conviction and the vote of the majority, but a government by the opinion and duress of a small group of dominant men."

Independence Day

 "I am apt to believe that it [Independence Day] will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.

You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. — I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. — Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not." 

~ John Adams


“The cost of freedom is always high, but Americans have always paid it. And one path we shall never choose, and that is the path of surrender, or submission.”

~ John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Quote of the Year

“It was leadership here at home that gave us strong American influence abroad, and the collapse of imperial Communism. Great nations have responsibilities to lead, and we should always be cautious of those who would lower our profile, because they might just wind up lowering our flag.” 

~ President Ronald Reagan, February 3, 1994.


h/t Alan Caruba

Quote of the Day

Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, Religion and Morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of Men and Citizens. … [R]eason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.

Let it simply be asked, where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths which are the instruments of investigation in courts of justice?

It is substantially true that virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government. The rule indeed extends with more or less force to every species of free government. Who that is a sincere friend to it can look with indifference upon attempts to shake the foundation of the fabric?

~ President George Washington's farewell address upon leaving office (1797)

Quote of the Day

"We will not forget that Liberty has here made her home, nor shall her chosen altar be neglected. Willing votaries will constantly keep alive its fires and these shall gleam upon the shores of our sister Republic thence, and joined with answering rays a stream of light shall pierce the darkness of ignorance and man's oppression, until Liberty enlightens the world."

~ Grover Cleveland, in his dedication speech for the Statue of Liberty (October 28, 1886)

Quote of the Day

h/t MO Bro

President Reagan on Firearms

I miss him.

Quote of the Day

"We must reject the idea that every time a law's broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions." 

~ President Ronald Reagan

Quotes of the Day

"Today we need a nation of minute men: citizens who are not only prepared to take up arms, but citizens who regard the preservation of freedom as a basic purpose of their daily life."

~ John F. Kennedy  


"The Second Amendment is a political issue today only because of the military reality that underlies it. Politicians who fear the people seek to disarm them. People who fear their government's intentions refuse to be disarmed. The Founders understood this. So, too, does every tyrant who ever lived. Liberty-loving Americans forget it at their peril. Until they do, American gunowners in the aggregate represent a strategic military fact and an impediment to foreign tyranny. They also represent the greatest political challenge to home-grown would-be tyrants."

 ~ Mike Vanderboegh

Quote of the Week

"If the people let the government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be as in as sorry a state as the souls of those who live under tyranny."

~ Thomas Jefferson

Quote of the Day

"It is impossible to govern the world without God and the Bible. Of all the dispositions and habits that lead to political prosperity, our religion and morality are the indispensable supporters. Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that our national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle."

 ~  George Washington