Picking a Fight is not the Way to Defend that which is Good

   Tell me the things worth fighting for, and I just might tell you you're wrong.
   Friends and family, love and peace, justice and the American way, fairness, kindness, the pursuit of happiness, God and religion, the oppressed, the exiled, the downtrodden, the poor, freedom and liberty, property, wisdom and truth, principles, honor, life, the unborn . . .
   All things good are worth standing up for. There is no doubt that it is good to stick up for that which is right.
  But, to fight over them?
  When we pick a fight in defense of that which is good, we still pick a fight. Plead for what is right. Protest, if that will help. But, in all you do, if you can avoid the spirit of hate, do so. If you can avoid making enemies, do so. If you can avoid turning it all into a "fight," do so. Those you differ with need not be made your enemies. Reasoning need not be taken to fighting. If you can smile -- and make it a warm and genuine smile -- at those who have different values and beliefs, then that is the spirit of peace, not of a fight.
  If you have wisdom, offer it in the spirit of wisdom. Offer it in a wise and gentle way. True wisdom seeks friends, not enemies. True wisdom seeks to help, not to hurt. The true giver of wisdom comes not with a sword, but with a loving arm.

 True wisdom seeks friends, 
not enemies. 

True wisdom seeks to help, 

not to hurt. 

The true giver of wisdom comes not with a sword,

 but with a loving arm.

Tolerance requires goodness of the giver,

but not of the receiver. 

Tolerance is a gift 

to those who don't earn it. 
--

Tolerance is a gift you give

 to those who don't deserve it. 

Tolerance of others 

is the beginning of peace.

It is sad commentary on our society, and the 21st Century, that many who do good are hated of men.

Devils will warn you of devils 

in skies where angels fly.

True charity is that the poor should work a little harder. Is this what we believe?

A good well can be poisoned. 

And a good devil determines to do so. 

You can paint socialism with a broad brush. 

And, if you paint broadly enough, you will have

 no room for charity and compassion.

Can the Love of Capitalism become a Root of Evil?

   We must be careful of heaping too much love on capitalism. Do we teach that the love of money is the root of all evil, then teach that the love of money is the foundation of a good nation? I somewhat wonder if we should be careful of who it is we see as false teachers.

Do we teach that the love of money

 is the root of all evil, then teach that the love of money is the foundation of a good nation?

Making the Rich Rich is a Goal that Deserves Second Thoughts

   What do we believe in our day? That the prosperity of the rich is the measurement of a good economy? I do not find it false to aspire to be a nation where there will be no poor among us. I do not suppose at this very moment to know how to arrive there, but I know it is an honorable aspiration.
   In contrast, where is the honor in filling the homes of the rich with lucre? If they should make their riches, let them. I do not know that we should tax them till they leave. I only say that when our goal is to make the rich rich, that goal might deserve some second thoughts.

We Should be Wary of Those Who Lead Us Away from doing Good

  There is something about all this hatred of socialism that bothers me. It takes the concept of sharing, and turns it into a sin. It lionizes money. It teaches the prosperity of the rich is the measurement of a good economy. It teaches true charity is that the poor should work a little harder.
   No, I do not doubt that the poor should work, but nor do I believe that the hand of the rich should oppress them. Favor the poor, I say, and it is in that you find favor with God. Offer them work. Teach them to work. But do not turn them away. Do not look on the poor and say, This man has brought on himself his own folly, for he is a drug addict, so I will withhold my hand from helping him.
   And, what, leave him in the gutter? Face flat, perhaps? After all, a drug addict or a drunk, he is.
Charity is not just for the righteous. It does not say, If you are to qualify for care, you must first qualify for heaven. If you are not tolerant of those who sin, then it is you, yourself, who sins.
   I look at our nation, and the whip of hatred that is being brought against socialism. I wonder if it isn't overreach. You can paint socialism with a broad brush. And, if you paint broadly enough, you will have no room for charity and compassion.
   Yes, I wonder about Satan, and his ways. I wonder at how a good well can be poisoned.

 What are we saying these days? 

That true charity is that the poor should work 

 a little harder?

There is something about all 

this hatred of socialism that bothers me. It takes the concept of sharing, and turns it into a sin. 

 If you are not tolerant of those who sin, 

then it is you, yourself, who sins.

 Favor the poor, 

for it is in that you find favor

 with God.

The pages of life can be turned 

without the lessons they teach being learned.

The pages of life can be turned 

without their lessons ever being learned.

The pages of life can be turned 

without the lessons they offer ever being learned.

 The pages of time turn with the wind, 

but it is the breath of God that fills them. 

 The gossip of the corridors 

echoes to the hallways of hell.

The gossiping in the corridors 

echoes in the hallways of hell.

If you would know the truth
Don't listen to masses
As a mob, they rule with gossip
They stir up disbelief
And rally false belief
And knock truth off its chassis

Truth is not in the lies of men
But it is the lies of men we hear
They shout and they shove
And claim to be from above
And suppose it is truth we must fear

The pounding feet of the masses
Drown out the voice of truth
They tromp to the ground
Things that are sound
And bring down wisdom's roof

 The proud will not hear the spirit 

over the din of their own beliefs. 

Be still, and know that I am God, says the scripture.

The silencing of our own soul 

allows us to hear the voice of God.

The pages of life may turn with the wind, 

or by the touch of God's hand. 

If you allow God to read you -- to judge and to look inside you and to read aloud so you can hear and learn -- those pages will never be ruffled or wind-torn.

The fingers of God 

are in all that is good.

The emptiest pages in a book are ones at the start and finish; 

It is not so much how you start or finish, but how you live your life.

When truth's secrets are kept,

 lies are spread. 

 When truth's secrets are kept,

 they often spread lies.

The Art of a Lie

   Lies endure by the silencing of truth. I reflect on our President, and how he attacks the press, and tells us to pay it no heed, to not belief it. If he can get us to turn from the truth, it cannot harm him. Now, I will grant that our President possibly truly believes the media is wrong, and fake, and full of lies. When belief in one's self is great enough, you will refuse to belief the truth. You will reject the truth by insisting it's a lie.
  Enter our president, and his rejection of truth.
  Forgive, but is is we, as well who react this way. We reject the truth the same way. When someone presents facts, and suggests they are but laying the truth before us, we attack the messenger. "That is Wikipedia?" we ask. "Well, you can't trust Wikipedia." "That is Snopes? Well, you certainly can't trust Snopes!"
   Liars always insist the truth is a lie.
   Instead of just taking their word on it, we should examine the facts, but that will never be done if we refuse to even look at the facts. If we have been told the sources are liars -- and we believe it -- we are left in the hands of the liars. It is so, then: If the sources of truth are silenced, the public will never have the truth.
  If you can control the flow of truth, you can diminish it to lies. If you can persuade the world the honest man isn't honest, the world will be left in the hands of your dishonesty.
  When the truth cannot be trusted, you are left with nothing but lies.

 Liars take up argument with wisdom 

by refusing to even listen.

 A liar doesn't dive for truth, 

but tells you to believe what's on the surface.
-

Often, liars aren't ignorant of truth,

 but they choose to ignore it. 

 Those who don't trust the truth 

are left in the hands of liars. 

If you can silence the truth,

 you need not fear it

I fear this is what some would do. They tell us not to listen to the media, not to trust Snopes or Wikipedia. Listen only to Fox and those who align with Fox, they say.

If you can 

persuade the world the honest man isn't honest,

 the world will be left in the hands of your dishonesty.

 If you can control the flow of truth, 

you can diminish it to lies. 

When the truth cannot be trusted,

 you are left with nothing but lies. 

 Liars are the Houdinis of truth; 

They escape it by deceit. 

If the sources of truth are silenced, 

the people will have no truth.

Paint the face of goodness on the face of sin, 

and the sinner will be revered. 

 Liars always insist 

the truth is a lie. 

When belief in self is great enough, 

you will not belief the truth. 

When belief in self is great enough,

 you will refuse to belief the truth.

Lies endure 

by the silencing of truth.

The lies of men

 are the weapons of Satan. 

Is the goodness of a nation

 to be measured by how many guns it has?

To Coach a Mike Conley or a Joe Ingles

  Comes a Facebook post on the Utah Jazz basketball team. "Everyone wants to talk about how bad (Mike) Conley is this year and no one wants to talk about how bad (Joe) Ingles has been because he's a 'fan' favorite. . . . Ingles' numbers are worse than (those of) Conley. So why hasn't anybody been talking about this."
  Conley is shooting 36.8 percent from the field, and Ingles 36.1.
  Conley might feel a little betrayed by the team he came from, Memphis, and perhaps is hurting from being let go. They traded him to the Jazz to bring in a hot, new rookie, Ja Morant who is lighting a fire in Memphis. Conley must be feeling the sting, looking at what Morant is doing, and feeling hurt.
   Ingles? He started for the Jazz. At the beginning of last season, he suggested he was as good of shooter as there is in the NBA. He was a confident player, having been one of the best three-point shooters in the league. Then, Kyle Korver was brought in, and it was suggested by one team official (jokingly, admittedly), that Ingles might not even be the best shooter on the team. Now, this; Now, no longer even a starter.
   Confidence needs to be curried. It doesn't exist in a vacuum.  Conley and Ingles -- to me -- both have clearly been hurt. Ingles might put on a brave face trying to embrace the role of sixth man, but it hurts. Conley might embrace his new team, but it hurts realizing your first love (only team he ever played for) let you go.
   So, both are hurting. At least part of the solution, then, is to take away the hurt. If you are the coach, what to you do?
   I'd sit Conley down, tell him not to be concerned with how Morant is doing. Let him do great. Let him be wonderful. Be happy for him. But, don't forget your own greatness. Don't forget you were good enough to be a main cog for Memphis -- sometimes, the main cog. And, there is no reason you cannot be even better. Motivate yourself. Accept the challenge. Resolve to dig deep within your soul and bring out the warrior within. Set your jaw, and your determination on being better. If you are to reach a goal, you've got to first set one. Determine to be better and better and better. Determine that whenever you shoot, the ball is going to go in. You're a 43.9 percent shooter for your career. What says you can't repeat that, or improve on it? Of course you can. It's just a matter of setting your heart, squaring your jaw, and pouring a little fierceness into it.
  Ingles? I'd tell him how important he is to the team. I'd go on and on for about five minutes telling him how important he is. I'd remind him how well he has played and how -- even as a sixth-man -- he is one of the best on the team. I wouldn't challenge him to win the sixth-man award, because there's Lou Williams over on the Clippers who is clearly going to outscore him. I wouldn't give him false hope; but I'd give him great hope. I'd tell him he can be one of the best sixth men in all the league. He can be someone special on the Jazz. I'd tell him we want him to shoot when he is in, but he must return to his resolve and determination to make his shots. Then, I'd make sure who ever is in the game at the same time knows they are to get him the ball for the open shots. Don't force it to him, just make sure he gets it whenever he is open.
   I'd tell both Conley and Ingles to get some fire. Play with fire. Play with a little bit of an edge. Play to show they were wrong to let you go in Memphis, Conley, and we were wrong to move you to the bench, Ingles. Everybody in the NBA has a challenge, because it is a league with the world's best players. So, what of it that you were traded, or went to the bench? Of course there are challenges in this league. Your goal is to play with the best, and find a way to be among the best.

Heaven is made for those 

who help others get there. 

If you do not stand up for others, 

you stand not a chance for heaven.

Those who forget they are children of God 

risk forgetting the way home.

 Rumors are at home 

where lies are welcome.

Rumors are safe 

 where lies are welcome.

A gentle word floats better 

 than one thrown to the ground. 

Gentle words make soft landing,

 but hard ones crash and burn. 

Gentle words float better 

than those thrown to the ground. 

Dreams are shattered 
when reality is insisted upon.

Hate is transmitted by those 

who don't even realize 

they carry the disease.

Hate is carried by those 

who don't even realize 

they have the disease.

If you don't fight for freedom off the battlefield, 

 you waste the blood spilled on the battlefield. 

If you don't fight for right off the battlefield, 

 you waste the blood spilled on the battlefield. 

I count not Colin Kaepernick as one who desecrates the blood of our soldiers, but one who joins his efforts to theirs. 

What has become of America? It is Lost on the Truth

  What becomes of my nation? When a fact-check is given -- suggesting a meme is inaccurate or false -- rather the accept the truth, so many lash back at it, saying it is the fact-check that is the liar. I see meme after meme after meme that is false -- many undeniably wrong, quoting George Washington and others saying things they just didn't say.
 Yet so many in my nation hold tightly to the same memes, regardless.
  What has become of my America, that it should be so deceived and blind -- so rejecting of simple truth?
  It is a nation itching to hear what it wants to hear, lashing out, one against another. I hear the gnashing of teeth -- as it seems to me -- of devils, as they use foulness of tongue and spiteful language on those they count as their foes. I read a post saying we need to educate Americans of the truth (for they call their falsehoods truth). And, I think of the news channels of our day, devoted to promoting not both sides of the story, but created just to carry the arguments of one party, to teach what that party suggests is the truth.
  And, I think of the scripture. "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And, they shall turn their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." (2nd Timothy 4:3-4)
  I would imagine this scripture foretells of a rejecting of religious teachings. But, I cannot but see how it so also squares with what is happening -- large scale -- in America, politically.

(Note: One sentence added Nov. 26th.)

 Being leaders of our leaders 

is what democracy is all about. 

The Scriptures Would have Us Love Nancy Pelosi and Donald Trump

   A politician knows only politics. Love is lost on him. He doesn't sit thinking about how, if he is to live the gospel, he (or she) should love others. He doesn't think on how that is the greatest commandment. He doesn't consider that if love is what it is all about, he should be loving those around him, including his enemies.
   And, as the politician goes, so goes those who follow after politics. As is the politician, so are the adherents of politics. They spew out hatred toward each other. And, should they ever stop to consider a scripture, they will surely find one to justify their hatred.
  As if the first and great commandment is not, Love thy neighbor as thyself.
  Who is your neighbor? It is a Democrat, if you are a Republican. It is a Republican, if you are a Democrat. It is the immigrants. It is Colin Kaepernick. It is the person with a gun, and the person without a gun. It is Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton. It is George W. Bush. It is Mitch McConnell and Devin Nunes. It is all twelve of the impeachment witnesses.
   And, it is Donald Trump. For me, he is the difficult one. I do see so much wrong with what he is doing. But, I am commanded to love him. What can I do to show my love? Do I, indeed, love him?
   A love of God and of all men? That doesn't leave anyone out. If our religion is as important as our politics, we will not leave it out of the process. And, if our religion is more important -- if it is it that which guides us and not our politics -- we will find a way to love all men.

If They did Perform These War Crimes, Should We Really be Offering Clemency?

   Would take a little study, to get a more definite feel for those President Trump is granting clemency to for war crimes.
   But, I certainly wonder about what our president is doing. If they did commit war crimes, they are the last people we should be wanting to grant clemency to. If a president grants them clemency, and they did perform the war crimes, does it mean he thinks such actions are justifiable?
  Have we reached this point: that we justify war crimes, and grant the perpetrators pardons?
  I wonder if any previous president has ever given passes to war criminals. Is this a first? And, what does it reflect of the morals of our nation? For it would seem many Americans are indifferent to what the president is doing, and many support him.

When perfection is your aim, 

you always miss, 

but you're always on target.

Perfection is found not in being perfect,

 but in seeking it. 

Perfection is not in being perfect,

 but in seeking it. 

The person who seeks to repent of his imperfections, is perfect. 

Just as there are no perfect people, there are no perfect nations. But the nation that seeks to repent of its sins, is perfect. 

Perfection is seeking to repent 

of your imperfections. 

Patriotism is more in insisting your nation be better

 than it is in insisting it already is. 

More patriotism lies in making your nation better 

than does in excusing its faults. 

Gods of gold

 are gods of fiction. 

Gods of gold are gods that fold, 

but a real one lasts for ever. 

Some of the saying like this, I think weak enough not to print. More than once, though, I have posted what I thought was a weak saying, though, only to have it become one of the best read.

When a lie supports what we want to believe,

 we don't believe its a lie.

   When a lie supports us 

in what we want to believe, 

we don't believe its a lie.

When a lie reinforces what we want to believe,

 we don't believe its a lie. 

Liars seek their own comfort

 and the destruction of others. 

A liar seldom hurts himself.

 His words are designed only to hurt others.

A lie is always self-serving.

A lie seeks the destruction of others,

 or the glory of one's self. 

A lie usually finds a fault.

Falsehood sides 

with those who will have it.

We believe the lie 

because it fits our wants.

We believe the lie

 because it fits right in with the lies 
we already have.

When a lie reinforces what we want to believe,

 we believe it. 

When truth runs 

counter to what we want to believe, 

we call it a lie.

A lie wins its friends 

 by telling them what they want to hear.

The house of lies has rooms for its guests, 

and it treats them to all of its comforts.

 Lies are believed 

only by those they comfort.

A lie comforts its listeners. 

But he who takes truth must be willing to hurt.

Lies tell people 

what the want to believe. 

Truth is chased away

 when it runs not with us. 

When falsehoods comfort,

 we believe them. 

An Ethical Nation Should Recognize Right from Wrong

  Do we, as a people, still know right from wrong? Are we so blinded by politics that we refuse to see justice? Look at the impeachment proceedings  -- and wonder.
A string of witnesses comes before Congress, testifying that money was dangled before the Ukrainians that they could only claim if they would come after Joe Biden, President Trump's political opponent. Now, the Ukrainians have been famous for corruption, and it would be a good thing to tell them to clean up their corruption across the board before they could have the money. But, to tell them you only have one case in mind,  that you just want to zero in on a case that connects with your political opponent?
   We, as a nation, cannot see that is wrong?
  This string of witnesses, it does so seem to me that their testimony on the whole is every bit as persuasive as the testimonies that we have everyday in our criminal courts. You even have one witness, Gordon Sondland, who says he delivered the message to the Ukrainians. Isn't that somewhat like having the get-away driver testifying?
  But, no, we don't believe them, these witnesses?
  Or, is it that we don't think what he did was all that bad? Forgive, but, yes, withholding the money until the Ukrainians agree to go after your political opponent and dig up dirt on him is wrong. An ethical nation should recognize this.

The righteous keep on reaching 

when they reach the mountain top.

They seek not the top of the world, but the heavens beyond. 

A river never thinks, but it always finds the sea. 

Even so, the prudent need not think too much
 to determine right from wrong.  

Bribery and the Art of Campaign Contributions

   Wikipedia tells us, "Bribery is defined by Black's Law Dictionary as the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official or other person in charge of public or legal duty."
   I wish an offshoot of the impeachment investigation would be a realization that so many campaign contributions fit within this definition. What do we do, then? Do we start prosecuting?

 You don't have to persuade the wise, 

but a fool must be argued with. 

You don't have to persuade the wise,

 but a fool needs an argument. 

Eloquence speaks to the fool,

 for the wise need no fancy language.

 A wild horse 

never stays in the middle of the road. 

The simple gain no favor

 with the refined. 

The world has a fantasy with faults,

 and makes a lot of them up. 

The world finds faults

 with those who have few. 

They'll forget your virtues,

 but your faults remain forever. 

 Beg at every corner 

and you'll cry at every turn.

You'll never believe the truth

 if you can't stand those who tell it. 

You'll never stand the truth

 if you can't stand those who tell it. 

Freedom of belief will never be the same. 

You can know something's true, and still be allowed not to believe it. 

These days, you don't have to believe something,

 even if you know its true. 

You can believe anything you want

 as long as you don't have to prove it. 

Work never runs and hides,

but sometimes we hide from it. 

Racism these days is no longer open;

 but it's hidden ways are harmful the same. 

Racism these days isn't a noose;

 it's a false accusation. 

Sailors don't look for landfall

 until the journey's done. 

Horizons are all the same

 when you're at sea.

 Dreams forgotten 

see not the morning sun.

Free your feet 

 and they will flee. 

Your feet will never flee 

until they're free.

Repentance comes not in forgetting,

 but in remembering.

Land ashore is welcome to the sailor,

 but the sea is always his home. 

 A good person 

is one who knows his faults.

 Storms always pass 

and they always come again.

When you dance with the devil

 you dance on hot coals. 

Wisdom has two parents:

A mind that thinks, and a heart that feels.

The humble learn from others. 

But, the proud take lessons from no one. 

Those who come at you with looking glasses

 come at you with stones. 

Perhaps They Should Resign if They Won't Consider Impeachment

  We should be demanding that our leaders in Washington uphold the Constitution. Our senators and representatives are bound by an oath of office to uphold the Constitution. And the Constitution says,  "The President . . . shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for . . . Bribery . . ."
   I have a Facebook friend who posts, saying those senators who have said they will not look at evidence of impeachment should resign. I reply to the effect that I don't know that I would go that far. Calling for them to resign seems a little much.
   I think some more on it, however, and realize they should be required to uphold the Constitution. The words of that document are very clear. You impeach a president if he commits a bribe. You have not choice. You've sworn to uphold the Constitution. If you will not even consider evidence when the charge of bribery comes up, you are throwing the Constitution to the wind and disregarding it. I'm still giving it thought. But, yes, perhaps they, themselves, should be removed from office if they violate the Constitution.

Sink or swim isn't a choice;

It's a sentence. 

Those who call them as they see them

 sometimes refuse to see them right. 

A riot starts as a protest

 and ends as a war. 

Standing for what's right 

can leave you without friends,

 but it does not leave you without honor. 

Standing for what's right 

can get you cut down.

Spray hits the sailor, but never from a water gun. Toys are for toddlers, not men of the sea. 

 The justice of a fool 

knows only himself. 

 Fools mettle in justice 

with intentions only serving themselves. 

The spray of the waves is the drink of the sailor;

Alcohol is not sold at sea. 

Trading lies is what negotiation is all about. 

Sailing is an art until a storm comes;

Then its desperation.

 The deaf to the truth become that way 

by listening to lies that are too loud. 

Don't judge me foolish for the words that come to me.

 Judge yourself wise that they don't come to you.

 The best way to drum up interest is to pound down others. 

Unfortunately, this is true. We find more excitement in beating up 

on others than we do in most anything else. 

Bigots 

never confess their colors. 

The foolish stumble of their own misstep,

but the righteous often need to be tripped.

While wisdom dictates that all people are equal, their problems are not the same. So, it follows, how you treat them is not the same. 

The righteous look for your problems in hopes of helping you, but the wicked search out your troubles only to condemn.

Advice without hope

 is counsel to fail.

 False accusations 

make for poor use of freedom of speech.

A nation that knows not its faults

 knows not how to escape them.

Lies make for hate,

 but they should not be used for logic.

When you take a lie and run with it,

 you race against your own soul. 

 The morals of a nation 

are no better than its ability to see its faults.

The house of truth has no hidden rooms. 
But, there are rooms some guests do not want.

Colin Kaepernick is Standing for What's Right

  Standing for what's right can get you cut down. Is there any well-known member of our society more exemplifying this than Colin Kaepernick?
  Few people are so hated.
  Since he began kneeling in protest of the way African-Americans are treated, he has been blackballed, exiled, and thrown out of the league.
   What is the saying? Stand for what is right, even when it isn't popular? He is standing against bigotry, and for equality. Those are good things he fights for.
    Statistics do show African-Americans are jailed more than Caucasians. And, we can look at the police violence situations and see African-Americans are more likely to be victims. Whether we agree with Kaepernick on all of his political and social issue stands, we should want to stand with him in those things that are right.
   And, I wonder how we can deny the statistics on how African-Americans are treated.
   Standing for truth can leave you without friends, but it does not leave you without honor.

 Liars search not for truth, 

but for protection of their own 'truth.'

 Liars take part of a story 

and suggest it is the whole.

Corruption becomes corruption 

when it is found on the other side. 

Your friends are guilty of nothing but innocence. 

The Constitution Speaks Loud and Clear on This

   Utah Senator Mike Lee, co-chair of President Trump's reelection campaign in Utah, says the President has done nothing that is impeachable.
   Yes, Senator Lee is considered an expert on the Constitution, so I wonder how he reconciles the Constitution specifically mentioning bribery.  "The President . . . shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for . . . Bribery . . ." 
   If we believe in upholding the highest law of the land, if we believe our leaders should be honorable, and if we believe that bribery is wrong, we will listen to the Founding Fathers. They felt strongly enough about bribery that they placed this in the Constitution. Back then, there probably wasn't a quid-pro-quo litmus test on what constituted bribery. They knew wrong was wrong and bribery was wrong, period.
  If we uphold the Constitution, we must consider gravely on the charges against President Trump.  If we find that going by the standards the Founding Fathers had, then it was bribery, then our allegiance to the Constitution and our faith in the Constitution give us little choice but to impeach the President.

Playing tricks can be great fun, 

but when someone's hurt, the fun's undone. 

If you cannot be humble

 you cannot be great. 

 Tears are joy 

when they come with thanks.

Windows don't weep 

save when the rain pours upon them. 

Windows weep when the storm hits.

Laura Cooper Testifies that Assistance was being Withheld

   "So, by the 26th, all I had to go on was that the President is concerned about corruption in Ukraine and somehow therefore we were holding security assistance." -- Laura Cooper, deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russian, Ukrainian and Eurasian affairs

He finishes first

 who knows how to run when he's fallen behind. 

They stumble most to find wisdom

 who think they already have it. 
-

Waiting for an answer

 provides a truthful one faster

 than hurrying to one of your own. 

The humble know the heavens

 while the proud cannot get outside themselves. 

Heaven best knows

 those who pray.

He who stands up to Satan

 never burns down with him. 

 There's always an answer to truth, 

and there are always people who believe it. 

Death is a step closer to those who fear it

 than those who know no fear. 

You'll never know what's right

 if your thinking is all wrong. 

There will always be answers 

-- or supposed answers -- to truth. 

And, there will always be those

 who believe them. 

The one who glories in the death of another

 has already had their own. 

The soul dies first of those who seek death 

of the mortal bodies of others. 

Not with fear, but with a failing feeling

 do the brave come to their defeat.

Still, they remain resolute for another day. 

 When your mind is turned, 

there's always something around the bend. 

You cannot be fearful 

if you would be free.

 He who asks a question 

quicker than he answers it 

is open to revelation.

How can a revelation come if you do not listen for or seek an answer? If you hear a matter, and a question is posed by it, and your presuppositions and biases supply a ready answer instead of listening for one, that is the end of it. There will be no revelation because you have not sought it, but rather have been satisfied with your own learning, which are usually the judgments of the word.

When lies are logic, 

truth is false. 

Make America Great Again

Measure a people by their love of each other
Measure a society by their care for the poor 
In goodness and virtue, the health of a nation
Is determined by measures that go to the core

Make America great again?
Don't even give it a thought
If the values you speak of 
And all your aspirations
Are only things that might make us rot

Make America great again?
Make it good before great
Make it a land where the people are caring
And whose hearts are not turned to hate

Joe Biden wouldn't be the Worst of Choices

 A hurried study, it be, but I am studying Joe Biden, his son Hunter, and the Ukraine thing. Early on, I feel Joe is getting wrongly taken to the woodshed by President Trump, and I find myself thinking to vote for Biden, partially out of protest for the smear job President Trump is doing, and partially out the the thought that I like Biden for being moral enough to protest the prosecutor in Ukraine for not doing his job and going after corruption.
  There is no evidence Biden so much as hinted the prosecutor should abandon the investigation of the company Hunter worked for. No. Instead, Joe Biden wanted the prosecutor ousted because he was too lax on investigating corruption.
   Did you get that? He wanted the prosecutor out not because he was investigation too deeply, but because he wasn't.
  Well, things are not always what they seem. Maybe an investigation by a U.S. intelligence agency would turn up a different story, so I am not against an investigation. But, on basis of what we do know, Trump's accusations against Biden are definitely uncalled for. Smear politics. Smear campaigning. Not that President Trump doesn't believe what he is doing against Biden is just. But, his haste to find fault against the former vice president is blinding him to the facts -- and those facts do not support the allegations he is smearing Biden with.
  Well, Aa quick review of Biden has led me to see he probably shouldn't be my first choice for president. Among other things, he hasn't opposed deficit spending, but rather seems to support it.
  So, I restrain my thoughts of supporting him as a reaction to his being falsely accused by President Trump.

Words of warning unheeded

 strip prophets of their value. 

I read an opinion piece in the Deseret News, speaking of the Russian influence -- a wonderful and timely article. I post my comment, saying (slightly edited), "Words of warning unheeded have stripped prophets of their value -- in biblical and Book of Mormon times. These are not prophets speaking to us, warning us of the Russians, but their's are wise words of warning, the same. What becomes of our nation may depend on whether we heed them or spurn them."

\

A fool finds his followers 

by stirring them to anger. 

Things being bought and sold is what business is all about. But, when you elect a president guided by such principles, you allow them to influence that which they shouldn't. A bribe is no longer a bribe, but a payment. 

Disagreements are settled 

when differences are allowed.

Life runs on, 

always a step ahead of those 

who chase it. 

When the ways of the world are swaying us,

 we need to know from where the swaying comes. 

The plate that is full 

can keep you from living 

life to its fullest. 

Faith is the substance 

of doing what's right. 

The shadows of the past 

will not carry into the future 

if you shine light on them. 

Whether you are crushed or molded 

by the pressures of life depends on your determination to resist them. 

The pressures of life can crack or compact you. 

Better to let them make you a better soul. 

When the devil gets his hands on you, he holds them on your mouth. Hades forbid that you should tell the truth. 

The pressures of life can break you or mold you.
 If you learn to resist pressure, you are always the stronger soul. 

Truth becomes the target 

as soon as the evil sight it. 

When truth is in the open, 

there will those who seek to destroy it. 

Treasures are buried to preserve them. 

Even so, truth out in the open falls into the hands of those who will abuse it.

A handful of coins can't win a roomful of love,

 but greater riches wrongly will. 

Maybe means you might, 

but in truth, it means you never will. 

The fall begins 

when you think you're above others. 

He who heads off to work when the work is done, 

finds work when there really is none. 

But he who keeps playing a game when the game is won 

will find his winnings all come undone. 

When you're in the arms of Satan, 

there's a knife in your back. 

He hugs only those he kills. 

The friends of Satan are those 

who have knives for the backs of others. 

You don't chase the stars 

just by lying under them. 

Transfer people don't get welcomed 

as lifelong friends, but once they've been around 
a while, you treat them the same. 

Money spent in a flash

 never hurries back.

You can tell the good from the bad by who is getting hurt and who is doing the hurting. 

Pride of ownership 

should not mean you are owned by pride.

The fangs of the wicked 

sink in the flesh of the just. 
-

Hatred takes you

 where pride calls.

Pride takes you 

where hatred calls.

Spinsters and ministers both find their way to the pulpit, but one comes away with a bride, 

and the other only a promise. 

Good words gather strength

 only when they are repeated. 

There is no deluge of wisdom 

if the flood doesn't rise you up. 

Hunger 

is the essence of the hunt. 

We ended segregation within our country long ago, but it continues at our borders.

The worst segregation is when you don't even let others belong.

Happiness is in the search. 
If you seek it for others, you will find it for yourself. 
If you seek if for yourself, you must seek it by becoming better. 
And, if you seek it not at all, most likely you will find it.

Angels are there to lift us and help us soar. 

They have wings not so much so they, themselves, can fly, but so they can lift us to the skies.

Listening to those under you 

is the best way to rule over them. 

Leaders are followers 

when they have learned their trade from others. 

The destination determines the drive.

We choose our sins 

by the roads we take.

When you can see you should do something, 

but you don't do it, that is called a sin.

Rejecting the truth is often 

no more than rejecting the lessons of life. 

If you don't value the lesson,

 you'll never learn its ways. 

Peace comes not from demanding it from others,

 but in giving it to them. 

If you would have a ghost of a chance 

you must follow your spirit.

Those who never find the road

 never get to where they want to go. 

The power for life comes from within,

 but the road is on the outside. 

A home is surrounded not so much by walls,

 but by the arms of love. 

Distance doesn't dictate how far you are from home. That is dictated by who you've brought along. 

Being lost is a matter of 

not knowing where to go.

You're never lost 

when you're home. 

Home is not where you are at

 but who you are with.

In life, you don't get to be whole

 without first being cut up.

A trail of trials

 is the path to perfection

Friendship says nothing 

when it sees you are embarrassed, but it taps you on the shoulder when you can't see your faults. 

Everyone stumbles on the road to heaven,

but those who pick others up, stumble the least.

Everyone stumbles on the road to heaven,

but those who help others up, stumble the least.

Greatness of soul 

sees greatness in others. 

Answers come 

to those who learn to figure, but to those who learn not to think, things never add up.

Pride keeps no one out of trouble,

 but only leads them there.

Abandon pride and you will leave behind 

a lot of your troubles.

Abandon pride 

and you leave behind a lot of trouble.

Wisdom can be misread as pride. 

And, when it is, the book reads not the same. 

Wisdom is silent 

where it is unwelcome.

Love's bond 

is the tie to happiness. 

Satan laughs 

at those who follow him.

Temptations don't come as much to those 

who are always in church. Where you go has a lot to do with how you live. 

You cannot demand peace and expect to get it. 

You can only ask for it and hope it will be granted.

Peace comes in quiet, more than a noisy room. 

If you would have it, you must not shout 

and demand it be given you.

When the weapons of war protect the peace

 there will be times they interrupt it.

When the weapons of war must protect the peace

 there will always be times when they interrupt it.

Peace is a gift that must be given

 before it can be received. 

Peace comes not by demanding it,

 but by offering it to others. 

Peace comes not by demanding it from others, 

but by offering it to others.

Peace comes 

to those who give it.

Empty is the heart

 that is full of rage. 
-

The sober drink not 

from the cup of rage.

Hatred is a tavern 

where you drink till you leave in rage.

The fangs of death 

are in the words of a liar. 

Truth is never told 
by a mouth that seeks blood. 

Those who do good are said to be bad, 

when gossip covers the truth.

Satan's friends 

are those who find enemies in everyone. 

Satan's enemies 

are those who are friends to everyone. 

The quickest way to heaven

 is to be slow in judging others.

Instead of shaking 

your head in disgust, sometimes its best to shake the disgust from your head.

Not finding fault in others 

is the first step in not having your own. 

A sedimental journey 

would be one over lots of rocks. 

The pages of time are not empty, but meaningless, if the writing on them is not your own. 

Pride pays any price,

 but humility offers not a dime.

Giving time up to think, I think,

 is not a bad thought. 

Time to yourself 

is best spent with thoughts about others. 

Your hands will always be tied 

if you let others pull their strings.

A show of integrity 

is a play worth watching.

The price of friendship

 should never be integrity. 

If you don't try to sell yourself

 you will always be able to afford others. 

Death is its own lie. 

Philosophers have no time 

for cleaning up around the house. They are too busy cleaning up the world's messes.

Eyes that make themselves comfortable where they shouldn't make those they look at uncomfortable. 

Eyes that visit too long 

are quickly unwelcome. 

Invading personal space 

makes you a public nuisance. 

Eyes that visit personal space 

become unwelcome visitors.

Eyes that visit too long 

make themselves unwelcome visitors.

What is Chicago, if it cannot Catch its Murderers?

  What is a nation, if it cannot enforce its laws? If it cannot track down, arrest, and prosecute the criminal, what good is that nation?
  I spoke of Mexico yesterday. Today, I speak of America. Or, of at least one city in it: Chicago. Only four in 10 murders are solved. That means more than half the murderers go free.
  In America. At least in the Windy City.
  We should do what we can to turn this statistic around. America should rally behind this city of ours. It should demand the resources and people be put in place to correct the problem.

If you are spinning your wheels,

try contacting heaven. 

Those who fear others

often lack the courage to be themselves.

Pages turn quickly 

when you leave the wind to blow them.

Those who have decided your wickedness 

need no proof from you.

Truth is good timber. 

Those who hate it, knock it down. And, those who love it, use it to make their homes. 

A lie carves a truth out of the truth

 and calls it whole. 

The treasures of heaven 

are found above, not beneath.

Speak out 

instead of giving in. 

Tears trail from tragedy 

and seek to wash it away.

In giving voice to the forgotten, 

we give hope to a better world. 

Steps up should not be achieved 

by stepping on others. 

The stepping stones of success 

should not include stepping on others.

When we climb by destroying others, 

our ascend destroys our soul. 

Ever a country will be hollow  

if it is empty of justice.

Mexico Should take Trump up on His Offer, but give it a Twist

   This is opportunity for Mexico. President Trump has offered assistance. Tell him, you want not military troops, but those who will help bring the criminals to justice: investigators and agents who will arrest -- come in and extract the individuals who committed the killings from their hiding places and strongholds.
   Ever a country will be hollow if it is empty of justice. If criminals commit their crimes without fear of arrest, that nation abdicates on its responsibility to provide laws that protect the people. I would wonder about Mexico. Are crimes and murders and rapes the lot of the land? Do they go unprosecuted?
   I think of ISIS, and of how you kill one leader, and another steps into his shoes. I think of El Chapo, and how others stepped into his place, and the violence merely continued -- if not worsened. The arrest and conviction of El Chapo was a victory, but you must follow it with the arrest and conviction of everyone who steps in to commit a crime. The trail of successors to crime bosses does not end if they have no fear of being the successor. I don't know if Mexico can reach the point of being able to investigate, arrest, and prosecute cartel members for their individual crimes (including conspiracy to commit a crime so you are catching the bosses, as well as the operatives), but that should be the goal. You have no force as a nation if you cannot enforce your laws. As long as crime pays, you will have it.

The wicked praise 

only their followers. 

Tears flow and hearts mend. 

We wander too far 

when we get close to sin.