Author: timelliott49gmailcom

I have just a few thoughts for you today. I know many of you are very busy just now as Christmas approaches. First let me encourage you to note that 2020 is just one year. There were many before it. Most of us will see many after it. It is easy to believe an unusual time will change everything, for ever. Most of the time some things change and many stay the same.

Whether or not we give up our constitutional rights for the illusion of safety is up to us and is an entirely different matter.

Be encouraged. This is not the worst time in our country , our world. Of course you would have to know some accurate history to know that. Pandemics, political upsets come and go. They are always serious but never forever.

Be responsible while guarding your freedoms. Our governments did not give them and have no right to take them away no matter what the excuse. Also, remember friends and family are some of our greatest riches in life. It is foolishness to throw those relationships away over some politician that does not know you exist or a political party that really does not care for you beyond your vote.

Be careful what you throw away in 2020. Whether it is your freedoms or your relationships. Another year is coming. And you might wish you had both back.

I so wanted to write something light and cheerful this week. But I must be honest. I am troubled. I am troubled by the forces in the U.S. that are working to make hatred the new normal. A nation of over 300 million diverse people cannot live peaceful productive lives if the haters win.

The U.S., for all its faults has more and more marginalized hate groups. But now we are faced with groups that preach hate against white Americans, against America itself, against any who disagree with them, against Christianity, against Republicans, against Democrats, etc. For these groups it is not enough to disagree…but there must be hate and destruction of those disagreed with.

We must stand against this madness. We need to start a new campaign. A lifelong campaign against hatred. The haters must be defeated no matter how they justify their hate.

There are those that live in negativity. Thankfully that is not the way most of us live. We have much to be thankful for. This is not news, but a reminder.

Thankful? Yes. I’m thankful for friends and family, for nature, for a nation in which we enjoy our God given freedoms. I am thankful for our bountiful supply as compared to many other places.

At a more basic level I am thankful for my senses. I can hear great music. I can taste great food. I can feel a cool breeze and the warm sunshine. I can smell the roses as well as the ribs smoking. I can see the glorious sunset. For those who are deprived of any of the senses my sympathy goes out. For of these basic things I am grateful.

Be thankful for what and who you have.

So much enjoyment is available without so much of what advertisers tell us we must have to. Some of the most enjoyable things are simple. Gatherings for food and fellowship with family, watching a game of your favorite team, enjoying your favorite band with friends; are all examples of simple pleasures.

I love watching children making s’mores at the campfire. Then the parents gather nearby visiting, decompressing from the stresses of the day. Someone turns on a radio and some of the children keep the beat. Others dance. Parents smile and talk about the first time they heard that song.

I remember hosting my friends at weeks end while we were in college. I’d make some chili or jambalaya. Sometimes I’d put together a taco bar as well. We’d eat and visit, then watch a movie.

One time while visiting my friends Tim and Carrie Merfeld several of us collaborated on a feast and invited their friends and family to their home. Carrie made cornbread and greens. Tim grilled some chicken. I made jambalaya, a dessert or two and hot chicken wings. These I remember for sure. I don’t know who did the rest, but we had a variety of other goodies. It created a wow factor among the guests. It was so much fun watching the folks enjoying themselves!

At our family gathering we used to exchange gifts, eat, then play games and visit. Simple but fun. Life doesn’t have to be complicated to be good. To enjoy a sunset or a sunrise does not require riches in the bank account just riches in the soul.

We don’t have to travel far to enjoy the riches of the simple things.

If you are reading this you survived November 3. Some of you are happy. Some are sad. Some are mad. Some are confused. So what do we do? We should focus on our lives, our jobs, our families. Only if we are part of the efforts to insure a fair elections should we be overly distracted by things that are not part of our personal responsibilities.

Not everything is decided due to investigations. So if all we think about is the election and its aftermath we will be unsettled and our other responsibilities will suffer. I do not mean you are not to care or pay attention. I encourage you to not let politics consume you.

Our elections are very important. But there are other campaigns and initiatives in which we need to be invested 24/7 365. Two of the most important ones are The Anti-Hate Campaign and The Pro-Freedom Initiative. These are not organized programs but things we need to live everyday. Our country, our lives will be the better if we live lives promoting freedom and love.

Things happen. Don’t get stuck. Life goes on. We have work to do.

Now that political campaigns are ending, we need to start a new campaign. This campaign must be embraced by the vast majority of our people and I believe it will. This is long term campaign. It will not dependent on political parties or social activist organizations. It will depend on you and me. It is a very important campaign. It is the ANTI-HATE CAMPAIGN.

I call it a new campaign only because we need to revitalize it. It has been promoted on and off by great men and women throughout our history, But in a time when PC Police, Social Justice Warriors and the rest of the cancel culture preach hate and division in the name of equality and justice we need to stand up for freedom and against hate.

These groups have perverted the meanings of words like justice, hate, racism, etc. But just because they call you a hater because you disagree, or if they call you a racist because of the color of your skin; we know that in them resides the anger, hatred and intolerance. These are the very things they claim to oppose while living them.

This country of millions of diverse people, if it is to remain free, must allow diversity of thought and speech. And if you are offended by someones thoughts or speech,rejoice. That could just be evidence that you are living in a free country. The hatred must be resisted.

You are not unable because you are black. You are not racist because you are white. Embrace the truth that it is the content of a person’s character not the color of the skin that can determine these things. The truth is that good black folk have more in common with good white folk than they do with evil black folk. The same is true of good white folks having more in common with good black folks than bad white folks.

We need to campaign to resist the hate of the haters from the right and the left. Unless we resist the twin forces of HATE and the ANTI-FREEDOM movements our semi-free society will become less free and less free until it is not free at all. Join the ANTI-HATE Campaign. Restore the dream of brotherhood and freedom.

The most radical thing about the founding documents of the U.S. was the idea that personal freedoms are Not to be taken away, not even by government. Rights were something we were born with not given by government. The founders opened a radical door for freedom for the succeeding generations. Some of those freed would have shocked some of them, for they like us were creatures of their times…so had limited vision about what a commitment to freedom would bring about.

Yes, the radical idea was not that government, in our case the constitution gave us our rights, but that we were born free and with rights. Government was not to grant rights but to protect rights. It was truly an unusual view of the rights of the people to be free.

The first ten amendments to the constitution are there to codify the protection of our rights. If a right is not specifically listed there it does not mean that it does not exist. Amendment nine in fact lets us know that there can be other rights not written but are still the rights of the people’

We are familiar with the rights of freedom of speech, religion, self protection. Though these are under attack. But a fundamental freedom is foundational to these. That is freedom of thought. And that is under attack as well. We MUST defend our freedoms.

Any group, as for instance a political party or or a social activist movement that tries to force you into a mental straight jacket so you will only think and say what they wish is your enemy and the enemy of your freedom. They may hide behind words that make them sound like angels of light but they are your enemies and the enemies of personal freedom.

They are mini dictators trying to impose mind control on you. If they can control your thoughts they can control your actions. In college I met professors like this. They looked down on the people, the deplorables, as Hillary Clinton called them.

The idea is that free born people will not do well unless controlled. The elite, the mob, the government, or the oligarchs must control you…for your own good, don’t you know? Some of the greatest abuses in history have resulted from people believing this idea. Protect your freedom. If people want to take your freedom, no matter what the excuse, do not trust them.

In the upcoming election put aside personalities and political labels. Vote for those most likely to let you remain free. after the election continue to value and protect your freedoms. BE RADICAL ABOUT YOUR FREEDOMS.

In spite of the fear porn spouted by politicians, radicals, and the major media outlets, the sky is not falling. The U.S. is not falling apart. To be sure, after the election there will be those who want to tear down what they don’t control. But the good news is that on November 4 most Americans are not going to war but to work. Most Americans have enough sense not to participate in social destruction.

In our family we have Democrats, Republicans, Independents and the non political. We are not going to tear apart our family just because Washington politicians can not get along…or because the radicals tell us it should be that way.

If you are attacked, then defend yourselves. That should go without saying. Be encouraged. There are far more decent Americans than there are violent radicals. You can expect election day to pass and we’ll still be here. As long as we are alive, hope will be alive.

I know Hollywood’s films about the future are nearly all dark and negative. But that is make believe. As long as we are here looking forward with faith and hope, we can help make a better future. Just because Hollywood, CNN, or other fear mongers say all is lost does NOT make it true. In fact, we may have far more to say about that than they do.

Resist the fear, the hate, the political and racial bigotry. Let us work together for a more positive future. Have a great week.

In a time of upheaval and darkness we have great opportunities to make positive impacts in our communities and nation. Hate and haters would have us at each others throats because of our genders, our colors, our political parties, and so forth. Perhaps one of our greatest social battles is not Republican and Democrat or Right and Left, but the battle against Social Hate/Social Bigotry.

Hate is against love, brotherhood, freedom. In a country as large and diverse as the U.S. we cannot afford to let hatred win. We must guard against hatred in our own lives. We must not let this upcoming election turn us into haters. If we do we become part of a bigger problem tha the problem of who it is we elect.

I do not mean that we should not hold to, defend, and vote according to our beliefs. I mean that anger and hatred are things that can disrupt our lives and our country,

It takes discipline to strongly believe something and NOT hate those that believe differently. It also takes love for people and love for peace. In short, to counteract darkness we must exude light. For madness there is the sound mind. For hatred there is love. For cancellation there is acceptance.

I would suggest that we do not support the haters whether they are in Washington, the News Media, the Internet, or College Campuses. But the first and most effective thing we can do to BEAT THE HATE is not to be at each others throats, hating because of gender, color, or politics

This year has been, to say the least, unusual. The Virus, the shut downs, the political unrest, the riots and looting can seem overwhelming. One tendency is to curl up in a ball and wait it out. I have a much better idea. This is the perfect year for it.

Let me encourage all my friends in the U.S. and around the world to take this year’s negatives as opportunity to change your world for good. There is an old saying that “It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness”. So it is with us.

In a time seemingly so dark even a small light can make a difference. Let’s be more specific.We see the anger and hate is obvious. So do we join in the anger and hate, just on the other side? I propose that it would be better to promote peace and love. What about fear and hopelessness? Isn’t this a golden opportunity for support and encouragement?

In the face of cancel culture and its fight against freedom of thought and freedom of speech, do we not have a great opportunity to model our support for our basic human rights and freedoms?

To show, with our lives, the differences between anger and peace, hate and love, hopelessness and encouragement, fear and courage, cancellation and freedom; we shine lights in dark places. We can change our worlds.

But it must be intentional. It easy to join the negativity. We can acknowledge the negative without becoming part of it. But as I said it must be done intentionally. When the negatives come up, it is time to shine lights. In spite of what you might think watching major news organizations, darkness is NOT all there is. We can shine lights in darkness. And the funny thing is…If lights are shining, the darkness recedes…sometimes disappears completely.

Come, my friends light some lights. You and I can make a difference. What you do may seem small, but keep doing it. The many small lights we can light can together become great big lights in lives, societies, and the world.

Have a lit week.