Pleasure Principles

My friend Danny was one of the most remarkable young men I have ever known. He was an investment advisor with a radio program, but other than hearing him on the radio, I knew nothing about him until he called, wanting to go to lunch with me. Then, it all spilled out because he learned that I was a retired, disabled Army officer. He had burned the candle at both ends during his youth...in and out of jail, a real hippie, long hair, drugs, an academic mess. The judge gave him the choice, like the choice that has been given to so many, go to jail or join the army.

Joining the army brought discipline, structure, and routine into his life. Because of his exceptional mental ability and the fact that he needed gravitas, he advanced through OCS and became an Army officer. He told me about the lack of guidance and discipline in his home, or rather, a complete lack of home-life. He said that he cleaned up his looks and personality, married a widow with several children and was on the way to a successful career. I became just a friend, not a client. But, all of a sudden, leaving much disparity and questions behind, he was dead. His death in of these build-it-yourself planes, such as the one that claimed the life of John Denver, was ruled an accident, but I believe it was a suicide.

It can all be summed up as follows: many veterans are now returning from these useless wars completely brutalized. In today's warfare, IEDs (improvised explosive devices), they see their friends spattered and scattered, entire villages of innocent women and children traumatized. These men return to America, land of the free, home of the brave, land of opportunity and responsibility to face a government and future of tyranny.

They tire easily of “big brother” looking over their shoulder at everything, a complete lack of future for their children. Their incessant taxation going to buy the wants, not the needs, of about one-half the population of this country, their fellow men. Corrupt politicians making promises in order to get into office, and then doing as they please. Worst of all, these same brutalized veterans becoming law enforcement bullies.

When did Americans get so comfortable with mediocrity? Mediocrity in law enforcement, mediocrity in the judiciary, education, entertainment, healthcare, even church pastors. This writer, like many of my friends, are so fed up with the narcissistic, impotent, incredulity that comes from most pulpits. We are better off at home watching the best via technology. I have told stand up comedians and entertainers that you have to be the very best, you must have a real report with your audience in order to be a success because we have all seen the best on television. The only thing you missed by not being in the audience at such a performance is the interaction with the audience. I would much, much prefer to be in a church worship service surrounded by fellow devout believers, but I cannot tolerate mediocrity from the pulpit, someone who has found a good living instead of a great calling, the very thing that is leading to the death of most churches.

For most of my life I was regular in worship service, always there participating, enjoying the presence of the holy spirit. Like most of the disabled, I learn that people with disabilities are not welcome in the worship service or the church. The last time I fell in the aisle trying to find a seat, the last time I was practically trampled by people wanting to be first in line at the cafeteria, God told me to stay at home. My Lord's Day starts at 5 on Sunday morning with my personal communion service, then I have regular services until 11 o'clock on Sunday night, hearing their very best, R.C. Sproul, Ravi Zacharia, David Jeremiah, et cetera. The worship service at 11 o'clock comes from a Baptist church near Winston-Salem. One Sunday recently, the pastor told of a new family in the church and the unexpected death of their child. The pastor said, “these folks do not have anything, they just live hand to mouth. We must help them bury this child.” The next Sunday he announced that they collected $13,000 for the family.

Arrogance, unions, and politics have taken over the American public schools. The average school child spends 7 ½ hours a day with technology...cell phones, television rather than studying. Just a random group of students from Shanghai, China compared with some of our best, the Chinese students ranked much higher in math and science, even compared to our best. American education is an embarrassment, anytime the subject is brought up apologists for American education talk about the separation of church and state. 88% of American students go to public school, 6% go to private schools, the others are home-schooled. This 12% excels, The others are just entertained, not educated...mostly in sexuality and neutrality.

The lesbian student may put a mustache on the Mona Lisa, but it is still not art. The gay male students may put heels on the disciples, but it is still not theology. I have the 100 year-old Lee portrait of our Lord's last supper. This phenomenal picture shows all the disciples in appearance very different from any other painting. Even so, the attempt to feminize these men by the gay artist has not been successful. When you put flesh and personality on the bones of all biblical characters they become very personal. One does not name a dog Judas, even our blessed Lord said it would have been better if He had never been born, but think of the personality twist, the ecclesiastical implications our blessed Lord allowing him to participate in the last supper as well as washing his feet, the very one who He knew would betray Him with a kiss, having sold Him for the price of a hog. The very one who all the others had elected to keep the money. When you think of Judas' betrayal, you must surely consider the fact that he saw Christ heal the sick, raise the dead, feed thousands from a small boys' lunch and even restore sight to the blind.

I repeat, when did Americans become some comfortable with mediocrity, ambiguity? Do you really believe you are not responsible for your vote? Do you really believe in your pleasures of the world that God does not hold you responsible for your relationship with Him? Do you really believe that God was joking as when He instructed the apostle Paul, 50 AD, in Corinth, to write, “whatsoever you eat, drink, whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

Goodluck Jonathan

Goodluck Jonathan became the 14^th President of Nigeria on the 16^th this month (Nigeria, the largest country on the African continent). Goodluck, a Christian, was born in the Niger River delta area to canoe builders, he has degrees in Zoology, including a Ph.D from the University of Port Harcourt.

Once on the banks of the Niger River, I watched a donkey sink into quicksand. The donkey was struggling to extricate himself, natives were pulling and prodding trying to get the animal loose from the sinking sand. Finally, after struggling for so long, the donkey fell over dead, but it was not because the donkey did not struggle, the natives did not do everything they could to loosen the donkey from the quicksand.

Success is not usually a matter of luck, do not confuse luck or celebrity with success, think of Helen Keller and Madonna. One may win the lottery, be heir to a large estate, be unusually talented or physically beautiful, but for most of us it is a matter of struggle, self-denial, self-discipline.

The movie Waiting For Superman depicts the failures of American education. In the movie, students attempt to win a lottery for admittance to a charter school. Education is America's greatest failure. Today, only 38% of public school students read on their grade level.

Educators, we know your product; for over 50 years as a totally blind, 100% disabled, service-connected medical officer veteran it has been necessary for me to hire people to work for me, driving, assistance in my businesses, assistance with every area of my active life. I am sickened to tell you just how poor the product of our education system is. Money has nothing to do with it, gender has nothing to do with it, the school house from which they came has little to do with it. As college officials have told me, over and over, students are simply not prepared, just passed like a herd of animals from one stable to another. No efforts to improve the conditions of the concentration camp. Much time is spent at every college and university on remediation.

Excellency in education started with Christians. Please explain to me why Christian parents would spend their time, talent, treasure to casually send their precious child to a public school to fail AND on top of that, pay the taxes supporting such school sand not be concerned with their failures. Not only is education the greatest failure in the American experience, but the most unfair taxation in America. Now, you can understand why so many parents choose (as did our colonial ancestors, before even the one-room school) to home school.

Parents who choose not to send their children to public school, to take the financial losses of home-schooling, must pay the same taxes as those who put their children on public schoolbusses. At the public schoolhouse, where failure is almost assured, a child can learn more meanness in two minutes than you can teach them rightness at the home in one day. Every person I encounter with small children, the first words out of my mouth are, “do not send your precious child to a public school, we love your child too much.” One of my secretaries, working for me on weekends, educates her five children at home, they excel in every way. You can always spot a home-schooled child.

Comparing the mental accomplishments of a home-schooled child is like comparing a wading pool to the ocean. Now, we all know there are exceptions, my parents' children went to a country public school with marvelous teachers. My own son, my two grandsons, have never spent one hour in a public school, and we are all university graduates. But, I am convinced that my son, my grandsons were much better prepared for university after being home-schooled than those of us who were “public-schooled”.

There is a difference in learning and schooling. I know the difference, I know what is wrong and have been talking about this for many years...but the professionals do not want to hear. Failures in schools is in direct proportion to the increase in television watching. Reading, listening, speaking are all involved in the learning process. I have never known a person who attended a school for the blind who did not excel in learning; because at the schools for the blind, the student must listen and speak.

I am a vision specialist, I know what is involved in the reading process, transmission to the learning centers of the brain. I know about the importance of listening, not just because as a child I was extremely nearsighted. It was necessary for me to walk up to the chalkboard to read anything, so I listened intently to everything that was said. I can still listen to several radios, several conversations at once and tell you everything that was spoken. Note, I said, “listen” and “tell”, the person who learns can talk. Television, constantly on in the home, has caused the child to disregard what is being said, not only on this idol of Satan, but everywhere else.

As pre-medical student at UNC Chapel Hill, not knowing if I would ever complete any course of study because of finances, I decided to get a teacher's certificate. This way I would always be able to get a job teaching science. I got to know the great educators of North Carolina: Guy Philips, Frank Graham, Walter Spearman, et cetera.

While student teaching, I was given a class of low IQ tenth grade biology students. Each had come from an abusive background, abused at home, the school, the playground, everywhere. These students (and you find them in every school) are not expected to excel even though they are often the greatest students there. This was the biggest challenge for the student teacher.

I used methods unknown in the scholastic world: strictly talking, they had to listen; then, the class became like an athletic competition, the student could score only if having listened, they could answer a simplified question with a simplified answer. But, at the end of the day, at the end of the course, they knew more than the other biology students. Dr. McCuskey, famed educator at UNC Chapel Hill, never stopped talking about what she had when evaluating me. I used this method in physics, chemistry, every course. I even used the same method in the pulpit and on stage. Nothing replaces reading, but even for the illiterate, listening and speaking excels every time. Television treats everyone with disrespect; you learn to ignore most of it. You only learn to listen when you push yourself, whether at the school house, church house, or your house.

Marcus Aurelius (161 AD), the world's wealthiest man, in his Meditations says that the fundamentals of education enhanced by natural ability have brought more men to glory than anything else.

Every year, the Alexis de Tocqueville award is given to an American educator. Alexis de Tocqueville writing in 1835 said, “America is good because America stresses learning.” (So impressed was he by our mailing of newspapers, even into the hinterlands in 1792)

Next year, we will observe the 100^th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. Our education is sinking because it has hit the iceberg of indifferent educators, profiteering unions, and casual parents. The mighty hand of concern, directed by an omnipotent, sovereign God can keep the ship of American education from sinking. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. (Ecclesiastes 9:10)