“It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here.” Patrick Henry.

It seems to me as if there is a war on Christians in this country. My understanding or misunderstanding of the Bible may or may not mean I am a Christian but what I do know is our country was founded on Christian principles. In one state capital there is an atheist sign stating, in so many words, that God is a fairytale and putting down everyone who believes in God. Why do they feel it necessary during the Christmas and Hanukah season to display such hate? What is their point? What is their agenda? Why would they want to demean the vast majority of Americans? I don’t believe I will be able to answer any of these questions but I will write what this right under our Constitution means to me.

The role of religion in the United States has been considered our most precious right under the Constitution. The founders were clear on the subject, the first amendment on religion reads; “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Time and again one can read how Thomas Jefferson or James Madison viewed the teaching of religion in public schools. The intent was that all faiths, Christian and non-Christian, would have legal equality under the law. The only requirement for a certain faith to meet in a public building in the opinion of Thomas Jefferson was that that building be open to all faiths, and all sects. In today’s world the Supreme Court has twisted the intent of our founding fathers by outlawing the Lord’s Prayer and the reading of the Bible in public schools. 

Regardless of the attacks on religion and God I do not believe they will ever be able to eliminate Him from our society. There seems to be a sense of jealously from the non-believers with the need to claim their moral grounding on the sides of buses and billboards in New York. The Soviet Union spent over eighty years trying to eliminate, or better yet become, God in the eyes of its people but failed. During World War II Germany did its best to kill and terrorize the belief of God out of the Jews, but failed. The question is not the elimination of God but instead how He will react to our attempt to secularize a nation built on the foundation of God given freedoms that include religion. I believe God is the perfect gentleman and if we ask him to stay out of our schools, He will and if we do not ask our leaders to follow basic moral principles, God will allow us to have leaders who have none. 

I volunteer at my daughter’s church serving the kids food on Mondays and found myself in an interesting position two weeks ago. One of the teachers was trying to diet and he was beginning to doubt if he could be successful. My first thought was to share with him how through prayer I have quit smoking and drinking but found myself afraid to mention prayer. The funny thing is my daughter goes to a Lutheran school. Yet I watch as people like George W. Bush and Sarah Palin are ridiculed for their religious beliefs so I paused before mentioning God. It will be through our silence that the secular progressives will win. So I plan to “freely exercise” my first amendment rights and share, when asked, the role God plays in my daily life.

In closing, I would like to wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas!

On the eve of Thanksgiving I sit here and reflect on what I am thankful for. Of course there is the usual, those who are in my life today, family and friends. I am also grateful, and thankful, for my country. Yes, even though it seems so unpopular in the current environment I am a patriot. I began to wonder what that word “patriot” really means. I know it is more than just a football team that plays on Sunday or just a word that means “love of country.” I am a patriot because part of my country includes those I love, I am a patriot because we have a common bond of language, history, and fundamental belief in God. I am a patriot because I believe, as many who are fighting in Iraq and Afganistan, in the words of Patrick Henry, “Give me liberty or give me death.” 

Being a patriot for me comes with a strong desire for freedom. I am grateful that here in America we debate over the definition of marriage yet in Iran if you are a homosexual you are put to death. I am grateful for these words from Patrick Henry, “It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionist, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here”  (Quoted from Give Me Liberty by David J. Vaughn 253). 

Finally, I want to thank those who have served and are serving in the military. There are 25 million veterans and almost 700,000 have died fighting for us. My step-daughter and step-son will both be serving in the Middle East next year, I pray for your safe return. Again, thank you for your service.  To everyone, family and friends, I love you and Happy Thanksgiving!

            I have spent the past two days wondering what I wanted to write about today. So much has happened in the past week it is easy to get caught up in a confused diatribe of all the events and make sense out of none of them. With the recent mass murder at Fort Hood and today being Veterans Day I am hoping this will just write itself.

            As I have written before the attack on Fort Hood, in my opinion, is a terrorist attack. I heard Chris Mathews make a statement that contacting Al Qaeda is not a crime. I wonder what would have happened to a Major in the military who had continued to “reach out” to the Nazi’s back in 1943. What would we say about a military officer with ties to the Soviet Union during the Cold War? It is a slap in the face to our men and women serving to claim this guy suffered from some sort of pre- PTSD. We are so afraid of what might happen to a soldier who happens to be a Muslim we are forgetting about the 13 who died at Fort Hood. I certainly do not condone any sort of violence towards another simply based on their faith, in fact, that makes us just like them if we do. 

This is a terrorist attack plain and simple. Our soldiers are now concerned about what can happen on a military base, where they should be safe, some may now wonder about the Muslim soldier serving next to them. If these types of fears are not the point of terrorism then please, someone explain what terrorism is. 

I do want to thank those who have and are serving in our armed forces. A special note to my step father who is a disabled Vietnam veteran, I love you and I thank you. For both my step son and step daughter who are currently serving in the Air Force, I love you and thank you. I hope our president will give our troops what they need to complete their mission and come home in victory, the alternative, I hope, is not an option.

     The shooting at Fort Hood tells me the war is far from over.  It is hard to argue this was not another terrorist attack.  The man was an extremist.  I have read some reports that he suffered from PTD.  How can that be?  The Major has not served one day in combat.  To claim this is caused by the wars is a slap in the face to all our troops who have served and are currently serving in Afghanistan and Iraq.  It drives me crazy when an awful act like a mass murder, on our largest military base, is used for political gain.  Shame on the media for calling this anything other than a terrorist attack or a man who just snapped!

                First, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Anthony Flores, I live in Rapid City, South Dakota and I just love to stir things up, oh, I mean write. I start this site and blog for many reasons, one, I would like someday to earn my living as a writer and hope to use this blog to get my name and work out there. Second, the blog is a way of expressing my views in the hope that those who agree and disagree with me will engage in a vigorous debate. Not always will my blogs be political but the direction of this country is important to me. I am a conservative who loves the history of our country; my two historical hero’s are George Washington and Jackie Robinson. It is refreshing in today’s world when I hear someone’s hero is a founding father. Baseball is my favorite sport and reading what Jackie Robinson did and the lives he changed during his tenure with the Brooklyn Dodgers is a story each American should read. I look forward to hearing from all of you, if you are someone I have asked to check out my site that does not get “into” blogs or leaving comments please send a friend, left or right, who enjoys this kind of thing. Please email me if you would like to be notified when I write an article, freedom@anthonydflores.com or visit my website donttreadonme1776.com I will be writing at least once a week on Wednesday by 5pm eastern time. I am currently in my senior year of college so once I graduate I will be able to spend even more time on my blog. 

The fight today is progressive versus founding principles in my opinion. The progressives believe we need experts to tell us, or “nudge” us in the right direction. I believe in the individual, it will not be government that gets us out of our problems, it will be you and me. The American spirit is dying in this country as the government grows and grows telling people it will take care of them. That kind of thinking will keep us mediocre at best, it is time to stand up and let government know the individual will lead us out of the economic crisis and many other problems, so, simply put, just get out of our way!

Yes, Glenn Beck is my inspiration, so those on the left, come, try and convince me the error of my ways, for the rest of you who love America for who and what we are, help me show those on the left the error of their ways!

God bless you and yes, God bless America!

Anthony D. Flores