David N. Walker's Blog, page 6
March 7, 2016
Preamble
March 3, 2016
Introduction to US Constitution, part 2
February 29, 2016
Introduction to the Constitution
February 16, 2016
Political Debates
We’ve all become accustomed to political debates. Presidential primary debates, Presidential general election debates, senatorial, gubernatorial and all sorts of other debates. Many of us base our decisions about which candidate to support on how well he or she does as a debater. But is that a valid way to determine who would be the best person to hold and execute a political office?
The first televised debates were in the 1960 Presidential election. People who listened to the debates on the radio agreed by a large majority that Richard Nixon won the debates. However, for some reason I’ve never understood, women in general liked John F. Kennedy’s looks on television, and they supported him by an overwhelming majority. I’d be the first to admit that Nixon never looked particularly attractive in his TV appearances, but is that a valid criterion for electing a President?
Kennedy’s qualifications were two-fold:
1. He inherited a huge fortune from a man who founded that fortune on blackmailing bankers and smuggling bootleg whiskey during Prohibition, and
2. Carrying on an affair with Marilyn Monroe, among other women.
The accomplishments of his administration were threefold:
1. Getting hordes of Cuban freedom fighters slaughtered at the Bay of Pigs by withholding air support he’d promised them, and
2. Ignoring the presence of missiles in Cuba for over a year until he could suddenly discover them and make a grandstand play just in time to rescue his party in the 1962 elections, and
3. Managing to pass nothing of any importance during his administration, despite having huge majorities in both houses of Congress.
He was succeeded by “Landslide” Lyndon Johnson, who was first elected to the Senate in 1948 by a margin of 87 votes with the help of widespread voting by residents of cemeteries in Duvall County, whose courthouse mysteriously burned to the ground before an investigation into voting irregularities could proceed. Unlike the inept Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson was the consummate politician, managing to ram through Congress his “Great Society” program which has the American public saddled to this day with massive welfare programs that will bankrupt the nation if continued.
Richard Nixon won election primarily in reaction to public disgust with Johnson, and he won re-election because his opponent was arguably the biggest idiot ever to run for President. He did give strong support to Israel, but other than that, I can’t think of anything he did other than disgrace his own party by lying about the Watergate break-ins.
The next elected President was Jimmy Carter, who almost presided over the demise of our nation. When he left office, we had inflation running between 15% and 20% and a stagnant economy, and our nation had become almost a laughingstock on the world scene.
With God’s grace, we managed to elect our greatest President in 1980, Ronald Reagan, and for the next 12 years—including the one term of his Vice-President George H. W. Bush—our economy grew, our tax rates were slashed, our military was put back on track to be the most powerful in the world, and our prestige around the world soared. An amazing turnaround considering where we were when he took office. Oh, yeah, his election caused the mullahs in Iran who had been laughing at Jimmy Carter to release the hostages they’d held captive for over a year.
After that, we had one God-fearing man who made a reasonably good President, sandwiched in between a playboy whose main claim to fame was his ability to get sex from his aids, and a Muslim who parades as a Christian while doing everything in his power to ruin our nation economically through his trillion dollar deficits and supporting Muslim nations at every turn.
Now, we’re in the midst of another election year when the primary activity of the candidates of both parties seems to be trying to destroy their one another through a series of toxic debates. So far, they have driven Carly Fiorina from the race and pretty well destroyed the chances of Ben Carson—the two people most likely to be effective Presidents once Rick Perry withdrew. Does anyone really think this is an intelligent way to select nominees and, ultimately, Presidents?
The most qualified man we’ve had to run since Ronald Reagan is Rick Perry. He was such a good governor, we Texans kept him in office for fourteen years, and he was so effective the Democrats decided to abuse the power of the Travis County D.A. to bring bogus charges against him in an effort to taint his image.
Rick was recovering from surgery and on medication at the time of the 2012 debates, and that medication caused him to look pretty silly in an early debate. He was drummed out of that race and once again drummed out of the race this time—all because he didn’t debate well when under mediation.
Is this sort of thing likely to produce the best person to be President? My answer is a resounding NO!
Looking at the quote from Ben Franklin that I run at the bottom of all my political posts, I’m afraid I have to say we can’t. I don’t know if it’s too late or not, but until we get rid of the debates, it’s not likely to get any better.
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Benjamin Franklin, exiting Constitutional Convention:
“We’ve given you a republic, if you can keep it.”
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For more information about David N. Walker, click the “About” tab above.
For more information about his books, click on “Books” above.
Contact him at dnwalkertx (at) gmail (dot) com or tweet him at @davidnwalkertx.
Filed under: Political Tagged: constitution, David N. Walker Author Christianity 101, David N. Walker Christian Author Heaven Sent, David N. Walker Historical Fiction Author Fancy Series, elections, Government, Presidential debates, Republic
January 20, 2016
You Never Know
Recently, I had the following exchange on Facebook with a young lady:
I commented on something she posted: “What you’ve done with your life in the last 30 years or so is a blessing to those who know you.”
She replied: “Thank you David. It started with you getting involved in my life.”
I told her: “That makes me feel wonderful. Thanks.”
I won’t go into the details or mention any names, but back in the mid-1980’s this lady was a troubled teenager. My daughter knew her through the church youth group, but I’d never met her before.
One morning (it could have been evening—I don’t remember for sure), she was by herself after the service when almost everybody had left, and she was acting very strangely. My daughter was concerned about her, so I joined in trying to minister to her. As we talked, it came out that she’d spent several hours that morning wandering in a local park trying to decide how to commit suicide.
I have no background or expertise in dealing with such things. All I knew to do was put my arms around her and love her. She needed to know that she had worth and that someone loved her, which is what my daughter and I tried to show her.
Someone else came into the sanctuary while we were talking to this young lady. I don’t remember who it was, but this person suggested that a ministry called Teen Challenge could help her. This was the first time I’d heard of it.
We took her home and talked to her mother, who didn’t know what to do for her but was very appreciative of our help. I mentioned the Teen Challenge suggestion to her, and before long, the young lady was a resident at their facility. She had a rough time, bouncing in and out of the place several times before that ministry seemed to get through to her.
Over the years, she and I lost touch with each other until we became Facebook friends. I learned that she has her life very much in order and that Jesus is firmly rooted at the center of it.
I always thought my part in this woman’s life was pretty minor. In fact, I had no idea what had happened to her. Until the exchange above, I had no idea I’d been of any real importance to her. I can’t begin to explain what that exchange meant to me.
Any change in her life was made by Jesus. I was just an instrument in His plan for her, but knowing how she viewed the tiny part I’d played in her life was one of the most edifying experiences I’ve ever had. I thank Jesus for allowing me to be used in this way.
Whenever you have an opportunity to invest yourself in the life of another person, jump at it. You have no idea how far-reaching your participation might be. You might help deliver an alcoholic or drug addict from addiction. You might help stop someone from committing suicide. You might even help lead someone out of the hands of Satan and into the arms of Jesus.
You never know.
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If you abide in Me and My word abides in you, then you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.
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For more information about David N. Walker, click the “About” tab above.
For more information about his books, click on “Books” above.
Contact him at dnwalkertx (at) gmail (dot) com or tweet him at @davidnwalkertx.
Filed under: Christian Thoughts Tagged: Bible, Christian, Christian Fellowship, Christianity, David N. Walker Christian Author, David N. Walker Historical Fiction Author, Faith, Fancy Series, Forgiveness, God, God is in control, Godly Wisdom, Grace, Heaven Sent, Holy Spirit, inspiration, Jesus, Sins, Teen Challenge, Works
January 12, 2016
Our Worst Danger
Pogo, a character in a long-defunct comic strip made the famous statement, “We have met the enemy and he is us.” Many others throughout history have made some variation of the statement that we are our own worst enemy.
This was posted on Facebook a few days ago. I’d seen it before, and both times it had the ring of truth.
The following statement is attributed to former Czech President Vaclav Klaus:
“The danger to America is not Barack Obama, but a citizenry capable of entrusting a man like him with the presidency. It will be far easier to limit and undo the follies of an Obama presidency than to restore the necessary common sense and good judgment to a depraved electorate willing to have such a man for their president. The problem is much deeper and far more serious than Mr. Obama, who is a mere symptom of what ails America. Blaming the prince of the fools should not blind anyone to the vast confederacy of fools that made him their prince. The republic can survive a Barack Obama, who is, after all, merely a fool. It is less likely to survive a multitude of fools, such as those who made him their president.” [Underlining mine]
Those who care enough to look beyond what an election means to their own pocketbooks could tell well before Obama won the Presidency that this man was an imposter. There was plenty of evidence.
Most people who heard about his claim of being in all 57 states during the 2008 election assumed it was just a gaffe and understandable given the pressure of constant campaigning on a national level. The gaffe was that he let slip that he recognized the 57 member states of The Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
He also talked about visiting countries that would have required a passport other than American, since Americans were banned from traveling there. Meanwhile gullible people bought his claim that he was a natural born citizen born in Hawaii, despite the fact that neither of his parents resided in the U. S. at the time.
We could talk about his claim that he didn’t know his pastor of over 20 years hated the U.S. Or his wife’s admission well into his administration that for the first time in her life she was proud of being American.
But all of that misses the point. He’s one man who managed to win election to the Presidency and will soon be exiting from that office. But, as Mr. Klaus so accurately pointed out in his statement, the same voters who put him there will still be voting long after he leaves office.
These same voters who allowed themselves to be fooled by this imposter have now allowed a woman who has been involved in one scandal after another for two decades now, including callously ignoring the danger of leaving our Benghazi embassy almost completely unguarded and using her personal, unprotected email account to transmit confidential government information to become the heavily favored frontrunner for the Democrat Party in this year’s election. If we add four—or eight—years of her in the White House on top of eight years of Obama, we won’t need an explanation of Mr. Klaus’s remarks. The meaning will be down on our heads and shoulders.
This is not a campaign pitch for any of the Republicans running for President. I can’t get excited about any of them since Rick Perry and Scott Walker have been drummed out of the race and Ben Carson is on his way to suffering the same fate. This seems to be a year when we’ll be settling for a President instead of electing one we can be proud of, but let’s not settle for an imposter or a scandal-ridden rerun.
It’s time to stop voting for the candidate who promises the most largesse to the most people, or one who would enable people to be sexually irresponsible by allowing babies to be killed if their mothers decide they are inconvenient. Let’s elect a person of moral fiber and Godliness.
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Benjamin Franklin, exiting Constitutional Convention:
“We’ve given you a republic, if you can keep it.”
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For more information about David N. Walker, click the “About” tab above.
For more information about his books, click on “Books” above.
Contact him at dnwalkertx (at) gmail (dot) com or tweet him at @davidnwalkertx.
Filed under: Political Tagged: 57 states of The International Muslim Brotherhood, Ben Carson, Benghazi, constitution, David N. Walker Author Christianity 101, David N. Walker Christian Author Heaven Sent, David N. Walker Historical Fiction Author Fancy Series, Democrat Party, Government, Obama, Republic, Republicans, Rick Perry, Scott Walker
January 6, 2016
Looking for Mr or Ms Right
Every day when I scroll through posts on Facebook I see complaints about how a girlfriend or boyfriend—or husband or wife—has been abusive or unfaithful or just plain acting like an ass. Or maybe all he or she wants is sex and no commitment of any kind. I frequently overhear such complaints in restaurants or stores or in other places where I happen to be, also.
You’re heard them, too. Maybe you’re one of the people making the complaints. Do you have a significant other who doesn’t treat you right? Have you had a string of such people in your life?
When I hear these things, I always wonder where the complainer met the person he or she is complaining about. If you’ve managed to find several of these people in a row, did you meet all of them in the same type of places?
If your father or mother or both were sent to prison and lost custody of you as a result when you were growing up, do you think taking on a recently released convict as your mate and having a child or children with him or her is really a good idea? Is it reasonable to think this person will make that much better a parent than your own did? Or that much better a husband or wife or lover?
If your boyfriend is disrespectful to his mother or your girlfriend to her father, can you really expect better treatment yourself? A person’s attitude toward and treatment of his opposite sex parent is one of the best indicators of what kind of mate he or she will make. I realize some parents may deserve it, but as a general rule this is true.
Albert Einstein said that insanity is doing the same thing again in the same way and expecting different results. Could this possibly apply to your selection of significant others?
Where are you meeting the people you fall in love and develop relationships with? If you’re meeting them in bars and clubs, they may be exciting. They may be the life of the party. They may tell the funniest jokes. They may be handsome or beautiful. You may even take them home and find them to be wonderful in bed. But does that make it reasonable to assume they will be good and faithful mates.
If they were out partying and looking for someone to hustle into bed when they met you, don’t you think it might be reasonable to expect them to continue that behavior while they are supposedly being true to you? If their exes have restraining orders against them, are you sure they’ll never do the same thing to you that brought about the restraining order?
Think about where you’ve met potential lovers in the past. Have you continued to use the same sort of venues to look for other lovers? Does that even sound like a sensible thing to you?
We live in a fallen and imperfect world. There are no guarantees of finding Mr or Ms Right anywhere. But wouldn’t it make some sense to try to tilt the odds a little more in your favor by where you look?
If you meet someone in a library, for instance, he or she won’t be perfect any more than you and I are. But at least you’ll know that person can read and enjoys doing it. Wouldn’t liking to read be a little bit better trait than being able to down more beer than anyone else?
If you meet someone in a church, he or she won’t be perfect, either, but at least that person probably believes in God, and if it’s a Bible-based evangelical church—like a Baptist or Bible church—odds are pretty good he or she has submitted to the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Again, not a guarantee, but don’t the odds sound better than with the person who sings loudest or tells the funniest jokes in a bar?
My wife and I are imperfect people. We have an imperfect marriage. But we’ve loved and been faithful to each other for 25 years now. Neither of us was looking for a recently released convict or the funniest person in a bar. I keep picking on bars, and perhaps that’s not totally fair. I’ve known very good people who spent a lot of time in bars, but I still maintain that’s not the best venue to meet Mr or Ms Right.
Shouldn’t you consider looking somewhere you haven’t looked in the past for your soul mate?
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Writers may not have it all together, but together we have it all.
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For more information about David N. Walker, click the “About” tab above.
For more information about his books, click on “Books” above.
Contact him at dnwalkertx (at) gmail (dot) com or tweet him at @davidnwalkertx.
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: Advice, Authorship, Caring, David N. Walker Christian Author, David N. Walker Historical Fiction Author, Fancy Series, friends, Heaven Sent, Life, Life experience, Life lessons, Life truths, Life values, People, Personal development, Self-help
December 24, 2015
Christmas
At this time of year it seems like everywhere you turn you see Christmas decorations of one kind or another. Most of them feature a fat guy with a white beard in a red suit or maybe a herd of reindeer pulling a sleigh through the air. I even see a lot of them featuring Frosty the Snowman, although I’ve never figured out what he has to do with Christmas.
We’re inundated with ads about Christmas sales and commercials reminding us how many shopping days we have left, which by the time you read this will be zero. The celebration of Christmas has been totally hijacked by commercialism and images that have nothing to do with what we’re actually celebrating.
As you think about Christmas, please remember what it’s truly about. A little over two thousand years ago Jehovah, who created the heavens and the earth and all the people and animals, allowed God the Father to reduce Him to His raw nature and character and place that into a male sperm which He then placed into an egg of a Virgin. Then that fertilized egg grew to become the baby Jesus.
This event had been foretold by the Prophets centuries earlier—even the place where He would be born. Three magi who weren’t even Israelites were aware of this, and God put it on their hearts to travel from afar to see His Son and bring Him gifts and worship Him.
God knew before He ever created Adam and Eve that they would sin and bring about the fall of mankind and all nature, and He had this plan ready before sin ever occurred. He allowed His Son to be born a man—bringing flesh into the Godhead and divinity into mankind.
Then He allowed His Son to take on our sins, although He Himself was without sin, and to suffer the punishment for those sins so that any of us who accepted Him as our Savior would be spared that punishment. His Son died and went to hell, which is what we sinners deserve, but then He arose from hell, conquering death and hell in the process, as a free gift of salvation to us.
The love that prompted this incarnation and the life, ministry, death and resurrection that followed is beyond our ability to comprehend. It’s the most amazing thing that has taken place in the history of the world.
This is the real story of Christmas. This is what the season is really about. Don’t let department stores and eggnog and decorated trees take your eyes off the true story here.
Remember our Lord and Savior.
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If you abide in Me and My word abides in you, then you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.
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For more information about David N. Walker, click the “About” tab above.
For more information about his books, click on “Books” above.
Contact him at dnwalkertx (at) gmail (dot) com or tweet him at @davidnwalkertx.
Filed under: Christian Thoughts Tagged: Bible, Christian, Christian Fellowship, Christianity, Christmas, David N. Walker Christian Author, David N. Walker Historical Fiction Author, Faith, Fancy Series, Forgiveness, God, God is in control, Godly Wisdom, Grace, Heaven Sent, Holy Spirit, incarnation, inspiration, Jesus, Sins, Works
December 12, 2015
Maybe It’s Not a Character Defect
We humans don’t like to expose our warts to others. We avoid talking about our body odor or halitosis. We want our friends and acquaintances to think we’re perfect—as if they didn’t already know better.
Kelly Roberts, a writer friend of mine, posted a blog this week about being diagnosed with ADHD. Click Here to read it. She’s talked lately about the likelihood she may have it, and now she’s been tested and confirms that she does.
Her post, which is much more educational than mine, got me to thinking. If she can stand in front of us and expose these warts maybe I should, too. It might encourage others who have this affliction to face it.
Kelly is a generation younger than I am, and she’s taking steps to deal with—and hopefully overcome—this condition. At my age I don’t think I’ll follow that path. Whatever worlds I’ve left unconquered will just have to remain that way, but for people under 60 or so, it might be worth trying to deal with this more proactively. I urge you to read Kelly’s article.
When I was in school back in the 40’s and 50’s, no one had ever heard of ADHD. Those of us who couldn’t pay proper attention in class and could not concentrate long enough to read two paragraphs without seeing our minds wander out the window were generally classified as having behavior problems. We needed to straighten up and pay attention and stick with whatever tasks were assigned to us.
Way back then, I knew I was different. I knew that others were better able to concentrate than I was—better able to stick with a task than I was—but I didn’t know why. I guess I just assumed it was a character defect.
In college I barely managed a 2.0 average on a 4.0 system, primarily because I couldn’t pay attention that long at a time and I didn’t stick with projects—like studying or writing term papers. I knew from SAT scores and other indications that I wasn’t dumber than others, but intelligence alone isn’t enough if you can’t ever carry anything through to completion.
The first 20 years after I got out of college, life was a constant struggle to pay the bills and keep groceries on the table. I saw high school classmates far exceed any accomplishments I might have—attaining varying degrees of fame and fortune—while I continued to struggle. One classmate became a world renowned singer after Peter, Paul and Mary popularized his “Leaving on a Jet Plane.” Another built a company he sold to Berkshire Hathaway for $2 billion. Meanwhile, I never quite got it together.
This didn’t change for me until I formed a partnership in my early 40’s with an old friend who had the wisdom and influence to keep me on task. With his willingness to apply his boot where I needed it, our business prospered. There had been no change in my ability. This man and others had told me years earlier that I made the best sales presentations they ever seen for our industry. The problem had always been my inability to stay on task and follow through.
I’ve never tried to blame this on bad luck or a condition like ADHD or anything else. I’ve always accepted my own culpability in all of this. I still don’t want to deflect blame from myself. But it’s heartening to realize that there actually is a medically recognized condition at the root of it rather than simple laziness and lack of character.
If you see yourself in any of this, you, too, could have ADHD. Don’t wait until you’re 72 years old and already retired before you recognize it. Do like Kelly did. Get it diagnosed and learn about treatment.
Don’t feel sorry for me, either, after reading of my failures. Despite all that I have not accomplished, I have a wonderful wife, sweet, loving daughter and grandchildren, great son-in-law and stepson and daughter-in-law. I have a loving extended family. I have scads of supportive writer friends. Loving Christian brothers and sisters. My wife and I are comfortable financially if not wealthy. And most important of all, I have Jesus.
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Writers may not have it all together, but together we have it all.
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For more information about David N. Walker, click the “About” tab above.
For more information about his books, click on “Books” above.
Contact him at dnwalkertx (at) gmail (dot) com or tweet him at @davidnwalkertx.
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: ADHD, Advice, Authorship, Caring, David N. Walker Christian Author, David N. Walker Historical Fiction Author, Fancy Series, friends, Heaven Sent, Jesus, Kelly Roberts, Life, Life experience, Life lessons, Life truths, Life values, People, Personal development, Self-help
December 9, 2015
Protecting Our Citizens
Today’s post will not endear me to a lot of people. In fact, it may cost me blog readers and Facebook followers. I hope it doesn’t cost me any friends—but, as a patriotic American concerned about my fellow citizens, I think it needs to be said.
Let me make it clear that I’ve never been a fan of Donald Trump. I think he’s an egomaniac and at times a loose cannon, and I have grave concerns about his fitness to occupy the White House.
Let me also acknowledge that not all Muslims are terrorists. Maybe even less than half of all Muslims support terrorism. Neither I nor anyone else has reliable figures to establish that percentage.
Having said that, I find that The Donald is frequently the only figure on the political horizon who exhibits the courage to say things that need to be said. We’re all so wrapped up in political correctness that we’ve come to the point we’re afraid to say night is darker than day for fear of offending someone.
The media is currently in a frenzy—along with all other Presidential candidates of both parties—over Trump’s statement that we should halt all Muslim immigration to the United States. Have any of us thought this through instead of just having kneejerk reactions to the lack of political correctness?
Having acknowledged that not all Muslims are terrorists, I must also point out that all members of ISIS—and Al Qaeda and Hezbollah and the PLO—are Muslims. There are no Buddhists or Mormons or Christians in any of these organizations. They are 100% Muslim. And they’re the ones who fly planes into buildings and blow up cafes and train stations and gun down peaceful citizens in San Bernardino.
I think we can all agree that we can’t afford to continue allowing terrorists free access to our country so they can carry out their misdeeds with impunity. That brings up the question, “How can you tell the peaceful Muslims from the terrorists?” The honest answer is that you can’t. I can’t, and neither can you—or the CIA or Homeland Security or anyone else.
Yes, it’s harsh to say no Muslim immigration at all. I realize that will exclude some who would be peaceful citizens. But I also realize that if we had not had any Muslims in this country at all, the Twin Towers would still be standing, and several thousand people would still be alive. If there were no Muslims in Europe, 130 dead Parisians would still be alive. Nearly 200 Spaniards in Madrid would still be alive.
It sounds humane to allow Syrian refugees free access to Western countries, but do we know for certain there are no latent terrorists hiding among them? How many innocent citizens of Western countries will be slaughtered in the future because of our rush to embrace these refugees?
It’s time to ring the death knell of political correctness. It’s time to use a little common sense about protecting our own countries and our own citizens. It’s time to put a stop to all Muslim immigration to Western countries, whether they’re seeking citizenship, student visas, political asylum, or whatever.
It’s time to stand up and say, “Enough is enough.”
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Benjamin Franklin, exiting Constitutional Convention:
“We’ve given you a republic, if you can keep it.”
——————————————
For more information about David N. Walker, click the “About” tab above.
For more information about his books, click on “Books” above.
Contact him at dnwalkertx (at) gmail (dot) com or tweet him at @davidnwalkertx.
Filed under: Political Tagged: Al Qaeda, constitution, David N. Walker Author Christianity 101, David N. Walker Christian Author Heaven Sent, David N. Walker Historical Fiction Author Fancy Series, Donald Trump, Government, Hezbollah, ISIS, Islam, Muslims, PLO, Republic
