The Choice Is Yours – Part 1
Good day to each of your as I wish to thank you for reading this column.
America is facing the very looming possibility of a civil war between conservatism and liberalism, MAGA or making America great again and those on the other side saying that MAGA is filled with extremists, Nazism, threat to American democracy.
Biden Blasts MAGA Philosophy
Courtesy of NBC News
“What we’re seeing now is the beginning or the death knell of an extreme MAGA philosophy. It’s not just Trump, it’s the entire philosophy that underpins the — I’m going to say something, it’s like semi-fascism,” Biden said at the donor event.
“The MAGA Republicans don’t just threaten our personal rights and economic security,” Biden said. “They’re a threat to our very democracy. They refuse to accept the will of the people. They embrace political violence. They don’t believe in democracy.”
Let the above paragraphs sink in and let me know if you agree or disagree? Here is what is quoted from ABC News on 9/1/22:
“Too much of what’s happening in our country today is not normal,” he said. “Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic.”
NBC reported the following on 9/28/23:
Biden’s warning about Trump is unusual in the modern history of presidential campaigns. Although he has plenty of quarrels with Trump over policy, he is casting Trumpism as a mortal threat to the very constitutional order that gives Americans the right to hire and fire their leaders.
“Their extreme agenda, if carried out, would fundamentally alter the institutions of American democracy as we know it,” Biden said. “My friends, they’re not hiding their attacks; they’re openly promoting them. Attacking the free press as the enemy of the people. Attacking the rule of law as an impediment. Fomenting voter suppression and election subversion.”
I am asking each of you reading this column to look at what has been said and vote in the November election. Yes, it is our God-given right, it is our moral right, and our constitutional right to cast your vote.
As a Christian, I am very aware that God chooses our leaders and we are to support our leaders unless they break the law. Leaders must be found accountable for both their words and their actions and the way you can voice your thought is with the vote.
Biblically, let’s look at the scriptures;
Hebrews 13:17 NIV
Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.
Romans 13:1 NIV
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.
Look very closely at Hebrews 13:17 and allow the following sentence to sink in – Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account
Do you have confidence in our present leadership? I am not saying to revolt to their authority for that is vengeance and that issue is for the Lord and remember that those who are watching over each of us must give an account to God.
Today’s prevailing conditions give us the impression that crime does pay, that criminals are slapped on the hand, and that the TEN COMMANDMENTS are foolish and outdated.
We live today where “right is wrong and wrong is right” – Isaiah 5:20 NIV
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil,
who put darkness for light and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.
James 4:17
Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
We, as Christians, have been told that the days are coming and that we will and are experiencing the curses in Deuteronomy 28.
Let’s review the past four years in America and under the leadership of Joe Biden from a political, economic, and Biblical view.
Fellow Christian, be reminded that each of us must give account for both our actions and our words in Jesus who is first in all things. I remember back in the seventy’s wristbands saying WWJD were worn as to what would Jesus do and I think this is so very important in our daily life.
Let’s begin with the recession.
Fact check: Biden again falsely claims inflation was 9% when he became president
Courtesy of WashingtonCNN
For the second time in less than a week, President Joe Biden falsely claimed Tuesday that the inflation rate was 9% when he began his presidency.
Biden was criticized by many Republicans, including former president and current presidential rival Donald Trump, for telling CNN in an interview last Wednesday: “No president’s had the run we’ve had in terms of creating jobs and bringing down inflation. It was 9% percent when I came to office, 9%.”
Biden repeated the claim about the inflation rate, albeit in slightly vaguer form, in a Tuesday interview with Yahoo Finance. This time, he said: “I think inflation has gone slightly up. It was at 9% when I came in, and it’s now down around 3%.”
Facts First: Biden’s claim that the inflation rate was 9% when he became president is not close to true. The year-over-year inflation rate in January 2021, the month of his inauguration, was about 1.4%. The Biden-era inflation rate did peak at about 9.1% – but that peak occurred in June 2022, after Biden had been president for more than 16 months. The March 2024 inflation rate, the most recent available rate at the time Biden made these comments, was about 3.5%, up from about 3.2% the month prior.
Folks, this is from CNN—let’s take the price of gas next
Courtesy of CNN
The Biden administration announced this week that it is releasing 1 million barrels of gasoline from a Northeast reserve in an effort to reduce prices when drivers hit the road this summer.
The gasoline will be sold in 100,000-barrel tranches over a six-week stretch between Memorial Day and July 4, bolstering the nation’s fuel supply during the busiest driving season of the year, the U.S. Department of Energy said in a statement.
“The Biden-Harris Administration is laser focused on lowering prices at the pump for American families,” Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said.
However, experts who spoke to ABC News rejected the notion that the release of gasoline reserves would meaningfully lower prices at the pump. The move will likely result in a modest reduction for drivers in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast but will have little effect nationwide, they said.
“This is not a needle-mover,” Patrick de Haan, the head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, told ABC News. “It will not impact prices for the majority of Americans.” Since the beginning of the year, the average national price for a gallon of unleaded regular gas has jumped about 16%, amounting to an increase of more than 50 cents per gallon, according to AAA data shared with ABC News
OUCH! According to Forbes dated 3/8/23:
Courtesy of Forbes
To date, the average gasoline price during President Biden’s term — with nearly two years still to go — is $3.60/gallon. That is on a pace to be the highest average under any president. Here are how prices stack up per gallon, from lowest to highest average for their terms:
- Joe Biden (partial term) — $3.60
- Barack Obama first term — $3.12
- Barack Obama second term — $2.95
- George W. Bush second term — $2.77
- Donald Trump — $2.57
- George W. Bush first term — $1.59
So, you can see how someone could argue that Republicans are better for gasoline prices. Presidents Bush and Trump were the only presidents that oversaw average gasoline price below $3.00/gallon for four consecutive years of a term.
Let’s turn to rising food prices:
Courtesy of CBS News
Inflation may be rapidly cooling, but there’s one area that continues to eat away at Americans’ budgets: Stubbornly high food prices.
Rising food costs were one contributor to the hotter-than-expected inflation report on Tuesday, with food prices rising 0.4% in January from December, a faster pace than the overall 0.3% rise in the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
The CPI, a basket of goods and services typically bought by Americans, measures two types of food purchases, groceries and “food away from home,” or restaurant and other prepared meals. Both are rising, but restaurant prices are increasing at a faster pace, jumping 5.1% on an annual basis compared with a 1.2% increase in grocery costs.
Any increase in food prices may be especially painful to American consumers, given that supermarket prices are now 25% higher than in January 2020, while inflation has increased 19% over that same time. That means even though grocery costs are now rising at a slower pace than in the depth of the pandemic’s inflationary spike, the same shopping basket still costs more than a month or a year ago, a fact that has soured many consumers on the economy.
Two-thirds of voters polled by Yahoo Finance/Ipsos late last year said food prices are where they’re most impacted by inflation, far outpacing the 1 in 10 who said they feel the impact through gas prices or higher rents.
The reason for inflation’s stubborn hold on food prices can be linked to a number of issues, from higher labor costs at manufacturers that trickle down to consumers, to record-low cattle numbers that are driving up the cost of beef and steak.
But some policy experts see other issues at work: Corporations, they claim, are increasing prices simply because they can. President Joe Biden last month warned that companies are “ripping people off” with a combination of price gouging, “greedflation” and shrinkflation.
Let’s look at James 5:1-6 (NIV) Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. 2 Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. 4 Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. 5 You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.
Every legal American family should have the money to feed their family. For those who can not work due to disabilities, neighbors, church members, the community, food banks, and those who have been blessed with extreme wealth would tithe their monies to assist those who are without.
As for those who do not wish to work: turn to 2 Thessalonians 3:10 (Smith & Goodspeed) When I was with you, I gave you this rule: “if anyone refuses to work, give him nothing to eat. Paul explains why he gave this rule in verses 7 & 8 as he says that he was not idle in doing God’s work.
1 Timothy 5:8 (NIV) Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
The Bible explicitly talks about those who are sluggards when it come to work as well as the rich who rob the poor as shown in James chapter 5.
The richest man in the world was Solomon who asked God for what? Riches, no wisdom and here is Ecclesiastes 5:10-13 (NIV)
10 Whoever loves money never has enough;
whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.
This too is meaningless.
11 As goods increase,
so do those who consume them.
And what benefit are they to the owners
except to feast their eyes on them?
12 The sleep of a laborer is sweet,
whether they eat little or much,
but as for the rich, their abundance
permits them no sleep.
13 I have seen a grievous evil under the sun:
wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners,
Turn to 1 Timothy 6:6-10 (NIV) 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
So many Americans are going without food, suitable clothing, and shelter—Why? Why do we have such a homeless problem? Instead of sending money to other countries, why aren’t we taking care of our own?
This brings us to the border and immigration;
Courtesy of AP News
Arrests for illegal border crossings from Mexico reached an all-time high in December since monthly numbers have been released, authorities said Friday, exposing a growing vulnerability for President Joe Biden in his campaign for a second term.
The Border Patrol tallied 249,785 arrests on the Mexican border in December, up 31% from 191,112 in November and up 13% from 222,018 in December 2022, the previous all-time high.
Arrests fell more than half during the first two weeks of January, “consistent with historical trends and enhanced enforcement,” U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement. CBP previously said a crackdown by Mexican authorities contributed to the January decline.
Mexicans accounted for 56,236 arrests in December, while Venezuelans were second with 46,937, erasing much of the decline that followed the start of deportation flights to Venezuela in October. Arrests of Guatemalans surged, with Hondurans and Colombians rounding out the top five nationalities.
Tucson, Arizona, was again the busiest corridor for illegal crossings among nine sectors on the Mexican border, with 80,185 arrests. Del Rio, Texas, the focus of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s enforcement efforts, was second with 71,095 arrests. San Diego, where nearly 6,000 Chinese were arrested, was a distant third.
The illegal immigrants coming to America have been known to be criminals, insane asylum individuals, drug cartel, felons, murderers, child molesters, and terrorists. With the number of illegal immigrants coming across the border, how can ICE and the border patrol completely check each person? What diseases are these people carrying and what health hazards comes with them?
Courtesy of AP News
The White House is finalizing plans for a U.S.-Mexico border clampdown that would shut off asylum requests and automatically deny entrance to migrants once the number of people encountered by American border officials exceeded a new daily threshold, with President Joe Biden expected to sign an executive order as early as Tuesday, according to four people familiar with the matter.
The president has been weighing additional executive action since the collapse of a bipartisan border bill earlier this year. The number of illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border has declined for months, partly because of a stepped-up effort by Mexico. Still, immigration remains a top concern heading into the U.S. presidential election in November and Republicans are eager to hammer Biden on the issue.
The Democratic administration’s effort would aim to head off any potential spike in crossings that could occur later in the year, as the fall election draws closer, when the weather cools and numbers tend to rise, two of the people. They were not authorized to speak publicly about the ongoing discussions and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
The talks were still fluid and the people stressed that no final decisions had been made.
The restrictions being considered are an aggressive attempt to ease the nation’s overwhelmed asylum system, along with a new effort to speed up the cases of migrants already in America and another meant to quicken processing for migrants with criminal records or those who would otherwise be eventually deemed ineligible for asylum in the United States.
Are you holding your breath? I hope not, as Biden knows he must do something since this is a very key issue in the election. I refer to the quote from Goodreads;
“In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person’s becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American…There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn’t an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag… We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language… and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.”
Theodore Roosevelt
Let’s begin with the word Assimilate.
1. to take in and incorporate as one’s own; absorb:
He assimilated many new experiences on his European trip.
2. to bring into conformity with the customs, attitudes, etc., of a dominant social group, nation, or the like; adapt or adjust:
to assimilate the new immigrants.
Assimilation includes paying taxes, getting citizenship, having a full background check, learning and speaking the English language, respecting the American flag, joining the US military, maintaining employment, going to school.
In return, we, as fellow Americans, should never discriminate any immigrant, if that immigrant brings into conformity with the customs and attitudes of the nation that he or she has immigrated to.
It is a two-way street for our ancestors who had immigrated from another country to the USA to experience the same wonderful blessings that God has blessed each of us with daily. Let’s look at the illegal immigrants according to:
Courtesy of Snopes
As of January 2024, more than 7.2 million migrants had illegally crossed into the U.S. over the Southwest border during U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration — a number higher than the individual populations of 36 states.
The post and image cited data from a Fox News article that was published on the same day. The headline read, “7.2M illegals entered the US under Biden admin, an amount greater than population of 36 states.”
This claim was true, in that the number of more than 7.2 million immigrants specifically reflected border encounters with U.S. officials, according to data provided on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website — not an increase of that magnitude in the immigrant population.
Here are the facts: A record number of migrants have attempted to cross into the U.S. during Biden’s administration since his inauguration on Jan. 20, 2021.
U.S. Border Patrol agents and Office of Field Operations officials recorded encounters with more than 7.2 million migrants who attempted to cross the Southwest border between the time Biden assumed office and the end of January 2024. Comparatively, the number of border encounters with migrants under the Trump administration was around 2.4 million, according to statistics provided on the CBP and DHS websites.
In other words, as of January 2024, the Biden administration had handled around three times the number of border encounters as the Trump administration.
Can illegal immigrants vote in the presidential election? According to:
Courtesy of Snopes
According to the Pew Research Center, there were over 25 million noncitizens living in the U.S. as of 2020. That included approximately 12 million permanent residents and 2 million temporary residents who were in the country with legal permission, as well as approximately 11 million immigrants who resided in the country without legal permission.
In 1996, the U.S. Congress passed a law prohibiting noncitizens from voting in federal elections, including elections for the U.S. House, U.S. Senate, and presidential elections. This does not apply to elections for state and local offices.
Wait, here is some interesting details on where we are going as to elections in the state and local offices:
Courtesy of NPR
Lawmakers in New York City have approved legislation that will allow about 800,000 legal non-citizens to vote in local elections. The decision centered on one big question – who exactly should have a stake in American democracy? I talked with Ron Hayduk about this. He’s a political science professor at San Francisco State University and the author of “Democracy For All: Restoring Immigrant Voting Rights In The United States.”
Let’s turn to California:
Courtesy of Washington Times
While state law doesn’t confer voting rights to those who scale San Diego’s border fence, there is no barrier to doing so. Ballots are even offered in Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Tagalog, Thai and Vietnamese.
San Francisco allows “undocumented” residents to vote in school board elections, and the city of Santa Ana has a measure on the November ballot that, if approved, would allow them to vote for the mayor, the City Council and other offices. Residents in nearby Huntington Beach went the opposite route in March, approving a ballot measure requiring officials to implement voter identification and monitoring of ballot drop boxes.
Naturally, state Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat, is suing Huntington Beach for daring to uphold ballot integrity. This exposes the goal of the left — a new permanent majority based on sketchy votes from people who have no business being in the country, much less the polling place.
More tidbits from California from the Washington Post:
Courtesy of Washington Post
Last year, California also gave illegal aliens the ability to apply for full-scope Medi-Cal, meaning they enjoy free health care at taxpayer expense. The state went so far as to hold focus groups with such aliens to make sure they were aware that others would be paying to take care of their needs.
the assembly on the same day passed AB 1840, which ensures that anyone seeking a share of $700 million in free housing benefits “shall not be disqualified solely based on the applicant’s immigration status.”
This means Golden State taxpayers will soon be handing cash to people who just hopped over the border so they can lay down permanent roots. Under the California Dream for All program, house-buying assistance of up to $150,000 per person is allocated through a lottery system.
As if that weren’t enough, another bill passed by the assembly, AB 2586, requiring the state’s university and community college systems to hire illegal aliens. This would nullify federal worker eligibility laws by unilaterally declaring them “inapplicable” in California. The state already lavishes student aid on anyone who infiltrates the country without an invitation.
California has become a dumpster fire as unlawful entries have shifted to San Diego from Texas with a 49% increase last year and why? Look at all the giveaways—
House-buying assistance of up to $150,000 per person is allocated through a lottery system.
The ability to apply for full-scope Medi-Cal, meaning they enjoy free health care at taxpayer expense.
Another bill passed by the assembly, AB 2586, requiring the state’s university and community college systems to hire illegal aliens.
San Francisco allows “undocumented” residents to vote in school board elections, and the city of Santa Ana has a measure on the November ballot that, if approved, would allow them to vote for the mayor, the City Council and other offices.
Now to add insult to injury, Last week, assembly Speaker Robert Rivas wielded his unchecked authority in booting GOP Assemblyman Bill Essayli from the Judiciary Committee, sticking the lawmaker on the Aging and Long-Term Care Committee instead — an obvious punishment.
Mr. Essayli’s offense was forcing Democrats to vote on his bill that would have deported any illegal alien convicted of crimes against children. It was shot down on a 36-14 vote.
“Apparently no one is above the law except illegal immigrant pedophiles who the democrats in Sacramento just voted to protect from deportation,” the lawmaker wrote on X.
I am not making this up—California and New York wonder why people are moving out—Stupid is as stupid does—Forest Gump. Before I close, here is an interesting article dated March 7, 2024.
Courtesy of Washington Times
President Joe Biden took a strong stance on immigration during his speech, reflecting on the origins of the country and criticizing former President Donald Trump’s stance on the topic.
“I will not demonize immigrants saying they are poison in the blood of our country,” he said. “I will not separate families. I will not ban people because of their faith, unlike my predecessor,” he said, referring to comments and policies of Trump.
“Unlike my predecessor, I know who we are as Americans and we’re the only nation in the world with the heart and soul that draws from old and new,” Biden said. “Home to Native Americans whose ancestors have been here for thousands of years, home to people from every place on Earth.”
Whether it be Biden or Trump, we have only one judge and that be Jesus Christ. To say that immigrants are poison in the blood of our country is a judgment and the Bible says for us not to judge.
When reading Assimilation this should include paying taxes, getting citizenship, having a full background check, learning and speaking the English language, respecting the American flag, joining the US military, maintaining employment, going to school.
This should be the criteria for all illegal immigrants entering the USA and nothing less. If they pass, then welcome them and if they do not, then send them back to the country they came from.
As for people of different faith, let’s turn to the Bible and see what it has to say. Look no further than the Old Testament where Israel got into so much trouble when they integrated with people of other faith and took up their gods and idols.
Exodus 20:3-5 (NIV) 3 “You shall have no other gods before me.
4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,
Look at what Jesus says in Matthew 4:10 (NIV) 10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’
Fellow Christian, Jesus is not asking but providing the following command– ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’
Look at the other religions such as the Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, Shinto, Agnostic, Wicca, Atheist and you will see the god or gods that they worship.
It is my belief that we are to worship the Lord and serve him only. Again, I go no further than Deuteronomy 28: 1-3 (NIV) where it says If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All those blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God.
You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.
Look around and tell me, is the USA being blessed in the city as well as our country? Are we fully obeying and following the Lord’s commands? Does the USA set high above all the nations on earth?
The Bible speaks about a land of unwalled villages in Ezekiel 38:11-12 (KJV) 11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
Folks, these are the last days and the USA is the land of unwalled villages which is now affecting Canada also. How? Look at the immigrants coming across the southern border of Texas, New Mexico and California.
The numbers are above and the people are not just from Mexico but from central America, the Middle East and the Far East.
If you don’t believe they are taking the spoil and prey, then look no further than California and all the great giveaways. The land of opportunity has given in to taking illegal immigrants with no background checks. Again, look no further where a bill concerning illegal immigrant pedophiles can’t be deported if found guilty.
President Biden, the above is not demonizing immigrants, rather doing what is right and thoroughly checking the person before they enter the country.
We are coming to a close on part one of America’s crossroads and where Joe Biden stands on today’s issues. Christians should never be silenced and should always be vocal concerning the issues that we face daily.
Why be afraid? Look no further than those who had the faith and the Holy Spirit to guide them.
Throughout the Bible, we had many who gave their life knowing that there would be a price to be paid and, like John the Baptist, gave their physical body knowing they may lose their life.
In the next column we will tackle taxes and the IRS, the abortion issue, the LGBTQ issue, student loans, stimulus checks, electric cars, the Ukraine and Israel conflicts under Mr. Biden. I can’t emphasize enough of Deuteronomy 28 and how each verse gives us what we are currently experiencing which is the blessings and curses.
Stay tuned and as always:
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
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