Thankfully, we live in a political system that invites our participation. From the beginning, our government has been of the people, by the people and for the people.
Let me ask a Government 101 question: Is America a democracy or a republic? If you answered a democracy, you’re wrong. A pure democracy is a rule by people where the majority vote of the people is the law. We are actually a republic, which means a rule by law. That’s why we say, “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the REPUBLIC for which it stands …” In a democracy if 51% of the population voted that killing your neighbor was no longer a punishable offense, then murder would be legal. Benjamin Franklin captured this idea in his famous quote about democracy and liberty. He wrote: “Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb who is contesting the vote!”
That’s why our Forefathers gave us a constitution with a bill of rights designed to protect our God-given rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Because we are a democratically elected republic, government is everyone’s business.
There are some obvious ways you can be involved in the process. First, every Christian should register and vote in every election. Second, you should stay informed about the issues we are facing as a nation. Third, we should be the voice crying in the wilderness reminding our culture about the truth of Biblical morality. Fourth, we need Christians to run for political office, in both local, state, and national elections.
I’m not just saying this because he’s my friend and a member of our church, but I’m glad that a few years ago, God moved on the heart of Louie Gohmert to run for election to the United States House of Representatives. And as I prepared this message to motivate you to be a better American
citizen, I wrote him and asked him to share with you how you can Make A Difference.
Let me share his letter with you:
Thank you for your inquiry on what our people can do to be better citizens and most help our country. Since the elections are behind us for a while, we need to focus on making our current leaders better. You and I both know prayer is the number one essential for our country’s continued existence. We should pray for our leadership in the protection off reedom, in the recognition of the value of life, and for the promotion of religious liberty so that Christians may continue to worship without persecution. Our freedom of religion has been nurtured up to now in this country and has been used by the Lord to spread the Gospel around the world as never before in history.
Our religious freedom, as Christians, is in danger as never before in this nation. Buy Generic Cialis Online Hate Crime legislation passed the House but not the Senate last term that could effectively prevent ministers,
rabbis, or imams from preaching at all on sexual immorality. Laws have been proposed and even passed the House to eliminate a church’s ability to hire employees who have a like faith to those in the church. That provision would eliminate
the original exception in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which has allowed religious institutions to hire people of like faith, but that is now in jeopardy.
There is an ongoing effort to prevent usage of words in our government such as “God,” “Creator,”
“Lord,” “Divine Providence,” “Holy Trinity,”
and “Jesus” or “Jesus Christ” which words are found throughout the documents of this nation’s founders. That would be an extremely dangerous rewrite of our amazingly blessed history. Some Christians say we do not have to worry because God is in control. However, God has been in control when every great nation has fallen. God is merciful, patient, longsuffering, and full of grace, but when a nation like ours is determined to abandon God, eventually, He will let it. When that happens, the nation heads on down to the dust heap of history.
We know from Scripture that governments do not gain control without God’s allowing it.
In the amazing government of the people, by the people, and for the people here in the United States, everyone is part of the government
and has a role to play. If the citizens do not daily seek the truth themselves and work to pass on their views to their elected representatives, then they have not fulfilled their responsibility as PART of the government. When people refuse to serve on juries, fail to vote, or fail to inform their representatives, they have not done their job as PART of the government.
Americans should write, email, or call their elected officials to give them their insights AFTER
prayerfully seeking wisdom. Some of the meanest emails, calls or letters come from Christians
who have not done all of their homework. Just because a statement is contained in an email or is made by the national media does not always mean it is true.
Christians should encourage those who are doing a good job, and help elect opponents of those who are not. All of these are critically important jobs that must be done to preserve a democratic republic as ours is. We all have jobs in a representative government, and that includes every citizen. Failure by enough people
will eventually be enough to bring an end to what the founders called this “experiment in democracy.” This is far too precious a gift not to protect. Your Brother in Christ, Louie Gohmert.
Most of us are quick to point out what’s wrong with our culture and how we have experienced
a severe moral decline over the past 40 years. But we think our nation will change when the pornographers go out of business, cialis professional online or when the abortion clinics shut down, or when people stop demanding rights for same-sex marriages, or when the drug pushers are all in prison.
We see these evils and think when that evil is gone, then we’ll see a national healing.

The newspaper cialis order online informed me that a child died senselessly in an auto accident, and my thoughts went back nearly 20 years—to 1991—when the child who died was my child. Coming back from a ski trip Jill drove head-on into a semi-trailer truck on a rural highway. The young man with her was badly bruised, but his life never was in danger. Jill was killed instantly.
The automatic reaction of loved ones is to question where God was. Why didn’t he intervene and stop the accident? Why did he allow something like this to happen? After all: “God is great; God is good; we thank him for our food;” and we expect him to intervene when bad things may happen to good people.
In the mess of emotion that engulfs one at such a time it’s unrealistic to expect us to think rationally, but the time needs to come when we do more logical thinking. For example, if God intervenes in situations like this he turns people into puppets, controlling what they do. We start to do something and God says, “Nope! Not that! I won’t let you! You’re going to do this other thing instead.”
God and we chose long ago not to play the roles of puppets and puppet master. Back in the first Garden, God said to the first people, “You’ve got my permission to do a whole lot of things, but don’t eat the fruit of that one tree in the middle of the Garden.”
“Sorry,” those first people said, “but we have freedom, and we don’t need your permission. We will eat what we choose to eat. In fact, we have freedom to choose to disobey you.” And they ate.
God could have said, “Oh, that’s okay; I forgive you. I won’t hold you responsible for what you did.” Anyone who’s been a parent knows what happens when you announce consequences to your kids and then don’t stick to what you said.
This is the first of an infinite number of dramas that have happened right up to today—maybe even to this minute in your life. We want freedom, but we don’t want to have to suffer the consequences of our choices. And since we’re part of a whole specie of intertwined Cialis Online people, our choices impact the lives of others, even innocent others. That’s what it means to have freedom.
So, the question for my wife and me, and for millions of others faced with similar situations, is this: Do I want freedom to make my own choices and my own mistakes, or do I want to be nothing but a puppet, totally controlled from the outside? I think we would all choose freedom.
But with freedom comes responsibility and consequences. That’s part of the deal.
Sometimes those consequences aren’t very nice.

America is under assault. From coast to coast, generic cialis buy we are being invaded by horrific, body-consuming mutants that are already destroying 65,000 American lives a year. As a Duke University scientist puts it, “This is a living, breathing problem. It’s here. It has arrived.”
These aren’t invaders from Mars, but from within our own countryside. Ironically, these are mutants of our own creation, leaving America face to face with a spreading plague of drug-resistant germs.
For decades, Generic Cialis we have benefited enormously from the healing wonders of antibiotics. These drugs save millions of lives that would otherwise be lost to microbial infections. But more and more of the antibiotics in America’s medical kit are proving to be ineffective against the plethora of germs that endanger us. Why? Too much of a good thing.
America has overdosed on antibiotics, using about 35 million pounds a year—so much that germs, which are savvy survivors, have rapidly been mutating to develop resistance to the drugs. Thus, drug-resistant microbes now kill more Americans than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined.
Why have we overdosed so badly? Because the bulk of the drugs used in our country don’t go to protect humans, but to protect the profits of agribusiness corporations. Seventy percent of antibiotics go to chickens, cows, and pigs—either as stimulants to force the animals to grow faster or to fight rampant infections largely caused by unsanitary, factory-farm practices.
This senseless profiteering at the expense of our health is insane, and there’s a push in Congress to stop it. But lobbyists for Dow Chemical, Eli Lilly, Monsanto, Pfizer, and others are out to kill any reform… and to let the germs keep killing us. To support common sense, visit www.saveantibiotics.org.
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The Obama administration did a brave thing, always a refreshing move for any administration. It issued a budget that had some resemblance to reality. That was the good news.
The bad news is that our reality is bleak. The government foresees budget deficits for the next few years. And for the next few years after that. And for decades without number after that.
The projected budget shortfall this year will peak at $1.6 trillion and “fall” next year to $1.3 trillion, or about 9 percent of our gross domestic product.
This, economists say, is sustainable on a short-term basis (we’ve endured deficits like that before, during times of war) but over the long term—absolutely not. You’d like to keep deficits at 3 percent.
According to Obama’s projections, the deficit will approach that percentage in the next 10 years but then, ominously, begin to rise again, threatening to usher in the Chinese Century.
Did I mention that this is an optimistic projection? It envisions a cooperation between Democrats and Republicans that’s as likely as a reunion of the Beatles.
To prove my point, here is Senator Mitch McConnell’s response to the budget: “More spending, more taxes, and more debt.”
(McConnell, the leader of Republicans in the Senate, has become a windup doll. Turn his crank and he shakes his head “no” and says: “More spending, more taxes, and more debt.”)
Just how ungovernable our country has become was illustrated last month, when the Senate tried to set up a bipartisan commission that would propose a plan to deal with the Cialis deficit. Congress would be required to vote on the plan 5mg cialis generic without amending it.
It went nowhere. Republicans were afraid the commission would suggest new taxes; Democrats, that pet programs would be cut.
They were both right, of course. Therein lies the heart of the problem: Everyone wants a solution to our problems, but no one wants to pay a price.
For example, pretty much everyone agrees that if Social Security and Medicare costs continue to explode, as they seem likely to do, they will swamp our economy and, indeed, our society. All of our energy (and money) will go toward taking care of old people, none to opening up opportunities for the young to succeed. This is perilously close to the case now.
But let the president suggest reining in Social Security costs and Republicans cry: “He’s balancing the budget on the backs of the elderly.”
Try reducing unnecessary or inefficient treatments and they shout: “Rationing of health care is not the answer.”
And don’t get me started on “death panels.”
What is the Republican answer then? “Malpractice reform.”
Sticking it to lawyers is never a bad idea. But it alone won’t get the job done.
Nobody wants government bailouts of financial institutions, but nobody wants to take responsibility for letting them fail.
Everybody wants job growth, but not at the price of a stimulus package big enough to stimulate job growth.
I don’t blame the politicians as much as you might imagine. They’re just trying to keep their jobs, by hook or by crook. It’s what politicians do.
It’s the American voter who’s to blame for putting this collection of empty suits, yahoos, and tin-foil collectors in office.
The New York Times recently published the results of a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press that says something frightening about our political literacy.
It found that only 26 percent of the public realizes that it take 60 votes in the Senate to break a filibuster and that only 32 percent is aware that not a single Republican voted for the recent health care bill.
If you don’t know that, what do you know? How can you form an intelligent opinion on what’s happening in Washington when you don’t know the names of the players or the game they’re playing?
Did I say the situation looked bleak? This makes bleak look like the good old days.

The pioneering labor organizer Mother Jones said, “Pray for the dead, and fight like hell for the living.”
That pretty much sums up Haiti’s priorities today.
The nation called the “pearl of the Antilles,” back when it was the wealthiest Caribbean colony, has always known how to fight like hell. The African slaves, who were brought to Haiti to generate wealth for France, launched a rebellion in the 1790s that merged subterfuge on the plantations with guerrilla warfare. They won in 1804, thus creating the only successful slave revolution ever and the world’s first black republic.
Though liberated from France and from slavery, neither the transported Africans nor their descendants ever truly became free. Self-proclaimed emperors and presidents-for-life exploited the poor, benefiting themselves, large landowners, and businesses. State neglect of citizens’ needs, feudal agricultural practices, and violent security forces kept people trapped in vicious poverty with their rights suppressed. The concentration of land and resources devastated the vast majority. Today, more than half of Haiti side effects cialis lives on less than $1 a day.
Foreign governments also played a role from the very beginning. After the rebellion, the French saddled Haiti with a crippling debt upon its independence, equal to $21 billion today (France threatened to invade if Haiti didn’t compensate it for the loss of “property”). And the United States slapped on a decades-long embargo to ensure that word of the revolution didn’t reach slaves over here.
The role of foreign powers in undermining Haiti hasn’t changed. Marines killed many Haitians during the 1915-1934 U.S. occupation of the country. Later, the U.S. strongly supported the brutal dictatorship of Papa and Baby Doc that ran from 1957 until 1986. Papa Doc’s security force, known as the Tonton Macoutes, was heavily influenced by the vicious U.S. troops put in place during the occupation. More recently, the U.S. government helped oust the democratically elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide not once, but twice—in 1991 and 2004.
Contemporary U.S. economic policies, together with the actions of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, have aggravated what Haitians call the “development of underdevelopment.” Free trade has destroyed agricultural production, in turn contributing to a food crisis and growing a sweatshop economy, with farmers forced to migrate to Port-au-Prince in search of work. The original foreign debt to France has been replaced by $1.05 billion in debt to the IMF and others. The international financial institutions will surely never get back the capital, but their creditor role does allow them to largely control the Haitian government’s economic policies.
Throughout the constant political and economic oppression has run another constant: a highly organized grassroots movement that has never given up the battle its ancestors began more than 200 years ago. The movement is composed of women, peasants, clergy and laity, workers, and others. Its mobilization, protests, and advocacy have brought down dictators and staved off some terrible economic policies. Haitian society has been able to keep alive a rich culture and a solidarity economy, in which neighbors and strangers care for each other’s needs.
The Haitian people may not yet have gained the rights and economic justice they deserve, but neither have they given up. Yolette Etienne, Oxfam Haiti’s director, said years ago: “Bamboo symbolizes Haitian Generic Cialis Online people to a T. Bamboo takes whatever adversity comes along, but afterwards it straightens itself back up.”
Already, after one of the worst natural disasters in world history, they’re straightening themselves back up. Grassroots organizations are planning their strategies. More than 50 groups recently declared their priorities, which include: “housing, environment, food, education, literacy, work, and health for all; a plan to wipe out exploitation, poverty, and social and economic inequality; and a plan to construct a society which is based on social justice.”
Lenz Jean-François, a coordinator of a grassroots organization in one of Port-au-Prince’s poorest neighborhoods, says, “The people have to become a principal actor in the future, to transform this earthquake into an opportunity from which we can reconstruct our country with justice and rights.”
You go, Haitians. Fight like hell for the living. As Mother Jones knew, we in the U.S. have much to learn from you.

East Cotton Church of Christ recently celebrated their Black History Month program. Authentic African clothing adorned the program.

Minister Edward Robinson titled his sermon ‘But God.’ He expounded on Joseph whose brothers sold into slavery. The story starts from Genesis Chapter 37. He did not bear any grudges but saw his ordeal as God’s plan – what they, his brothers meant for evil, God meant for good.

He asked his congregation to learn from buying generic cialis the past and always remember that it was God who used people to deliver African Americans from slavery. He encouraged to follow God all their lives.

Older men and women were asked to teach the younger ones who do not even know what segregation means. “The younger generation must make use of the opportunities they have,” said Robinson. They should teach them to delay gratification and good work ethic remembering that the Bible said, if a man does not work, he should not eat. (11 Thessalonians 3:10) At the end of the service, food was served to everyone present. Cialis Viagra buy Online

Rep. Joe Straus, speaker of the House of Representatives made East Texas his stomping ground Monday to rally for Rep. Tommy Merritt, R-Longview and Rep. Chuck Hopson, R-Jacksonville.
The three of them and their families made visits to several towns around East Texas, including Longview, Kilgore, Henderson, and Jacksonville, where Hopson received the Texas Dental Association award.
Hopson said, “I am honored to have the support of TDA and its members,”
he said, “Dentists deserve all the tools they need to maintain beautiful smiles across Texas.”
Hopson has two other opponents in the Republican primary, Allan Cain and Michael Banks.
Though Hopson acknowledges the effects of the recession, but remains optimistic about the future of Texas.
“Although many Texans have lost their jobs and are struggling to make it through poor economic conditions, it is widely known that Texas has not been hit as hard as most other states in our country,” said Hopson.
He noted that small business is the largest producer of new jobs, and its importance to not burden them with erroneous taxes.
Hopson said, “In 2003, I supported and helped pass the landmark tort reform legislation that was recognized nationally for protecting business interests in Texas by protecting them from frivolous lawsuits.”
He added, “I believe both of these pieces of legislation have softened the recession for our area and will allow us to emerge from it much more quickly than other states.”
The three traveled to their last event Monday evening in Longview for Merritt’s endorsement rally among his biggest supporters.
Merritt was in good company as family, friends, local officials and Rep. Straus raved about his accomplishments in District Seven and his dedication to them in Austin.
Straus said, “Tommy is a key leader in representing East Texas most effectively.”
He said, “The reason we represent our people well is because we govern the way we campaign.”
Straus highlighted a few things ‘they’ were working on to ensure the proper state services like, education, public health care, and public safety are not affected negatively, while staying in a fair tax base which will encourage an economic incline.
Straus added, “2010 is going to be a good year.”
Many commented on the positive influence Merritt has on East Texas communities.
Neil McCoy, singer and songwriter said, “Merritt is a huge supporter for our East Texas Angel Network, and we support people who support us.”
He said, “The work Tommy is doing is good.”
Merritt was grateful for the many in attendance, and noted that he is able to represent East Texas, because he has such a hard working office and group that rallies for him all over the district.

Locals were twisting, turning, jiving, and dancing as the “Day of Dance” kicked off for Good Shepherd Medical Center’s 22nd annual, “A Fair of the Heart,” Saturday morning.
Residents lined up for free health screens, entertainment, and more.
State Representative, Tommy Merritt said, “This event is a great project for Longview, and it is a great that Good Shepherd offers this service once a year.”
Spirit of Women hosted the, “Day of Dance” which featured local performers from various backgrounds in dance, including, ballroom, belly, hip-hop, line dancing, and zumba dancing.
Shannon Johnson, a local Zumba instructor said, “it’s not your typical aerobic class.”
She said, “It is a great cardio vascular work-out, and it is fun.”

There are many health benefits to dancing, and this event featured them all.
• Ballroom style dancing helps control speed, agility, and balance.
• Belly dancing helps one gain strength, improve flexibility, and it burns just as many calories as a light jog or bike ride.
• Hip-hop dance is a great cardio workout that helps shed weight.
• Zumba, a Latin-inspired workout which combines salsa, samba, and more with easy-to-flow dance movies that are beneficial for the heart, while not being so hard on the joints.

Dancing is general is a good way to promote good health even beyond cardio needs.
Many experts agree that dancing is known to strengthen muscle tissue which is essential to preserving your bones. This helps prevent osteoporosis, a condition in which bones become weak and easily broken.

In order to maintain good health cardiovascular conditioning is recommended 30-60 minutes at least 4 days a week, as stated in Day of Dance flier.

“A Fair of the Heart” is an annual event that offered free health screenings, discovery clinic for kids, which allows kids to try their hand at being a surgeon and learn about orthopedic implants, ambulance tours, fitness testing, health information stations, and learn about the history of Good Shepherd Medical Center.

Longview Chamber of Commerce and other local residents joined Carter Blood Care Feb. 22, 2010 for the ribbon cutting of their Cialis cheap new facility.
“We wanted to make blood donation more convenient,” said Kim Peddy, Public Relations Coordinator for Carter Blood Care.
Mike Stolle, Donor Coordinator noted, “Our old facility only had a few parking spots for donors and we are excited about how open and welcoming the new facility is.”
Ms. Peddy said, “Blood donors are an essential link between the ordering physician and the dependent patient awaiting the blood transfusion.” Noting, “There is no substitution for human blood.”
Many regulars to the “Neighborhood” Carter Blood Care facility were donating as well.
Charles Long, Pastor of the First Christian Church of Holly Lake Ranch was donating his 100th gallon on this occasion, this being his 800th donation.
Long said, “We live to give, and this is something I have and everyone needs.”
Long first started donating when his wife was going through cancer treatments, however he has since made it is duty to donate platelets every two weeks if possible.
Ms. Peddy added, “Platelet donation is a longer process, but the one that we depend on the most.
“When there is a car accident the injured person needs platelets, not just blood.
Long said, “Whenever they call, I go.”
Peddy said, “We depend on regulars like Mr. Long.”
Teri Burns, another local who donates regularly was doing blood work to start the bone marrow donor process.
She said, “I signed up 11 years ago with ‘Because I Care,’ a non-profit organization, and this is the first time I have been called.” She added, “I’m excited about helping who ever buy cialis brand is in need, but I don’t know much about it yet.”
“Approximately 37 percent of the population is eligible to give blood and less than 10 percent are doing it,” as stated in the Carter Blood Care press release.
For those who are interested in learning more about blood, platelet, and other donations are encouraged to go check out the new facility and ask questions. The facility is located at 3080 N. Eastman, Suite 112, Longview.

Top Teens of America spent Saturday giving back to the community. According to Shelby Adkins, a sophomore at Longview High School and a Top Teen, serving in Martha’s Kitchen is one of their projects. Prior to coming to Martha’s Kitchen, they Levitra cheap have already dropped off canned food for indigent families at the Community Center on Young Street.
Donations for the canned food came from Sam’s Club and Super I on Highway 80. In previous years, they have done Thanksgiving cialis mg dosage food drive.
Adkins made it clear: “If you want to see a change in your community, you must be the first one to get out there and start working towards the change.”