StaddonFamily.com

posted by Michael on 08/10/10

It is troubling when a nominee like Kagan is considered mainstream. Senator Kit Bond of Missouri knows that “The massive expansion of government power we’ve seen over the last 18 months puts our country at a unique time in history”. His bull’s-eye assessment: “Putting a check on activist government power and adhering to our Constitution is too important to take a chance on a nominee with a lack of judicial experience and history of liberal advocacy.”

Senator Alexander from Tennessee who supported Obama’s nomination of Sotomayor to the Supreme Court recognized that “Because Ms. Kagan has never been a judge, assessing what kind of Supreme Court Justice she might be requires a close look at her professional conduct – including her six years as the dean of Harvard Law School. In denying military recruiters equal access to Harvard Law students, Ms. Kagan ignored Harvard’s obligations under federal law. Instead, she acted based upon what she thought the law should be. The use of her authority as dean in that way leads me to believe that she would use her authority as a Supreme Court Justice to advance her own policy preferences.”

The vote was close: 63 to 37. At least Justice Kagan seems less liberal than Stevens, who she replaces. Will she uphold the U.S. Constitution? The proof will be seen in the decisions to come.

Supreme Court Justice Oath of Office:

“I [name], do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will administer justice without respect to persons, and do equal right to the poor and to the rich, and that I will faithfully and impartially discharge and perform all the duties incumbent upon me as [title] under the Constitution and laws of the United States. So help me God.”

Leave a Comment » | posted in Politics

posted by Michael on 07/24/10

What a refreshing time enjoying the unity of fellow believers in a whirlwind of profitable activity! Times of planning, times of work, times of rest, and times of play, but all of them were times of joy. I wish we had pictures of the volleyball and ping pong! What a joy it was also to have the Fleshman family join us! Thank you one and all for pitching in and blessing us with your energy and smiles and voices.

Thanks to the help of many volunteers who helped care for the apple and peach trees in previous months and years, we were blessed with an abundant harvest! The Wilkes and Fleshman families helped us process some of the harvest so that we could enjoy it on many occasions to come. Thank you one and all!

4 Comments » | posted in Family News

posted by Michael on 07/22/10

Hillary Clinton got me thinking recently with a decision she made to support a legally binding international treaty to increase regulations on the gun trade. Just what do you think the Administration is up to now?

The disarming of American citizens can be achieved by controlling the distribution of firearms. The best way at the moment to get control of this distribution is through an international treaty that would bypass the legislative process (“government of the people, by the people, for the people”) and subjugate the American people to laws created by foreign nations. Would the American people comply with that kind of insanity? I don’t think so. Remember Virginia’s motto? It is “Thus always to tyrants” with Virtus armed and standing atop a dead tyrant. What if Virginians were to stick to that? What about the famous words of Patrick Henry? “Give me liberty or give me death!” What do you do with a law that makes a good thing illegal, while the law itself is Constitutionally illegal? Article 2 of the Bill of Rights states that “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” Do Americans value freedom as much as those who have tried to live without it? Why did my grandpa put his life on the line in World War II? Talking about the right to load ammunition and bear arms is talking about the guarantee of a free country. If Mountaineers will always be free, mountaineers will have to be armed. That’s what the 2nd amendment is all about. If you love America, go here.

Let’s think this over. Why should anyone be labeled a criminal just because he owns a weapon? Why did God give horns and hooves to the buffalo, and stingers to the honey bees? What is wrong with parents protecting their families? Why would a government even want to make it difficult for its good, responsible and law abiding citizens to arm themselves? Does the government really think it can completely control all crime so that no one ever has to defend themselves? Do we want the government to have that kind of absolute control over everyone? If that means eliminating guns, it also means eliminating cooking utensils, rocks, and fingers. Anyone who truly favors fighting crime must favor the armed citizen. If we have a crime problem, what we need to ask is why people do not control themselves and respond correctly to difficult situations. So why would some people want Americans helpless? Are the American people entirely untrustworthy? Why should the government be afraid of an armed nation? This level of suffocating restraint without any regard to personal self-control is tyranny. For one thing, governmental force and secular education do not have the capacity to solve a crime problem. Furthermore, a law that banned weapons would only take weapons away from law abiding citizens, the very ones who should be armed. Every month the NRA reports many accounts of citizens properly using firearms to successfully protect their families. Does it seem to you that the TV news tends to only report the actions of lawless people using weapons in lawless ways? Is this by accident?

6 Comments » | posted in Politics

posted by Michael on 06/22/10

Today was a day our a family will never forget. We carried Grandpa Brown’s casket to it’s final resting place at Beverly Hills Memorial Gardens. He died early last Saturday, June 19th. But for Grandpa it is a temporary resting place. According to the promise of God, Grandpa owns the promise of the resurrection at the last day: “This is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:40). When we think about how much we will miss Grandpa, we are sad; but when we think about him and the bliss he is experiencing, we are full of joy.

Robert, James, and Daniel were able to come in for a brief visit to attend the services with us. At the funeral service, John Altizer (our cousin’s  husband) told of the time when Grandpa had asked him to do his  funeral. John took the opportunity to ask him of his relationship with Christ. Grandpa affirmed his faith in Christ at that time. When Grandpa was in poor health the mention of the Lord brought him great joy and comfort.

Esther put together picture displays of Grandpa with his family, and Donald, Robert and I were honored to be pall bearers along with our cousins. The graveside military honors were, as always, very touching. Following the ceremonies, Sabraton Baptist Church served a very nice dinner at the church. We showed a video that Jonathan had put together of our interview with Grandpa where he told of his experiences in WW II. We thank the Lord for all the memories we have with Grandpa Brown.

“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.”

8 Comments » | posted in Family News

posted by Michael on 05/6/10

James A. Garfield, the 20th President of the United States and a minister of the Gospel during the Second Great Awakening, wisely stated in 1876:

“Now, more than ever before, the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless, and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness, and corruption. If it be intelligent, brave, and pure, it is because the people demand these high qualities to represent them in the national legislature. . . . [I]f the next centennial does not find us a great nation . . . it will be because those who represent the enterprise, the culture, and the morality of the nation do not aid in controlling the political forces.” ⁴⁴

2 Comments » | posted in Historical Glimpses, Politics