Mountain Views News          Saturday, November 24, 2012

14

LEFT TURN/RIGHT TURN

 Mountain Views News Saturday, November 24, 2012 


HOWARD Hays As I See It


SOME THANKSGIVING THOUGHTS

Thanksgiving starts our holiday season, and as we reflect on those holidays, 
one is struck by how undeniably religious they are in their focus. Whether 
it is Thanksgiving itself, or Hanukkah or Christmas, it is a time when 
Americans voluntarily put a pause on the more secular pursuits and worries 
of their life and reflect on what it all means. But as much as most of us take 
all this for granted, there are elements in our country that seek to strip any 
sense or form of religiosity from the public square.

This year again, we witness a hard-left secular absolutist group suing to 
prevent the display of religious symbols in a public park. In building their 
argument they rely on an unrealistic reading of the First Amendment’s separation of church and 
state. It’s critical that we understand what that amendment meant to accomplish. The amendment’s 
phrasing that, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting 
the free exercise thereof” clearly prohibits the state from establishing a religion, but it also prohibits 
the state from restricting citizens from voluntarily expressing their religious beliefs, even in the 
public square.

On this Thanksgiving Day, I thought it would be meaningful to reflect back on just how important 
our founding fathers believed it was to have a religious population. Far from being absolute 
secularists, every one of our founding fathers acknowledged the importance of religious belief. As 
just one example in a rather long line of examples, here are the words from George Washington’s 
1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation.

“Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to 
be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses 
of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to recommend to the people of the United 
States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts 
the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to 
establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted 
by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author 
of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our 
sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to 
their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His 
providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, 
and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have 
been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly 
the national one now lately instituted for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and 
the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and 
various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us. 

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great 
Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable 
us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and 
punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a 
Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to 
protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to 
bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true 
religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all 
mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.” 

The tone and language in this amazing dedication is unequivocal in its assertion by the sitting 
President, at the request of the entire Congress of the United States, that expressions of deep religious 
faith are not taboo in the public square or in the actual halls of power. In point of fact, they are to be 
encouraged. It is yet another reason to be thankful this year – thankful that our founders bequeathed 
to us a freedom to worship with an actual expectation that it would be taken seriously and exercised 
vigorously.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

About the author: Gregory J. Welborn is a freelance writer and has spoken to several civic and religious 
organizations on cultural and moral issues. He lives in the Pasadena area with his wife and 3 children 
and is active in the community. He can be reached at gregwelborn2@gmail.com

 The election’s over, but I find myself with two new concerns to fret about (three, if 
you count my chagrin over seeing speculation already as to front-runners for 2016); 
and both involve HBO. One is the realization there are only two more episodes 
left this season for BOARWALK EMPIRE, a series offering an historical perspective 
on the effects of unfettered capitalism. The other is that with last week’s airing of 
the final episode of the season for REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER, I’ll be going 
without on Friday nights until mid-January.

 Fans are familiar with Maher’s regular feature called “New Rules”, where he takes 
a cue from Tony Bennett’s “If I Ruled the World” and lays down pronouncements of 
his own. Since he won’t be around for a while, I’ll fill a bit of the void by offering some “New Rules” 
of my own:

 New Rule: Republican senators speaking up for job creation have to explain why they blocked 
passage of last summer’s Bring Jobs Home Act, which would’ve ended the tax credit for moving jobs 
overseas and created a tax credit for moving overseas jobs back home. (The only returning Republican 
senators who supported the bill are Susan Collins of Maine and Dean Heller of Nevada.)

 New Rule: Louisiana’s Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal is not allowed to call his party “dumbed-down” 
and “stupid” while his state’s voucher program sends taxpayer money to schools teaching kids that 
humans and dinosaurs hung out together, the KKK “tried to be a means of reform, fighting a decline 
in morality” (“United States History for Christian Schools”, 3rd ed.), gays “have no more claims to 
special rights than child molesters and rapists” (“Teachers Resource Guide to Current Events for 
Christian Schools, 1998-1999”), and that the goal of “global environmentalists” is to “destroy the 
prosperous economies of the world’s richest nations” (“Economics: Work and Prosperity in Christian 
Perspective”, 2nd ed.).

 New Rule: Corporate execs can’t offer as an alleviating factor, as Walmart V.P. David Tovar did on 
CNN last week, that while typical employees ($22,000 a year) may make 1/800th of what the CEO 
makes ($18.1 million), you’ve got to keep in mind “they also get a 10% discount card”.

 New Rule: Those with a net worth of $450 million, like Goldman Sachs’ Lloyd Blankfein, can’t 
go around telling the rest of we’ll have to work longer before collecting Social Security in order to 
address the federal budget deficit (notwithstanding the fact Social Security is separated by law from 
the federal budget).

 New Rule: Members of the House Science Committee like Reps. Todd Akin (R-MO), who suggests 
the female body blocks pregnancy from “legitimate” rape, Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), who offers 
“dinosaur flatulence” as an explanation for past global warming, and Paul Broun (R-GA), who calls 
evolution and the Big Bang theory “lies straight from the pit of hell”, are not allowed to come anywhere 
near anything with the word “science” in its title.

 New Rule: A company, like Hostess Brands, that triples its CEO’s pay from $750,000 to $2.5 million 
and asks a bankruptcy judge for permission to award $1.75 million in bonuses to top execs, cannot 
blame its financial problems on “unions”.

 New Rule: You can’t hold a press conference to demand more information on the Benghazi affair, 
as did Sens. John McCain (R-AZ), Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), on a date and 
time that causes you to miss a classified Senate briefing on the Benghazi affair.

 New Rule: Business owners who say dumb things shouldn’t be running businesses - like Denny’s 
franchisee John Metz, who declared he’d be imposing a surcharge on customers’ checks to cover 
the costs of “Obamacare”. (He not only got a dressing-down from Denny’s CEO, but from another 
Florida franchise-holder who said he might have to cut shifts and lay off workers at his own Denny’s 
restaurants – not because of “Obamacare”, but because of the “overnight” loss of business and threats 
of boycotts from customers complaining about Metz’ dumb remarks.)

 New Rule: The mostly-Republican governors who opted-out of the Medicaid expansion called 
for under the Affordable Care Act (despite the federal government’s picking up at least 90% of the 
tab over the next ten years) will henceforth relinquish their own government-provided healthcare 
until they change their minds – or unless they can explain to someone at 133% of the federal poverty 
level (the Act’s Medicaid threshold) how they can find affordable coverage in the open market on an 
income of $15,000 a year.

 New Rule: Top military commanders who, as reported in the Washington Post in the wake of 
the Gen. Petraeus scandal, enjoy “executive jets, palatial homes, drivers, security guards and aides to 
carry their bags, press their uniforms”, whose “food is prepared by gourmet chefs” and “if they want 
music with their dinner parties, their staff can summon a string quartet or a choir”, are not allowed to 
argue against cuts to the military budget.

 New Rule: Organizations like Fox News, where a host (Brian Kilmeade) explains its female 
employees are hired out of a “Victoria’s Secret catalog”, and a pundit (Andrea Tantaros) suggests living 
off food stamps would help with weight loss (“. . . do you know how fabulous I’d look? . . . I mean, the 
camera adds ten pounds!”) are not allowed to label U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice an “embarrassment”.

 New Rule: Future commentaries on the past election must acknowledge that, regardless of whether 
Mitt Romney was the right candidate, whether he stuck with the right talking points, whether the 
billion-plus raised on his behalf could’ve been better spent; the fact is that the majority of votes cast 
had little to do with Mitt Romney, but most everything to do with support for our president, Barack 
Obama. 

JOE Gandleman An Independent’s Eye

RUPERT MURDOCH, THE "JEWISH 
PRESS" AND A REVELATION

News Corp.'s Rupert Murdoch has given proof that big turkeys aren't only 
found on Thanksgiving tables. But he raised an issue that compels me to 
make a major revelation.

Murdoch swiped at those supposed media “Jews” not providing the kind 
of coverage he would have his holdings give on events in Israel. He Tweeted: 
"Why is the Jewish press so consistently anti-Israel in every crisis?"

Murdoch's Tweet can't be compared with the anti-Semitic ravings of actor 
Mel Gibson, who despite his walk-backs probably won't be invited to many bar mitzvahs. Or the impulsive 
comment about Jews in the media by former CNN anchor Rick Sanchez, who left the network 
and made it clear he regretted his phraseology. 

After the inevitable firestorm Murdoch's comments provoked, Murdoch walked his comment back, 
too: "'Jewish owned press' have been sternly criticised, suggesting link to Jewish reporters. Don't see 
this, but apologise unreservedly."

But now it's time for me to admit it. Rupert:

 I CONTROL and own it all.

 When MSNBC competes with you, I’m the one doing it. When CNN competes with you, I’m the one 
doing it.

Morning Joe? Who do you think writes their scripts? Twitter? Forget about who you've read who 
created it. They're front men for ME. I also own and run Hollywood, Dollywood and Bollywood. 
Facebook? I'm the one who really controls it, and I’m about to start a special version for politicians: 
Twofacebook.

I control media personalities. I told MSNBC's Rachael Maddow that the network's viewers are dense, 
so she must repeat every concept two or three times, two or three times repeat it, say it two or three 
times. Ed Schultz? He was a 120-pound weakling furtively sneaking Denny's Saltines into his boxer 
shorts before I decided to put him on one of the many talk show stations I own and gave him a salary 
so he could eat well. That device in Rush Limbaugh's ear? He's listening to orders and scripting from 
ME.

I snap my fingers and bigwigs respond. I like Lincoln, so I ordered Bill O'Reilly to write a book on 
him. I called Steven Spielberg and told him, "Stevie, baby, do a different kind of movie on Lincoln. 
What? No. Don't end it with him getting eaten by a shark. Just leave out his death."

That guy from the BBC running the New York Times? I text him to give the Times daily instructions. 
I write orders to George Stephanopoulos that are even longer then the spelling of his name. I’m a very 
humble individual, so I pose as a moderate blogger, write this syndicated column, and pose as a national 
entertainer who does family shows. I LOOK like I’m five foot one, but I’m really six foot three.

Media coverage of Israel and the Middle East? It’s all a shell game controlled by ME. I own the country 
of Israel and the new President of Egypt gets emails from me each day from a special email address 
with my weekly instructions. (I'll soon visit Egypt to see a cairopractor.)

I lend Sheldon Adelson money (that’s the last time I’ll loan him money to give to Karl Rove).

My new goal is to make sure every non-Jewish child in America watches Adam Sandler movies.

The one thing I don’t own is my 18-year-old female cat. No one owns her.

So, Rupe, from now on why not aim your complaints at ME because when it comes to the media, 
entertainment, and the survival of Chinese restaurants everywhere, I control it all.

With a name like “Gandelman” how could it be otherwise?

Joe Gandelman is a veteran journalist who wrote for newspapers overseas and in the United States. He 
has appeared on cable news show political panels and is Editor-in-Chief of The Moderate Voice, an Internet 
hub for independents, centrists and moderates. CNN's John Avlon named him as one of the top 25 
Centrists Columnists 
and Commentators. 
He can be reached 
at jgandelman@themoderatevoice.
com 
and can be booked to 
speak at your event at 
www.mavenproductions.
com.