Federal Government

August 1, 2016

The Dilemma of Character Mediocrity: Donald Trump vs. Hillary Clinton

VoteI had the joy of being with family in the Carolinas this past week and enjoyed a brief respite from Facebook, Blogs, and emails.  With both the Republican and Democratic Conventions behind us, I am tentatively stepping back into the dirty waters of politics and social media only to discover a debate raging over Donald Trump in “conservative\evangelical” circles (apparently fueled by noted evangelical authors and preachers Wayne Grudem and Albert Mohler).

Wayne Grudem is being eviscerated by some for his article, “Why Voting for Donald Trump is a Morally Good Choice”.  On the other hand, Albert Mohler contends he will use his vote to “write-in” the name of a third-party candidate and not vote for either the Republican or Democratic party candidates (many are arguing, and I agree, the effect of voting for a write-in or third-party candidate essentially relegates one’s vote to a “throw away” vote).

hillaryI believe it is a mistake to argue that a vote for Trump or Clinton is a “morally good choice” since both are incredibly flawed candidates.  If anything, our nation is faced with an unconscionable dilemma of identifying our own character flaws and moral failures as a people in the two candidates put forward by our citizenry to serve in the highest and most influential place of leadership…the President of the United States.  We, the American people, have guided this ship of state to the brink of a national disaster and face the reality our leadership is illustrative of our own rejection of God, His Law and Commandments.

Rather than argue who is most capable and qualified to serve as President, I believe the discussion must be which of the two candidates will do the least damage to our Constitutional rights and freedoms.  With at least three, if not four, Supreme Court appointments hanging in the balance, our only choice is the candidate who has proposed appointing only those nominees who will honor Constitutional principles.   Hillary Clinton has stated unequivocally her intent is to nominate justices to the Supreme Court who will legislate from the bench a liberal ideology that not only fundamentally changes America, but will assault conservative principles that have been the basis of our freedoms for 240 years.donald

Like it or not, we have two choices for president this fall and only one of the two offers us any hope of remaining a Constitutional Republic–Donald Trump.

Copyright 2016 – Travis D. Smith

July 14, 2016

The Dirty Secret of the Democratic Party

Democrats
Americans growing up in today’s public education system haven’t a clue the Democratic party has been, in the words of liberal pontificators, “on the wrong side of history” for 150 years.
You are terribly mistaken if you are an ethnic or racial minority and believe the Democratic party is your champion; just the opposite is true!
clintonOne of the great failures of the Republican party for the last half-century has been its inability to state the true historical narrative that Republicans, not Democrats, have championed equal rights for ethnic and racial minorities.  For those who are not history buffs, Hillary’s public acknowledgement that it was the party of Abraham Lincoln, the Republican party, not the Democratic party that freed slaves my come as a shock.
It was Abraham Lincoln, a Republican President who declared the slaves free, not a Democrat.  It was the Democratic party of George Wallace, the four-time Governor of Alabama, who led the resistance against integration and fought to continue racial prejudice.wallace
When Democratic President Lyndon Johnson, the 36th president of the United States, championed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, he had to turn to the Republican Party to pass the legislation (80% of Republicans and only 60% of Democrats in Congress were in favor of the bill).  Democrats continued the same pattern of prejudice in 1965 when the Voting Rights Act was passed with 82% of House Republicans voting in favor of the bill compared to 73% of Democrats.  The same was true in the Senate with 94% of Republicans vs. 73% of Democrats supporting extending the right to vote to minorities.civil rights act
The Democratic media machine and its political puppets have hijacked historical facts and positioned the party as the champion of minorities; however, history reveals the Democrats were the perpetrators of slavery and prejudice, and are the slave masters of  21st century welfare dependence.  A vote for Hillary Clinton and her party not only perpetuates the myth the Democrats are for the poor and down-trodden, but ultimately threatens to enslave us all should she become president and appoints future Supreme Court justices.
Copyright 2016 – Travis D. Smith
July 8, 2016

Mr. President, you bear responsibility for inflaming racial hatred.

officers slainI am sickened by this President’s penchant of marching in the blood of the slain to make political points!

Call me cynical, but I am becoming of the opinion some of the tragedies assailing our nation seem to come on the heels of bad political news for the President and his party (i.e. Hillary Clinton’s email scandals, her shameless, undeniable lies to the American public, the spineless FBI Director’s “investigation”, and the Attorney General’s dereliction of duty).rahm

This White House seems to practice the political philosophy of Rahm Emanuel, former chief of staff for the president and currently the mayor of bloody Chicago, who has stated, “You never let a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that it’s an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before.”
In my opinion, the President has spent 7.5 years race baiting the black community and, instead of the peace and unity he promised, he has precipitated the ethnic, class, and race hating our nation is experiencing.  The president has repeatedly assailed the character of our law enforcement, making politically charged statements before there was evidence to support his assertions of racial bias.race baiting
Are there “bad cops” in blue?  Absolutely; however, it is reckless and irresponsible to assail the character of the men and women in blue when they risk their lives everyday upholding the law.
Mr. President, if you want to be a crusader for right and justice, instead of attacking law enforcement, tell the fools who refuse to obey the instructions of police officers and resist arrest they are doing so at the risk of their lives.
Copyright 2016 – Travis D. Smith
July 1, 2016

The Problem is, We Dare Not Trust Washington Politicians, Democratic or Republican!

Paul RyanLet’s be honest, the problem is patriotic Americans no longer trust any of our elected officials to be fair, just and equitable in making or enforcing the law. 
http://thehill.com/homenews/house/286122-house-to-vote-on-gun-bill-next-week
 
The Obama White House is lawless, refusing to enforce the immigration laws of the nation and instead imports the very ones who have vowed to destroy us.
 
The Democratic party is Socialist at best, but I suspect many are closet Communists.
 
The Republicans, like Paul Ryan, are more than willing to play Obama’s game and have refused to stand up to an administration that is threatening our liberties.
 
pig troughWe are economic slaves to ObamaCare, bureaucratic regulations, and policies that have sent our jobs overseas and forced working adults to take minimum wage jobs while half of America bellies up to the pig trough of government subsidies.
 
Do we want “terrorists” to purchase guns, kill and maim our citizens? What a foolish question!
 
The problem is, we do not trust Washington politicians to not tread under foot our Constitutional freedoms…especially the likes of Paul Ryan!  One can only imagine the disaster if Democrats gain control of the House and\or Senate and Hillary goes to the White House.
 
Second AmendmentNext year we may be singing “God Save America”, not “God Bless America”!
 
Copyright 2016 – Travis D. Smith
June 17, 2016

Life in an Amoral World

control the narrativeThe Islamist terrorist’s attack on the Pulse, a “gay bar” in Orlando Sunday morning, June 12, 2016, gave rise to an outpouring of mourning, national disbelief, debates among reporters and pundits regarding the murderer’s motive (in spite of his Facebook posts in the midst of the attack confessing allegiance to ISIS), and politicians furthering their own aspirations making political hay of the tragedy.Pulse gay nightclub

Rather than focus on the radicalization of Omar Mateen, an American citizen born to Afghan immigrant parents, much of the news coverage has been focused on assailing America’s 2nd Amendment right to bear arms.

Rather than focus on the murderer’s Islamic ideology and his trips to Saudi Arabia, liberals have used the occasion to attack conservatives who are defenders of Constitutional liberties and traditional moral values.

Rather than explore the failure of government agencies like the FBI who not only had Omar Mateen on their radar screen, but we now know dismissed concerns raised by those familiar with his Islamic militancy, media hawks have used the tragedy to push tolerance for homosexuality and assail those who consider homosexuality a sin of moral depravity.

There are many who follow this blog who are suffering “spiritual” PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), a result of the relentless attacks on Judeo-Christian values by President Obama’s administration.  I find devout Christians and non-Christians are “shell-shocked” by the rapid dismantling of moral pillars that have not only supported our nation from its conception, but also the majority of humanity for six millennia.

We are witnessing the ascent of an amoral society that, having rejected the historical definitions of morality, sanctity of life, traditional marriage and family, has no interest in defining morality.  There is a concerted effort afoot among liberal politicians, media outlets, reporters, social agitators, educators and the majority of religious leaders in America to control the narrative at the sacrifice of a substantive discussion of right and wrong.right vs wrong

In a post-Christian, 21st century world, controlling the narrative is the end game of the grab for power and influence.  There is no compromise or middle ground with militant progressives and, if left unchecked, they will dismantle our Constitutional liberties robbing us of our freedoms of speech, religion, the press, right to peaceably assemble, to petition for governmental redress of grievances, and the right to keep and bear arms.

The tragic loss of 49 lives last Sunday morning in Orlando and the scores of lives and families forever scarred by a senseless, barbaric attack of a militant Islamist, pales in comparison to the threat to our citizens and nation should social and political amoralists not only “control the narrative”, but shout down and silence voices of reason and morality.

Your Patriot Parson

Copyright 2016 – Travis D. Smith

June 14, 2016

Opposition Statement to Hillsborough County School Board’s “Gender Identity” Proposal

school boardDear Hillsdale family and friends,

I took the opportunity to go to today’s Hillsborough County School Board Meeting and once again voice my opposition to President Obama’s recent edict [i.e. executive order] forcing public schools to incorporate “gender identity” in their policies for restrooms, showers, and locker rooms.  

The purpose of the President’s order, combined with the strong-arm tactics of the Department of Justice and Department of Education, is to force public schools to allow “boys who self-identify as girls” and “girls who self-identify as boys” to go to the restrooms, locker rooms and showers of the gender opposite their biological sex [i.e. sex stated on their birth certificate].  

FILE - In this Friday, Dec. 18, 2015, file photo, President Barack Obama speaks during a news conference in the White House Brady Press Briefing Room in Washington. Obama is slated Monday, Jan. 4, 2016, to finalize a set of new executive actions tightening the nation’s gun laws. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)

(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)

The breadth of this policy will force schools that have overnight trips to afford accommodations that will allow boys and girls to share the same room if one or the other “self-identifies” with the opposite sex [let’s be honest, we are all thinking, “What could possibly go wrong”].  

The President has threatened to deny federal funds to public schools that do not comply, beginning with financial cuts in meal programs that will primarily hurt students from lower economic households.

The following is the statement I read in front of the school board on behalf of the Hillsdale family [given the a number of pastor’s in attendance, I was brief in my statement].

“I am Travis Smith, the Senior Pastor of Hillsdale Baptist Church in Northwest Tampa’s Citrus Park area.

I am here to voice the concerns and opposition of my congregation to your scheduled “Transgender” vote on June 28 and the moral and spiritual dilemma you are forcing upon our children.

Adding “gender expression” to your nondiscriminatory policy defies the laws of nature, is biologically unscientific, and demands we all set aside common sense. [I confess,  I ad-libbed here, “I cannot believe we are even having this discussion.”]

This school board is charged with overseeing the education of our youth and not attacking the sensibilities of parents who expect our school system to be engaged in education and not radical militant social change.

This pastor and the members of Hillsdale Baptist Church will not forget how you vote on June 28.”

spiritual minutementI ask two things of my readers in closing:

  • Pray for the school board to refuse to bow under the heavy hand of the President, the DOE, DOJ, and not bend with the foul winds of political correctness.
  • Plan to attend the school board meeting, Tuesday, June 28, at 3:00 PM.

Your patriot parson,

Copyright 2016 – Travis D. Smith

June 13, 2016

“The Wrong Side of History”

wrong side of historyI am not sure who coined the term, but I have engaged with a few radical, left-wing, immoralists who, after arguing in favor of non-traditional, anti-family, and anti-God morality (i.e. legalized “gay marriage” or the new political lightning rod, “Transgender” rights) attempt to shut down all discussion with the “fait accompli”, “You are on the wrong side of history”.

President Obama, his administration, liberal activists and the media, all purveyors of a “new morality”, have defended their immoralists’ positions arguing conservatives who adhere to Biblical morality and traditional family values are “on the wrong side of history”.Obama

Writer for the New York Post, Jonah Goldberg, observed in a March 21, 2014 article titled, “The pathetic ‘wrong side of history’ plea” that, “In domestic politics, people (mostly liberals) tend to say, ‘You’re on the wrong side of history’ about social issues that are breaking their way. It’s a handy phrase, loosely translated as, ‘You’re going to lose eventually, so why don’t you give up now?’”

Goldberg continued in the same article noting the “wrong side of history” argument is Marxist in origin and was employed by Karl Marx to argue “that opposition to the inevitability of socialism was anti-intellectual and anti-scientific”.

I find Goldberg’s observation insightful because that is exactly the argument purveyors of immorality make as they dare anyone to challenge their campaign for the abnormal under the guise of “civil rights” regardless how depraved or unnatural their cause (i.e. giving a status of normalcy to “boys self-identifying as girls or girls self-identifying as boys).

Who empowered liberals to become arbiters of the right or the wrong side of history?   Who appointed the President and his liberal consortium to become authorities in matters of morality?

No, I am not intimidated by a liberal’s assertion, “You are on the wrong side of history”.   My concern is not a progressive antagonist’s interpretation of history past, but the history I am living and legacy my generation will inevitably leave as its history lesson.

BibleChristian friend, the author of “His-Story” is the God of Eternity; Sovereign, Righteous, Holy, Just and my Savior.  I have no interest in being on the “right side” of an immoralist’s view of history.  I am on the side of the Author of “His-Story” Who has said, “I am the Lord, I change not” (Malachi 3:6).

Copyright 2016 – Travis D. Smith

June 10, 2016

Showdown, Downtown: June 28 Hillsborough County School Board Meeting

gay indoctrinationNotice to Citizens and Parents with Children in Hillsborough County Public Schools:

On June 28, the Hillsborough County School Board will be voting to add a policy for “Gender Expression”, extending civil rights protections to Transsexuals who demand the right to use restrooms, showers, and locker rooms of the sex they “self-identify” with and not their biological sex at birth.  This new policy, if passed, will extend to all public school students and staff in Hillsborough County.

Several years ago the school board put “sexual orientation” into its policies and, unfortunately, parents and moral conservatives were not mustered in time to confront it.  The school board is once again planning to push into the arena of perversity if fathers, mothers, students, and adherents of morality and virtue do not hold them accountable.

From experience, the liberal establishment will probably bus and fly in “militant immoralists” (many of whom are professional, paid advocates for the liberal left who have no citizenship or investment in our community).   These professional agitators of immorality come under the guise of “civil rights” and justice; however, their end is to intimidate citizens and stoke the fires of “political correctness”.school board

I have heard some school board members and county staff members are sowing disinformation regarding the purpose of the policy vote on June 28.  Please do not be deluded. There are some who will have you believe this issue is about “bullying” and the civil rights of .03% of the population who profess to be Transgender.  This is not about Transsexuals feelings or the delusion of “self-identity”; this is about the civil rights of 99.97% of your sons and daughters who have the right to privacy and security in restrooms, showers, locker rooms, overnight field trips, and classrooms.

There are school board members on record pushing the new policies for Transgenders at the sacrifice of your children’s right to privacy and security.  School board member Cindy Stuart [phone # (813) 272-4045] was quoted in the Tampa Bay Times, April 5, 2016, proposing the ”expanded policies”.   April Griffin [phone #(813) 272-4045], chairwoman of the school board, has said, “Our principals are craving information on how to deal with this situation [i.e. Transgender rights]”.  [Note – The Tampa Bay Times article cites a recent situation where a girl transitioning to be a boy wanted to run for homecoming king].

I encourage you to call and write each school board member and express your opposition to a policy for Transgenders that will permit boys to invade girls’ restrooms and girls to invade boys’ restrooms.  Be kind and respectful, but ask where they stand on the policy and do not be mislead by evasive answers or responses.

board meetingThe main school board office phone number is (813) 272-4045 and the fax number is (813) 272-4022].

You can find the names, phone numbers and email addresses of school board members at http://www.sdhc.k12.fl.us/doc/list/school-board/board-members/97-418/

Finally, nothing speaks louder than you physically showing up at the school board meeting and taking your stand against a policy that will have terrible moral ramifications for our children, families and schools (a meeting is scheduled for this Tuesday, June 14, but the Transgender policy vote is June 28).

Your patriot parson,

Travis D. Smith

http://www.spiritualminutemen.net

patriotparson@gmail.com

Copyright 2016 – Travis D. Smith

May 25, 2016

An invitation to read: “The Transgender Wars”

Eagle - Freedom Isn't FreeA note to those who follow my irregular posts for this Spiritual Minutemen blog:

As a patriot pastor, the lines of the spiritual and political cross when societal morality, traditional marriage, and family are under assault by liberal elitists, media hate mongers, government entities, and politicians whose agenda is to erode moral values in the absence of their own moral compass.

The President’s decision to throw our nation into a sewer of moral morass and assail our children in public schools with his accommodation of Transgender demands at the sacrifice of our daughters might appease the LGBTQ crowd, but is morally reprehensible to Americans who value the security and privacy of the fairer sex–our daughters, wives and mothers.

I invite you to read an article I wrote today on my Heart of a Shepherd blog that is titled, The Transgender Wars: A Covert Asulat on Femininity.heart of a shepherd

Copyright 2016 – Travis D. Smith

 

 

May 14, 2016

What is the President’s “End Game” in Declaring Bathroom Wars?

ObamaI have been pondering what President Obama’s motive might be for declaring war on the moral right; in other words, what is his “end game” in making Transgender’s rights (only.03% of the American population) a point of conflict and contention?
This President has hardly demonstrated a heart of compassion for anyone, including the men and women in uniform who have made the ultimate sacrifice; therefore I do not think his motivation has anything to do with the civil rights of Transgenders.
Bathroom dangersWhat is his goal?  Is this Transgender war a distraction from greater matters such as the investigation into the deaths of four patriots in Benghazi?  Is it intended to be a distraction from Hillary’s email scandal?  Is the President planning an even greater assault on the Constitution and the liberties of American citizens, such as his threat against the 2nd Amendment right to bear arms?
Why is he choosing to make the fallacy of Transgender civil rights an issue in the last months of his administration and during an election year that has been so contentious?  Is he intending to make the definition of “civil rights” so broad it will embrace every nefarious act of immorality? Is he championing a broader definition of “civil rights” that will open the backdoor to militant Islam’s perversities with young girls that we witness in territories held by ISIS?
I wish I had answers for you.  I know there is an “end game”, but what is it?
Copyright 2016 – Travis D. Smith