KYLE writes:

As calls for gun control accelerate, it’s important for Americans to learn about successful uses of the right to bear arms against tyrannical government. In 1946, in Athens, Tennessee, armed World War II veterans confronted a crooked political machine, and won. Known as the “Battle of Athens,” this episode perfectly illustrates the potential threat to liberty that the Founding Fathers foresaw when adding the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Since the Civil War, McMinn County was a solid Republican county until Paul Cantrell, a wealthy southern Democrat, was elected sheriff in 1936. Cantrell closely associated his campaign with the Administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt, winning re-election for sheriff in 1938 and 1940 and then state senate in 1942 and 44. After becoming a senator, his former deputy, Pat Mansfield, took the reins of sheriff and continued the corrupt fee system by which money was generated from every arrest made by deputies in the county. The more arrests, the more money they made. The revenues were funneled into illegal gambling operations, and allegedly helped Cantrell and his cronies launder profits. The scheme became so bold that traveling buses passing through the city were stopped and passengers harassed and falsely arrested for public drunkenness.

“Deputies routinely boarded buses passing through and dragged sleepy-eyed passengers to the jail to pay their $16.50 fine for drunkenness, whether they were guilty or not. Arrests ran as high as 115 per weekend.” Seiber, L. (1985). The Battle Of Athens | AMERICAN HERITAGE. [online]

The political landscape of McMinn County changed further as Cantrell’s grip on the county tightened. Citizens suspected election fraud and reported their suspicions to the U.S. Justice Department in 1940, 42, and 44 to no avail.

“The 1940 election sent George Woods, a plump and affable Etowah crony of Cantrell, to the state legislature. Woods promptly introduced “An Act to Redistrict McMinn County.” It reduced the number of voting precincts from twenty-three to twelve and cut down the number of justices of the peace from fourteen to seven. Of these seven, four were openly Cantrell men. When Gov. Prentice Cooper signed Woods’s bill into law on February 15, 1941, effective Republican opposition died in McMinn County.” Seiber, L. (1985). The Battle Of Athens | AMERICAN HERITAGE. [online]

Over 3,000 combat veterans returned home to McMinn County in 1945, comprising 10% of the population. They became natural targets for the grifting scheme of Cantrell because they were young men who frequented local bars. The veterans decided to run their own candidate in the 1946 election on a non-partisan ticket with an independent group called the G.I. Non-Partisan League. Tensions between the citizens group and the local authorities would come to a head on election day, August 1, 1946.

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  Pilgrims' Hymn By Stephen Paulus Even before we call on thy name To ask thee, O Lord, When we seek for the words to glorify thee, Thou hearest our prayer; Unceasing love, O unceasing love, Surpassing all we know. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, And to the Holy Spirit. Even with darkness sealing us in, We breathe thy name, And through all the days that follow so fast, We trust in thee; Endless thy grace, O endless thy grace, Beyond all mortal dream. Both now and forever, And unto ages and ages, Amen

MANY WHO are brave in the absence of an enemy, show little valor in his presence; and, on the other hand, many who tremble before the battle, are the boldest in the hour of danger: we should not be afraid of fear. Walk always near to God, for the gentleness of His shadow is more salutary than the brightness of the sun. --- Saint Francis de Sales

THE tradition of granting presidential pardons to one turkey a year allegedly started with Harry Truman. But, there is some controversy about this. According to the website It's About Time, Truman probably ate the turkey. It's okay to pardon real turkeys, but not the other turkeys in Washington.  

THE ANTI-NEW YORK TIMES reacts to the news that Michael Bloomberg has pledged $1.8 billion to Johns Hopkins University while California fire evacuees take refuge in a Walmart parking lot: These two stories form a very telling juxtaposition (a $10 word for placing two things together for contrast) which exposes the soul-less, insensitive, elitist mindset of the PRC (Predatory Ruling Class). As hundreds of thousands of traumatized Americans continue to suffer from the devastating after-effects of various mega-disasters (both natural and technologically engineered) of recent years, the billionaire "philanthropist" class is, for the most part, nowhere to be found. You see; immediate, direct and substantial aid for the forgotten shelter-dwelling refugees of Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Florence and the never-ending California "wildfires" would only earn the Mike Bloombergs (cough cough) of this world the ever-lasting gratitude of countless everyday Joes and Janes. Who the hell cares about them? But dump a few million -- or in this case, $1.8 Billion -- into already over-funded and wasteful institutions such as "modern art" museums, large hospitals, UN-affiliated health agencies, and elite universities -- well now, that will win you the adoring accolades of "the great and the good" who think only of their status and their interests. These ego-maniacal, sick and evil "elites" really are like a separate species unto themselves. The poor burned-out families in California , many of whom fled with just the clothes on their back, mean as little to "philanthropic" titans like Bloomberg, Warren Buffoon, Bill Gates, Ted Turner, Davis Geffen, Mark Zuckerberg, George Soros et al as the suffering of thousands of cockroaches being sprayed does to the Terminex…

  THE RIDER OF THE KNEE Knightly Rider of the Knee Of Proud-prancing Unclery! Gaily mount, and wave the sign Of that mastery of thine. Pat thy steed and turn him free, Knightly Rider of the Knee! Sit thy charger as a throne-- Lash him with thy laugh alone: Sting him only with the spur Of such wit as may occur, Knightly Rider of the Knee, In thy shriek of ecstasy. Would, as now, we might endure, Twain as one--thou miniature Ruler, at the rein of me-- Knightly Rider of the Knee! ---- James Whitcomb Riley

KM writes:

I am anticipating the day when techno-music-dancing will be added to our church’s Mass, or at least to post-Mass celebrations.  In three years my Catholic parish went from having a Latin Mass, beautiful music, soul-nourishing sermons, and reverence for God, to having a bland Mass, bland music, and bland sermons about being tolerant, having generic “love,” serving others, and (in one instance) not being “homophobic” which is an offense that surpasses all others apparently.   It’s only a matter of time when we will be treated to sermons on how we should be less pederasty-phobic and polygamy-phobic too. (more…)

  WHEN a CD of Gregorian chant by the Benedictine monks of Santo Domingo de Silos in Spain was released in 1994, it sold six million copies worldwide, testifying to the enduring hunger for the world's most spiritual music. If music can convey meditative silence, Gregorian chant does. If music is prayer, Gregorian chant is, combining both repetition and variety as the body of chants follows the liturgical cycle of the year. It is possible to absorb the meaning of chant without even knowing the words. But knowing the words, "we can rediscover," as Dom Jacques Hourlier of the Abbey of Solesmes in France said, "the cantus obscurior, the song which hidden from conscious awareness, is yet at the origin of all vocal music." You can learn about the structure and history of chant, as well as listen to many samples, at the website (click on 'translate') of the Spanish monks. Here the monks sing the Kyrie Eleison from the Latin Mass.  

JONATHON VAN MAREN writes of an unexpected consequence of the Sexual Revolution: Just a couple of years ago, critics of trans ideology were pointing out that this sort of thing was inevitable: If society was forced to accept that people were whatever gender they claimed to be and biological reality was irrelevant to their assertions, then men would start to demand to go to female prisons (as just one example.) And this has become an increasingly common phenomenon. One rapist who got himself sent to a women’s prison in the UK under the moniker “Karen White” promptly assaulted several female prisoners. The same thing happened at a West Yorkshire women’s prison, where a man with a fully functioning penis (but claiming to be a woman) got himself locked in with the ladies and sexually assaulted four women, with the first attack happening within days of his incarceration. Feminism paved the way for "trans ideology." It never has been about what's best for women.

  DR. Peter E. Chojnowski reflects on the 100th anniversary of World War I, which was commemorated earlier this week: On the 100th anniversary of the "armistice" that ended World War I and set the stage for World War II, we are forced to recognize the tragedy that has lasted 100 years. It is the post-Christian Age. That the post-Christian Age has seen Stalin, Hitler, Pol Pot, Mao, Harry Truman --- of Hiroshima/Nagasaki fame and the social and political degeneration of the West and the decomposition of a Western Christian fashioned world order, is only part of the tragedy which looks us in the face when we think about this 100 year anniversary of a fraudulent and tragic end to one of the most catastrophic wars in human history. When the Armistice was signed on November 11th, 1918, the Germans, believing the fraud presented by Woodrow Wilson --- surely one of the stupidest presidents in United States history --- as the "Thirteen Points" --- did not believe they were surrendering. They were not told they were surrendering; but they were. "Self-determination" would only be for those favored by the Masonic Powers. Certainly it did not apply to the Austrians, who would have joined with their fellow German-speakers to form a strong Germanic Central European State. They were not allowed to because Wilson believed that such a power --- since it would have a clear Catholic majority --- would be under the "control" of the Papacy. Neither the Germans nor the…

  OLE DAMMEGÅRD does an outstanding job explaining fake terror attacks, including fake mass shootings (such as the one in Thousand Oaks, California last week), fake bombings, fake car attacks, and fake stabbings. He looks at many incidents here, in Europe and Australia, and describes the working template for these events. Skip the very beginning and start at minute 7:50 in this video lecture. Persevere until the end and you will find out about some of the alleged corporate players in this global theater. This is a difficult subject. It is not for the faint of heart but then neither are fake atrocities for the faint of heart. Would you rather be upset by this knowledge of clever deception or upset by scary events? Please remember that being emotionally manipulated by false reports is also very difficult. Ultimately, this is good news, liberating news. Arm yourself with knowledge so that you can spot the next hoax or false flag. 

KYLE writes:

Bleak House, Charles Dickens’ epic serialized tale was published in book form in 1853 and the story featured a large cast of characters. In the fourth chapter, “Telescopic Philanthropy”, readers meet one of its most interesting figures, Mrs. Jellyby who in her London home is organizing a project in Africa she refers to as the “Boorioboola-Gha venture.” She envisions a missionary effort to resettle impoverished Britons among African natives. The Britons will support themselves by teaching Africans how to grow coffee beans. In her imagination this would solve the inequality between the races and elevate the living standards of everyone involved.

In the opening paragraphs, Mr. Kenge, a Chancery lawyer, provides the reader a character profile of Mrs. Jellyby:

“[Mrs. Jellyby] is  a  lady  of  very remarkable  strength  of  character  who  devotes  herself  entirely to the public. She has devoted herself to an extensive variety  of  public  subjects  at  various  times  and  is  at  present (until something else attracts her) devoted to the subject of Africa, with a view to the general cultivation of the coffee berry—AND the natives—and the happy settlement, on the banks of the African rivers, of our superabundant home population.” 

Dickens, C. (2018). Bleak House. [ebook] Planet eBook, p.56.

The narrator of the story, Esther, is riding in a horse carriage passing by the Jellyby home when she notices a child with his head caught between two iron railing bars on an upper-level balcony. After stopping the carriage to assist the child, she realizes that he is filthy, hot and scared — and his parents are nowhere to be found. After helping the child, she realizes that the mother, Mrs. Jellyby, is in the house, but entirely absent in her duties of caring for the children. Another scene describes one of her children falling down a flight of stairs, bumping his head on each step on the way down.

“Mrs. Jellyby, whose face reflected none of the uneasiness which  we  could  not  help  showing  in  our  own  faces  as  the dear child’s head recorded its passage with a bump on every stair—Richard  afterwards  said  he  counted  seven,  besides one  for  the  landing—received  us  with  perfect  equanimity. She  was  a  pretty,  very  diminutive,  plump  woman  of  from forty  to  fifty,  with  handsome  eyes,  though  they  had  a  curious  habit  of  seeming  to  look  a  long  way  off.  As  if—I  am quoting Richard again—they could see nothing nearer than Africa!“

Dickens, C. (2018). Bleak House. [ebook] Planet eBook, p.60. (more…)

FÁTIMA M. writes:

I’ve been reading your blog between yesterday and today and find it very profound, also stereotype-breaking.

I would like to ask you a question concerning your post about male and female attributes.

How can one be sure that those characteristics aren’t a product of what society expects from people (male and female), so that survival is easier for the person? If that were the case, an attribute wouldn’t necessarily be ‘masculine’ or ‘feminine’ inherently, but everyone could have the potential to develop any of those, since today, survival is easier in terms of finding food and shelter and evolution is happening quite different from before. (more…)

WORLD leaders gathered in Paris to commemorate the World War I armistice, and enjoyed some traditional European music. (more…)

  THIS piece by the composer John Williams was written for the movie The Patriot,  a film which I have never seen and will probably never see. This music, performed here so beautifully by the U.S. Air Force Heritage of America Band, expresses to me the hopefulness of patriotic America at its best, and I post it today on Veterans' Day in respectful memory of all those who have died fighting in wars, but also that it may inspire you to believe that this country can someday embrace true freedom, something it has never truly possessed. True freedom is the freedom to follow God's will as the creatures we are. Patriotism is a love of this distinctive search for nobility.

“ANONAMOUSE” writes:

Well, someone had his phone at the ready [in Thousand Hoax, California]. We’re supposed to believe the mass killer posted on Instagram whilst shooting his victims.

Also not to be missed — the grieving Christine Leinonen-esque mother.

This is becoming tedious, and I don’t really know what to think anymore.

Laura writes:

Please send her your prayers and thoughts. (more…)

ALAN writes:

This photograph was taken in 1950 by Philip J. Hasser for a magazine published in St. Louis. It shows a savvy customer at Ed’s Ice Cream Parlor on Chippewa Street in south St. Louis.

Observe the metaphysical essence in this photograph: The little girl grasping the cup in anticipation of a delicious treat, handed to her by a Catholic high school student who worked there; the dress on the girl and the blouse and skirt on the woman at left, perhaps her mother (no pants, no blue jeans); and the cleanliness of the storefront.  And then imagine the metaphysical setting—the context of cultural rules, standards, and manners—within which countless scenes like this one were once common in American towns and cities.

A woman who grew up one block from there in the 1930s-‘40s wrote:

 “Ed’s Ice Cream Parlor was ‘the’ place to go after a movie or a date.  It was home-made ice cream and 5 cents for a large scoop.  The sodas and sundaes were delicious….  These memories are very vivid to me and I feel very fortunate to have been a child in those less stressful times.”

                       [Louise Workman McDonald, Letter to the Editor, South Side Journal, Jan. 23, 2000]

From 1958 to 1962, I lived within walking distance from the corner where that ice cream parlor had been.  A small movie house was across the street from Ed’s Confectionary (he lived upstairs).  Another movie house was two blocks away. People did not drive to those places; they walked there.  Another ice cream parlor was four blocks away. A store that sold electric trains was one block away (the owner lived upstairs). There were barbershops and corner taverns along Chippewa Street. (more…)

  REST YOUR weary mind with French composer Gabriel Fauré's Pavane (1845-1924), which evokes the Spanish court dance of the same name.