Political Confusion

Another tactic I've seen in the political world is the use of confusion. Dishonest people often use confusion, because it masks their falsehood and deceit, and allows them to promote their own agenda no matter how irrational. There is no question that many political issues are complex, however truth and wisdom seek to discover and define clear fundamentals and priorities, whereas the dishonest bring distortion and confusion. We serve a God who is the author of a sound mind, not of confusion. When we have a relationship with Him and look to Him, perhaps especially in politics, confusion is dispelled and order is established.

Mixed Messages

In politics mixed messages are all too common. For many, it seems it is much more about the words having the desired appeal to the most people, rather than the articulation of good, sound policy that brings vision and clear direction. Many talk tough about an issue (when it is politically expedient), but fail to deliver a substantive plan, practice, policy or law that is consistent with the message. In fact, it seems that words are used to cover up the actual, even opposing, intentions and activities of some politicians. We pray for the election of those to government that will restore the integrity of clear messages supported by good plans and the fortitude and wisdom to carry them out.

Political Heat

Interesting timing. The Arizona legislative session is finally over just as the summer officially begins. So with the legislative record largely settled the heat will increase as the political campaigns throw all their logs on the fire. Sifting through the political spin and the Media bias will be one of the challenges of the summer. For many in the general public, not succombing to the natural inclination to take a siesta in the heat will be the other.

Political Spin

In the last 4 years or so I've received a crash course in the reality of politics. One facet of the political realm that is a source of continual amazement is how virtually anything can be "spun". Whether it is taking a fact and exaggerating it or even turning it upside-down, or answering a different question than is asked, or ignoring key facts and sticking to their own points, or using words that are ambiguous (two or more possible clear meanings) or vague (one unclear meaning), or skipping around the answer without ever giving it, or speaking in superficial, politically-correct (i.e. safe, Media-acceptable) sound bites, or using ad hominem attacks and gross labeling, or straw dog arguments, or taking credit for things or not depending on political expediency (whether or not there was a causal connection), or... the possibilities are endless.

Of course, political spin often is a result of an antagonistic reporter framing a question to pigeon-hole the politician into an answer the reporter wants to hear to create or support their story. Or, political spin is used by the reporters themselves in their stories (which often reveals their obvious bias). Thus, it becomes the politician's job to parry. With centuries of time-honored politicians building this tradition, it has become an art form. It is often difficult to recognize the truth-tellers and plain speakers, because the good political spinners sound so sincere. The good news is that there actually are many good, honest politicians. It is the voter's job to discern good from bad. In the world of political spin this is a God-sized task!

Declaration History

As we approach July 4th, I want to take moments along the way to appreciate the significance of our founding history. What powerful, history-changing statements are composed in our Declaration of Independence as a small group of men dared to believe in a destiny greater than themselves:

"When in the course of human Events, it becomes necessary for one People to dissolve the Political Bands that have connected them with another..."

"...We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. That they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness..."

"...We, Therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions..."

"...And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our Sacred Honor."

Political Signs - #1

Political signs are beginning to crop up everywhere with the upcoming Primary Elections less than 3 months away (and mail-in ballots less than 2 months away). It can be very interesting seeing what is chosen as the motto or catch words by the candidates to sell them themselves or capture their platform or ideals.

Sometimes it is equally interesting what is not on the sign. Generally one would assume that a candidate would include something as basic as their political party-- "Republican" or "Democrat" or "Libertarian", etc. That is the way I always remembered it. But apparently, not so any more. If it is not politically expedient, it probably won't be on there. I'm guessing they have done studies to show that cross-over votes are less likely if the candidate is clearly identified with the other party. For example, rarely will our current governor, or the media for that matter, ever mention that she is a Democrat. Same also goes for Jim Pederson running for the U.S. Senate position against Jon Kyl. Pederson's signs are everywhere, but no mention of "Democrat" anywhere.

I wonder if this is now commonly accepted practice or a new phenomenon. Do Republican candidates do this in Democrat-majority areas?

On the Mountaintop

On the mountaintop we are lifted above. Here, we are able to gain vision. We can see what is on the horizon and what is important. We can (re)discover our priorities. In politics, like so many areas of life, it is important to gain the higher ground to better understand the context of the decisions we face. So often we become mired in the details and urgency of life. Our decisions then become reactionary and short-sighted. Climbing the mountain requires time set aside and a commitment to forge to the top. Good political leaders make this commitment.

Good Order

Government should bring order. Not the order of control, but the order that brings freedom. Most of us are repelled by the order of control as much as we would fear disorder and lawlessness. Because we are a people of selfish natural tendencies, without government we would gravitate toward chaos. Laws are essential. The question is not whether to have laws in place or not, but which laws provide appropriate boundaries and order that protect life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I believe the answer to government is a nation under God. Our God, Himself, IS good government. When we truly align ourselves with His ways -- His pattern of government -- we will have freedom. Further, good government begins when we say "yes" to His governing our own lives. This brings the most important order and freedom of all.

Pressure and Shift

Today, on Flag Day (see Len Munsil's June 14 post on Flag Day), I will be attending a national 3-day conference called "PrayerQuake" in Mesa, Arizona along with about 2,500 pastors, ministry leaders and intercessors from all over Arizona and the nation. It is during times of great pressure that quakes hit and shifts occur. We are in a time of great pressure. The "quake" of prayer is hitting. Shifts will occur.

Political Pressure

The pressures of everyday life can be tough enough without adding the atmospheric conditions of the political arena. The mixture of emotional and ethical variables in dealing with people that have radically different world views, especially in a public setting blown out of proportion by the Media, can turn most any decision into a whirlwind of pressure. Like complicated storm patterns of high and low pressure zones, politicians can be at the vortex of unpredictable weather. So what is the compass we use to navigate in such stormy seas? What are the standards onto which we grab to keep from being tossed overboard?

If it is only the latest public polls or the most powerful lobbyist of the day, we will be tossed and turned until disoriented and rudderless-- probably to be shipwrecked. I suggest holding onto that which has withstood the test of time-- or more accurately, onto Whom has created time itself. If we restore our relationship with God and His word, upon Whom our nation was founded, we will find answers to our most difficult questions. The pressures may not always go away, but we will not be swept away by them.

Our Godly Foundations

Wow-- I just returned from an evening event with David Barton, who is recognized as one of the leading experts on our nation's Christian heritage. He is a virtual encyclopedia of American history with an indepth understanding of our government and political process from its origins. His ministry itself owns more than 70,000 historical documents. His evidence for the biblical basis of the founding documents and the Founding Fathers of the United States of America is overwhelming.

Two things stood out to me. First, that we have so much to be grateful having been given the privilege of living in this "nation under God"-- a Christian heritage that has granted us abundant blessings like no other nation. Second, we have strayed far and allowed ungodly forces to take over in so many areas, because we believed the lies that Christians are not to be engaged in the political process. We must re-engage by prayer and action, or it will be too late. As Psalm 11:3 says, "If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?"

Global Warming

Here is my definition of global warming: another conspiracy theory with suitably ambiguous facts so complex and layered that the statistics can be massaged or greatly exaggerated to cause alarm. Suspicious is the conflict of interest by the alarmists to receive grants at universities and research organizations, to generate new business to "bring solutions", and even attempt to gain political power associated with spearheading a "critical issue" (Gore).

Border Death

Back thinking about the border... I'm still struck by the incredible incongruity of the wealth and resources of our nation and the absurdity of seeing rutted, dirt roads and cut, barbed-wire fences along miles of our border. It has now been almost 4 years since 9-11. It has been much longer since we have begun to suffer the known over-the-border drug trade. There is no question we need to address the humanitarian issues of poverity and oppression in Mexico as a neighbor. There is no question that we need radical immigration reform-- whether that is developing a guest worker program or revising the lengthy immigration process, or both. Our experienced border guide of last week has personally had to deal with the recovery of more than 100 bodies of those crossing in the desert illegally in the last 4 years. He is haunted by the tragedy of this border death... a 14 year old girl left behind and unclaimed to this day, "Jane Douglas" (found in the desert near Douglas, Arizona)... a woman 8-months pregnant left to freeze to death on a high-desert mountain...

Step One: Secure the border and enforce the laws to begin to restore order.
Step Two: Sit down together for reasonable immigration reform.

Zarqawi Gone

How should we react when an evil man is killed? I don't gloat over this victory. However, I am relieved that many innocent lives are likely to be saved and that a measure of justice has been executed. I am saddened that it had to come to this; that a man, and the men around him, allowed, and perhaps even welcomed, the evil that worked in them. It is good when that evil dies. I celebrate the heroic effort of our military-- they have served our nation well.

"There but for the grace of God go I" is a phrase attributed to John Bradford of 16th Century England. It is an important reminder lest we take too haughty a position of judgment. Nonetheless, 1 John 3:8 also says, "The Son of God appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil." We cannot deny the battle of good versus evil. It is a violent one that is increasing in our world. Zarqawi is gone, and that is a good thing.

Push and Pull

The poverty of Mexico push the impoverished. The opportunities in America pull. The fence at the border has gates ajar. If you make it through you have a job, even if a shadowy existence. You are often recruited for work-- even needed and rewarded far beyond those rewards available in your homeland. But some don't make it and some die en route. It's worth the risk to tens of thousands and more. Yes, there are powerful mixed messages to attract and deter, and the real life pressures to provide for your family. Push and pull.

Then there is the criminal element and the lure of "easy" money. Drugs across the border-- pot, coke, and meth the destroyer, probably the nastiest of all today. Estimates suggest that 70% of the meth in Arizona is via the southern border. At what cost is that to our citizens, especially to our kids who are pushed at incredibly young ages? Then, there are the ruthless human smugglers swindling the life savings of those desperate for a new life. And who knows how many terrorists have entered hidden among the multitudes-- enough have been caught to indicate that many have made it through. We may suffer a large cost again suddenly some day, because the gate is ajar.

What is the role and responsibility of government? Is it not first to establish and enforce the laws of the land to protect the lives and freedom of its citizens? We also desire to be a nation of compassion, care and concern for our neighbors, especially for the oppressed and afflicted. Can we accommodate both of these mandates at once? Push and pull.

Fences at the Border

I have so many thoughts to post after my trip to the southern Arizona border the last two days, it is difficult to keep it to one or two paragraphs. We saw first hand the reality of our inexcusable vulnerability as a state and nation (see yesterday's post as well). The absurdity of some claims in the debate on border policies was exposed. Those that decry fences as abominations cannot have visited the area. First, the border is almost always clearly marked by fences. It has been for years. The claim that we shouldn't build fences there, as if there currently are none, is false. At the border towns there are extended stretches of sturdy, steel fence 8', 10', 12' and even 14' high. Yes, they can be scaled by athletic young men, but they could not be driven through, or over, nor easily tunneled under. Large supplies of drugs and human smuggling are clearly deterred by the substantial fences.

Then, there are long stretches with nothing but 5-strand barbed wire, often with man-sized holes cut in it, or even places with gaps or make-shift combinations of old, steel guiders or old, sewer pipes laying on their sides to prevent drive-throughs. There are roads that travel most of both sides of the fence on the American and Mexican sides. These roads are dirt, and often rutted, except a few short sections in the border towns that are paved. Some stretches on the American side are lit by light towers at night. Fences are in place, they simply need to be improved and need to be consistent. You can drive along a stretch of 12' fence which abruptly stops and then continues as a 5-strand barbed wire fence about 4' high. Gee, let me guess which fence you would walk to in order to cross the border. As you continue along the barbed-wire fence it has occasional sections cut or a pole bent at 45 degrees having obviously been run over. These breaches are not quickly repaired.

When It Turns Dark

I just returned from enjoying the privilege of participating in a special "insider" tour of a large section of the southern border of Arizona with a 30-year veteran border law-enforcement officer as guide. There is no replacing the experience of seeing something first hand, especially with the guidance of someone with this degree of experience and integrity. I'll write several posts as a result of this experience. During the trip, we spent more than seven hours, from mid-afternoon to deep into the evening, traveling miles of the southeast Arizona border.

I'll start with two very basic observations:

1) Our border IS NOT SECURE. There are holes in the fence and unpatrolled miles of border.

2) Although illegal activity around the border continues during the day, there is a palpable increase in lawlessness, and the accompanying sense of danger, WHEN IT TURNS DARK. You could feel it. As we drove along some of the border fence roads, even our guide said that he would have felt jittery and vulnerable if we weren't with him.

Giant Invisible Suspect

Prelude to this post: Political powers can either acquiesce to, or contend with, bad cultural policies or practices. Ignoring bad policies, when you have the power to deal with them, can be equivalent to collaboration. Certainly, priorities must be set in determining which bad policies to deal with first, but at some point bad policies that have wide-spread impact should be addressed. Of course, politics usually focuses on the most prominent news-worthy issues of the day.

The Media has a lot to say about determining which issues are prominent. I find it astonishing that so little investigative attention is ever given to perhaps the largest of all suspicious business practices in our state... yes, the giant invisible suspect-- the multi-billion dollar gambling industry (lotteries, casinos, race tracks, etc.). Always infamously linked directly or indirectly to organized crime, prostitution, drugs, etc., you would think it would provide a "target rich" environment for hungry reporters. Oh yeah, that's right, all the gambling entities are big-time advertisers for all the Media outlets. And, you have the troublesome issue of death threats (we recently honored the 30th anniversary of the car-bombing death of investigative reporter Don Bowles, who was likely killed for just such an investigation). Political powers may need to step up to the plate in a great cooperative effort and take the initiative on this one.

New Mega-Church?

As I was driving on one of our Phoenix-area freeways on this sunny Sunday, June 4, I noticed off to the side a very large parking lot packed with cars. Must be quite a mega-church. I couldn't get the whole name of the church, but I did see one of the words: "Casino".

A Forgotten Voice

I was recently forwarded an article on the adoption debate about the effect of same-sex adoptive parents on their children. I strongly encourage you to read this recent interview by Gail Besse, "The Forgotten Voice in the Adoption Debate" published in the NCREGISTER.com. So many moral issues, by their nature, make it prohibitive for some of the most important voices to be heard. Rape, incest and child molestation victims, if heard at all, may take years before they are in the place in which they are ready to speak up. The children raised in same-sex households often face similar difficulties. Has there ever been a time in history when so many children find themselves in the "social experiment" of being raised by same-sex partners?

Liberation vs. Conquest

The Presidential Prayer Team update for June 1, 2006 includes a quote from President Ronald Reagan that is as relevant to today's conflict in the Middle East as it was then, when he was commemorating the 40th anniversary of the D-Day invasion at Normandy, France.

"There is a profound, moral difference between the use of force for liberation and the use of force for conquest. You were here to liberate, not to conquer, and so you and those others did not doubt your cause. And you were right not to doubt. You all knew that some things are worth dying for. One's country is worth dying for, and democracy is worth dying for, because it's the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man." --Ronald Reagan, June 6, 1984

By any reasonable standards of observation the wars we are fighting today in the Middle East are to liberate horribly suppressed people and for our own protection against terrorist attack. We wage these wars against those that seek conquest. This is evident in their public statements against Israel and our nation, and their intentional and barbaric methods of attack against civilians. They do not have the high moral ground. Though we have many failings as a nation, our stand for freedom throughout the world is not one of them.

Help a Friend Vote

Another angle on "friendship voting"... I recently heard from one of our Arizona Congressman that research has shown that the single most significant factor in helping an undecided voter make a choice is the recommendation by a trusted friend. Makes sense. So, let's all do our research, seek God, and make our recommendations to our friends. This also ties into yesterday's post about voter integrity. If we demonstrate integrity in our lives generally and gain the trust of our friends, then we can multiply our one vote. Political salt.