Blaming America First, Hollywood's True Colors and More.

"Culpe America Primero"

"Blame America First." Ostensibly, that seems to be the battle cry of many a professor across the campuses of America's colleges and universities; that is, if this week's news reports surrounding Hugo Chavez and his gift book to President Obama are any indication. His "gesture of goodwill" to our commander-in-chief, in the form of Eduardo Galeano's "Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent," as it turns out, is popular reading in many classrooms of American academia today.

Which inevitably raises the question: So what? Why is Chavez's gift to President Obama and the fact that it's a popular item on collegiate syllabi such a cause for concern and focused media attention?

Well, because first of all, anytime a character like Hugo Chavez presents any book, pamphlet or material intended for leisure reading to our president, sensible Americans ought to take note. Chavez's record on democracy in general and human rights in particular (see link below) should be enough to raise eyebrows when we see him romancing our duly elected leaders on any level of government.

And second of all, because the book itself is summarily a one-sided attack on capitalism in general and the United States in particular. Simply put, this is not a balanced examination of the effects of American trade and economic export on our neighbors to the south. Instead, Mr. Galeano, the author, has taken it upon himself to cast America as an evil international despot with an insatiable appetite for power and industry. (Hmmm...sounds like someone I've heard of recently. Last name starts with a "C" and ends with a "havez" maybe?).

In all fairness, as the link to the news story below points out, many professors who use this book do so in a balanced fashion, which is to say they mandate that their pupils read the book but also require that the students read pro-American literature as well.

However, the danger for indoctrinating college students into anti-Americanism is still there and because it is, I have a message for my collegiate readers out there (if there are any). If you are a college student and one of your professors requires you to read books or manuscripts of this nature as a course requirement...do so. But think critically about it and make sure you're giving yourself a steady diet of pro-American literature as well.

This country is not evil. It is not imperialistic. And we do not "rape" the rest of the world with our economic and foreign policies. There are countless data reports available to you that make clear the fact that the United States of America is the leading provider of foreign aid and assistance to blighted and impoverished countries all over the world. When there is a crisis to mitigate or a war to be fought, the United States of America has historically led the charge, particularly in recent decades. Hence, you simply mustn't allow the liberally biased elements in academia and the news to dim your view of the very country that has afforded you the opportunity to go to college and make a better life for yourself.

Let Hugo Chavez wine and dine President Obama. My hope is that our good president will have the common sense and discernment that I believe many of our young people (and indeed most Americans) possess and will see through that maniac's efforts to undermine the pillars that have made our society great. In the meantime, my admonition to any patriotic American reading this is simply:

"Dios bendice America"..."God bless America."

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517784,00.html

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/04/21/chavez-transgressions-history-shocking-speeches/

Hollywood's True Colors: Red, White and Intolerant

Well as it turns out, in good ol' Tinseltown, USA, when a tanned and beautiful local says cheerfully "anything goes" in regard to the morally relativistic, politically correct, and...well...anything goes culture, they don't quite mean ANYTHING. I mean, come on. If we're talking about legitimizing pornography on the big screen that's one thing.

But let a beauty queen who aspires to be Miss America have the audacity to state her personal belief (when asked, no less, about what her personal belief is) that marriage is meant to be solely between one man and one woman, and it's enough to make an entire industry of ditzy celebrities choke on their lattes and tofu.

Such appears to be the case since Carrie Prejean, the reigning Miss California, was asked by Miss American pageant judge Perez Hilton (no stranger to the bombastic remark and certainly no friend of traditional marriage. www.perezhilton.com) to weigh in on the gay marriage rights issue. Her response, about as diplomatically-worded and respectful as you'll find these days, was met not only with Mr. Hilton slamming her on his personal blog and calling her a horrid name, but with Hollywood in general responding about as intolerantly and mean-spiritedly as you could imagine. You can read a few of the comments on the link below.

I'll be honest: as a conservative evangelical Baptist, my stance on this issue is diametrically opposed to that of most people in Hollywood as well as liberals across the country. I often make no secret of the fact that I believe Genesis 2 to be straightforward in its regulation of what a marriage relationship should be. And so of course I would stand firmly with Ms. Prejean on this issue.

However, I think the main issue here is not the disparity between the two positions, but rather the spirit in which the disagreement is taking place, particularly on the liberal side. Simply put, it is vitriolic and hateful and every one of these people who has taken a cheap shot at Ms. Prejean does not deserve to call themselves an American based on the venom of their words. Where is the tolerance? Where is the resolution to agree to disagree? It is nowhere to be found in Hollywood.

Which brings me to the second point. Hollywood culture, as a whole, has lost all credibility at this point as far as I'm concerned. Where once there was a culture of tolerance, now there is a culture of closed-mindedness and hypocrisy. And those two traits are about as un-American as you can possibly get.

I'll support Ms. Prejean in any way I can, and I hope you'll join me. I don't know of any websites or causes that are dedicated to voicing support for Miss California, but if anyone should happen to come across any, please let me know. I'll keep my eyes peeled as well.

Traditionally, the Miss America contest was a contest that held as criteria for winning physical beauty, intelligence, and character. Kudos then to Carrie Prejean for embodying all three, regardless of whether or not she wins and regardless of what Hitlerwood may say about her.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517449,00.html

A Final Kudos

Rarely in a culture that promotes "looking out for #1" over the greater good do we see anything as touching or, one could say, flat-out radical as the story below. To summarize, Stan Musil, a California man, has agreed to symbolically adopt his wife's two aborted babies in order to, as he puts it, "help her heal from the pain of having the abortions." For the sake of time, I will not go into detail and you can read the rest of the story below.

Abortion is another hot-button issue that is about as divisive a one that you'll find. And again, my conservative evangelical conviction overwhelmingly defines my take on the whole subject. But this is amazing on many levels; not only is this man affirming the value of human life by adopting the children posthumously, he is also demonstrating a willingness to counter the culture of death that Americans now find themselves living in.

I hope it can be said of all of us that we are as life-affirming and counter-cultural as Mr. Musil. Not just for the sake of "bucking the trend," but because it's the right thing to do. Jesus said in the book of John, "I have come that they may have life and have it to the full." -John 10:10. That includes life for the unborn as well.

God bless you, Stan Musil.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517503,00.html

And a blessed week to all!

-JG

Teabags and Pirates and Libs, oh my!

Tea and Sympathy...or not

Time for a little history quiz...covering recent history, in fact.

Can anyone tell me the number of crude, frat-boy caliber jokes made (on camera, no less) by CNN's Anderson Cooper and MSNBC's David Gergen during...oh, let's just pick a recent event...an Obama campaign rally? How about the time a CNN on-site anchor openly berated an Obama supporter on camera for...well...for sharing his or her views? 

Any guesses?

If you're stumped, don't feel bad. Most, including your humble Gibby Filer, would be too. That's because none of the above actually happened. The media's liberal bias is well-documented and was on full display during last year's presidential race. 

However, I also think my little "pseudo-quiz," if you will, raises some legitimate questions. For example, why is it ok then for CNN's Cooper and MSNBC's Gergen to go on record and make lewd and suggestive jokes about "teabagging" in reference to the millions of Americans who turned out in droves to protest what they perceive as irresponsible handling of their money by the federal government?

Side note: For those that are not aware, according to sources, "teabagging" is basically a disgusting, dehumanizing, not even remotely romantic sexual act that was probably invented in the dark corners of some frat house at some liberal university...where people like Cooper and Gergen attend college. Ask around, though, and you'll get a more comprehensive and detailed response.

So much for Cooper and Gergen's juvenile antics. The whole sordid mess can be read about in full at the link below. But what about CNN's on-site reporter Susan Roesgen and her not-so-subtle disdain for anti-tax protestors in Chicago? Here's the link to the video in which she berates a demonstrator (with a small child, no less) and makes other condescending remarks about concerned American citizens who are committing the Great Liberal Sin of exercising their First Amendment rights.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6G3fvNhdoc0

Someone once said, "Adversity does not form character, it reveals it." What then should we make of the supposedly unbiased mainstream media?  How should we gauge their character based on their wholesale endorsement of then-presidential candidate Barack Obama during the campaign as well as their ostensible contempt for patriotic Americans who hate government largesse? 

The short answer, of course, is that most journalists in the mainstream media are devoid of any character at all...or credibility, for that mattter. Instead of doing the job that they get paid big bucks for (or at least more money than most of the "teabaggers" will ever make), it is clear that the liberal agenda is higher on their priority list than journalistic objectivity will ever be. And immature comments like the ones made by Anderson Cooper and David Gergen only serve to further weaken the credibility of networks like CNN and MSNBC, as well as lend more credibility to those of us who choose to exercise our Constitutional rights in an honorable way, for an honorable cause. 

My hat is off to those citizens who took time off from their jobs and other responsibilities to make their voices heard. Washington may be broken, but the American spirit is alive and well. 

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/04/15/anti-tax-tea-party-protests-expected/

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/04/16/cable-anchors-guests-use-tea-parties-platform-frat-house-humor/

Here's to the Frogmen!  

I never thought I'd say this, but my opinion of President Obama has gone up a notch or two over the past week. I know, I know...somebody go check the temperature of hell to make sure it hasn't frozen over...yadda yadda yadda. I can hear the wisecracks now. 

But seriously, it was his direct order this past week that gave a team of Navy SEALs the authority to take out the cowardly terrorist pirates who kidnapped Captain Richard Phillips from the US-flagged Maersk Alabama ship. And I must say, it is gratifying to see that we have indeed come a long way since 9/11 in terms of defending ourselves and strengthening our national security when terrorism threatens us from afar. Time will tell if President Obama remains committed to our nation's security, but this is an encouraging sign. 

In the interest of taste, I'll forgo any further "politicking" in this section and will simply focus on two things: 1) being thankful to God for answering my prayers for Captain Phillips' safety (see last week's entry), and 2) calling attention to a special group of patriots that we often refer to as Navy SEALs. 

First and foremost, thanks be to God, who looks after and protects those who cry out to Him in times of danger. Psalm 91 has truly been manifested in the life of Captain Richard Phillips this week. 

Secondly, thanks be to the "frogmen," the warriors, the heroes. It simply is not possible for me to write out in detail the kind of dedication, rigorous training and down-to-the-core patriotism that characterizes a United States Navy SEAL. However, if you truly want to gain a deeper appreciation of these singular American heroes, I highly recommend that you pick up a copy of "Lone Survivor," by Marcus Luttrell and Patrick Robinson. Mr. Luttrell is a Navy SEAL and, as the title of his book suggests, the lone survivor of SEAL team 10 which was deployed to Afghanistan in 2005. His book details not only the training and commitment involved in creating a Navy SEAL, but also the selfless sacrifice borne by his teammates of SEAL team 10 in the Hindu Kush mountain range during the war in Afghanistan. Suffice it to say, you will come away more informed and more appreciative of the freedoms provided to you by the men and women of our nation's armed services. 

Getting back to the story, what is most outrageous about this latest incident in the Indian Ocean is the reaction of the surviving pirates. For example, here's a little tidbit from Jamac Habeb (from the link below); "From now on, if we capture foreign ships and their respective countries try to attack us, we will kill them (the hostages)." 

Memo to Mr. Habeb: That dog might hunt if you're dealing with, say, France. But I think this last episode has proven that Americans still have the resolve to fight back and will blow you back to the Crusades if you choose to jack with us. If you want a war, then by God we'll bring one to your doorstep quick, fast, and in a hurry. Hoo-yah! (as the SEALs would say)

Again, let's be thankful that Captain Phillips is safe, and let's be thankful that America still has the mightiest fightin' force the world's ever seen. 

It's great to be a United States sailor! 

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,514775,00.html

Blessings to all. Thank you for reading and have a great week! 

Happy Holy Week

Opportunity Knox...for religious intolerance.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/04/09/catholics-offense-obama-appointing-pope-basher-faith-based-panel/

Happy Good Friday to everyone. 

I suppose we are just going to have to get used to the fact that each annual Christian holiday is going to be accompanied by controversy and a leftist attack of some variety. That certainly seems to be the case this year where Resurrection Sunday is concerned. In the above article, we learn of our "consensus-building" president's decision to appoint an anti-Catholic bigot to his panel of advisers for faith-based initiatives. 

Harry Knox, an openly gay advocate for homosexual rights, has gone on record and used some pretty strong language in describing the Pope and other Catholic organizations. He describes the Pope and other bishops as "discredited leaders" and groups like the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic service organization, as "foot soldiers of a discredited army of oppression." 

And why? Because...well...because he simply disagrees with them about things, that's why! 

It's one thing to disagree with prominent religious leaders on matters of faith and ideology. That's a right granted to every American citizen under the Bill of Rights. But to go on record as a presidential cabinet official and use bombastic terminology in describing those who hold a different viewpoint than you do is another thing entirely. And to suggest that their viewpoint is invalid somehow because of an alternate stance on an issue is about as un-American as you can possibly get. Not to mention disrespectful and arrogant. 

The homosexual community was quite vociferous during George W. Bush's eight years in office and loved to paint him, as well as members of his administration, as religious bigots who had it out for gays across America. Of course, this caricature is overreaching and unfair, but let's pretend for just a moment that Karl Rove or David Kuo (who served in basically the same role as Harry Knox serves in now under Obama) had actually gone on record and said something to the effect of "the homosexual community is a discredited army of foot soldiers who want to turn children into homosexuals." Can you imagine the outcry? Heads would roll, hate-speech lawsuits would ensue, and Bush's ratings would hover around 1% rather than the 30% rating he enjoyed.  William Donahue, president of the Catholic League, is quoted several times in the article and basically backs this sentiment up. He  notes, "If someone were appointed using that language about homosexuals, he would be thrown out."

Donahue is exactly right. 

Why then is it ok for someone in the Obama administration to say basically the same thing about Catholics? Or Protestants? Or Hindus? Or animal rights activists? Or anybody?

I'm not a Catholic. And as a Protestant Southern Baptist I have some sharp theological disagreements with the Catholic faith. But never should someone who uses such intolerant and hateful language be allowed to serve in a capacity that Harry Knox does, whether that language is used in disparaging Catholics or anyone else. If Obama is serious about building consensus and promoting religious tolerance, he'll give this guy the boot...and fast. 

Christians should be shocked, but not surprised. Shocked because of the hateful intolerance that characterizes Knox's language as well as the fact that he picked Holy Week to launch his hateful remarks against the Catholic church. But attacks on the Christian faith (of every denomination) has been part and parcel of our history and figures to continue until the return of Christ, and thus we should not be surprised at Mr. Knox's remarks. 

As people of faith, our response should be marked by steadfastness of conviction as well as compassion for those who vehemently oppose us. And as Americans, it is our duty to be vigilant where threats to our religious freedom and heritage are concerned. The Bill of Rights applies to everyone; whether you are a person of faith or not. No government official should be allowed to marginalize or discredit those rights. 

Fidel and Friends!

http://www.foxnews.com/video-search/m/22078591/tremendous-amount-of-freedom.htm#q=Black+caucus

I had heard the rumors, but did not know how true they were. 

After a while, you become somewhat jaded. I mean, after seeing celebrity after moron celebrity hop on a private jet and traipse down to Cuba for a wine-and-dine event with the man who has blighted his people and violated an untold number of human rights, you really begin to think you've seen it all. 

Then you hear the rumors. A liberal Democrat from California here, one from the East Coast there. All supposedly doing basically the same thing that the Bel Airheads are doing. Then you think to yourself, "nawwwww, not our intelligent and duly elected officials. Could they really be buying this nonsense about Castro and about Cuba being a progressive and plentiful haven for its citizens?" 

Well, if that's your thought process, then I would suggest taking a moment and doing some deep breathing, so as to prepare yourself for the above video. 

Because it's true. 

Not only did a handful of democratic representatives from California make the joy-ride to Havana for a meeting with Fidel and Raul Castro as what is for some reason called "The Black Caucus," one was reported as saying to Castro, "America is still a racist nation." I hope this congressman didn't THEN give Comrade Fidel a signed picture of President and Mrs. Obama, because that would have been the gaffe to end all gaffes.   

Now we're treated to this little visual and auditory tidbit of one of the "sheeple" who made the trip who actually says during the video "the Cuban people have a tremendous amount of freedom." She goes on to say something to the effect of "we were driving around Havana and felt very safe. No police were following us. Nothing." 

Assuming that there might be a measure of truth to the congresswoman's impressions of this newfound democratic haven, would any rational person want to actually take a trip down to Miami, stand in the middle of a hoard of Cuban refugees who have been forced to leave Cuba and separate from their families because of Castro's brutality, and actually REPEAT this drivel? If so, you're a heck of a lot braver than me and God only help you if you're not wearing a bulletproof vest and/or a fireproof strait-jacket when you do repeat it. 

As to the "driving around Havana with no threat from the secret police" comment, anybody who bothers to read a news magazine (liberally biased or otherwise) can tell you that Castro has a notorious reputation for being a charmer and for arranging for visitors (many of whom are liberal and not too deep intellectually) to be squired about town with no security threats whatsoever and often to places where you won't actually see the blight, the human rights devastation, etc. Simply put, it's a dog-and-pony show of the most dishonest variety and these liberal do-gooders bought it from Castro...hook, line, and sinker. 

Hey, at the end of the day, who cares? If these people want to travel to Havana, or wherever (next stop, ladies and gentlemen: Pyongyang!) on expense accounts, it's their business. But don't come back here and try to sell intelligent Americans this baloney about Castro being committed to freedom and democracy when millions of Miami residents alone can tell you detail for detail a different story altogether. 

If you want to sell that story, you simply have to get up earlier. Especially given the time difference out on the Left Coast. 

Pray for the Captain. 

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,514039,00.html

Thoughts and prayers go out to Richard Phillips, captain of the Maersk Alabama, and his family. Word is, he's already tried to escape and is refusing to fully cooperate with the pirate terrorists who are holding him hostage. 

He's a brave patriot and is evidently well-respected by those in his charge. 

We hope and pray for his safe return. 

Welcome Aboard.

Greetings! 

If you are reading this, I'm assuming you've taken time to actually find it on the internet. That's a good sign...for me anyway. Whether or not this new running commentary on news, current events and cultural trends in America that I have affectionately dubbed "The Gibby Files" will generate any positive energy and/or feedback from you, the reader, only time will tell. 

One of the great things about this country is that one's capacity to pursue one's dreams and express one's thoughts or opinions is rarely limited. That's one reason why I've undertaken this effort. I know there's no guarantee that my opinions and viewpoints will be read by the multitudes. I realize that at best maybe only a handful of people who access the internet will be able to even locate this page in the crazy and often confusing world that is the Blogosphere. But I'm willing to give it a shot, because that's the kind of freedom afforded to me by my Constitution (for now anyway; time will tell if the "Fairness Doctrine" parrots in Congress have their way) and because I believe that what I have to say is relevant, substantial, and ultimately beneficial to those who might read it. 

Which leads to my second reason for starting this blog. So much of what I see in society today is characterized by a flight from thinking and acting from a sense of right and wrong to thinking and acting from a sense of expediency and security. In other words, we no longer act on principle and are content to simply live in ways that only benefit us in the short term. My desire then is to address this and hopefully speak truth against the disturbing trends that I see in American society and in the larger world. 

In this blog, I'm going to talk about hot-button issues such as religion, abortion, sanctity of life, sanctity of marriage, foreign policy and national security, the economy, and much more. As news stories unfold in the media, I'll use them as "springboards" if you will, for a larger discussion about the foundational issues underlying the reports. If you know me, you already know you're in for some strong opinions (and on occasion, a few sarcastic remarks). But if you'll read closely, you'll see how much of what I say goes back to my basic Judeo-Christian worldview as well as a deep conviction about our freedom and heritage as Americans. Simply put, our founding fathers' ideals of freedom, integrity, and personal responsibility are ours to safeguard against those who would undermine, weaken and ultimately destroy them. Trust me, you'll hear much more about this in the weeks to come. 

So again, thanks for reading and be sure to tune in each Friday for a new report. Please know that I welcome any comments, alternate viewpoints, and rude remarks you want to leave me after you've read my stuff. Remember: the capacity to debate is what makes us great! 

God bless. 

-JG