Daily Grit by Wes Thorp

Fourth of July links I discovered while visiting our son in Washington D.C.

I admit that I've taken the Fourth of July for granted.  Lots of people paid with their lives and their livelihood to be free from England.  Today, we are visiting our son, Justin, in Washington, D.C. and can see the dome of the U.S. Capitol from his apartment.  Here are some links appropriate to the holiday:

• The Declaration of Independence and other Charters of Freedom from the National Archives.
• Independence Day explained by Wikipedia.
• John Adams, 7-part HBO miniseries, of which we watched the first two parts in our son's apartment.
• Fourth of July facts from the Library of Congress.
• What does it mean to be an American?  Answers from the E Pluribus Unum Overview, part of the Bradley Project on America's National Identity.
• Washington D.C. pastor Mark Batterson talks about the 56-signers of the Declaration of Independence and how they were motivated by their faith in Jesus Christ.
• Heritage Foundation reflects on the meaning of the Declaration of Independence.
  

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Tags: fourthof july, independence day, john adams, bradley project, national identity, declaration of independence, heritage foundation

My Flip video about having a 120-foot T-Mobile cell tower being built in my neighborhood

I thought what better way to show how a cell tower stands out in a neighborhood, then shooting a video with my new Flip Mino video camera. 

T-Mobile wants to build a 120-foot cell tower to the north of my home just down the street.  Well, to show the height, my wife--Gladys--and I, went down the block to the neartest cross street and drove east. We drove down Herrick Street to its end in our southwest side neighborhood of Lansing (MI) towards Pleasant Grove where there's a cell tower. 

It's next to a church and a school. Check it out.  What's your guess about it's height?

For more information:  Check my neighborhood blog--Southwest Lansing and My Neighborhood--where I cross-posted this video.

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Tags: lansingmi, cell towers, t-mobile, averill woods, lewton rich,
 

Link to National Organization For Marriage, Protecting Marriage and the Faith Communities That Support It

Interesting website for the protection of marriage:  The National Organization for Marriage

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Tags: marriage, marriage amendments, gay marriage

If gay marriage becomes law of the land, then massive persecution of the Christian church will follow, according to Chuck Colson

Could Chuck Colson be right about gay marriage and what will happen to the church if it becomes the law of the land?

In a Breakpoint commentary, Colson says:

As my friend Jennifer Roback Morse notes in the National Catholic Register, “Legalizing same-sex ‘marriage’ is not a stand-alone policy . . . Once governments assert that same-sex unions are the equivalent of marriage, those governments must defend and enforce a whole host of other social changes.”

Then he cites examples of how this persecution has started against various religious organizations in this country and in Canada.

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Tags: gaymarriage, chuck colson, breakpoint, prison fellowship

Here are resources to help me figure out Barack Obama's religious beliefs

I have been trying to understand Barack Obama's religious views.  He describes himself as a Christian and a follower of Jesus Christ and he has commented about the Bible and the role that it should play in setting public policy.

I've listened to CNN video of him and I've listened to Dr. James Dobson's reaction.  What else do I need to read to more fully understand where he's coming from?

Here are some links from Christianity Today:

• Christianity Today online writes about his new connection to the faith community, Dr. Shaun Casey, a professor at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C.
• ChristianityToday online writes about how Obama uses the Sermon on the Mount as his support for civil unions.
• Christianity Today online in a piece by Collin Hansen looks at what Obama says about the Bible and religion and writes about the good and the bad from an evangelical perspective.
• Christianity Today page of links to stories from the past about the pre-primary candidates and the various issues they raised related to faith.

I haven't read these yet, but I plan to.  I realize that these links come from a publication with a conservative Christian perspective.  Anybody got links from other perspectives to help fill out the picture?

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Tags: obama, dobson, christianity today, faith-based, john mccain

Here's help to understand Michigan Democrat's STEALTH petition drive

Leave a comment on this post if you understand the eight-pages of the stealth petition drive being circulated by the Michigan Democratic Party and its group Reform Michigan Government Now.

I don't like what I'm reading about how it would change state government and how it would end up taking more and more of our tax money while totally redoing the face of all branches of government.

Join me in taking some time to learn about it: 

1. Check the comment from Nick at Right Michigan at the end of this post.  On his blog, he's been going through the petition section by section.
2. Download ReformMichigan.pdf drafted by the Michigan Chamber of Commerce with four pages of short bullet points about the changes.

It requires some effort to read through the proposed changes.  But, the consequences are damaging if they pass.  It's worth the effort.

I'm supporting Debbie Crane and her Campus Crusade for Christ ministry in Serbia because of Facebook

My son, Justin, is a graduate of RIT and while there he got involved in a group that was particularly meaningful to him, Campus Crusade for Christ.  Friendships he made through that group are still very meaningful to him, more than two years after graduation.

That's where he met Debbie Crane, who also is a RIT graduate, who will be joining the group's ministry in the Eastern European country of Serbia. 

Debbie saw my name on my son's Facebook page and sent me a note saying hi.  I clicked on her link and found details about her year long commitment to Serbia.  Justin told me of his strong belief in her and her efforts and said she's deserving of my financial support.

So I clicked on her Campus Crusade page and made a small contribution.  I hope to make more and I hope to hear more about her ministry.  Her mission is exciting.  I invite others to join me in supporting her effort.

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Tags: rit, rochester institute of technology, serbia, campus crusade for christ, deborah crane, justin thorp

How important is one vote, your vote?

This fall's general election will be important to this country.  How important is that you vote?  What effect can one vote have on the outcome?

In a letter to his supporters, Dr. David Jeremiah lists six times where one vote made a difference in the course of human events:

• In 1645, one vote gave Oliver Cromwell control of England.
• Four years later, one vote cost King Charles his life.
• In 1845, one vote brought Texas into the Union.
• In 1868, one vote saved President Andrew Johnson from impeachment.
• In 1923, one vote gave Adolf Hitler control of the Nazi party.
• In 1941, one vote saved the Selective Service Agency, just one week before Pearl Harbor.

Are there any other occasions where one vote has made the difference?

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Tags: voting, david jeremiah, oliver cromwell, king charles, texas, president andrew johnson, adolf hitler, selective service,

Detroit, a big part of the heart of Michigan, is crashing and burning because of Democratic party dominance

Put whatever public relations spin you want on it, but the city of Detroit is in a death dive that it doesn't seem capable of pulling out of.

Check the daily headlines where there are stories of municipal corruption starting with the mayor, extending to the Detroit City Council along with gross mismanagement at the Detroit Public Schools.

Why is this happening in a city that had been the heart of Michigan.  When I was a youngster growing up in Bay City, my mom's church group would charter a bus to spend a day in Detroit shopping at Hudsons and eating at a nice restaurant.

Nick at Right Michigan, in a post today, and who is from Grand Rapids shares his Detroit pride.  He also pegs the city's problems to a lack of political accountability.  Regardless of what its political leaders do to diminish life in the city, voters keep putting them back in office and they are always from the Democratic party. 

This fealty to the Democratic party has been abused by city leaders who see it as a blank check to do whatever they want. 

Can anybody point to cities which have been in a free fall like Detroit that have been able to pull back on the stick and get back on an even keel?  What did they do to get there?

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Tags: rightmichigan, detroit, michigan democrats, michigan republicans,