Was Obama Ever Told "No"?

Barack Obama reminds me of a spoiled child who, while growing up, always got his way and was never told "No!" by those raising him. His life was void of a father to properly instruct him and a mother to gently nurture him, and his grandparents were thrust into the position of parenting. My feeling is that they did a very poor job of it and we are seeing the results of their attempt today.

Giving up their lives, providing for Obama, and his grandmother working hard to see him advance his education are all admirable things. No one can deny that. But just because he was coddled by them does not mean they instilled within him any meaningful values. All one has to do is examine with whom he aligned himself throughout his life and how they influenced him, and his philosophies and ideologies that malign and denigrate every aspect of God's moral law. By doing so, we are able to see the real man who holds the highest office in our nation. If his grandparents did try to guide him in the right direction, they failed him by not closely guarding against his wanderings and his associations. The end result was the creation of a bully on the playground.

Yesterday, the Congress chose to resoundingly vote "NO" to Obama's request for $80 million to close the Guantanamo prison in Cuba until he gave them a clear and distinct plan on how he was to handle 240 detainees that want to wipe every American from the map. Today, Obama responded with a speech before the only audience left who are still feeding his twisted ego: civil rights groups and bleeding hearts who are incapable of seeing beyond their own altruistic eyeballs. He knows he has no support from the average sensible American. Even the ones who supported him in the election are beginning to have second thoughts, as was evident in the number of their votes against his proposal. Obama was told "NO" in no uncertain terms, and he does not like it.

What we saw from Obama today was the return of a spoiled child who throws a hissy fit when he does not get his own way. Because it is impossible for a megalomaniac to ever accept responsibility, or to admit when he is wrong, his only reaction is to point the finger of blame at every one else. He stomped his feet and wailed for 25 of the 30-minute speech on how all of this was the Bush Administration's fault and that it had been thrown in his lap and he was only trying to fix it. He accused the previous Administration of having a knee-jerk reaction to 9/11 and that "fear rather than foresight" drove them to do the inhumane, causing America to go "off course". Instead of lauding the Bush Administration for effectively protecting and defending America from other attacks, Obama continued his rhetorical tirade against their success. After all, it was theirs, not his, and he does not like that, either.

The immaturity, ignorance, and unholy pride of this President deeply disturbs me. It should disturb every American that values his or her freedom from tyranny. Obama is moving this once-glorious nation to ruin, leading her as a child would lead a bunch of misfits into bad behavior and trouble. No matter how many times this child is told "NO", he will do as he pleases until he either brings himself down, or takes everyone along with him.

Father Knows Best

Television was much different while I was growing up. The media was relatively new to households but it didn't take long for it to become a sweeping sensation. Funny little black and white television sets with tubes that would burn out and need replacing filled the living rooms of homes all across the nation. Families would gather around them and watch wholesome programming such as "Red Skelton", "Leave It To Beaver", "Bonanza", and for a supernatural thrill, "The Twilight Zone", to name just a few. Variety shows such as "The Ed Sullivan Show" brought The Beatles to American television. After school, my sister and I would rush home to watch "The Mickey Mouse Club". Children sang, danced, and entertained with skits and there was always a moral message at the end of the program.

But one sitcom that sticks out in my mind the most was called "Father Knows Best."  Perhaps it is just the title of the show that prods memories to the surface, but the show portrayed the average American family; a hard-working father, a stay-at-home mother whose job it was to care for the household and children, and a son and two daughters who were respectful and obedient to their parents. There were values and morals written into the scripts of programming in the 1950's, much different than what we see on today's television screens. I find myself being very cautious over what I will allow my grandchildren to watch while they are visiting. Their parents made a choice not to have regular television in the house. Instead, they purchase DVD's of shows and movies they know will not subject their children to controversial issues that are contrary to God's values. The outcome has been pleasing because the kids spend more time outside letting their healthy imaginations dictate their play, much like it was for my sister and me.

Just as the father in the above-mentioned program was kept aware of his childrens' antics and responded accordingly, our Father is also aware of our comings and goings.

"From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind; from His dwelling place He watches all who live on earth - He who forms the hearts of all, Who considers everything they do."

Psalm 33:13-15 

Nothing we do escapes His notice. Our Father in heaven sits in front of His big "TV screen" and observes our lives. And when we do misbehave, He is sure to know about it and dole out the necessary correction to bring us back into line.

Although it did not take long for sin to assume controlling interest in television and movies, I am thankful for the brief childhood moment of sanity and wholesomeness we experienced. We were made better people by the lessons we learned both from our parents and the shows we watched. Like the characters in our childhood television shows, if we had been left to ourselves without necessary discipline, we most certainly would have made a bigger mess out of things than we already have.

So, if there is ever any question as to whether or not we are doing the right thing, or which life path we should take, just remember... our Father knows best!