My brain is Grand Central Station, a veritable beehive of activity. Ideas are easy, the imagination fertile. Filtering the truth: now, that's a challenge.
I believe that critical social justice ideology—which often operates
more like a religious theology—is contrary to Latter-day Saint beliefs
in profound ways and therefore should be of particular concern to
Latter-day Saints. Some reasons include the following:
It views immutable characteristics such as whiteness as shameful—a type of original sin. In her best-selling book White Fragility, Robin DiAngelo exhorts her white readers to follow her example in striving “to be less white.” She stated in a 2015 radio interview,
“Racism comes out of our pores as white people. It’s the way that we
are.” In addition to whiteness, characteristics such as being male,
heterosexual, cisgender, able-bodied, and so on may render one an
oppressor, regardless of his or her actions. By contrast, Latter-day
Saint theology explicitly disavows the concept of original sin. As the 2nd
Article of Faith states, “We believe that men will be punished for
their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression.” Similarly, Ezekiel
18:20 declares, “The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father,
neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son:
the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness
of the wicked shall be upon him.”
[See the complete article at the link for the LDS Mag, above]; do you agree with the author? Do you feel she did a good job covering the topic and expressing our ideals as church members?
https://www.heritage.org/:The Heritage Foundation invites readers to explore the issues. One page highlights the top issues, plus there are categories that list other other issues.
The "front page", however, features a "leading issue". For example, the current front page,or maybe it is just a guest column? Anyway, it is a quick read on this date, written by James Jay Carafano, staff writer. What if there had never been a 9/11?
It is Mr. Carafano's belief that funding from Russia was key in promoting the terrorist attack that for the most part, unexpected by the general populace. The first World Trade Center bombing was so ineffectual that very few red flags were raised. To read the rest of the article, please click on the link above. What you will get from me, now, are some of my reactions to J.J.C.'s article:
I am largely ignorant in matters of espionage and terrorism. I know as much about the 9/11 attack as the average American knows;
This being said, it sounds reasonable that what the article portends is probably correct. Or at least believable.
In 1999, we have the Congressional Report Hart-Rudman, which was largely ignored. It raised the topic of terrorist attacks in the homeland and if it had been taken seriously, we would have had a Homeland Security organization much sooner than we did. Even that report didn't encompass the the theory of a "large building" attack.
This network precipitated the formation of training camps being set up in Afghanistan by none other than Osama bin Laden.
I think that Carafano believes that it was the prescriptive withdrawal of troops, "a precipitive drawdown", in troubled areas that led to the continued training. He says that Afghanistan may well become another Vietnam.
This is concerning to me because President Trump has just ordered a further withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. However, this same author (Carafano) is expressing his belief that we have gotten the upper hand there? See https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/iraq-afghanistan-withdrawal-trump
Tuesday, September 08, 2020
From my dad, a letter to his mother: I wonder if he
ever mailed this letter, because I shouldn't be able to read it, unless
it is a copy. So is this a draft for the letter he sent? Or, was it so
personal, heartfelt and sincere that he decided not to send it?
26 February, 1964:
Dearest
Mom: At long last I have been able to get pen in hand to answer your
letter received some few days back. Just haven't felt up to it. After
my trip back from Mississippi (had a spell of car trouble which not only
cost me plenty but delayed me no end).
Went
by and spent a nite at Rudy's and had him accompany me on one of my
short safari's for souls. Went up by way of Collins, then back thru
Seminary where I felt sure we would run into some sign of the Hill's and
Basses'. But we didn't find anything in either place; (it was Sunday),
consequently all stores and courthouse at Collins was closed. So
didn't accomplish anything! I even believe "Rud" got the fever
(genealogy fever); he said a couple of times how disappointed he was
that we didn't find anything.
Well, you
know me! Next morning Rud had to help Rachel with various things, so I
lit out for Collins by myself. I decided that I would not venture up to
Decater this trip; it would have been far out of the way, and I had two
places in mind for Monday: Collins and Monticello...both county seats
for Covington and Lawrence counties, respectively. Monticello is where
Mariann Hill applied for the Pension in 1884; Mary Ann Bass was witness
on her application. They both, at that time, lived at Hooker, which has
now become a small place.
Covington
County was where I believe Isaac Hill lived with Mary Ann Bass. That
place is where he supposedly died. Well, my search in the records at
Collins produced a Nancy Hill as having bought, or applied and received a
piece of land from the government in Covington County; this was 1885. I
just suspect that her and William Bass separated and she went by her
maiden name, again. William Bass's name appears several times. I
neglected to look, my error, in marriage licenses for a clear indication
of just who was who!
Guess my efforts this
time produced a lot of preliminary findings which shall be fruitful
later on. I want to go back as soon as time, money, and Opal's health
permits.
Suppose you know that Aunt Annie is over in Pensacola for a short visit. Will drop her a few lines, tonight.
Yes
I found where Grandma Hill (Lydia King) is buried. Okahola Cemetery!
Went by and had a real fine visit with Joel, his wife, his boys by his
first wife and we talked about all of our kin folks.
Joel
mentioned that his dad mentioned Silver Creek, Mississippi, many times
and said that is where the Hill's came from. That is in Lawrence
County, where Mariann applied for the pension in 1884. [Dad repeating
himself, here]. Mom, do you recall Papa ever telling about that part of
the country? Well, I found out where Grandpa John M. Hill lived, and
where he is buried, too. He married...[document ends here; there may be
another page somewhere]...
Note from moi: "Rud" (or Rudy) is my dad's brother.
From FamilySearch.org, I'm reminded that his full name is Earl Rudolph Hill. 15 July 1909 – 20 September 1997 •
"Rachel is Rudolph's wife, mother of my cousin, Laman". [Will try to find a photo]
