Entries Tagged 'America' ↓

Maggie Gallagher tells about a study showing that Americans feel less free to express themselves, less than they did in the McCarthy era of the allegedly conformist 1950’s. In 1954, 13% of Americans feared expressing themselves openly. Now, 24%–nearly a fourth–do not feel free to say what is on their minds. Is this due to the supposed erosion of civil liberties after 9/11? No. The culprit appears to be the “politically-correct” speech codes of the left.

The groups that feel most restricted are “fundamentalists” and those who oppose abortion. And they are right to feel that way. The study found that 39% of Americans would support a government ban against religious fundamentalists holding “public rallies and demonstrations in your community to advance their cause.”

Gallagher quotes the author of the study: “More than one-half of these mainstream groups believe they cannot exercise full political freedom in the United States today,” Mr. Gibson writes. “It is also noteworthy that the respondents least likely to perceive repression are those sympathetic toward gay rights activists and atheists.”

Andrew Sullivan sees Mike Huckabee and Barack Obama, the two victors in Iowa, as manifesting the same theme:

Look at their names: Huckabee and Obama. Both came from nowhere - from Arkansas and Hawaii. Both campaigned as human beings, not programmed campaign robots with messages honed in focus groups. Both faced powerful and monied establishments in both parties. And both are running two variants on the same message: change, uniting America again, saying goodbye to the bitterness of the polarized past, representing ordinary voters against the professionals. Neither has been ground down by long experience, but neither is a neophyte.

You have a Republican educated in a Bible college; and a Democrat who is the most credible African-American candidate for the presidency in history. Their respective margins were far larger than most expected. And the hope they have unleashed is palpable.
That hope is not just about their parties. It is about America. America’s ability to move forward, to unite, to get past the bitter red-and-blue past. That’s what the next generation wants. And they now seem motivated enough to get it.

Still more from Gallup: A recent poll on how many Americans believe in Evolution, Creationism, and Intelligent Design.

A mere 18% believe that evolution is “definitely true,” while 39% believe that the Bible’s creation account is “definitely true.” (Other responses were about shades of “probably true” or “probably false.”)

From another angle, 14% believe that man developed with no guidance from God; 38% believe that man developed but with God’s guidance (apparently reflecting some version of theistic evolution); and 43% believing that God created man in his present form. (4% offered no opinion.)

What is linked above is raw data, going into much more detail and with a range of related questions and comparisons, so feel free to offer your own analysis.

Floyd Bass, ex-Mormon, said this in a comment on this blog:

The Mormons (especially the early ones) believe that the U.S. Constitution was inspired by their god for the main purpose of providing a country in which Mormonism could flourish.

They also believe (somewhat unofficially, but Joe Smith or Brigham Young said it, which makes it almost inspired) that when the Constitution was ‘hanging by a thread’ (whatever that means) that a Mormon would assume some kind of high office in this country and rescue it. This event is a precursor to their Jesus’ return to establish a 1000-year earthly kingdom (I suppose he would become president? King of the U.S.?).
Draw what conclusion you will from this.

Can anyone confirm this? Would a Romney presidency be a fulfillment of Mormon prophecy?

That huge ice storm is devastating America’s heartland, having killed 23 people, mostly in traffic accidents. But it has hit Oklahoma especially hard. Everything has been encased with nearly an inch of ice, which is more weight than trees and power lines can bear. The president has declared the state a disaster area.

I heard that two-thirds of the state is without power, and it may be an entire week before it is restored. My parents have been without electricity since Sunday. My sister, amazingly, had hers come on again on Monday, so they have moved in with her. She tells me that my home town of Vinita looks like a tornado has hit: The big hundred-year-old trees are down and in many cases have fallen on cars and houses. Utility poles have broken, with power lines lying in the streets.

My sister said that power company workers are here from all over the country working to put up the power infrastructure again. Clanton’s Cafe has opened so as to feed them. A gas station and some grocery stores are running generators and have managed to open. Everyone in town, as one would expect in small town America, is pulling together.

I’m thankful my family is OK, but many are in a bad way. The cleanup will be a massive job. I’ll be going there over Christmas break.

I realize that it may be futile to ask for reports, since people without electricity can hardly get online, but if you were affected and can post, please tell us how you are doing. The ice did not just hit Oklahoma but also nearly the whole midwest. It’s not a hurricane, but it is a devastating natural disaster all the same. The rest of us might pray for the folks going through this.

UPDATE: Here is a good overview of what has happened to Oklahoma, with a perfect quotation from a member of a clean-up crew: “This is a category 5 hurricane in Oklahoma.”

When something bad happens, it always comes as a surprise.