Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr Wants to Suspend Constitution

History is a tough thing. There are so many adages. History repeats itself. If you don’t remember history you are doomed. We have a history together.

You may or may not know, but I am on the board of the National World War Two Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana. Lots of people say it’s “an honor” to do this or that, but to me this is an amazing privilege and opportunity to do something good for some people, and my country.

James Altucher and other popular bloggers say you need to bleed a little when you blog. Maybe I haven’t done enough bleeding. But I’ll bleed a little here.

I hooked up with the museum via a friend of mine who is also on the board. Funny thing is, I have been interested in World War Two my entire life. I read, no devoured, books about it. In fifth grade, I gave a speech about it in front of my class.

You know those tests that you take to figure out what the hell you want to do with your life in high school? I took one. In the top three things on the list for me was “cadet at a military academy”.

My first college: US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. Got a basketball scholarship to go there. Dropped out after Beast Barracks. One of the more stupider things I have done in my life. As the car drove away from the Academy, I knew I had made a huge mistake that in some ways I have not forgiven myself for today.

Instead of failing, I created failure. Big difference. Fast forward 30 years to today.

This opportunity came up for me in my life. I serve on a board with some really neat people. But you don’t have to serve on the board to help. Keep reading, you’ll see how. I need some answers.

One of the things that history museums have difficulty doing is connecting with the future. How do you do it?

I truly believe that of all the conflicts that the world has seen among man, World War Two was one of, if not the most important. Even though it happened seventy years ago, it affects the kids that are going to be born tomorrow. How do you make it alive for today? What would you teach them? How do you make a museum relevant for them? How do you get them to interact with history and get the word out? I don’t know the answers. I leave it to you, the reader, to give me suggestions.

As a board member, I get the chance to hear stories. Truly, you cannot believe some of the things that I have seen and heard. Not necessarily gross battle stories. We hear those. But more stories of hope. I get the chance to touch history that few get the opportunity to do. I met a women that was an integral part of the French Resistance. I got to meet Walt Ehlers. I took him on the floor of the CME unannounced and trading stopped. People hugging him. A genuine outpouring of emotion. When he gets to Chicago, I get the chance to spend some time with him. How lucky is that? But, more importantly, how can other people(you) get the chance to spend time with a person like Walt without him being there? Without being able to interact and touch him? How can they be touched by Walt? Or, their great grandparents may have been soldiers that didn’t earn medals. How can they appreciate the sacrifice, and what they did even though those citizen soldiers are no longer walking among us?

I ask you-what about today? What would you do? How would you communicate the story, and more importantly, how would you engage people?

The other ghost that always dances in the background is the almighty dollar. These things don’t run for free. Museums need to raise money to meet their budgets and carry out their missions.

How do you engage people across the world, and raise money to support the museum, all at the same time? Raising money is tough because the “money raising game” is so crowded.

We are losing 700-900 WW2 vets per day. How do we get this built before they all become memories, just like the soldiers of the Civil and Revolutionary Wars? Or Caesar’s legions? As MacArther said, “Old soldiers never die, they just fade away.” In some ways I don’t think he was referring to himself. He was referring to the lessons of history. The battles those soldiers fought for whatever they were fighting for…those fade. At least I can confidently say, American soldiers went to battle to fight for freedom. Even in unpopular wars, they laid down their lives for the cause of freedom. Not to get more taxes or take imperial territory. So that’s a good thing-even if the death that happens during wars is terrible. Building this museum is too important for me to fail at. I am not going to do that. So, I ask, what would you do?

By the way, the museum gets very little government money. It’s run just like a start up. Most of the money is private donations. The other unique thing about it is the fact that they situated it in New Orleans. The reason they did that is Nick Mueller and Stephen Ambrose were best friends and professors of history at the University of New Orleans. Eisenhower said the Higgins boat won the war for us. Higgins boats were built in New Orleans. Ironically, my grandfather was a welder in the New Orleans shipyard during World War Two. That’s why it is where it is.

Good thing Col. House didn't have to write for a living. That book is cliched, maudlin, turgid, and overly didactic, all at the same time. When you have an old Kentucky home, a white-haired aged mother and an old hound dog in the first two pages, you know things are going straight to perdition.

I would say it reminds me of Rand's style, but all the Atlas Shrugged fans would be all over me. :-D They actually are quite similar in intent -- using purported fiction to set forth political ideas. House and Wilson eventually had a heated falling out -- the first I ever heard of Philip Dru was in an article in American Heritage magazine, years ago -- "The Colonel's Dream of Power".

That was back when AH was a GOOD history magazine under Bruce Catton and hadn't gone all liberal. (I just went to the site looking for the title of the article, and there -- featured on the homepage -- was an adulatory, nay, idolatrous article from 2009 comparing Obama to Martin Luther King and just slobbering over the thought of how much greater Obama was going to be . . . . !!!!!)

Now, if you want a story that really fits this title, here is an oldie but goodie from Newsmax, November 7, 2000:

With Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff

For the story behind the story...

Tuesday November 7, 2000; 9:37 AM ET
Jesse Jackson Jr. Says Church Politicking 'Supersedes the Law'
It may be against federal election law to campaign in church. But for Democrats seeking to get out the vote in minority districts, politicking from the pulpit has become indispensable.
In the last days of this year's campaign, Vice President Al Gore, Senate candidate Hillary Clinton and her husband have all made regular appearances at African-American and Hispanic churches.
Even when parishioners objected to Mrs. Clinton campaigning from the altar at a Rochester, N.Y., Catholic church last week, the rules were not enforced. Those who didn't like it were simply ejected by police while the first lady continued her campaign speech.
Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., whose namesake is both a reverend and one of the Democratic Party's most vocal boosters, was challenged on the issue Monday during a Tennessee radio interview on WLAC-AM by "Nashville This Morning" hosts Steve Gill and Terry Hopkins.
GILL: Let me ask you about this. It's against IRS regulations for politicians to campaign from the pulpit. Why are these politicians campaigning in black churches?
JACKSON: I'm not totally convinced that's true in the African-American community. Certainly there's a separation of church and state. But in our community there's little distinction between our religion and our politics. ... And so in many African-American churches born out of experience in this country, the role of the churches has evolved into a very, very active political institution which has been very effective for a number of causes in the black community.
HOPKINS: And that supersedes the law?
JACKSON: Absolutely. Oh, absolutely.

Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:
Presidential Race 2000

In 2003, this story popped back up on Newsmax, covering the same topic.

From the NewsMax.com Staff

For the story behind the story...

Thursday, June 3, 2004
Only Democrats Are Allowed to Campaign in Churches
Anti-religious zealots and hypocrites who don't object when the likes of John Kerry and Al Sharpton and Bill Clinton and Al Gore and Jesse Jackson and Jimmy Carter campaign in churches are feigning outrage that President Bush dares to do the same thing.
An e-mail from Luke Bernstein of the Bush-Cheney campaign's office in Pennsylvania asks churchgoers to organize "Friendly Congregations" to promote the president's re-election.
"I'd like to ask if you would like to serve as a coordinator in your place of worship," the message says. "We plan to undertake activities such as distributing general information/updates or voter registration materials in a place accessible to the congregation."
Kevin Madden, a spokesman for the campaign, said: "People of faith feel strongly about the president, are people we want to be part of our campaign. This message is intended to be from individual to individual. This is organizing with individuals who may be members of a church who we hope to identify as supporters and be part of our efforts."

The Internal Revenue Service supposedly bans tax-exempt organizations such as churches from politicking, but Jackson and other Democrats have violated that regulation for decades with impunity. Kerry has recently campaigned and staged photo opportunities at several churches. The New York Times and wire stories attacking the Bush campaign's strategy today refused to mention those facts.

How dare Republicans do what Democrats are allowed to do. Barry Lynn, head of a group that calls itself Americans United for Separation of Church and State, raged, "I have never in my life seen such a direct campaign to politicize American churches."
Editor's note:

The REAL Story on John Kerry: A Special Investigation – Click Here

The REAL Story on John Kerry: A Special Investigation – Click Here

Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:
2004 Elections
DNC
George W. Bush
Media Bias
Sen. John Kerry

-PJ

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.