I regret that I have lost some of my valued readers and my subscription rate did decline, but I have become somewhat thankful for the downtime that affected this site. What the lull in activity eventually caused within me was an introspective look at what I was really doing here and where I was heading with Uncommon History.

As I looked back over the past year of posts, I realized that I was doing something fundamentally wrong in regards to my love for history. Rather than looking back at history with an objective lens and reporting on what I found, what I was actually doing, in essence, was walking backwards.

Walking backwards, in real life, can be potentially hazardous, not only to the person engaged in the activity, but also to innocent bystanders. When you are looking at where you have been instead of where you are going, it is inevitable that somewhere along the line you are either going to trip and hurt yourself or you are going to run into someone else, thereby causing them injury.

It really is no different in what I was beginning to do with this site and what many others are doing in ever growing numbers. Rather than forging a new road forward, those of us who were “walking backwards” were digging up traces of trail markers from the past and declaring those to be the only acceptable paths forward. The only word that comes to my mind now in thinking about that kind of behavior is; archaic.

Is it wrong to look backwards? Certainly not! We should always consider looking behind us to see where we came from, but the error is thinking that just because we came from this place or that, that we should continue to make the same decisions with the same criteria. There is, in my opinion, an inherent danger in looking at how people did things in the past and saying to ourselves. “Hey, that’s how they did it, so should we.”

To be more specific, as a Christian myself, I have seen the battles over faith in the past few years as dangerous. I am not alone in this observation and many people have taken up the charge to try to engage in this battle. The problem is that it seems that many of these people are utilizing the very same tactics that are being used against them.

The interpretation of history can be a very tricky business and historians should be very wary of peeling off a layer here and a layer there in order to create their own “Photoshop” version of history. While it is rarely possible to completely remove personal bias from any such scholarly work, every effort should be made to minimize it.

Case in point: The faith of our forefathers

Can we, with all information available to us today, be able to reconstruct with 100% certainty the very thoughts of those who founded this nation? I am sure we can come close, but to take a letter here and a letter there, compile them together and then declare with absolute knowledge that our findings are the infallible truth? I do not think so.

Can we instead draw a conclusion that this person or that person was or was not a Christian, an atheist or a believer in some other faith? I think we can do so, and it is acceptable to make those efforts.

The danger that I see facing us today is (and I have been as guilty about it as anyone else) is that we are saying things like “George Washington was a devout Christian and so we as a nation must live as Christians did in his time.” I don’t think for one minute that President Washington was sending that kind of message to his future countrymen.

Yes, I believe our nation has entered a critical time in which we have been losing our identity and wandering down some dangerous paths. That said, I don’t think we should strike forward by facing our backs to the future. We should be engaged in the study of history, but not for the sake of dredging up ritual and dogma.

The men and women of our past were not supernatural, infallible beings. Those people were borne of courage and fortitude, determined to strike a NEW way forward. The people who braved death at the end of a rope sought to free themselves from the very things many historians are trying to impose upon us today. Fear of the future should never be an excuse to lynch a nation by the ropes of the past. No, I say we look within ourselves and work together to forge a new pathway forward. We can still look toward the past with admiration and reverence, but to use small portions of the past as ammunition to fight our supposed enemies will only result in continued chaos.

We need leaders who can stand on moral principles, but lead us forward out of the rubble and ashes of a contentious past. Christian leaders, too, should refrain from idolizing the heroes of our past, but should instead realize that these people were looking for forward-thinking ideas. They were heroes because they unleashed themselves from the past way of thinking in order to create something completely new and different. Let us not now get stuck in the mire that they died to free us from.

Apparently I garnered the attention of someone with genuine hacking skills that for whatever reason doesn’t like my sites. I have been combating attacks against all of my blogs since August. Past attacks were a nuisance, but the attacker shifted his strategy in this latest round and did quite a number on all my blogs. So much so that Google had classified all of my sites to be malicious attack sites and blocked them.

The amount of time I have for blogging the last few weeks has been spent defending the site, cleaning up malicious code and making efforts to tighten security. I don’t know if all that I have done will be enough to keep this anonymous coward away from me again, but for now things are back to normal.

I remember saying and hearing this so many times when I was a child. Surprisingly, or perhaps not so much, I continue to hear this same verbiage from adults today. The fact is, it simply is not so. “Free” may be the root word in freedom, but Americans and those found within our borders are not free to do whatever whenever to whoever. We are not a lawless country which is what that childish statement would seem to construe. In fact, we have a very clear set of laws that are based upon our constitution. Some laws may be harder to understand than others, but when one breaks a law, it becomes clear they have done so when they are caught in the act.

Excerpt from US Constitution Online
The Constitution does protect the freedom of speech of every citizen, and even of non-citizens — but only from restriction by the Congress (and, by virtue of the 14th Amendment, by state legislatures, too). There are plenty of other places where you could speak but where speech can and is suppressed. For example, freedom of speech can be and often is restricted in a work place, for example: employers can restrict your right to speak in the work place about politics, about religion, about legal issues, even about Desperate Housewives. The same restrictions that apply to the government do not apply to private persons, employers, or establishments. For another example, the government could not prohibit the sale of any newspaper lest it breech the freedom of the press. No newsstand, however, must carry every paper against its owners’ wishes.”

This issue is not one that is easily resolved, yet there continue to be discussions that skirt real and true threats. While it is understood that yelling “Fire!” in a crowded theater when there is no fire is not protected speech, what is understood when someone publicly claims they are out to destroy America?

Where is the understanding of national security and national sovereignty when the very lives of American citizens and the laws that govern them are threatened within American borders. Is this kind of diatribe protected as free speech?

I delineate a difference between someone in America saying that they hate America and someone else saying that they are going to destroy America. One is an opinion and the other is a threat. There is a greatly stark difference between the two. What are our laws for if not to defend us against real and dangerous threats?

The First Amendment, adopted on December 15, 1791:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Treason as defined by the US Code, TITLE 18 | PART I | CHAPTER 115 | Section 2381

Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason and shall suffer death, or shall be imprisoned not less than five years and fined under this title but not less than $10,000; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States.

Much has been said in recent days, months and years about the “threat” of Islam. Responses delve into a fight between religious factions, specifically Christianity vs. Islam. But I do not see the threats of Shariah Law as specifically called for by many Muslims as simply a threat against freedom of religion.

The United States of America is a country governed by a set of laws that are established by the United States Constitution. It is the SUPREME LAW OF THE LAND and no other law supersedes it. If some of the people within and without or borders get their way, the Constitution will be publicly burned and replaced with a set of laws that completely erase the freedoms and liberties we currently enjoy.

I believe it is way past time for Americans to wake up to a reality that their very way of life is being threatened, not by a religion, but by a foreign set of laws that seeks to overturn the very pillars of order and justice we understand and respect in America. This is NOT a battle of freedom of religion! This is a matter of free speech, government overthrow and national security.

Muslims are free and right to practice their religion within our borders and I have nothing against allowing and respecting that right. But threats against our legal code and our government are credible threats and should not be protected as freedom of speech.

 

George Washington
	Born: 02/22/1732
	Died: 12/14/1799
	Religion: Episcopal	Patriot: A person who loves, supports, and defends his or her country and its interests with devotion.
Positions Held: 1st US President, Commander-in-Chief (Continental Army), 2nd Continental Congress Delegate, 1st Continental Congress Delegate

There are perhaps few men who have been studied more than George Washington. His dedication to the founding and defense of the United States has gone almost completely unquestioned until recent years. While it is not possible to undo years of questionable smear tactics committed against our Founding Fathers, this serves only as an introduction so that you can begin to search out the truth for yourself. There really is no reason to rely on the information handed to you by others when you are capable of deriving your own opinion through reading and discernment.

Perhaps the greatest degree of character assassination upon public figures such as George Washington boils down to simple trivialities. When certain aspects of Washington’s life are removed from the context of the world in which he lived and the people he associated with, such singular aspects take on a larger-than-life appeal to some scholars and an overinflated superhero to others.

Whatever your opinion of George Washington is today, we could all learn many important lessons from the man who led a fledgling volunteer force to victory over a supreme world power. Inspiration and leadership are qualities we all seek today, not because we are inept at leading our own lives, but because deep down we all want someone or something that we can believe in. Such heroes are conspicuously missing from our current day and time.

Many of us have been led to believe, also, that Mr. Washington, along with a majority of our Founders, were nothing more that aristocratic white men with a thirst for their own power and dominion. It has been rumored about that our nation’s first president was a deist and not as fond of Christian beliefs as history portends. Why is it so that there remain so many offended by virtue that they would destroy the virtue of men and women who can no longer physically defend themselves.

I submit now a challenge to the naysayers. Simply to prove their attempts at rewriting our history not simply by trying, but with facts instead of hearsay or propaganda.

George Washington was not a god, nor was he as a man of perfection, but he was honorable and a person of virtue. His politics were not self-serving and his patriotism is without question.

As commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, General Washington had much to say about the degradation of morale due in part to a reduction of virtue. It was Washington that instituted the practice of assigning Christian chaplains to the ranks of his men for the sake of their well-being. He commissioned the building of military chapels and instituted regular worship services to be attended not only by the enlisted men, but the officers as well.

These things written, and the things you will read, are not meant to turn your head towards the past in order to return our nation to the rudimentary existence as it was in the beginning. We have come a long way and have overcome many failings that were left to us as an inheritance. Even so, the basic principles set for us in our political founding are rooted in good intentions. It is right to eliminate the failings of a system that did not face the complexities of our day, but in the doing so we should not disregard the character of the men and women who laid down such a foundation. We should not throw everything out for the sake of positive change.

Selected George Washington Quotes

• It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible.
• Laws made by common consent must not be trampled on by individuals.
• Let us raise a standard to which the wise and honest can repair; the rest is in the hands of God.
• Arbitrary power is most easily established on the ruins of liberty abused to licentiousness.
• Associate with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation; for it is better to be alone than in bad company.
• Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.
• Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence.
• Experience teaches us that it is much easier to prevent an enemy from posting themselves than it is to dislodge them after they have got possession.
• Firearms are second only to the Constitution in importance; they are the peoples’ liberty’s teeth.
• Happiness and moral duty are inseparably connected.
• I can only say that there is not a man living who wishes more sincerely than I do to see a plan adopted for the abolition of slavery.
• If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.
• Over grown military establishments are under any form of government inauspicious to liberty, and are to be regarded as particularly hostile to republican liberty.
• The Constitution is the guide which I never will abandon.
• The constitution vests the power of declaring war in Congress; therefore no offensive expedition of importance can be undertaken until after they shall have deliberated upon the subject and authorized such a measure.
• The marvel of all history is the patience with which men and women submit to burdens unnecessarily laid upon them by their governments.
• The time is near at hand which must determine whether Americans are to be free men or slaves.
• We should not look back unless it is to derive useful lessons from past errors, and for the purpose of profiting by dearly bought experience.
• Worry is the interest paid by those who borrow trouble.

On June 26, 2011, a new media company, Colony Bay Productions, debuted their inaugural foray into the field of historical research and portrayal. The premiere occurred without much national fanfare as I only today learned of this new venture while reading through various entries on Michael Aubrecht’s. BLOG or Die!

I find myself in agreement with Colony Bay Productions when they say, “Americans need their story!” For far too long revisionists have written their profane slants upon our nation’s history and it is past due time for those with the courage to stand up and fight back with well researched films and media.

As stated by The Hollywood Reporter (cited in Aubrecht’s article), the two founders of COlony Bay Productions are James Patrick Riley and Jonathan Wilson. Both of them met while forming the Pasadena chapter for the Tea Party.

According to Colony Bay’s attractive website, “Colony Bay Productions is dedicated to telling the adventurous, heroic and exceptional story of America in a way that both challenges and inspires the audience. We’re a small group of professional filmmakers, writers, actors and editors who love the independent way of bringing the story to the public…”

While much room abounds for an authentic representation of the beginnings of our nation, there will certainly be a biased approach to Colony Bay Productions. But, as stated earlier, it is quite impossible to completely remove bias from one’s research and portrayal of far removed events. The reversal of modern historical opinions however may hinge on the success of companies such as this. Add to that the fact that many of us are looking for leadership and inspiration, Colony Bay Productions may have well indeed found an appropriate market.

Colony Bay’s Introduction to: “The Trevail of Sarah Pine”

Much has been bantered about regarding the deist characteristics of “Our Founding Fathers,” but as you will see in this list, there are very few who subscribed to that particular theology. Continuing conversations on the subject are an interesting and intellectually invigorating exercise, but it is important not to throw out just how important the Christian faith played in the process.

The founders all came from varied denominational and theological viewpoints and as such were very careful to ensure that no particular dogma reigned supreme in the political process and the eventual system of government. Freedom of religion was undoubtedly of paramount importance.

In fact, there are many instances of prayer being an important part of our early government:

The First Prayer in the United States Congress

Are you a citizen of the United States of America? If so, are you proud of your nation today? If you are not, what have you done (or not done) to help us to stay on our current course?

Some say that things have gone too far, that we have surpassed the tipping point in this country and that what has been done cannot be undone. Perhaps that is true in some ways, but utter nonsense in other ways.

It is NOT too late to stand up, to take a stand for your family, your friends and this nation! Do not lie down in a silent slumber and allow those who would subjugate you to do so at their own pleasure.

There are many steps that you and I can take to begin the process of civil disobedience and the first step is to stop letting yourself be lied to. We must all educate ourselves and by doing so we can stop allowing liberty swallowing thugs from telling us to believe their version of “truth.” We must reestablish our identity.

The doing so is not always easy, but we must do it. We must learn to rightly discern between what is truth and what is propaganda. It is an uncomfortable thing to question the things we used to trust, but it must be done. If you read, listen to or see something, even if it sounds good, if there is ANY doubt in your mind as to the authenticity of the information, it is your duty to educate yourself.

In saying this, I admit that I am the writer of this and other blogs and sometimes I get my information wrong. In this process of educating ourselves, we must be willing to educate others and that too poses an additional level of discomfort. In this current age of political correctness we have been conditioned to try, at almost any cost, not to offend anyone else. The end result has been an erosion of truth.

Rather than providing each other with enough room to be wrong, perhaps a better answer is to allow others to correct us when we are wrong, but to defend ourselves when we are right. There is a difference between civil discourse and divisive confrontation. Such civil discourse is a fading art that I believe we would all be wise to reawaken.

So how do we educate ourselves? We really do need to turn our televisions off more than we currently do and we need to pick up good books that illuminate truth more than propaganda. Rather than reading a fictional tale, why not pick up the original writings, or an accurate biography, of one of the founding fathers? I think that would be a great place to start.

Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources

The amount of information on the Civil War that I have been posting lately has decreased, and for good reason. While my personal passion and interest has remained within this particular time period, I believe it is time for a change of content on Uncommon History.

While the Civil War was indeed a pivotal moment that faced our citizenry, there is a more pressing matter that is once more dividing our nation and in a most striking fashion.

While there are many problems and issues that are affecting the United States of America today, what we are truly facing in this moment in time is a crisis of identity. As such, Uncommon History is going to switch gears and go back to where it all started. Therefore:

This is, I believe, a crucial discussion that needs to enter into public discourse. The  citizens of this nation are being asked to swallow the idea that the ideals and premises put forth by the founders of the United States of America are no longer valid. I, and many others, believe that such ideals and premises are the only path to true freedom and liberty.

It may be true that our nation currently faces crisis of monumental proportions, but it not due to the failure of our founding ideals. The failure has been one of morality and dedication to the upholding of these self-evident truths and the building blocks of our government.

I agree with all those who see our system failing before our very eyes, but the solution is not to abandon our guiding principles for that has what has gotten us to where we are today. Make no mistake, the road back to freedom and liberty is not an easy one, but the current path we are on is a road to subjugation and isolation.

Cast: Frank Lovejoy as Matt Cvetic,Dorothy Hart as Eve Merrick,Philip Carey as Mason,James Millican as Jim Blandon,Ron Hagerthy as Dick Cvetic,Paul Picerni as Joe Cvetic, Ed Hinton as Agent Jim Broderick (uncredited)

In This Episode, I Can’t Sleep, aired 04.30.1952:

Do you talk in your sleep or know someone who does? If so, has some hidden secret ever been divulged in the quiet of night? Now imagine you are an undercover FBI agent that has a problem with talking in your sleep. That could be a very dangerous weakness, especially if you are under suspicion already and have been sequestered overnight with a member of the very party you are helping to expose.

That is the dilemma  facing FBI agent Matthew Cvetic in this episode of “I was a Communist for the FBI.”

Listen Now:
I Can’t Sleep