Important Current Event - Final Shuttle Launch

Yesterday at Cape Canaveral at a little after 11:29 am, the Space Shuttle Atlantis lifted off for the last time - the Shuttle program's 135th and final launch. Reaching speeds of 17,500 miles per hour, it headed for orbit and a rendezvous with the International Space Station. 355 astronauts from 16 different nations have flown on Space Shuttle missions over the last 30 years.

Our great Nation's Space program has been a cornerstone of America's greatness during the past half century. President John F. Kennedy recognized the role the Space program played in American exceptionalism in a 1962 speech at Rice University: “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.” This competitive urge seems to be missing these days. Our Nation seems resigned to the idea (not a fact, mind you) that we our a Nation in graceful decline. The end of the Space program is representative of that malaise (there's that word again). We must resist that feeling and that complacency and continue to strive to do great things. Some say that private enterprise will take over space exploration and do it even better than NASA has. We hope that is true and that government regulation doesn't stymie that effort.

This Day in History- Construction of the Hoover Dam Begins

On this day in 1930, workers began to build the Hoover Dam. Five years and 21,000 workers later this project would be completed. It would become the biggest dam of its time. Arthur Powell Davis, an engineer, had the idea for the Hoover Dam 28 years before construction began.

The Hoover Dam is currently the 2nd highest dam in the country and ranks 18th highest in the world. The energy it generates in a year serves over 1 million people. A great example of American exceptionalism when it was built, America must regain the spirit that resulted in great projects such as this one.

Historical Site - Hermitage

Located in Davidson County, Tennessee, Andrew Jackson's plantation is now a historical site and museum.

Facts about the Hermitage:

- The area of Davidson County surrounding the plantation is named Hermitage.

- The Hermitage was one of the sites of filming for the movie Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier.

- The home was remodeled in 1831, while Jackson presided in the White House.

- The tomb of Andrew and his wife, Rachel, is located in the Hermitage garden.

- On May 5, 1863 Union troops neared the grounds of Hermitage. Go here to read an excerpt of one soldier's account (actual spelling and grammar as it was).

Bad Guy of the Week - Bashar Al-Assad

In the midst of protests against the government of Syria, Hillary Clinton claimed that Assad was a different type of leader than his father and, in a mealy-mouthed way, talked about the perception that he was a "reformer." She backed off those statements very quickly after a firestorm of criticism rained down from both sides of the political aisle. Just to set the record straight, Bashar Assad is NOT a reformer. In fact, like last week's Bad Guy (Che Guevara) he is a murderer and a thug. Here are some facts to support that claim:

- Long-time ally and puppet of the terror masters in Iran.
- Permitted access to Syria to terrorist groups that were funding and arming jihadists crossing into Iraq to kill our soldiers.
- Supporter and collaborator with Hezbollah in their war against Israel.
- Very likely directed assassination against popular Lebanese and ant-Syrian politician, Rafik Hariri.
- Collaborator with North Korea on a covert Nuclear weapons facility that the Israelis, thankfully, destroyed in 2007.
- Nearly 1,500 government protectors have been murders by his henchmen (with help from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard) in the last few months.

John Bolton, former US Ambassador to the UN and good guy, gave a speech entitled "Beyond the Axis of Evil" in 2002 which added Syria, Libya and Cuba to President Bush's Axis of Evil.

Make no mistake about it, Assad is a very bad guy and one of our enemies. The world would be a better place without him.

Good Guy of the Day - Calvin Coolidge

It is appropriate that today, Independence Day, is also the birthday of President Ronald Reagan's favorite President, Calvin Coolidge. "Silent Cal" is also the only president born on the Fourth of July. The Heritage Foundation calls Coolidge "one of the most eloquent defenders of America’s principles" and if you take some time to read about him you will certainly agree. Here is what Coolidge said about the Declaration of Independence: “"It is often asserted that the world has made a great deal of progress since 1776, that we have had new thoughts and new experiences which have given us a great advance over the people of that day, and that we may therefore very well discard their conclusions for something more modern. But that reasoning can not be applied to this great charter. If all men are created equal, that is final. If they are endowed with inalienable rights, that is final. If governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, that is final. No advance, no progress can be made beyond these propositions. If anyone wishes to deny their truth or their soundness, the only direction in which he can proceed historically is not forward, but backward toward the time when there was no equality, no rights of the individual, no rule of the people. Those who wish to proceed in that direction can not lay claim to progress. They are reactionary. Their ideas are not more modern, but more ancient, than those of the Revolutionary fathers."

A President who mouthed those words had to be pretty good - especially if he believed them, which Cal apparently did. That's how he governed. He believed very firmly that if it ain't broke, you don't have to fix it - and during his term in office, everything was going pretty well. He probably also believed that if it does appear to be broke (free market-wise) it will probably fix itself. Maybe if he had stayed around for another term, we would not have had to deal with the Great Depression.

Constitution Sunday - The Constitution Matters

Linked below is a (typically) powerful Thomas Sowell article. He makes some very important points in a short article in terms that everyone can understand. The main takeaways from this article about the Constitution are these:

The American Revolution was more than just our own Revolution against the King of England. It was a Revolution against a form of government in which a small ruling cadre decided how much freedom would be permitted the people.

- Our fundamental document, the Constitution (of course), begins with the three words “We the People.” Other nations have Constitutions, but none begin with the fundamental and underlying premise that the government draws its power from the people – not the other way around. Progressives and liberals don’t feel particularly fond about the Constitution because it restrains them from planning the lives of the unwashed masses (we, the people).

- Since the early 20^th century, so-called progressives have been trying to discredit the Constitution and water down its power. Their arguments have not changed since those days and they are still as feeble. They say, always, that the Constitution did not foresee all the technological advancements of the modern age and that because of that it is obsolete. Thomas Sowell (and I) say “nonsense!” And here I will quote Mr. Sowell directly: “A constitution exists to create a framework for government — and the Constitution of the United States tries to keep the government inside that framework.” He goes on to refute Time Magazine’s claim that the Constitution does not limit government by stating the 10^th amendment, which makes clear the founders’ intent that the federal government would be limited to those powers given to it by the people (we, the people – remember?). These are the enumerated powers.

- More than anything else, the Constitution has ensured our freedom and our exceptionalism. Read it today – and read it to your kids!

Read the whole article here.

Quote of the Day- President Lincoln on the Declaration of Independence

"They (the Founding Fathers) meant to set up a standard maxim for free society, which should be familiar to all, and revered by all; constantly looked to, constantly labored for, and even though never perfectly attained, constantly approximated, and thereby constantly spreading and deepening its influence, and augmenting the happiness and value of life to all people of all colors everywhere.” - President Abraham Lincoln