Skip to main content

Uncle Richard's Sage Advice

Joe's uncle, Richard "Dick" Miller, ran a good race for the Kansas State House of Representatives. We have mixed emotions; in that since he lost, he might have time in the next year to hop in the RV and head to the Carolina's for a visit. Kansas State's loss is our gain. He was found too conservative to garner the support of the local media...but fought a good door to door fight getting out and getting to know people! I have enjoyed "living" his campaign experiences. I am quoting his weekly article to the Manhattan newspaper...a column entitled "Thoughts from the Prairie". I am so thankful he is a part of my children's legacy!


Thoughts from the Prairie
by Dick Miller
Now What?

The view out of my window as I reminisce and write about the past five months is very similar to that at the last house I visited last night on the campaign trail. The sun was just setting in a splash of color as I rang the last doorbell. After a warm greeting, we chatted briefly about the peaceful view of the prairie in front of her house. I asked for her vote, she wished me luck and I turned and closed the book on another campaign. I was sharing that moment with another resident who reminded me of another difference between my opponent and me. “We saw his face on the billboards; we saw your face at our front door,” he said. That would have made a good campaign ad don’t you think? By the time you read this you will know which method was more effective.
Speaking of hindsight, it seems to me the ultimate reason for the Governor’s veto of the Kansas Energy plan is now obvious in light of the recent disclosure of Obama’s verdict on coal-fired power plants in a statement he made in January 2008: “If someone wants to build a coal-fired plant, they can. Its just that it will bankrupt them,” Obama told a reported. With Governor Sebelius’s eyes focused on a possible VP selection, she could not allow a coal-fired plant to be built in Kansas, now could she? I better be careful, I could become another “Joe the plumber!”
The liberal agenda espoused during this campaign looks to me as if its crafter read William J. H. Boetcker’s “The Ten Cannots” and did the exact opposite. Boetcker (1873-1962), an immigrant from Germany, became an eloquent motivational speaker, and is often regarded as the forerunner of contemporary "success coaches." The Ten Cannots phamplet was published in 1916 and quoted by Presidents Linclon and Reagan. I thought it might be worthwhile to recite them again.
“You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot help small men by tearing down big men. You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer. You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatreds. You cannot establish security on borrowed money. You cannot build character and courage by taking away a man's initiative and independence. You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.”

These Ten Cannots describe the essence of a constitutional republican system of government and a free enterprise, capitalistic business environment replete with personal freedom, the antitheses of the Obama doctrine.
Well, excuse me while I go to Republican headquarters to see if I am going to the OK Coral or to visit our grandchildren…..

It is now 11 PM election night. I am back at the ranch and our grandchildren say they are really anxious for us to get there. At this point I don’t know the final score, but it was far enough along for me to call your representative and congratulate him. Jenny and I thank all who worked so diligently so we could give you a clear choice. We have no regrets and believe we accomplished our mission. Other than being confirmed as ‘being too conservative” for the local media endorsement team, the next best part of the campaign was praying for God to “bless your house and keep it safe” as I approached your house then meeting so many of you as you welcomed me at your front door. You cannot imagine how delightful that was and it sustained me during six and sometime eight hours on the trail.
Now it is time to get back to what we were doing in June, get our personal affairs in order and brace for the socialistic tsunami if a liberal majority controls all three branches of government. Unfortunately, we are all in the same boat and the narcissistic liberals are so preoccupied with illusionary hope and change that we are about to crash on the breakers of realism because, as
James Madison predicted, "Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm." But as all good soldiers, we shall rest and heal and then rise to rejoin the fray. Let Freedom Ring-Again!
and well, that's probably all I have to say about that.

Comments

Lynn Cross said…
Boy, am I sorry Uncle Richard lost! Great article. I have never heard of the 10 cannots but well said. We are all bracing for the next round, what ever that might be. I am glad God is still on His throne. Love, Lynn

Popular posts from this blog

Unexpected Blessings, Birds and Bees

Well, yesterday was an interesting day. It came on the heels of a weekend of sickness, both Nate and Joe. Nate was officially diagnosed with croup and exacerbation of asthma and is still taking steroids and sounds worse, but the light at the end of the tunnel is on! Joe stayed in all weekend and sounded almost as bad as Nate minus the wheezing. We kept our family home (even from church, small group, etc) feeling like hermits. And, even though the boys were both sick, I picked up sweet Bella the dog on Saturday from a friend who works with the NC Lab rescue group. We know we eventually want another dog, but not until Nate is old enough to handle it. Bella, a one year old yellow lab- sheltie mix, house-broken, crate-trained 28 pound sweet girl, is going to spend a little time at our house and see how it goes. The kids think we're pet-sitting to help out Mrs. D, which is true, sort-of. The sweetest moment came yesterday when Nate gave a bedtime blessing to Bella the Dog. &qu

Lurkers...De-Lurk!

Cute, huh? De-lurk...leave a comment on the blogs you visit and let the bloggers know you read thier stuff. I plan to!

2008...

If you would have even tried to tell me what events would unfold in 2008, I would have shook my head and refused to believe. Not possible for so many soul stirring events to occur in one year! Not possible for so many I know to suffer so much! Not possible for my own path to include twists, turns and doubling back on itself! Not possible to have so much peace in the midst of so much chaos! There have been moments I thought I would fold from the weight of the pain...my own and that of others...implode from the pressure of decisions and a search for clarity...For me, this has been a year of cracked foundations...a roller coaster ride of lessons that are still being learned in full...growth occurring in places I saw no need for change and enormous fallout resulting from unavoidable conflict. Humbleness...sadness...chaos...confusion...brokeness...loss of control... Yet...This year has not left me hopeless or defeated. This year has left me no longer suprised by sin...the depth of my own or