Song for the Day? ‘Bye, Bye, Miss American Pie’
We traveled to upstate New York this week for a nephew’s wedding. It was a beautiful event staged at Fort William Henry in Lake George. Lake George is a jewel nestled at the entrance to the Adirondack Mountains and is a popular resort area. The area has a rich history dating back before the founding of our republic as it was a strategic waterway connecting Canada and New York. We took one day to visit the restored Fort Ticonderoga at the north end of the lake. The fort was designed to protect the short portage between Lake Champlain and Lake George and was the location of several battles during the Revolutionary War. It was captured from the British by Vermont’s Green Mountain Men. The cannon from the fort were delivered to General Washington to affect the seizing of Boston for the Americans.
Fort Ticonderoga is operated and maintained by a private foundation. They receive no government assistance. We were treated to a very informative tour. Our guide provided a wealth of historical information and details about the tribulations endured by the brave patriots who purchased our independence with their own blood. It was a sobering reminder of the great sacrifices that people have made to provide us with the liberty and prosperity that we once enjoyed and are in danger of losing.
I couldn’t help but mourn for our present condition under the current poser/ jihadist in the White House as I was hearing this week’s latest litany of bad news From Al Qaeda conquering Iraq to the IRS deliberately destroying evidence in a criminal probe. Any thinking individual who has yet to realize that Obama is deliberately doing everything he can to destroy this country must have their head buried in some dark place. Do you hear me, Bill O’Reilly?
Lake George is blessed with tremendous natural beauty, just as America is blessed with such beauty and resources. Once upon a time, most people recognized that our blessings are a gift from God. I’m not so sure that the majority continue to believe that, which might have something to do with why we are on the brink of losing some of those blessings.
We rented a pontoon boat and traveled the perimeter of the lake. The opulence of the estates and resorts which line the lake shore along with the natural beauty are a reminder that America is a great place. The opportunity availed by our once free enterprise system has enabled Americans to enjoy an unparalleled life style. I suppose our communist readers will assert that this wealth was stolen from oppressed classes. But, driving through the villages around the lake I could not help but notice that underneath the outward luxury there is a disturbing current of economic retardation.
Since my wife is from this area we are familiar with how the tourist economy once flourished. The roads and streets are not as busy as they once were. It seemed that many of the resorts had vacancies. There are an unusual number of small businesses which are closed and for sale. There are many of those large lake front estates and resorts which are for sale and have been for some time. The owner operated retail stores are short on help. I’m assuming that they are not hiring because of Obama Care. Too many of the shops suffer from physical disrepair. Anyone who knows this area will confess that all is not well.
Governor Cuomo has started a new initiative called “Start Up New York” to entice new business to New York. Governor, you wouldn’t have to be starting up if things hadn’t stalled in the first place and you and your Democrat policies hadn’t driven business out of New York. I suspect that the initiative is more of a publicly funded political campaign than an honest attempt to attract private enterprise. Once upon a time, New York was the economic engine of the world. Free enterprise built it. Socialism stalled it.
It was interesting to listen to some of the local political campaign ads. It’s pre-primary time in New York. Two Republicans are competing for the congressional nomination in this district. I heard an ad sponsored by Rove’s American Crossroads attacking one candidate, a local business owner, as not a true conservative. American Crossroads attacking someone for not being a “true conservative” is a stretch. Whether you’re in Iowa or New York, nothing changes.
The wedding ceremony was traditional as the bride and groom are Christians. A Christian and Missionary Alliance pastor conducted the ceremony. He started, in an outdoors setting with speakers turned up, by bravely asserting that marriage was first instituted by God and not the state and that God established it between man and woman. I guess that he was not concerned about being politically sensitive. Bravo!
Traditional marriage is becoming another dying monument to a once great institution. It stands, like the giant estates around Lake George, as a reminder of an era when solid families populated our land and taught their children biblical values. If our republic survives we will need a “start up” initiative for families.
As the news of the week piled up, I was further impressed that our once great nation is being deliberately “transformed” as promised. Obama’s crimes read like a rap sheet: Fast and Furious, IRS targeting of conservatives, Benghazi lies, Obama Care lies, NSA spying on Americans, the Bergdahl prisoner swap and now the integrity of our borders being destroyed. We are witnessing the implementation of the Cloward and Piven strategy to overwhelm our economic system with public dependents while squeezing the middle class with ever higher taxes and inflated costs.
Higher gas and grocery prices were also in the news this week. The strategy is intended to cause societal collapse in order to stimulate public demand for change (communism). Considering this tragedy while being surrounded by such reminders of our once great nation caused me to recall a famous airplane crash caused by over loading. Thus we have the song, “Bye Bye, Miss American Pie.”
Courtesy of: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuauhtemoc-hidalgo_villa-zapata/7759185298/
