What do Special Drawing Rights (SDR) and the possible collapse of the US dollar have to do with each other?  Glenn Beck and Columbia Professor, David Buckner sort things out.

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“The longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth, that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?”

—Benjamin Franklin

Principle 5. All things were created by God, therefore upon Him all mankind are equally dependent, and to Him they are equally responsible. The Founders considered the existence of the Creator as the most fundamental premise underlying all self-evident truth. The words Nature's God, Creator, created, Supreme Judge of the Universe, and Divine Providence are used throughout the Declaration of Independence.

Click to read past posts in the Principles of Freedom series>>

"Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.... And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion."

—George Washington

Principle 4. Without religion the government of a free people cannot be maintained. As in Principle 2, the Founders knew they could not succeed in this political building without the support of the “Supreme Judge of the world” and without a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence.” They believed they would have His support and protection if they relied on Him, constantly kept His laws, and taught their children to do likewise. (Last paragraph of the Declaration of Independence).

We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by the authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as free and independent states, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do. And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.

Click to read past posts in the Principles of Freedom series>>

AN OCCASIONAL SERIES OF NOTEWORTHY OPINION & NEWS

• Multiculturalism kills (Spectator) More evidence of America’s Jihad Denial Derangement Syndrome. It turns out that fellow students of the army psychiatrist Nidal Hasan who murdered 13 and wounded dozens more in a jihadi attack on Fort Hood had complained to the faculty about his anti-American propaganda – but were too afraid to file a formal complaint for fear of being accused of prejudice… More>>
• Wave of Debt Payments Facing U.S. Government (New York Times, Business) The United States government is financing its more than trillion-dollar-a-year borrowing with IOUs on terms that seem too good to be true…With the national debt now topping $12 trillion, the White House estimates that the government’s tab for servicing the debt will exceed $700 billion a year in 2019, up from $202 billion this year, even if annual budget deficits shrink drastically. Other forecasters say the figure could be much higher… More>>

For me THE most interesting moment during the meeting came when Mayor Taylor broke the tie on the budget vote, thereby passing a 2.9% tax levy which included filling one of two vacant police officer positions and one vacant firefighter position.

I felt the debate among our Aldermen to find a way to fund these public safety positions showed democracy in action.  However, I have a couple of questions and an observation I’d like to share with my readers.  First, why couldn’t Mayor Taylor, his top administrators (Cal Patterson and Mark Luberda), and the Finance Committee, chaired by long-time Alderman Tim Solomon, find the funding for these public safety positions prior to the public hearing? As far as I’m concerned, had these public officials worked more closely with each other in creating the first draft of the budget, and had public safety been a top priority with these officials,they would have likely found the necessary funding ans still have kept the tax levy at 2.9% (which is exactly what reseulted due to the public hearin.  And If I’m correct,  the approved budget did contain some sort of provision for filling anothe police officer position it becomes necessary later this year.

It was also interesting to me that by voting "aye” to break the common council’s tie vote on the “revised” 2010 budget, Mayor Taylor essentially voted AGAINST his original 2010 recommended budget, which DID NOT include filling any vacant police officer or firefighter positions.

Gee…that’s weird, isn’t it?

Franklin officials are naturally excited about Cullman’s plans with one Alderman admitting “With all our vacant retail space and the upswing in foreclosures in Franklin, Cullman’s a prefect fit and a blessing to the city.”

Franklin School Board members were elated by the news, as well, since Cullman Homes would be a great partner when Franklin High School begins its Trailer Classroom program.

BATTLE JOINED WELCOMES CULLMAN TO FRANKLIN!

Principle 3. The most promising method of securing a virtuous and morally stable people is to elect virtuous leaders. No greater case can be made of the damage done to a free people by power-hungry and tyrannical leaders than the long list of abuses Thomas Jefferson listed in the Declaration. While directed at King George, these abuses are typical of leaders who are without virtue and morality. (List of grievances in the Declaration of Independence).

“Dependence begets subservience and venality, suffocates the germ of virtue, and prepares fit tools for the designs of ambition.”

—Thomas Jefferson

Click to read past posts in the Principles of Freedom series>>

“Is there no virtue among us? If there be not, we are in a wretched situation. No theoretical checks -- no form of government can render us secure. To suppose liberty or happiness without any virtue in the people, is a chimerical idea. If there be sufficient virtue and intelligence in the community, it will be exercised in the selection of these men. So that we do not depend on their virtue, or put confidence in our rulers, but in the people who are to choose them.”

—James Madison

Principle 2. A free people cannot survive under a republican constitution unless they remain virtuous and morally strong. The Founders knew they could not succeed in this political building without the support of the “Supreme Judge of the world” and without a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence.” They knew this would not happen unless they kept His commandments which amounted to being virtuous and morally strong. (Last paragraph of the Declaration of Independence).

“We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by the authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as free and independent states, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do. And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.”

With the French under heavy siege at Verdun since February, the Somme offensive was Haig’s long-planned attempt to make an Allied breakthrough on the Western Front. After a full week of artillery bombardment, the offensive began in earnest on the morning of July 1, 1916, when soldiers from 11 British divisions emerged from their trenches near the Somme River in northwestern France and advanced toward the German front lines.

The initial advance was a disaster, as the six German divisions facing the advancing British mowed them down with their machine guns, killing or wounding some 60,000 men on the first day alone: the single heaviest day of casualties in British military history to that point. The failure of the advance was credited variously to the complete lack of surprise in the timing of the attack, incompetence on the part of Haig and the British command--namely, their failure to conceive that the Germans could build their trenches deep enough to protect their heavy weapons or bring them up so quickly once the artillery barrage had ended--and the inferior preparation of the British artillery, for which the infantry paid a heavy price.

Over the course of the next four-and-a-half months and no fewer than 90 attacks, the Allies were able to advance a total of only six miles in the Somme region, at the cost of 146,000 soldiers killed and over 200,000 more injured. On November 18, 1916, Haig finally called off the offensive, insisting in his official dispatch from the front that December that the Somme operation had achieved its objectives. "Verdun had been relieved; the main German forces had been held on the Western front; and the enemy's strength had been very considerably worn down. Any one of these three results is in itself sufficient to justify the Somme battle."

Despite its commander’s positive assessment, the Battle of the Somme would remain one of the most controversial operations of World War I. In the war’s aftermath, British Prime Minister David LloydGeorge, a nemesis of Haig’s, roundly condemned Haig’s offensive: "Over 400,000 of our men fell in this bullheaded fight and the slaughter amongst our young officers was appalling…Had it not been for the inexplicable stupidity of the Germans in provoking a quarrel with America and bringing that mighty people into the war against them just as they had succeeded in eliminating another powerful foe—Russia--the Somme would not have saved us from the inextricable stalemate."

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