In a fast paced society, we often view holidays as a time to rest from the grind of work and the demands of people. We find ourselves looking to capitalize on a day off from work to relax. Often times without thought we move through these days without a care of why or how these days became the symbolic remembrance days they are currently.

Today is Friday, April 10, 2009. Most people in the workplace look forward to this day as another day off, an early beginning to a long weekend or the day when they can get something done that isn’t already bogged down with other responsibilities. But Good Friday is so much more than that.

For the better part of the last 2000 years, the Christian religion has observed the Friday before Easter as Good Friday. The origins of Good Friday are mostly unclear, but it is apparent that early Christians brought together in remembrance of the crucifixion of Jesus began observing Good Friday annually on the day of His death on the cross. This tradition became entrenched in the Christian religion and today we observe it annually 3 days before Easter. The reasons being the same as the early Church, but without the same knowledge of the why behind the day.

I’ve often heard people say, “Have a Happy Good Friday”, and while I appreciate the genuine nature of their salutation, I also cringe when I consider the reason for the day. Certainly this day holds more meaning than another day off from work, it is the day set aside so many years ago, by people we have no remembrance of, to observe the somber occasion of the crucifixion. Certainly this day is not a day to be happy about, unless perhaps you don’t hold Jesus in the high esteem that the Christian faith does. Even then, when we have other days of the year where we commemorate the sacrifice of people for the good of the world, seldom do we observe those days as a happy occasion.

Now that we know why we have Good Friday, you don’t have to go about with a somber face throughout the day, Instead you should take the appropriate time to reflect on the sacrifice made so many years ago, in order to save a Godless world.

Remember, even though the occasion isn’t celebratory in nature, on the third day Easter comes, and that is indeed a day of celebration, a time for commemoration and a time to rejoice the resurrection following the tragic events on this day in 33AD. So while I dare not bid you “Happy Good Friday”, I do heartily wish you a Blessed day on this holiest of days.

In a time when people are simply attempting to survive job losses and economic challenges, I am reminded of how our country was founded and what turn of events transpired to bring about the greatest experiment in self governance that has ever been conceived. To fully appreciate how far we have moved away from the original designs of our founding documents, we must first understand where it is that our country came from. In particular we should look at the personal aspirations of the brave souls who fought against all odds to not only come to this new land, but then to battle the tyranny of government to overcome hardships that we dare not imagine.

The history of the United States is mired with many tragic events, popular and unpopular political leaders and outspoken critics of government. Certainly there are no shortages of those types of folks today, however there is a key difference in the political leaders of history and those of today. The missing ingredient in this writers eyes is honor. Many, and dare I say most, of our political leaders lack honor. I am not just talking about honor in the classical sense, but rather an honor that is so deep that it is espoused as a permanent and integral part of their essence. This honor is of the highest magnitude, it surpases doing what is right because it is right and it holds a stronger bond than any familial blood line. This honor is about doing what is right because not doing it would grate so harshly against your inner core that you would rather suffer immeasurable harm than be dishonorable.

Too often our political leaders look at holding office as a power grab, a golden parachute or to fulfil an internal desire to be famous. Whatever the reasons may be, it is seldom that we find true statesmen. Who do we have, or have we had in our midst in the last 20 years that would begin to measure up against the bar set so high by those such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Samuel Adams. Certainly they exist, but unfortunately they are very rare. The political climate of today instead reflects the poor quality of self deserving politicos who would rather do what is expedient for the purposes at hand and forgo doing that which is right.

The interesting thing here is that it stems not from politicians, but rather the citizens of this once great country who vote them into office because their personal needs would be better served by a politicial buying votes as opposed to one doing what is right and honorable. Of course we must not forget those who do not vote, as an abstained vote is the same as a vote against the trailing candidate. But then this isn’t a lesson on why you should vote, but rather why it is important that we maintain the utmost respect for an institution that trancends individual desires.

In the current climate, our government does so much more than was originally intended by our founding fathers. We build roads and bridges, conduct scientific experimentation, feed those who can’t or won’t feed themselves, house the homeless, and now we run businesses that the business people obviously don’t know how to run. What seems to be lacking though, is the single most important aspect of what government is designed and required to do, and that is to provide for the common defense of the individual states. Sure we have a military, but in recent times our government leaders, all of whom have taken an oath to defend and protect the Constitution and the Citizens of these United States, have abandoned perhaps the most important dictate of the Constitution. Our military has been derided, chastized, demoralized, demonized and apologized for. Our defense budgets have been cut and the safety of our country has been put into jeopardy because of this failure.

But you might be wondering where honor comes into the picture, or you might have already seen it, and it requires no further explanation. If you are among the latter group, then I applaud your sensibilities and hope that the future of our country rests in your capable hands, however, if you are still unsure as to how honor works into the bigger picture, I urge you to start reading as much as possible on how and especially why this country was founded. The Boston Tea Party has become symbolic in nature, and while we applaud and cheer those who defied the crown and under stealth of night dumped 342 chests of tea into the harbor, under the political winds of today’s society, we would imprison the offenders for a dozen years or more. While the threat of imprisonment or worse must have been on the minds of those 100 or so men who protested unfair taxation through a criminal act, they took the road with a higher moral ground and did what was right. The end result was the freedom that this country enjoyed for 232 years. Unfortunately, in November 2009, the politicians finally succeeded in killing what they could not in 1775.

Our country has been pillaged for the few in power and the masses have been enslaved by the government through the enabling nature of massive treasury gifts to those who could care about neither liberty nor freedom. Perhaps it is time to stage a politician party in the vein of events as was staged so long ago on December 16, 1773, if we could find but 435 people who hold honor above all else.

How cool (and historical) is this? Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, together on April 5th, at Radio City Music Hall, singing “With a little Help from My Friends”.

Well, evidently, according to the current administration, it is now suppose to be politically incorrect to use the words, The War on Terror; I am also very disappointed with the president for using “recent” apologetic language in regards to our national security. However, no matter what his administration calls it, we all know what it is…it is a “war against terrorism”, and a war against a very radical group of people that do not share the same world view as we do, and do not respect the lives of innocent people, therefore, it is not very likely that anyone can rationalize with them.

1. The use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, esp. for political purposes.
2. The state of fear and submission produced by terrorism or terrorizing.
3. A terroristic method of governing or of resisting a government.–

I could be wrong, however, civilized people generally do not kill innocent people first, then sit down, secondarily, and talk. From my point of view, talk should always precede the use of violence and force; and in the case, with these extremists, that was not the case.

So, if the president and his administration want to try feel good politics, we certainly do not have to be in agreement with them, however, “if” they are using this method so that down the road, they can say, we tried diplomacy, then perhaps I can understand this method, to some degree.

That being said, the president does have a sacred duty to protect the citizens of this country, and I pray that he does not pander us into another cataclysmic event, like 911.