by PDR -
Medicare Tax according to Webster's: A tax deducted from employees' paychecks that goes to pay for medical benefits for people over 65 years of age. Medicare tax is paid by both employee and employer.
Medicare Tax was first imposed upon us working Americans in 1966 at a rate of .35 or .70. The current Medicare Tax rate is 1.45% or 2.90%; that is a 241% increase over a 43 year period. Medicare is paid by the employee, yes you the employee and is matched by the employer. There is no wage base for the Medicare tax, you pay it from day 1 and you pay it as long as you are a wage earning American. We already pay too much in taxes.
This tax affects ALL of us adversely:
The young will be paying from the first job they take. They will have no CHOICE but to participate in government sponsored health care. They will this Medicare tax until they are ready to retire at age 65 and collect their and then they will become SENIORS
SENIORS, who have been paying into Medicare are will receive less services by less doctors; higher premiums for MediGap and the government will have direct access to your bank account to obtain payment for services. Medicare already denies more claims than any private insurance plan. HR3962 specifically makes reference to a reduction in Medicare funding, higher Medicare Taxes but less funding and benefits. Is this what we want? NO we do not.
And Small business owners-we know who we are and we know how we are currently struggling under high taxes. We can no longer afford additional taxation. Small businesses combined provide the greater majority of jobs in this country and are always hardest hit by tax increases. Why? Because it is more difficult for small businesses to compete and more difficult for small businesses to increase the costs of goods and services. Colgate Palmolive can increase the cost of a tube of toothpaste 1% to cover this Medicare tax increase and the American consumer will continue to purchase the toothpaste. They can raise the price by 10 or 20% to cover all the additional costs that will be imposed upon us by HR3962 and we will continue to purchase their products. The small business owner who increases his price for goods and services by 10% may be out of business tomorrow.
I urge everyone to oppose HR3962. It is an invasion of our privacy. It takes away our choices. It reduces benefits to our seniors. It increases taxes and costs. And it does not provide coverage for every uninsured American, but it sure does tax every working American.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER? Charges Filed Against SEIU Purple People Beaters...
From the Labor Union Report -
It is said that the wheels of justice turn slowly.
In the case of the SEIU purple shirted thugs who beat a conservative black man selling Gadsden flags at a town hall meeting in August, justice is coming more slowly than usual and the wheels?...Well, in St. Louis, the wheels of justice seem to be nothing more than that of a blue matchbox car.
The St. Louis Post Dispatch, which has a reporter among one of the charged, writes:
Six people arrested in August outside a raucous town hall meeting in south St. Louis County have been charged with misdemeanor ordinance violations.
The six, including a Post-Dispatch reporter, had attended a demonstration outside an Aug. 6 forum called by U.S. Rep. Russ Carnahan, D-St. Louis, at Bernard Middle School in Mehlville to discuss health care reform....
The maximum penalty upon conviction would be one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Some bloggers have been writing for months about the lag between the arrests at the politically-charged event and the filing of charges.
County Counselor Patricia Redington insisted it had nothing to do with politics, influence or pressure from any official.
"These charges are like the 90,000 other charges we file each year," she said.
[Emphasis added.]
Interestingly, although the county counselor insists her delay has nothing to do with politics, she seemed much more interested in justice nine years ago when she filed charges against a Republican staffer for pushing a camera away from his face.
Redington was quick to file charges back in 2000, when a staffer for Democrat Richard Gephardt stalked serious contender Republican Bill Federer on a parade route. The staffer, James Larrew, tried to shove his camera into Federer’s face until Federer was forced to push the camera away. The staffer freaked, flagged down a cop and claimed that he had been assaulted. Larrew then called Gephardt’s office and spoke to Joyce Aboussie, Gephardt’s top political adviser, who then contacted Redington’s office. Two days later Redington filed assault charges against Federer, on Columbus Day, a national holiday; after which Redington, Aboussie, and Larrew conducted a media blitz, all arranged for by Gephardt’s office.
Something tells us that the wheels of justice are a bit off track in St. Louis.
http://laborunionreport.blogspot.com/2009/11/better-late-than-never-charges-filed.html
It is said that the wheels of justice turn slowly.
In the case of the SEIU purple shirted thugs who beat a conservative black man selling Gadsden flags at a town hall meeting in August, justice is coming more slowly than usual and the wheels?...Well, in St. Louis, the wheels of justice seem to be nothing more than that of a blue matchbox car.
The St. Louis Post Dispatch, which has a reporter among one of the charged, writes:
Six people arrested in August outside a raucous town hall meeting in south St. Louis County have been charged with misdemeanor ordinance violations.
The six, including a Post-Dispatch reporter, had attended a demonstration outside an Aug. 6 forum called by U.S. Rep. Russ Carnahan, D-St. Louis, at Bernard Middle School in Mehlville to discuss health care reform....
The maximum penalty upon conviction would be one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Some bloggers have been writing for months about the lag between the arrests at the politically-charged event and the filing of charges.
County Counselor Patricia Redington insisted it had nothing to do with politics, influence or pressure from any official.
"These charges are like the 90,000 other charges we file each year," she said.
[Emphasis added.]
Interestingly, although the county counselor insists her delay has nothing to do with politics, she seemed much more interested in justice nine years ago when she filed charges against a Republican staffer for pushing a camera away from his face.
Redington was quick to file charges back in 2000, when a staffer for Democrat Richard Gephardt stalked serious contender Republican Bill Federer on a parade route. The staffer, James Larrew, tried to shove his camera into Federer’s face until Federer was forced to push the camera away. The staffer freaked, flagged down a cop and claimed that he had been assaulted. Larrew then called Gephardt’s office and spoke to Joyce Aboussie, Gephardt’s top political adviser, who then contacted Redington’s office. Two days later Redington filed assault charges against Federer, on Columbus Day, a national holiday; after which Redington, Aboussie, and Larrew conducted a media blitz, all arranged for by Gephardt’s office.
Something tells us that the wheels of justice are a bit off track in St. Louis.
http://laborunionreport.blogspot.com/2009/11/better-late-than-never-charges-filed.html
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Reflections on the Status of Marriage
by CH -
The New Jersey Legislature is contemplating a vote on same sex marriage during the lame duck session. Governor Corzine promises to sign this legislation before leaving office.
I am against changing the definition of Marriage. Marriage is the committed relationship between a man and a woman. It is a unique institution and its meaning to society should be upheld and valued. One of the primary purposes of marriage is to procreate and raise the next generation. Mothers and fathers each bring a unique set of attitudes, skills and emotions to the table to help raise their children.
Children need both of these unique sets of tools to become healthy adults. The traditional Marriage relationship has proven to be the best environment possible to create and nurture children.
In addition, I fear that if same sex marriage is folded in to traditional marriage then any religious organization founded on the basis of traditional religious values will be pressured to change or risk losing their tax status, etc. I recently read that a Catholic Church was being challenged in Canada for refusing to rent out their church reception hall to a lesbian couple. A private religious entity should not be forced to do anything that is against the biblical values they are based on.
The slippery slope concept is worrisome. If same sex unions are defined as marriage then why not include multiple partner marriage or marriage with a minor? How far could we eventually go? Once marriage is opened up to a different meaning then people should be able to define it any way they see fit to adapt to their personal lifestyle.
The current recognition by New Jersey of civil unions for committed same sex couples is justified. It could be used to fight for health benefits, pension benefits, etc. But we don’t have to change the meaning of marriage to accomplish these goals. Same sex civil unions can be used as the vehicle to grant couples the benefits and protections that they deserve. We don’t need to retrofit marriage to make it all encompassing. We need to continue to recognize marriage as the loving union between a husband and wife and the best environment to raise children.
I realize my views will be depicted as hate speech and bigotry and that’s too bad. My views are not against same sex couples, what they do in their private lives is their own business. But I must stand up for the special status of traditional marriage. Most Americans agree. Whenever same sex marriage is put to a vote of the electorate, it loses. Voters recognize the unique status of marriage and want to keep it as such. Pushing a vote in a lame duck session in New Jersey not only ignores the recent election results, but takes the vote away from the people.
The New Jersey Legislature is contemplating a vote on same sex marriage during the lame duck session. Governor Corzine promises to sign this legislation before leaving office.
I am against changing the definition of Marriage. Marriage is the committed relationship between a man and a woman. It is a unique institution and its meaning to society should be upheld and valued. One of the primary purposes of marriage is to procreate and raise the next generation. Mothers and fathers each bring a unique set of attitudes, skills and emotions to the table to help raise their children.
Children need both of these unique sets of tools to become healthy adults. The traditional Marriage relationship has proven to be the best environment possible to create and nurture children. In addition, I fear that if same sex marriage is folded in to traditional marriage then any religious organization founded on the basis of traditional religious values will be pressured to change or risk losing their tax status, etc. I recently read that a Catholic Church was being challenged in Canada for refusing to rent out their church reception hall to a lesbian couple. A private religious entity should not be forced to do anything that is against the biblical values they are based on.
The slippery slope concept is worrisome. If same sex unions are defined as marriage then why not include multiple partner marriage or marriage with a minor? How far could we eventually go? Once marriage is opened up to a different meaning then people should be able to define it any way they see fit to adapt to their personal lifestyle.
The current recognition by New Jersey of civil unions for committed same sex couples is justified. It could be used to fight for health benefits, pension benefits, etc. But we don’t have to change the meaning of marriage to accomplish these goals. Same sex civil unions can be used as the vehicle to grant couples the benefits and protections that they deserve. We don’t need to retrofit marriage to make it all encompassing. We need to continue to recognize marriage as the loving union between a husband and wife and the best environment to raise children.
I realize my views will be depicted as hate speech and bigotry and that’s too bad. My views are not against same sex couples, what they do in their private lives is their own business. But I must stand up for the special status of traditional marriage. Most Americans agree. Whenever same sex marriage is put to a vote of the electorate, it loses. Voters recognize the unique status of marriage and want to keep it as such. Pushing a vote in a lame duck session in New Jersey not only ignores the recent election results, but takes the vote away from the people.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Why Not Try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed In Federal Court?
by Brian Baldwin -
The Stop The Terror Trial in NYC Rally will be held on Saturday, December 5, 2009, at Noon in Foley Square on the steps of the Federal Courthouse.
Organized and led by the 911 Never Forget Coalition, the rally will be supported by 911 family members, FDNY and NYPD personnel, members of the military, veterans, the 912 Project, Tea Party Patriots and thousands of Americans protesting the plan to hold the trial that will give enemy combatants of the U.S. constitutional protections by holding the trial in U.S federal court.
But why is it wrong to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in Federal Court, when Zacarias Moussaoui was successfully tried in Federal Court?
Zacarias Moussaoui, the infamous “20th Hijacker”, was arrested by law enforcement authorities on immigration charges after arousing suspicion at a Minnesota flight school. Moussaoui was mirandized and provided with an attorney. Although he rejected his appointed attorneys and chose to represent himself, the groundwork for a trial in our legal system had been laid down. He was indicted by a Federal Grand Jury on December 11, 2001. His trial finally met its completion in 2006 with a life sentence.
Why shouldn’t Khalid Sheikh Mohammed be tried in Federal Court in NYC? Attorney General Eric Holder says the trials are finally moving forward after “8 years of delay”. Isn’t it time that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was brought to trial?
But what happens if Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is found not guilty? Don’t worry. Attorney General Eric Holder brushed off the question, saying, "I would not have authorized the bringing of these prosecutions unless I thought that the outcome -- in the outcome we would ultimately be successful. I will say that I have access to information that has not been publicly released that gives me great confidence that we will be successful in the prosecution of these cases in federal court."
President Obama, while visiting Tokyo, said, "I am absolutely convinced that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed will be subject to the most exacting demands of justice…The American people will insist on it and my administration will insist on it."
It certainly sounds as if President Obama and Attorney General Holder are sure of the outcome of this trial. Is this the message we want to send to the Muslim world? We are going to pick and choose which high profile cases will be publicly tried while others, that are not a slam-dunk, are left in Guantanamo to rot in prison or face military tribunals. Doesn’t this undermine the arguments of the left that this must be done to show the world “American Justice”. We are treading on a dangerous path.
This is not the first time Eric Holder has shown bad judgment. As Deputy Attorney General in the Clinton Administration, he pushed for the release of 16 violent FALN terrorists against the advice of the FBI, the US Attorneys who prosecuted them and the NYPD officers injured by them.
Senator Barack Obama often held a different position than President Barack Obama, and this case is no different. In September 2006, debating the Military Commissions Act, then-Senator Obama said Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and those like him would get "basically a full military trial with all the bells and whistles. He's going to have counsel, he's going to be able to present evidence, he's going to be able to rebut the government's case. Because the feeling is that he's guilty of a war crime and to do otherwise might violate some of our agreements under the Geneva Conventions."
"I think that's good that we're going to provide him with some procedure and process," then-Senator Obama said. "I think we will convict him and I think he will be brought to justice. I think justice will be carried out in his case."
Certainly, not everyone has done a 180 on this. Attorney General Holder was never a supporter of military tribunals. As he said, “after 8 years of delay”, we are finally moving forward”. It is true. Very few military tribunals were ever carried out due to leftist attorneys’ attempts to derail the proceedings with legal challenges. Many of these attorneys are in the Obama Justice Department today – including Eric Holder, a former partner in Covington & Burling LLP. Covington and Burling represented at least 18 Guantanamo detainees, donating over 3,000 FREE hours of legal service, making Holder’s claim of “8 years of delay” even more incredible.
Countless lawsuits delayed the military trials. These same delays, created by law firms like Covington and Burling, are the Obama administration’s justification for holding civilian trials.
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was arrested during a military action involving Pakistani ISI (Inter Service Intelligence) and SOG (Special Operations Group), a division of the CIA responsible for paramilitary operations. He was transferred to military custody at Guantanamo Bay detention camp to face a military tribunal – the tribunal once supported by Senator Barack Obama. Although Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was ready to plead guilty and accept a death sentence, President Obama, upon taking office, suspended all military tribunals.
Now that the trial will be moved to Federal Court, what legal rules will be followed? Miranda rights were not read. No attorney was provided. Will any evidence, testimony or previous confessions be allowed, even though he confessed to being responsible for the planning of 9/11 “from A-Z”? Will our military now be compelled to read Miranda rights and collect evidence on the battle field?
Even Judge, Michael Mukasey, who presided over the trial of the blind sheikh Omer Abdel Rahman says “the plan seems to abandon the view that we are involved in a war”. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his co-defendants will now be given a forum to disseminate hatred and propaganda. A civilian trial will compel the US government to reveal intelligence and how it was obtained, thus hindering US efforts to combat terrorism. Al Qaeda will better understand our intelligence gathering techniques and respond accordingly.
Should Zacarias Moussaoui have been tried by military commission? In 2001, President Bush established military commissions, a wartime system of justice used during the Revolutionary and Civil wars as well as World War II. Congress approved these procedures in 2006, long after Moussaoui’s Grand Jury indictment. Military Commissions have since been upheld by the Supreme Court.
The actions of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed were acts of war against the United States and should be prosecuted by a military commission. The world is too dangerous of a place to continue sending mixed messages regarding our commitment to fight terrorism, whether we want to use the name “Terrorism” or “Man-caused Disasters”.
The Stop The Terror Trial in NYC Rally will be held on Saturday, December 5, 2009, at Noon in Foley Square on the steps of the Federal Courthouse.
Organized and led by the 911 Never Forget Coalition, the rally will be supported by 911 family members, FDNY and NYPD personnel, members of the military, veterans, the 912 Project, Tea Party Patriots and thousands of Americans protesting the plan to hold the trial that will give enemy combatants of the U.S. constitutional protections by holding the trial in U.S federal court.
But why is it wrong to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in Federal Court, when Zacarias Moussaoui was successfully tried in Federal Court?
Zacarias Moussaoui, the infamous “20th Hijacker”, was arrested by law enforcement authorities on immigration charges after arousing suspicion at a Minnesota flight school. Moussaoui was mirandized and provided with an attorney. Although he rejected his appointed attorneys and chose to represent himself, the groundwork for a trial in our legal system had been laid down. He was indicted by a Federal Grand Jury on December 11, 2001. His trial finally met its completion in 2006 with a life sentence.
Why shouldn’t Khalid Sheikh Mohammed be tried in Federal Court in NYC? Attorney General Eric Holder says the trials are finally moving forward after “8 years of delay”. Isn’t it time that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was brought to trial?
But what happens if Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is found not guilty? Don’t worry. Attorney General Eric Holder brushed off the question, saying, "I would not have authorized the bringing of these prosecutions unless I thought that the outcome -- in the outcome we would ultimately be successful. I will say that I have access to information that has not been publicly released that gives me great confidence that we will be successful in the prosecution of these cases in federal court."
President Obama, while visiting Tokyo, said, "I am absolutely convinced that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed will be subject to the most exacting demands of justice…The American people will insist on it and my administration will insist on it."
It certainly sounds as if President Obama and Attorney General Holder are sure of the outcome of this trial. Is this the message we want to send to the Muslim world? We are going to pick and choose which high profile cases will be publicly tried while others, that are not a slam-dunk, are left in Guantanamo to rot in prison or face military tribunals. Doesn’t this undermine the arguments of the left that this must be done to show the world “American Justice”. We are treading on a dangerous path.
This is not the first time Eric Holder has shown bad judgment. As Deputy Attorney General in the Clinton Administration, he pushed for the release of 16 violent FALN terrorists against the advice of the FBI, the US Attorneys who prosecuted them and the NYPD officers injured by them.
Senator Barack Obama often held a different position than President Barack Obama, and this case is no different. In September 2006, debating the Military Commissions Act, then-Senator Obama said Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and those like him would get "basically a full military trial with all the bells and whistles. He's going to have counsel, he's going to be able to present evidence, he's going to be able to rebut the government's case. Because the feeling is that he's guilty of a war crime and to do otherwise might violate some of our agreements under the Geneva Conventions."
"I think that's good that we're going to provide him with some procedure and process," then-Senator Obama said. "I think we will convict him and I think he will be brought to justice. I think justice will be carried out in his case."
Certainly, not everyone has done a 180 on this. Attorney General Holder was never a supporter of military tribunals. As he said, “after 8 years of delay”, we are finally moving forward”. It is true. Very few military tribunals were ever carried out due to leftist attorneys’ attempts to derail the proceedings with legal challenges. Many of these attorneys are in the Obama Justice Department today – including Eric Holder, a former partner in Covington & Burling LLP. Covington and Burling represented at least 18 Guantanamo detainees, donating over 3,000 FREE hours of legal service, making Holder’s claim of “8 years of delay” even more incredible.
Countless lawsuits delayed the military trials. These same delays, created by law firms like Covington and Burling, are the Obama administration’s justification for holding civilian trials.
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was arrested during a military action involving Pakistani ISI (Inter Service Intelligence) and SOG (Special Operations Group), a division of the CIA responsible for paramilitary operations. He was transferred to military custody at Guantanamo Bay detention camp to face a military tribunal – the tribunal once supported by Senator Barack Obama. Although Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was ready to plead guilty and accept a death sentence, President Obama, upon taking office, suspended all military tribunals.
Now that the trial will be moved to Federal Court, what legal rules will be followed? Miranda rights were not read. No attorney was provided. Will any evidence, testimony or previous confessions be allowed, even though he confessed to being responsible for the planning of 9/11 “from A-Z”? Will our military now be compelled to read Miranda rights and collect evidence on the battle field?
Even Judge, Michael Mukasey, who presided over the trial of the blind sheikh Omer Abdel Rahman says “the plan seems to abandon the view that we are involved in a war”. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his co-defendants will now be given a forum to disseminate hatred and propaganda. A civilian trial will compel the US government to reveal intelligence and how it was obtained, thus hindering US efforts to combat terrorism. Al Qaeda will better understand our intelligence gathering techniques and respond accordingly.
Should Zacarias Moussaoui have been tried by military commission? In 2001, President Bush established military commissions, a wartime system of justice used during the Revolutionary and Civil wars as well as World War II. Congress approved these procedures in 2006, long after Moussaoui’s Grand Jury indictment. Military Commissions have since been upheld by the Supreme Court.
The actions of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed were acts of war against the United States and should be prosecuted by a military commission. The world is too dangerous of a place to continue sending mixed messages regarding our commitment to fight terrorism, whether we want to use the name “Terrorism” or “Man-caused Disasters”.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Thanksgiving Day Proclamation 1863
Date: October 3, 1863
By: Abraham Lincoln
The year that is drawing towards its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added which are of so extraordinary a nature that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart, which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to invite and provoke the aggression of foreign states, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict, while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.
The needful diversion of wealth and strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense has not arrested the plough, the shuttle, or the ship. The axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well as of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege, and the battlefield; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect a continuance of years, with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised, nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.
It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be reverently, solemnly, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and voice, by the whole American people. I do, therefore, invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea, and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and prayer to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that, while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation, and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with divine purposes, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and union.
In testimony where of, I have here unto set my hand, and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. Done at the city of Washington, this third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the independence of the United States the eighty-eighth.
By: Abraham Lincoln
The year that is drawing towards its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added which are of so extraordinary a nature that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart, which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to invite and provoke the aggression of foreign states, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict, while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.
The needful diversion of wealth and strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense has not arrested the plough, the shuttle, or the ship. The axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well as of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege, and the battlefield; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect a continuance of years, with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised, nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.
It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be reverently, solemnly, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and voice, by the whole American people. I do, therefore, invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea, and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and prayer to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that, while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation, and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with divine purposes, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and union.
In testimony where of, I have here unto set my hand, and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. Done at the city of Washington, this third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the independence of the United States the eighty-eighth.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
