Today is the 66th anniversary of the sneak attack by the Japanese Empire on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. In asking Congress for a declaration of war against Japan, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt stated that December 7, 1941 was "a date which will live in infamy". This horrible event was the 9/11 to the generation of Americans living at the time. Of course, most people back then heard about it on the radio, and saw footage on newsreels, as television broadcasting was still experimental.
To hear radio coverage of the President's address to Congress, CLICK HERE.
In the attack, twenty-one U.S. Navy ships were damaged or destroyed, 2,350 people died, and 1,178 were injured. This also decisively ended the movement for the U.S. to stay out of the war. Today, we would be remiss if we didn't pause to remember those who gave their lives in service to the nation that fateful day.
Delaware Day
December 7, 1787 was the day that the legislature of Delaware ratified the Constitution of the United States, thus earning its nickname, The First State. Delawareans are quite proud of this fact, and since 1939 have annually held remembrance of the fact by celebrating Delaware Day. So, to our friends in America's second-smallest state by geographic area, a very happy Delaware Day.
Mitt Romney, Mister Intolerant
Yesterday, I mentioned Mitt Romney's speech in Bryan, Texas, calling for support from those who would be suspicious of his Mormon faith. Well, today I got a copy of the entire transcript, and it looks like Mitt is telling the evangelicals, "Hey, I'm just like you . . . intolerant. Join me, and we'll discriminate against those evil non-believers." Here is one excerpt of the speech:
"We separate church and state affairs in this country, and for good reason. No religion should dictate to the state nor should the state interfere with the free practice of religion. But in recent years, the notion of the separation of church and state has been taken by some well beyond its original meaning. They seek to remove from the public domain any acknowledgment of God. Religion is seen as merely a private affair with no place in public life. It is as if they are intent on establishing a new religion in America – the religion of secularism. They are wrong."
Note to Mitt . . . secularism is not a religion. You need a belief in a deity to qualify for that. As for establishing a "new religion in America", isn't that exactly what your so-called "prophet", Joseph Smith, did in the 1800s when he concocted . . . oops, I mean "restored" . . . the LDS religion? Pot, meet kettle! So Mitt, get your panties untwisted and quit slamming 14% of the U.S. population, a percentage that far outnumbers the barely 1% share that are membership of the LDS church. Pretty bold intolerance from someone who belongs to a group that most Christians believe to be a cult of Satan. How quickly Mitt has forgotten the intolerance that Latter Day Saints have endured over the years!
