“The Hand of providence has been so conspicuous in all this, that he must be worse than an infidel that lacks faith, and more than wicked, that has not gratitude enough to acknowledge his obligations.” – George Washington (1778)
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First Principles: The Hand of Providence Has Been So Conspicuous In All This, That He Must Be Worse Than An Infidel That Lacks Faith
Posted in First Principles
Tagged Acknowledge, Conspicuous, First Principles, George Washington, Gratitidue, Hand, Iinfidel, Lack Faith, Obligations, Providence, Wicked, Worse
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Thought For the Day: There Are Two Ways of Exerting One’s Strength: One Is Pushing Down, the Other Is Pulling up
“There are two ways of exerting one’s strength: one is pushing down, the other is pulling up.” – Booker T. Washington, reformer, educator, and author (5 Apr 1856-1915)
Posted in Thought For the Day
Tagged Booker T. Washington, Exert, Pull Up, Push Down, Strength, Thought For the Day, Two Ways
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Social Justice Fallacies
Social Justice Fallacies
by Michael Doyle
There is something to be said
Though I have a given explanation
It's been rolling around in my head
And must be spoken for the good of this nation
There is no sense in pursuing 'equity'
It only serves to put everyone into poverty
We should not take the loss when in all possibility
There isn't even much to be said about equality
By this, I mean not man is equal to his brother
This shouldn't need to be proved to any other
But if I'm 5'7" and you stand at 6'6"
It is not illusory or any kind of trick
To know that face-to-face, you'll make the shot
Or has this factual matter been somehow forgot
So many watch these games on many a workday
And yet this truth eludes them in a million other ways
There in all ways of merit that we can measure for
And the truth is that we simply cannot afford to ignore
The truth is something that we must steadily pursue
If we want the best society for all of us, me and you
If we want to keep the oak and the maple equal
It will take something awful that cannot be legal
There is only room for fairness and love in our house
An no room to be ruled by the part of the blood-sucking louse
Still, it can be said with a certain cautious optimism
That the hand has been played for genetic determinism
The abilities we are born with, good and bad, for some
Are not destined to be debilitating and can be overcome
It comes down to adapting to and furthering potentiality
To what can in all ways, or some ways, increase opportunity
It must be kept in mind that the overall good for society
Is for all to live the utmost of our cultivated ability
(c) April 4, 2024 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
Posted in Poetry and Poems
Tagged Ability, Adapt, Best Society, Born, Brother, Cultivated Ability, Deilitating, Elude, Equal, Equality, Equity, Explanation, Face-To-Face, Factual Matter, Fairness, Fallacies, Forgot, Games, Genetic Determinism, Good, Good and Bad, Head, Ignore, Illusory, Increase, Legal, Live, Loss, Louse, Love, Maple, Me and You, Measure, Merit, Million Other Ways, Mind, Nation, Oak, Opportunity, Optimism, Overall Good, Overcome, Poetry and Poems, Possibility, Potentiality, Poverty, Proved, Rolling Around, Room, Rule, Said, Serves, Shot, Social Justice, Society, Some, Spoken, Steadily Pursue, Trick, Truth, Utmost, Workday
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First Principles: There Is But One Straight Course, and That Is To Seek Truth and Pursue It Steadily
“There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily.” – George Washington (1795)
Posted in First Principles
Tagged Course, Direction, First Principles, George Washington, Pursue, Seek, Steadily, Straight, Truth
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Thought For the Day: I’ve Learned That You Shouldn’t Go Through Life With A Catcher’s Mitt On Both Hands. You Need To Be Able To Throw Something Back
“I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back.” – Maya Angelou, poet (4 Apr 1928-2014)
Posted in Thought For the Day
Tagged Back, Both Hands, Catcher's Mitt, Go Through Lifee, Learn, Maya Angelou, Thought For the Day, Throw
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Spare Me the Homilies
Spare Me the Homilies
by Michael Doyle
When it happens that
Someone needs to stay behind
It's just a natural fact
That it is usually my kind
It's not that
We are somehow not afraid
It's just a natural fact
We understand the plans made
Our aim is maybe a little higher
So they say, and maybe
Our dreams surpass the desire
To live and we're a bit crazy
Crazy enough to let others live
To return to love their families
Having given all we have to give
So, please spare me the homilies
When it happens that
Someone needs to stay behind
It's just a natural fact
That it is usually my kind
It's not that
We are somehow not afraid
It's just a natural fact
We understand the plans made
This is the price someone must pay
And the payment is made freely
So that others might live to fight another day
And make it back to find safety
Do not be downtrodden in sorrow
Consumed in thoughts about what I give
Instead, put your eyes on tomorrow
And rejoice in those who yet live
When it happens that
Someone needs to stay behind
It's just a natural fact
That it is usually my kind
It's not that
We are somehow not afraid
It's just a natural fact
We understand the plans made
(c) April 3, 2024 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
Posted in Poetry and Poems
Tagged A Bit Crazy, Aim, Consumed, Desire, Downtrodden, Dreams, Eyes, Families, Free, Give, Given All, Happens, Higher, Homilies, Live, Live To Fight Another DAy, Love, Natural Fact, Not Afraid, Not That, Pay, Payment, Plans Made, Poetry and Poems, Price, Rejoice, Return, Safety, Say, Sorrow, Spare Me, Stay Behind, Surpass, Those Who Yet Live, Thoughts, Tomorrow, Understand, Usually My Kind
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Thought For the Day: I Will Not Refuse To Do the Something That I Can Do
“I am only one, / But still I am one. / I cannot do everything, / But still I can do something; / And because I cannot do everything, / I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.” – Edward Everett Hale, author (3 Apr 1822-1909)
Posted in Thought For the Day
Tagged Because, Edward Everett Hale, Everything, I, I Can Do, One, Refuse, Something, Still, Thought For the Day
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First Principles: The Battle, Sir, Is Not To the Strong Alone; It Is To the Vigilant, the Active, the Brave
“The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave.” – Patrick Henry (1775)
Posted in First Principles
Tagged Active, Alone, Brave, First Principles, Patrick Henry, Sir, Strong, The Battle, Vigilant
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At First Sight…
At First Sight...
by Michael Doyle
At first sight, it is the love expected
After a life of being unrequited
I feel it with the kiss of your lips
The sparks run to my fingertips
I pay attention to what my heart tells me
While praying to God, my emotions won't fail me
Everything happens in its good season
One look in your eyes and I see the reason
There's a warmth in the smile we feel together
And I know this is for worse and for the better
Every time we touch, you touch my soul
It's so overwhelming, I'm giving up control
Sometimes, this feels like living a fairy tale
It's the kind of story destined to come out well
As your hero, I know I can always prevail
And if I don't and you do, then it's just as well
With a kiss farewell, we fade into the night
I know your love will be my guiding light
I don't know if love is truly close to blind
But I do believe, with my heart, that love is kind
(c) April 2, 2024 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
Posted in Poetry and Poems
Tagged Attention, Believe, Better, Blind, Close, Come Out Well, Control, Destiny, Do, Don't, Emotions, Expected, Eyes, Fade, Fail Me, Fairytale, Feel, Finger Tips, First Sight, God, Good Season, Guiding Light, Happen, Heart, Hero, Just As Well, Kiss, Kiss Farewell, Life, Lips, Look, Love, Love Is Kind, Night, Overhelming, Poetry and Poems, Pray, Prevail, Reason, See, Smile, Soul, Sparks, Together, Touch, Unrequited, Warmth, With My Heart, Worse
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First Principles: Religion and Good Morals Are the Only Solid Foundation of Public Liberty and Happiness
“Religion and good morals are the only solid foundation of public liberty and happiness.” —Samuel Adam, Letter to John Trumbull (October 16, 1778)
Posted in First Principles
Tagged First Principles, Foundation, Good Morals, Happiness, John Trumbell, Public Liberty, Religion, Samuel Adam, Solid
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ALOHA PROMISES FOREVER 