“We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth — and listen to the song of that syren, till she transforms us into beasts.” – Patrick Henry (1775)
Flickr Photos
First Principles: We Are Apt To Shut Our Eyes Against A Painful Truth – and Listen To the Song of That Siren, Til She Transforms Us Into Beasts
Posted in First Principles
Tagged Beasts, Eyes, First Principles, Listen, Painful Truth, Patrick Henry, Shut, Siren, Song, Transform, We
Leave a comment
Thought For the Day: We Have the Right To Give Away As Much of Our Own Money As We Please In Charity; But As Members of Congress We Have No Right To Appropriate A Dollar of the Public Money
“We must not permit our respect for the dead or our sympathy for the living to lead us into an act of injustice to the balance of the living. I will not attempt to prove that Congress has no power to appropriate this money as an act of charity. Every member upon this floor knows it. We have the right as individuals to give away as much of our own money as we please in charity; but as members of congress we have no right to appropriate a dollar of the public money.” – Davy Crockett (1786-1836
Posted in Thought For the Day
Tagged Act of Charity, Act of Injustice, Appropriate, Attempt, Balance of the Living, Charity, Congress, Davey Crockett, Dead, Dollar, Floor, Give Away, Individuals, Living, Member, Money, Own Money, Permit, Public Money, Respect, Sympathy, Thought For the Day
Leave a comment
First Principles: Let Each Citizen Remember At the Moment He Is Offering His Vote That He Is Not Making A Present Or A Compliment To Please An Individual…But That He Is Executing One Of the Most Solemn Trusts In Human Society
“Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote that he is not making a present or a compliment to please an individual – or at least that he ought not so to do; but that he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country.” – Samuel Adams (1781)
Posted in First Principles
Tagged Accountable, Citizen, Compliment, Country, First Principles, God, Human Society, Individual, Present, Samuel Adams, Solemn Trust, Vot
Leave a comment
I Wouldn’t Disagree
I Wouldn't Disagree
by Michael Doyle
Was it you
Or was it me
I wouldn't disagree
Maybe it was
Both of us
And just because
The truth
Of our youth
That never was
Perceptions
Misconceptions
Self-deceptions
It's a matter
Of interpretation
Miscalculations
Too many distractions
In our interactions
Wouldn't allow for detractions
Doesn't take long to realize
I haven't the words to apologize
The events as seen in your eyes
Couldn't cross a bridge of sighs
There is no room for negotiation
Without respect or appreciation
There is no longer room to grow
What else is there really to know
But the moment's come for disconnection
(c) July 27, 2021 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
Posted in Poetry and Poems
Tagged Apologize, Appreciation, Both of Us, Bridge of Sighs, Cross, Detractions, Disagree, Disconnection, Distraction, Events, Eyes, Grow, Haven't the Words, Interactions, Interpretation, Just Because, Know, Matter, Me, Miscalculation, Misconceptions, Moment, Negotiation, Never Was, No Longer Room, No Room, Perceptions, Poetry and Poems, Realize, Self-Deceptions, Truth, What Else Is There, Without Respect, You, Youth
Leave a comment
First Principles: The Propriety of A Law, In A Constitutional Light, Must Always Be Determined By the Nature of the Power Upon Which It Is Founded
“The propriety of a law, in a constitutional light, must always be determined by the nature of the powers upon which it is founded.” – Alexander Hamilton (1788)
Posted in First Principles
Tagged Alexander Hamilton, Constitutional Light, Determined, First Principles, Founded, Law, Nature, Powers, Propriety
Leave a comment
Thought For the Day: Throughout History, It Has Been the Inaction of Those Who Could Have Acted…That Has Made It Possible For Evil To Triumph
“Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted, the indifference of those who should have known better, the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most, that has made it possible for evil to triumph.” -Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia (23 Jul 1892-1975)”
Posted in Thought For the Day
Tagged Acted, Evil, Haile Selassie, History, Inaction, Indifference, Known Better, Possible, Silence, Thought For the Day, Triumph, Voice of Justice
Leave a comment
Thought For the Day: A Truly American Sentiment Recognizes the Dignity of Labor and the Fact That Honor Lies In Honest Toil
“A truly American sentiment recognizes the dignity of labor and the fact that honor lies in honest toil.” – Grover Cleveland (1837-1908)
Posted in Thought For the Day
Tagged American, Dignity, Fact, Grover Cleveland, Honest Toil, Honor, Labor, Sentiment, Thought For the Day, Truly
Leave a comment
First Principles: We Must Make Our Election Between Economy and Liberty, or Profusion and Servitude
“We must make our election between economy and Liberty, or profusion and servitude.” – Thomas Jefferson (1816)
Posted in First Principles
Tagged Economy, Election, First Principles, Independence, Liberty, Load, Perpetual Debt, Preserve, Profusion, Rulers, Servitude, Thomas Jefferson, We
Leave a comment
What’s Your Story?
What's Your Story?
by Michael Doyle
Tell me, please, of the glory
That opens up your story
Leaving behind the ninety-nine
For the inheritance that is mine
Doing that riotous living
Needing more than a little forgiving
Feeling more than unworthy
Brother, you are no lesser than me
At least, as a matter of history
But you know, the sins of the family
Do not really stand up and linger
Even with society's pointed finger
Tell me then of your story
Lived out to the Father's glory
Prodigal as a lost sheep
Because of promises we wouldn't keep
Tell me of your story
it was hard to see God's glory
Lost coins tossed by lost sheep
Because of promises we felt we could not keep
It was a God shaped vacuum
For which goodness had little room
Part of the alibied wrecking crew
Assured as we lived without a clue
In an overdose of extremity
Living past thirty seemed not to be
That's when God reached out for free
And brought you to His majesty
Thrown books have words to read
Red letter moments find the need
Planting as it were a faith of seed
And by these, your soul has been freed
Tell me then of your story
Lived out to the Father's glory
Prodigal as a lost sheep
Because of promises we wouldn't keep
Tell me then of your story
It was hard to see God's glory
Lost coins tossed by lost sheep
Because of promises we felt we could not keep
God can take a dead man walking
And set his soul to straight talking
Changing lives in a living prayer
Freeing with grace from Satan's snare
Even where the lights have grown dim
Peace can be found through belief in him
Taken back from the far country to redemption
It's a story worthy of its contemplation
(c) July 25, 2021 Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved
Posted in Poetry and Poems
Tagged Alibi, Assured, Belief, Brother, Changing Lives, Contemplation, Could Not Keep, Dead Man Walking, Extermity, Faith, Far Country, Feeling, Forgiving, Found, Free, Freed, God Reached Out, God Shaped Vacuum, God's Glory, Goodness, Grace, Grown Dim, His Majesty, In Him, Inheritance, Leaving Behind, Lights, Linger, Living Past Thirty, Living Prayer, Lost Coins, Lost Sheep, Matter of History, Me, Mine, Moments, Need, Ninety-Nine, No Lesser, Open, Overdose, Peace, Plant, Poetry and Poems, Prodigal, Promises, Read, Redemption, Riotous Living, Satan's Snare, Seed, Sins of the Family, Society, Soul, Stand up, Story, Straight Talking, Taken Back, Tell Me, The Father's Glory, The Glory, Thrown Books, Tossed, Unworthy, What's Your Story?, Without A Clue, Words, Worthy, Wouldn't Keep, Wrecking Crew
Leave a comment
First Principles: Laws That Forbid the Carrying of Arms…Disarm Only Those Who Are Neither Inclined Nor Determined To Commit Crimes
“Laws that forbid the carrying of arms … disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes.” – Cesare Beccaria
