"The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left." Ecclesiastes 10:2

WELCOME TO LIBERTY'S REPUBLIC

"Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." (2 Corinthians 3:17)

News From the Ranch
An Internet Publication for Real Americans

September 23, 2001

"In all things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." Romans8:37

Dear friends,

There is little to be said that could express the myriad emotions and thoughts which have swept the nation in the wake of of the horrific attacks of September 11. I have been bombarded with images and emails which express far better than I could the heart of America. I dare say, however, that never in the wildest imaginings of our enemies did they consider that that which was intended to weaken us by causing fear and division would instead bring us together in a way most of us have not seen in our lifetimes. We have bridged the widest of political, cultural and religious gaps to become ONE NATION UNDER GOD. The giant has awakened and is angry. We have called upon God and He has heard our prayers. GOD BLESS AMERICA!

Liberty

Letter To the Terrorists

What lesson did you hope to teach us by your cowardly attack on our World Trade Center, our Pentagon, us?
What was it you hoped we would learn? Did you want us to respect your cause? You've only succeeded in
damning your cause. Did you want to make us fear? You've just steeled our resolve. Did you want to tear us
apart? You've only brought us together.

Let me tell you about my people. We are a vast and quarrelsome family, a family rent by racial, social, political and
class division, but a family nonetheless. We're frivolous, yes, capable of expending tremendous emotional energy
on pop cultural minutiae -- a singer's revealing dress, a ball team's misfortune, a cartoon mouse. We're wealthy,
too, spoiled by the ready availability of trinkets and material goods, and maybe because of that, we walk through
life with a certain sense of blithe entitlement. We are fundamentally decent, though peace-loving and
compassionate. We struggle to know the right thing and to do it. And we are, the overwhelming majority of us,
people of faith, believers in a just and loving God. Some people -- you, perhaps -- think that any or all of this
makes us weak. You're mistaken. We are not weak.

Indeed, we are strong in ways that cannot be measured by arsenals. IN PAIN Yes, we're in pain now. We are in
mourning and we are in shock. We're still grappling with the unreality of the awful thing you did, still working to
make ourselves understand that this isn't a special effect from some Hollywood blockbuster, isn't the plot
development from a Tom Clancy novel. Both in terms of the awful scope of their ambition and the probable final
death toll, your attacks are likely to go down as the worst acts of terrorism in the history of the United States and,
probably, the history of the world. You've bloodied us as we have never been bloodied before. But there's a gulf
of difference between making us bloody and making us fall.

When roused, we are righteous in our outrage, terrible in our force. When provoked by this level of barbarism, we
will bear any suffering, pay any cost, go to any length, in the pursuit of justice. I tell you this without fear of
contradiction. For I know my people, as you, I think, do not. What I know reassures me. It also causes me to
tremble with dread of the future. In the days to come, there will be recrimination and accusation, fingers pointing
to determine whose failure allowed this to happen and what can be done to prevent it from happening again.
There will be heightened security, misguided talk of revoking basic freedoms.

We'll go forward from this moment sobered, chastened, sad. But determined, too. Unimaginably determined. THE
STEEL IN US, you see, the steel in us is not always readily apparent. That aspect of our character is seldom
understood by people who don't know us well. On this day, the family's bickering is put on hold. As Americans
we will weep, as Americans we will mourn, and as Americans, we will rise in defense of all that we cherish.

So I ask again: What was it you hoped to teach us? It occurs to me that maybe you just wanted us to know the
depths of your hatred. If that's the case, consider the message received. And take this message in exchange: You
don't know my people. You don't know what we're capable of. You don't know what you just started. But you're
about to learn, you're about to learn.

v

"The lips of the righteous bring forth what is acceptable but the mouth of the wicked what is perverted."
Proverbs 10:32

One thing I have done is to try to gather some of the best links to be found for news and humor and other relevant material. Enjoy.

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CBN News

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The Federalist

Fox News

Free Republic

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Political Humor

Rush

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I am grateful for you; each one of you for what you have contributed of yourselves to our conversations that have been so exceptional in thought, humor, passion and commitment. God bless you.

America Prays: Do it again, Lord
Max Lucado
September 15, 2001

Dear Lord, We're still hoping we'll wake up. We're still hoping we'll open a sleepy eye and think, "What a horrible dream." But we won't, will we, Father? What we saw was not a dream. Planes did gouge towers. Flames did consume our fortress. People did perish. It was no dream and, dear Father, we are sad. There is a ballet dancer who will no longer dance and a doctor who will no longer heal. A church has lost her priest, a classroom is minus a teacher. Cora ran a food pantry. Paige was a counselor and Dana, dearest Father, Dana was only three years old. (Who held her in those final moments?) We are sad, Father. For as the innocent are buried, our innocence is buried as well. We thought we were safe. Perhaps we should have known better. But we didn't. And so we come to you. We don't ask you for help; we beg you for it. We don't request it; we implore it. We know what you can do. We've read the accounts. We've pondered the stories and now we pled, "Do it again, Lord. Do it again." Remember Joseph? You rescued him from the pit. You can do the same for us. Do it again, Lord. Remember the Hebrews in Egypt? You protected their children from the angel of death. We have children too, Lord. Do it again. And Sarah? Remember her prayers? You heard them. Joshua? Remember his fears? You inspired him. The women at the tomb? You resurrected their hope. The doubts of Thomas? You took them away. Do it again, Lord. Do it again. You changed Daniel from a captive into a king's counselor. You took Peter the fisherman and made him Peter an apostle. Because of you, David went from leading sheep to leading armies. Do it again, Lord, for we need counselors today, Lord. We need apostles. We need leaders. Do it again, dear Lord. Most of all, do again what you did at Calvary. What we saw here last Tuesday, you saw there that Friday. Innocence slaughtered. Goodness murdered. Mothers weeping. Evil dancing. Just as the smoke eclipsed our morning, so the darkness fell on your Son. Just as our towers were shattered, the very Tower of Eternity was pierced. And by dusk, heaven's sweetest song was silent, buried behind a rock. But you did not waver, O Lord. You did not waver. After three days in a dark hole, you rolled the rock and rumbled the earth and turned the darkest Friday into the brightest Sunday. Do it again, Lord. Grant us a September Easter. We thank you, dear Father, for these hours of unity. Christians are praying with Jews. Republicans are standing with Democrats. Skin colors have been covered by the ash of burning buildings. We thank you for these hours of unity. And we thank you for these hours of prayer. The Enemy sought to bring us to our knees and succeeded. He had no idea, however, that we would kneel before you. And he has no idea what you can do. Let your mercy be upon our President, Vice President, and their families. Grant to those who lead us wisdom beyond their years and experience. Have mercy upon the souls who have departed and the wounded who remain. Give us grace that we might forgive and faith that we might believe. And look kindly upon your church. For two thousand years you've used her to heal a hurting world. DO IT AGAIN, LORD. DO IT AGAIN. Through Christ, Amen.