159 Comments
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Richard Luthmann's avatar

The permanent political class wants MAGA reduced to a hat, a chant, or a cable-news insult because it fears the deeper meaning. MAGA is Washington’s warning against faction, Lincoln’s “last best hope,” Teddy Roosevelt’s muscular patriotism, Eisenhower’s citizen loyalty, Reagan’s Morning in America, and Trump’s refusal to let the administrative state bury the country alive. It says America is not an accident, not a marketplace without borders, and not a guilt project managed by elites. America is a Republic built on liberty, faith, sovereignty, work, family, and courage. Been here 250 years. Built to last 250 more.

Amy's avatar

Trumps refusal to let the administrative state bury us alive - thanks for boiling it down, that is simple and true.

N.Wallace's avatar

To RL and Don...Multiple Dittos and Right on, right on, right on.

Cookie McCall's avatar

as El Rushbo would say - mega dittos! I wish each and every one of you a Happy and blessed Fourth. Thank you Mr. Surber for what you do for us every day

Douglas Baringer's avatar

Oh my, that is beautiful!

Playswithneedles's avatar

If I could give you a million likes I would. Amen!

Marlan Hoerer's avatar

Thank you R. L. for the best description I have heard !

James Wills's avatar

How very well said. The Greatest Nation That Ever Was. And maybe ever will be.

LM Drew's avatar

Looking forward to better is a very worthy goal!

tj's avatar

Amen. We the People.....

Steve Boggs's avatar

Not only a badass, but what a mind! (I assume he didn’t employ speechwriters for his farewell address).

It’ll take me thru the weekend, chewing & mulling it over, to mine all the gold in it.

You do us quite an honor, Don. Hope your semi-quincentennial is a great one. (Then go buy that Bentley and report to us what makes it so awesome.)

Wim de Vriend's avatar

One source of the Address (Arizona State U) says he got help from 2 fellow-founders: from Madison in 1792, and from Hamilton in 1796. This seems to confirm that originally Washington wanted to retire after his first term, changed his mind, and then decided to really do it 4 years later, on the completion of 2 terms, with his Address dated September 19, 1796. Probably just as well, because he had only 3 more years to live.

Thanks to all these brilliant minds, the document contains more wisdom than a small mind like mine can absorb in one reading.

MLR's avatar

“You cannot reconcile Christianity with Islamism.” Indeed, I suspect that the God of Abraham and Jesus is not the same god as Allah. Happy Independence Day to us all!

Douglas Baringer's avatar

"Allah" is not a god at all but a contrivence presented to primitive people to worship under threat of extreme violence. The true God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Mohammed is a false prophet and an evil one at that.

Reddog's avatar

Islam isn’t a religion at all. Frankly, it resembles the tactics and practices used by virtually every totalitarian government in history and has little in common with the true religions of the world. It was never meant as a roadmap to life for its followers, it was meant to be a method to subjugate and control them.

Douglas Baringer's avatar

That is my point exacrtly., stated more clearly.

Reddog's avatar

Yes, I was just offering my opinion of what I see as a great scam upon the followers of Islam. People say it is the religion of peace. Ha! It is a lot of things, but peace isn’t one of them. I don’t know why Trump stopped the war with Iran but in my judgement it was a huge mistake when we were so close to finally eliminating the scourge. We will grow to regret it. Have a great 250th birthday.

Joe LaGreca's avatar

It's a cult - a dangerous cult.

Reddog's avatar

Yes it is. But the question still remains, what are we going to do about it?

LM Drew's avatar

Amen! "... subjugate and control...".

Playswithneedles's avatar

Onward Christian soldiers!

Marlan Hoerer's avatar

A song not heard enough in these troubled times !

BlasterJack's avatar

You put George on a hawg as a symbol of youthful defiance. The USA in a nutshell.

Michael Davis's avatar

Trump is the plainspoken combination of Mt. Rushmore Presidents and Reagan and Eisenhower. He is a visionary in business and government. Washington had his horse shot out from under himself, Trump has faced even closer calls, and he still keeps fighting for his country and its people. We cannot be thankful enough for his presence and leadership.

Skinnydip's avatar

Don, your column this morning brought tears to my eyes. What a beautiful tribute to America. Thank you.

NNTX's avatar

I plan to print it out to share with others.

Absolutely the penultimate column by you, Don.

THANK YOU and God Bless America.

GaryC9's avatar

Washington on a Harley is an expression of the freedom he fought so long and hard for. Because of him, and others like him, but largely unknown we are the most badass country in history. One example: we’ve gone from Washington in a row boat led battle group crossing the Delaware to nuclear powered Aircraft Carrier battle groups anywhere needed in the world.

Albert P. Sweeney's avatar

Outstanding !!! What a pity none of this is taught in our gubmint skools anymore. Hell we don’t graduate kids that can actually read the Constitution or Declaration of Independence, let alone fathom what any of these great American patriots taught us over these 250 years.

A Nation that does not teach nor accept history puts itself in great peril.

May GOD Almighty continue to bless and protect President Donald J. Trump and these glorious United States of America!!

APS

Subvet's avatar

I have an idea. We can make these concepts into a video game.

tj's avatar

The Brits really regretted doing that. The government propaganda game spawned Amelia.

LM Drew's avatar

WAY TOO MUCH power [public education] given away. Why? I think because naivety and ease.

Chef R.T.'s avatar

“And we come on the ship they call The Mayflower

We come on the ship that sailed the moon

We come in the age's most uncertain hours

And sing an American tune…”

Paul Simon

steph_gray's avatar

A lovely song written, unfortunately, by a leftist (I fear - don't know for sure).

But there's no denying his talent. That song may be his best.

Brian LeMay's avatar

" Never equate talent with intelligence " becomes truer with every passing day .

Joe LaGreca's avatar

Paul Simon is a DEM & has supported & donated to DEM candidates. He has also spoken out against Trump's policies. But, he not a nasty DEM like DeNiro, Kimmel, or Colbert.

Playswithneedles's avatar

Beautifully done, Mr.Surber. I have goosebumps. That was a stroll down memory lane as well as a history lesson.

In 1980 I was largely apolitical. I had voted for Nixon in ‘72 and Ford in ‘76 for no other reason than that my parents were Republicans and I was not the rebellious type. In the spring of that year I met a very smart very political young man who turned my head around in many ways. In November I voted with knowledge and enthusiasm for Reagan and in December I married that young man. 45 years later we are still going strong. And Reagan has a very special place in my heart.

As a child growing up in the Deep South in the 50’s and 60’s, I was required to memorize Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address to graduate elementary school. Kind of surprising, isn’t it? I can still do it. Sadly, today, I doubt whether most high school graduates could even tell you where he gave that address much less the occasion or the surrounding circumstances.

Happy and blessed 250th Birthday, Surberites!

Sam Prentice's avatar

And today, July 3rd, is the 163rd anniversary of the final day of Gettysburg, culminated by the horrific mortality of Pickett's Charge. Imagine if you can that in just three days time almost as many lives were lost here as were lost in the entire Vietnam War! Imagine how the lives of the survivors and local denizens were forever changed by what they had endured and witnessed! I am always overwhelmed with awe when I think of all of those people.

Reddog's avatar

Great comment, Sam. What so many don’t realize too was that the widows of so many killed on both sides made up a sizable portion of some of the wagon trains heading to the new western frontier. The men there needed wives and the widows needed husbands. Amazing.

BlasterJack's avatar

Your artwork could also have been a second Rushmore featuring Ike, Reagan and Trump.

Sam Prentice's avatar

Maybe they deserve to have their own mountain? I think those two belong almost up there with Washington, but Washington is still something so special and will always be in his own class from my perspective. I love that man and have kneeled and prayed on his grave to give thanks to God for the blessing he gave us through him.

Cookie McCall's avatar

I so regret that our road trip days are in our rearview mirror, John & I both wish we were able to make the trip to visit TR's library & museum. Thanks to all the new technology, we can still visit it virtually

Reddog's avatar

Cookie, I am currently visiting out west as I do each summer on my road trips, and I am going to visit TRs library on the way home this coming week. Sad that it took so long to honor one of my top presidents with a modest library. But I’m very glad TR was memorialized and honored on Rushmore as he certainly deserved. Viva the Roughriders! Happy 250th!

Cookie McCall's avatar

Enjoy what remains of your trip. John & I have stayed at the Casteneda hotel in Las Vegas NM a couple of times. It was the site of the first Rough Riders convention way back when

Reddog's avatar

Thanks Cookie. And I’ll add that hotel to my bucket trip list too. Have a great fourth!

Retirednottired's avatar

Amen, Cookie. For my wife these days, a trip to one of her doctors is a long one, and I cannot do much better any more. The cruelest part of age is how it limits one’s travels and even movement.

James Mead's avatar

Celebrating 250 years is an accomplishment with our open borders and benevolent policies. Throw in some anarchists such as blm , occupy Wall Street, DSA we have our hands full.

But oh so worth fighting for.

Happy Independence Day!

LM Drew's avatar

Happy INDEPENDENCE DAY!

Marlene Swann's avatar

Love love LOVE all the historical quotes. WELL SAID, MR. DON!

“The last best hope on Earth. It’s the perfect encapsulation of America’s place in the world. God did not put us here to fail. Like the Blues Brothers, we are on a mission from God.”

And I would add, we will NOT fail, by the grace and will of God Himself. I’m mindful of a verse normally used by preachers when marrying a husband and a wife, and I can’t help but think they resonate here too, in this great melting pot we call America - What God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.” (Mark 10:9 KJV)

steph_gray's avatar

We could use a few more penguins like the one who inspired those brothers. ☺️

Talk about a badass!

NNTX's avatar

An apt quote from Scripture.

Thank you Marlene.

Alice Ball's avatar

A robust column leading us into the most significant July 4th since 1976🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 America has shaken off her Dem-imposed shackles and is flying free like an eagle. Trump rescued the country and its people! God Bless America!🇺🇸 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

CosmicPatriot's avatar

Love it, Don, very well written, I have nothing more to add today than God Bless America! Enjoy Independence Day, friends!

N.Wallace's avatar

America Rides Again!

Suzie's avatar

“…Democrats cannot generate enough self-loathing to keep them in power.”

That phrase struck me powerfully. We are a majority in this country, and a powerful majority. The Democrats are literally losing their minds in their manic efforts to tear down this country because the force of the resistance to their efforts is so strong and powerful.

We really need to fully realize and embrace that fact, to believe in that, and to mobilize it into a force that will take them down and their lust for tyranny over us once and for all time.

That time is now, or never.

TeaPartyGal's avatar

All the comments today are so well said, but this one is particularly so. Especially the last paragraph. We do need to have it sink in, and cement us into a solid iron bulwark against which the Dems and Commies and Muslims will all break themselves against.

And yes, we are a solid majority in this country. The tide turned sometime in the last couple years, and we gain strength and clarity every day; while the death throes and screeching of the Left become more and more desperate.

Reddog's avatar

Yes, very much so. I find it interesting that in the last few days the Dems have finally started to wake up and realize they have a bigger problem with the DSA than DJT. There are a LOT of Dem figures blasting their party for their venture to the far, far left.

tj's avatar

Too little, too late. Unfortunately, the Dim lemmings will still 'pull blue no matter who'.

Joe LaGreca's avatar

In my lifetime, I've never met a DEM who took the red pill & figured out what the DEM's were - some things never change & I can't associate with folks who don't live in the real world.

Reddog's avatar

Never too late to fix something worthwhile. But they dug themselves a real hole this time.