The right to vote, a thought from my friend Steve Coffman....

The Right to Vote, a Patriotic Gift



How much do you appreciate your right to vote? Is it something that you truly cherish, or is it something that you just take this for granted? Consider this fact; throughout our American history, many average citizens like you and me fought for this right, and in some cases, even died for the right to vote! This is a patriotic gift from the struggles of many patriotic citizens that we should never be taken for granted.



Did you know that there are no laws for "the right to vote" in our United States Constitution? These rights were added only in the Amendments to the Constitution. Each state's standards have evolved separately, unless federal laws were passed that applied to every state. When our country was founded, only white men with property were routinely permitted to vote, (although freed African Americans could vote in four states). White working men, almost all women, and all other people of color were denied this right, that some take for granted today.



At the beginning of the Civil War, most white men were finally allowed to vote, whether or not they owned property, due to the efforts of those who championed this cause for frontiersmen and white immigrants, (who had to wait 14 years for citizenship and their right to vote, in some cases). Literacy tests, poll taxes, and even religious tests were used in various states, and most of the white women, people of color, and Native Americans still did not have the right to vote.



Black Suffrage; The patriotic gifts of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution were passed following the Civil War, in the later 1860s. Besides outlawing slavery, these Amendments extended civil rights and suffrage (voting rights) to former slaves. Even thought the right to vote for African-Americans was established, there still were numerous restrictions that kept many black Americans from voting until the 1960s Voting Rights Act was passed. Thanks to the pressures of Dr. Martin Luther King and a powerful civil rights movement, the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 banned literacy tests and provided federal enforcement of voting registration and other rights in several Southern states and Alaska.



Five years later, the patriotic gift of the Voting Rights Act of 1970 provided language assistance to minority voters who did not speak English fluently. Asian Pacific Americans and Latinos were major beneficiaries of this legislation.



Women's Suffrage initiatives to promote voting for women have been traced back as far as the 1770s, but the modern movement for a vote for women traces its beginning to the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848, when supporters of a Constitutional Amendment to allow women to vote finally came together. While this movement was slowed during the Civil War years, the two major suffragist organizations united after the war and pushed forward with a movement that culminated, and after many difficult years, the patriotic gift of the 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote in 1920.



Native Americans had to become American citizens, and give up their tribal affiliations for the right to vote in 1887, but many did not become U. S. citizens until 1924. Most of the Western states continued to deny the right to vote through property requirements, economic pressures, hiding the polls, and condoning of physical violence against those who voted.



Asian Pacific Americans were considered "aliens ineligible for citizenship" since 1790. Interim changes to naturalization and immigration laws in 1943, 1946, and 1952 give the right to vote to some but not all immigrant Asian Pacific Americans. Because citizenship is a (precondition) for the right to vote, immigrant Asian Pacific Americans did not vote in large numbers until 1966 when the immigration and naturalization laws were changed.



Asian Pacific Americans born on American soil were American citizens, and had the right to vote. When 77,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry were put in American concentration camps during World War II, their right to vote was withheld during there captivity.



Mexican Americans in Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas were supposed to get voting rights along with American citizenship in 1848, when the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo ended the Mexican American war. Property requirements and literacy requirements were imposed in those states to keep them from voting. The Sons of America, founded in 1921 fought for equality and the right to vote, but all Mexican Americans did not receive the right to vote until 1975.



Americans under the age of twenty-one in the late 1960s protested over their lack of suffrage. Many truly felt that if they were old enough to be drafted into service and go to Vietnam, then they should be able to vote. A series of protests ensued, most notably at the Chicago Democratic Convention, where protestors screamed and chanted many slogans of President Johnson's handling of the Vietnam War, and the right to vote. In 1971, President Johnson signed our patriotic gift of the 26th Amendment granting Americans the right to vote at age eighteen.



I hope you now realize that even in "The land of the Free", the evolution for the right to vote in the America has cost a heavy price for many, and should always be considered a true patriotic gift from those that struggled, endured and gave their life for this privilege that we have today.


Steven Family-eStore

What is a patriotic Christian?

My friend, Steve Coffman, sent me another article which I felt was something to pass on, especially in this 'historic' election. I will try and post daily but with the time growing short, my focus is on coming up with the funds to move.

God has provided enough money to purchase a car, which I found on Saturday and which the guy sold it for less than he wanted to! I trust that God will provide the funds to move, as well as getting the household goods out there and will provide everything else I haven't even thought of......

Keep praying! God is listening. And pray for all of the other families that struggle in similiar and worst ways.

Here's Steve's article:

As a "Christian", shouldn't we always live our life in such a way that those who meet you, or know you but do not know God, will be encouraged to want know God because they know you?



Being "Patriotic", shouldn't we always live our life in such a way that those who meet you, or know you but do not know your country, will come to respect your country more because they know you?



"A Patriotic Christian" is a person who loves both God and Country.



Romans 13:1-2 (NCV) says, "All of you must yield to the government rulers. No one rules unless God has given him the power to rule, and no one rules now without that power from God." So those who are against the government are really against what God has commanded. And they will bring punishment on themselves."



It can be very hard at times to be both the Christian and the patriotic example that we should be. Many of us are better at preaching life's examples than actually living them as a way of life! "Do as I say, not as I do" rings true for many people as a parent, as a leader, as a Christian, or a patriot. But that truly does not give us an excuse to not keep trying to be that ideal example, and not to be the exception to the rule. I sometimes hear to often someone say "Well I am only human" in the mediocre attempt of being a good parent, a good leader, a good Christian, or being truly patriotic towards their country.



Titus 3:1-2 (NCV) tells us, "Remind the believers to yield to the authority of rulers and government leaders, to obey them, to be ready to do good, to speak no evil about anyone, to live in peace, and to be gentle and polite to all people." This is the Bible's example of a true Patriotic Christian!



I personally feel that we are all put here on this earth to become a better person and better citizen before we die. If you read the Old and New Testament, and follow these examples that the Bible sets, you get a real good idea of how to live a Christian life and also still show patriotism for your county as well. You can love both, God and Country!



Jesus comments on this in the New Testament in Matthew 22:19-21 (NVC). Jesus said, "Show me a coin used for paying the tax." So the men showed him a coin. Then Jesus asked, "Whose image and name are on the coin?" The men answered, "Caesar's." Then Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and give to God the things that are God's."



In Matthew 22:35-40 (NCV) Jesus was asked by one of the Pharisees that were an expert in the Law of Moses, which commandments in the law is the most important. Jesus answered, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind." "This is the first and most important command." "And the second command is like the first: Love your neighbor as you love yourself." "All the law and the writings of the prophets depend on these two commands."



I truly feel that it is not a stretch to extend the meaning of "neighbor" to "neighborhood", in this verse do you? Is not our neighborhood part of our city, county, state, and country? Then being "A Patriotic Christian" is displaying our love for God, for our neighbor, neighborhood, city, county, state, and country!



By Steven E Coffman Family-eStore.com
I am a person with strong Christian and patriotic beliefs. Tenacity, faith, and a belief in God, Country and Family are key components to success in life.

Offerings from Steve Coffman.....

In today's world, where a democratic nominee for President refuses to wear a patriotic symbol and his wife is finally proud of a country that gave her the opportunities to be where she is, this latest offering from Steve Coffman is a valid and valuable piece concerning why we should instill patriotism into our children.
Steve Coffman is owner of Family-eStore.com:

Teaching Patriotism to Our Children

Since September 11, 2001 Independence Day for the United States on July 4th has been especially poignant. While there has been a surge in patriotism, we all need to maintain a sense of pride and love for our country whether we are at war or in peace time.

Children need to feel a sense of belonging too, in their family, their classrooms and in their country. They will thrive in an environment of respect, compassion and stability. If we as parents teach our kids to love, honor, show compassion and respect for their country as well as for their fellow man, they will not only be graced by a sense of patriotism, they will become better citizens, and in turn role models for our future generations.

One of our greatest challenges as parents is to raise our children to be honorable and respectful adults. Adopting a path of patriotism is a good reinforcement for them to show honor and a sense of ethics.

Our babies learn kindness at first from our gentle touch; they also learn self-esteem by our praise and respect. They mostly learn these living examples from their parents and at school. We are responsible for teaching them to respect and be kind to others, regardless of our differences. We are also responsible for teaching them to keep their community clean, and to trust that their country will defend and protect them as best it can. I truly believe they should be taught to revere their country’s flag and all it stands for as well.

Children should be taught that, while it might be "legal" to burn their country's flag as an expression of individual freedom, they would be hard-pressed to get this past Mom and Dad if they ever entertained the idea! This is the posture that a good parent should adopt.

Children need to know they are a very large and integral part of their country's make up. They are the future parents and government that will uphold the morals and ethics inherited from their parents and grandparents.

Is it too much to ask that our children be patriotic, actively show patriotism, honor their flag, and stand up for what’s right and good about their country? I don’t think so.

It is our job to instill a sense of honor and patriotism in their young hearts, offering them the opportunity to love and honor their country and its flag. In doing so, their actions will be seen as a good example for their country to show mankind and the world.

As much as we want our children to love their country, we also need to recognize the importance of global relationships in today’s world. Setting good examples of patriotism should, in turn, teach our kids that every person counts, no matter where they live, or who they might be, or what country they represent.

By: Steven E Coffman Family-eStore.com

Another article by my friend Steven Coffman

Christianity in America

At the infamous Scopes Trial of 1925 Christianity in America was dealt a serious blow. After the Scopes Trial ended, Christians retreated from American public life with their tails tucked between their legs. Then, over the next 50 years Christian Americans stayed almost silent and allowed Secular Humanism to replace Christianity as the official religion of America .

The result, our cherished freedoms to express our Christian faith eroded before our eyes. Judges began banning nativity scenes, retailers renaming Christmas trees " Holiday trees," public schools forbidding our children from having group prayer or from even singing Christmas carols. The quality of our Christian education also sank to new depths.

It was not until around 1975 and the "born-again" era ignited that Christians began to re-emerge and re-engage the American culture once again. Christian Americans have made progress since 1975. Many Christian American ministries and Christian American organizations have risen out of this "Christian Reawakening" to challenge and debunk the theory of evolution, to challenge the ACLU, and to take on the 14 percent of those that do not believe God exists.

Yet, with all the ground we have taken back from the secular humanists and the non-believers, there is still work to be done. If the 86 percent of Americans who believe in God want America to truly be restored to the Christian American nation it once was, we first need to teach and prepare this generation, and the generations that follow to recapture their Christian American future.

Since 1999 I have also noticed that some Christians seem to be paralyzed by an obsession with life in the "Last Days." Because of this notion some Christians have become so preoccupied that have lost sight of our fight to restore our nation to the same Christian American values it once held in our government institutions and as a way of life demonstrated publically in our culture. These Christians should refocus on what it means to truly be a Christian in America!

Over 200 years ago, our "Constitution" made the following statement:
"We have staked the whole of all our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government, upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God."

Should we abandon what are Constitution says for Christian Americans to do? Are we to forsake our heritage? The very first Supreme Court Justice, John Jay, said:

"Americans should select and prefer Christians as their rulers."

He made this statement to reinforce what are Constitution instructs us to do as Americans to help ensure that our Christian heritage, values, and way of life would never be changed.

Are we so preoccupied with our daily lives that we will just stand by and stay silent, as the Christian Americans once did for 50 years following the Scopes Trial, and continue to let our America 's values, heritage, and way of life erode? Remember, in a Democracy the majority rules, but only if each and every person of that majority takes action and speaks out, can we exercise our Democratic rights and truly make a difference.

In his Inaugural Address on Friday, January 20, 1961, John F. Kennedy said, "United, there is little we cannot do in a host of cooperative ventures. Divided, there is little we can do—for we dare not meet a powerful challenge at odds and split asunder." Then later in this speech President Kennedy goes on to say, "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country."

And so my fellow Christian Americans, what are you going to do for your country today?

Is The Removal Of God From Our Government Patriotic?

In the course of my 'adventures' online, seeking both things that help me in my pursuit of wisdom and understanding and those things which bolster and encourage my own faithful walk, I came across this website, hosted by its owner Steve Coffman. I have found more than meets the eye; a patriotic Christian who isn't afraid to say so.

Steve sent me this article that I thought deserved attention and I have received permission to post it to my blog. Steve has attached to the bottom of the article a short bio, so please read to the end.

Just a note, although Barna research shows that there are 86% of Americans who claim Christianity, only 8% of those are what Barna labeled evangelical born again Christians---those who believe in Jesus Christ, who died for our sins, rose again and is the only way to salvation from the penalty of death, among six other core beliefs. These are, in my opinion, are the ones to which this call will echo in the heart.

That said, I believe that Steve's call to the faithful to stand firm the line of our faith and historical fact is what each and every American Christian should hear, regardless of the level of faith. If the majority adhere to Judeo-Christian tenents, Steve's article expresses questions that should be answered.

I agree with Steve's closing......

Do you?

In Christ,
Jim

Is the Removal of God from our Government Patriotic?

I fail to understand why this great country of ours is constantly attacked by civil liberties groups and others, in an attempt to abolish all forms of the word "God" from all our government institutions, or in anything that is government subsidized, like our public schools.

The Separation of Church and State should never exclude the traditions that are already established by our forefathers throughout the basic structures of our government. These were their patriotic gifts passed down to their children, and their legacy for all the generations to come.

The oath of office to be sworn in with at most government posts, whether is be legislative or judicial ends in "So help me God," as what the person answers as the binder to hold them accountable for what they do while at their post, including the office of the President of the United States. Shall we remove this ending from the oath and just take the chance that they will do the best that they can, because they are such a nice person?

When we are in a court of law, should stop asking a witness who is about to give testimony, to swear under oath the statements that they are about to give be, "The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth", and then not add "So help me God," which is meant to hold them accountable to a higher authority if they do not give a truthful testimony?

While we are on this subject, shall we burn all the U.S. currency and re-mint every coin in legal use so that we can remove the phrase "In God We Trust"? Will they then also want to rewrite the pledge of allegiance and take out the words "One nation under God?" Should also we remove the words "Laus Deo," Latin for "Praise God"? Which is inscribed on the eastern face of the apex of the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., so placed as to be the first thing illuminated at sunrise in our nation's capitol.

George Washington once said, "It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible. Do not ever let anyone claim to be a true American patriot if they ever attempt to separate Religion from politics." Most historians in the United States regard George Washington as one of the countries greatest leaders. Could George Washington have felt this way, and not realize its importance? What are we coming to in this great land when some go out of their way to wipe out any form of the word "God" in our government, that has truly always been a part of our way of life in America, and we just stand by and let this happen?

A more recent example of a president's reinforcement of these feelings was Ronald Reagan, in a public speech during his presidency where he said, "If we ever forget that we are a nation under God. Then we will be a nation gone under."

Our country has always been deeply rooted with God interwoven in our history as a way of life; personally, publicly, fraternally and throughout our government. This relationship with God is a character trait as patriotic as any other identifying mark that you can associate our United States of America with as a symbol of who we are as a people and a country.

In a democracy majority rules, and this dynamic is constantly changing the face of our country but, certain established traits, I feel should always and forever stay in place! This is our history and truly our heritage. God should always be a part of the character trait of who we are as a nation, and should never be severed from the United States.

Do you realize that if we allow all this to happen, we will have lost a big part of what our forefathers initially implemented in the founding of our country, for establishing the basic character of our laws and principals that have been in place since its inception as a country?

Jeremiah 18:7-10 (NCV) says: (7) "There may come a time when I will speak about a nation or a kingdom that I will pull up by its roots or that I will pull down to destroy it." (8) "But if the people of that nation stop doing the evil they have done, I will change my mind and not carry out my plans to bring disaster to them." (9) "There may come another time when I will speak about a nation that I will build up and plant." (10) "But if I see it doing evil by not obeying me, I will change my mind and not carry out my plans to do good for them."

2 Chronicles 7:14-15 (NCV) says: (14) "Then if my people, who are called by my name, are sorry for what they have done, if they pray and obey me and stop their evil ways, I will hear them from heaven. I will forgive their sin, and I will heal their land." (15) "Now I will see them, and I will listen to the prayers prayed in this place."


In 2007 a major poll was taken nationally asking "Do you believe in God", and only 14 percent that took the poll said "No."

In this day and age shall we shun the patriotic gifts that our forefathers established for us? I truly feel that the 86 percent that do believe in God should actively campaign, and do whatever we can to defend these patriotic traditions at all levels of our government!

Is there a place in your heart that tells you, this is a basic truth? Do you care enough, and will you be patriotic enough yourself to actively do your part to prevent this from happening? I urge you to contact your Congressman, your Senator, and tell them how strongly you feel about this! Do not allow the minority of a few to change our patriotic way of life.

I can only pray and hope that these words do not fall on deaf ears.

By: Steven E Coffman - Family-eStore.com


Family-eStore will try to provide you with articles of interest to a Christian and patriotic way of life. The articles are written by Steven E Coffman (Owner) of Family-eStore.com (National Essay Contest) winner 1969. I am a person with strong Christian and patriotic beliefs. Tenacity, faith, and a belief in God, Country and Family are key components to success in life.


The Christian articles are only intended to bring you closer in your relationship to our Father in heaven.


The Patriotic articles are only intended to show pride and patriotism to our “Land of the free and home of the brave, (The United States of America).


I hope that you enjoy and are enlightened by them.