Mind of Milligan

This rendition of The Battle Hymn of the Republic is absolutely beautiful. http://www.greatdanepromilitary.com/Battle%20Hymn/index.htm

This past semester I took a class on Mexican American culture. Through out the semester I really struggled with the message that I thought the teacher was presenting. I am not one to try to please the teacher with answers that I think she wants to here, but I also have a desire to get good grades. So, I am not one to actively seek out a fight either, although I will stand up for what I believe. During the mid term test I struggled, as it involved a great deal of essay answers. Mentally it was excruciating as I tried to give the answers that I felt in my heart, while not appearing agitated or disgusted with what I was reading in my books. Later, I found out that the teacher often has classes that want to ban immigration all together, so the approach is more to bring people to the middle, where immigration is positive without condoning illegal immigration. I watched our message board closely, to see how others were reacting to the class as well and I was pretty discouraged. I saw a movem...

My father was a big man. He stood 6’3” tall and weighed probably between 240 and 270 lbs. depending on the year. His presence commanded respect, not just because of his size but because he earned the respect of all that knew him. He never assumed that he deserved anything that he did not earn. He was true to everyone. He did not respect a man because of the color of skin or the religion he professed. You had his respect until you proved otherwise. My father wore his familiar khaki uniform almost every where except church and other rare occasions. His hands were big and rough from years of hard work, but his heart was just as tender as his hands were rough. I can not say that my father was perfect, and he would have been the first to tell you so. But to me he was close enough. I was not my father’s only child; actually I had 11 siblings 6 sisters and 5 brothers. My mother and father had both been married once before. My mother had 3 children from her first marriage and my father had 4 ...

This post is the response that I gave in response to a question I posted on my class message board for Mexican American culture class. The individual who responded is a European immigrant. She let me know that she was a union supporter, and was very emotional as She thought that I was condoning the abuses that early migrant workers recieved under the hands of business owners. I do not, but this was my response. Maybe I did not make myself clear. I realize that working conditions were bad. I do not condone the practice of neglect on any level. America is made up of immigrants and decendants of immigrants. My ancestors came here with a promise that the government would not prevent them from succeeding. They worked under some fairly inhumane conditions, but somehow they survived the entry level treatment of freedom. It is not always pretty, but they grew from the harsh experience and they moved to the next level of freedom. I grew up with the understanding that government was to promote t...

Unions the foundation of Socialism the Beginning of the End of Freedom Recently I watched a documentary on Ceasar Chavez. Ceasar Chavez was a political activist who helped in organizing the Farm Workers Union in Southern California. He led them in The Great Grape Boycott, which led to much better working conditions and suitable wages. This is all good, right? Yes, I think that Ceasar Chavez was a good man who saw a need to improve the circumstances of migrant workers and believed that creating a union was the best and most effective method. In this documentary, then Governor Ronald Reagan, condemned the boycott. As President, Ronald Reagan took swift action against the Air Traffic Controllers Union many lost there careers. I began to question why he viewed unions with such harshness. What is the problem with unions? Why was it that when unions were mentioned it was associated with communism? And if unions brought better working wages and conditions, how could that be bad? Then I realiz...

The View From 1776

Talk about politically correct terminology. Redistribution of Wealth? Stealing is stealing whether you break into a home and take the money yourself or you "elect" someone else to do it for you. The only difference is if the other guy takes the money you can claim innocence. It's alot easier to avoid the guilt that way. Right? Since when was it our patriotic duty to condemn a man for securing his families financial future. When did it become our right to determine the worthiness of another man's quest to provide vital services to his fellow man? How can you condemn a man who creates wealth for the purpose of solving problems such as finding a cure for cancer or diabetes or ahlziemers. What right do you have to claim to know the heart of a man by condemning him as "greedy?" Greed comes when risk is taken away. If you have no opportunity to fail you can not succeed. Because success is measured by overcomming your failures. Without that option you you are just ...

DeeAnn was talking to me in the car on the way home from Family Home Evening. She was saying that you have to be very specific when you are talking to someone with A.D.D.. She was refering to a conversation that was going on early that evening. Spencer spoke up and said, "I have ADD." We were kind of suprised at the confident manner in which he declared this. We said, "Well, yeah you might." We had discussed the idea that he might have A. D.D., but not in front of him before. Spencer piped up, "No, I do have ADD." DeeAnn asked, "How do you know? Did your teacher tell you, or what?" trying to figure this out we asked him, "Do you even know what A.D.D. is?" Spencer said, "It's that paper that you fill out." It was then that DeeAnn realized he was refering to paper he had recieved from his teacher. The top of the paper said ADD.... it was a math paper.

Yesterday DeeAnn was layed low with a major migrain headache. The pain was so intense that she began to loose control of her speech and her ability to think so I came home to give her a blessing. When we had finished the blessing DeeAnn, Lauree and I were in our bedroom talking and trying to get DeeAnn relaxed. Matt came in to the room and said, "Mommy, I didn't know what to do. So I prayed for you to get better, cause Heavenly Father he can heal." He later came up to me and repeated what he had done. The animation he displayed in his voice and on his face were awsome. He was very somber but filled this energy, as he matter of factly told me that he said the prayer because Heavenly Father and Jesus, they knew how to heal and they "raised people up." How could anyone not be healed, when Matt prays for them. He knows the source of true healing.

My apologies for this continuation of the political rants. However, tis ' the season! And as much as I hate politics I know that it is important. Hopefully my voice can be heard even if nowhere else but in this little world I am creating. Anyhoo , this is a paper I wrote for my writing class. I hope you enjoy! Politics the Art of Destroying "We The People," But in a Nice Way Wow! This political season has been one heck of a long season. It is no t every election year that the peacocks strut their stuff so early. This season has been extremely long due to the fact that the sitting vice president has chosen not to run for president and the current president has served his maximum time, leaving both parties without a clear front runner. This has left us “The People” unprotected from the political fluff. As each side squares off displaying their tail feathers to us and spewing promises left and right, you know that this is a fight to the end… to the end of us, “The People.” ...

This morning there were quite a few clouds in the sky. As the sun rose over the horizon beams of light streamed through the clouds. It was quite beautiful. Spencer saw this and said, "Look, Jesus is coming !"

Dear Editor, When it comes to racism and prejudice, we need to be able to speak our mind. When we are afraid to say what we feel it builds up resentment and anger. This anger and resentment leads to attitudes and acts of racism and prejudice. Under the guise of trying not to offend anyone we offend everyone. Whether on purpose or on accident political correctness has worked to divide us as human beings. We have been divided by color, religion, socio-economic status, education, political beliefs, etc. We have been taught to hate those who have, and look down on those who have less. We may agree on more than we disagree, but we are taught to listen and obey a few people who “know what is best for us.” What is the answer? I don’t know for sure, but we can start by opening an honest dialogue void of political correctness. And void of any other motive than getting to know one another. Let’s share our frustrations, our fears, our discomforts. Then maybe we can share our hopes and dreams with...

The Progressive belief in relativity stems from the fact that they herald theories over absolute truth. Their reality has become based on the particular theory they embrace. They reject God because if they accepted the premise that God exists they would have to reject their theory until they could find the absolute truth. Because God, being the truth, is the ultimate end of education. So, maybe you can see their predicament. They have become so forward thinking that they can see the end of the need for thier existence. If it gets out, that God exists, they might lose their jobs.

What happened to common sense? I started school this past year and they have all these new buzz words. The one that baffles me the most is the term "critical thinking." This is what professors do and what anyone who disagrees with them don't do. This to me seem kind of funny because when ever I have talked to people who actually are doing what the professors only teach, they seem to come to the conclusion that it doesn't work exactly the way they have been taught. In other words professors teach theories that sometimes work in an environment that is not challenged. I speak broadly as there are some professors that truly understand reality and have in many cases lived in the world of doers of the work. I believe that the high and lofty accomplishment of being able to "critically think" pales in comparison to those who can "deductively reason" and actually solve the problems that critical thinkers leave in their wake. It is amazing to me that wh...

Behold the footprint of God! I Believe that if God had a favorite place this just might be one of them. I know that I feel his presence when I am there. This place is sacred to me. Some people describe reverence as folding ones arms and remaining quiet. I don't believe this is so. I believe that reverence is in the heart when you feel reverence then you act according to the situation. That may be laughing and enjoying a family outing or it may be a quiet pondering of the greatness of our surroundings. It may be a warmth in our heart for all the blessings we have recieved in our lives. What ever that feeling is reverence inspires respect for God's property as well as our own existence.

I have never been more disappointed in politics than I have this year. I consider myself very conservative. I am truly unsure why it is that conservatives have been branded as environmental terrorist who are filled with hate toward every living creature. I think that those who lead us decieve us. They maintain their power by dividing and propagandizing. I do not believe that liberals and conservatives have any different goals. I just happen to believe that their is a better way of actually accomplishing the task. I believe that global warming is a natural phenomenon that man has little to do with. I believe in science and science is rarely good when half the arguement is silenced. I believe that when you start with the premise that man is the fault you are leaving out too many other factors such as the sun's weather cycles, etc. I am not a scientist but I do remember a time in history when people thought the world was flat and when it was questioned the "round earth" ...