A decade prior to the Civil War there were two major political
parties in the United States:
Democrats, favoring freedom of choice to own slaves;
and Whigs, wanting a big tent party.
In Ripon, Wisconsin, anti-slavery activists met on February 28, 1854,
then held their first State Convention in Jackson, Michigan, JULY 6,
1854.
They named their party Republican, with the chief plank being “to
prohibit…those twin relics of barbarism: polygamy and slavery.”
Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican President, appointed Justice
Stephen Field, who wrote in the Supreme Court decision Davis v.
Beason, 1890:
“Bigamy and polygamy are crimes by the laws of all civilized and
Christian countries…They…destroy the purity of the marriage
relation…degrade woman and debase man…
There have been sects which denied…there should be any marriage
tie, and advocated promiscuous intercourse of the sexes as prompted
by the passions of its members…
Should a sect of either of these kinds ever find its way into this
country, swift punishment would follow.”
Justice Stephen Field continued:
“The constitutions of several States, in providing for religious
freedom, have declared expressly that such freedom shall not be
construed to excuse acts of licentiousness.”
Amercan Minute with Bill Federer
“There is no currency in this world that passes as such a premium anywhere as good as Christian character … The time has gone by when the young man or young woman in the United States has to apologize for being a follower of Christ. … No cause but one could have brought together so many people, and that is the cause of Our Master.” - July, 1894, Cleveland, Ohio.
The Cost of Liberty
America’s Declaration of Independence
by Barb Kugle
Those who had the courage to put their signature to a single sheet of parchment understood the import of what it might cost them personally. Signing America’s Declaration of Independence from British rule was considered an act of treason. Only a few brave men had the courage to align themselves with the campaign to break from the mother country. John Hancock was one of those men, if not the most instrumental.
Continue reading – http://www.presidentialprayerteam.com/heritage
American Minute with Bill Federer
The Declaration of Independence was approved JULY 4, 1776. John
Hancock signed first, saying “the price on my head has just doubled.”
Benjamin Franklin said “We must hang together or most assuredly we
shall hang separately.”
Of the 56 signers: 17 served in the military; 11 had their homes
destroyed; 5 were hunted and captured; Abraham Clark had two sons
imprisoned on the British starving ship Jersey; John Witherspoon’s
son was killed in battle; Francis Lewis’ wife was inprisoned and died
from the harsh treatment; and many, such as Thomas Nelson and Carter
Braxton, lost their fortunes and 9 died during the War.
When Samuel Adams signed the Declaration, he said:
“We have this day restored the Sovereign to whom all men ought to be
obedient. He reigns in heaven and from the rising to the setting of
the sun, let His kingdom come.”
John Adams said:
“I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding
generations as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be
commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion
to God Almighty.”
John Adams continued:
“I am well aware of the toil and blood and treasure that it will cost
to maintain this Declaration…Yet through all the gloom I can see the
rays of ravishing light and glory…Posterity will triumph in that
day’s transaction, even though we it, which I trust in
God we shall not.”
Lyrics by Francis Scott Key :
First Verse
Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hail’d at the twilight’s last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro’ the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watch’d, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air
Gave proof thro’ the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say, does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
Second Verse
On the shore, dimly seen thro’ the mists of the deep,
Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream;
‘Tis the Star-Spangled Banner, O long may it wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Third Verse
Oh, thus be it ever when free men shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war’s desolation!
Blest with vict’ry and peace, may the heav’n rescued land
Praise the Pow’r that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto, “In God is our trust”
And the Star-Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
As Iowa faces nearly a $1 billion budget deficit, the state is searching for every tax dollar it can find. Reports from federal and state tax experts earlier this year confirmed that when times get tough, it’s more likely that governments will look to raise revenue by increasing audits rather than looking for ways to reduce spending. “In times when more revenue is needed and the tax gap widens, absolutely the Internal Revenue Service is going to step up audits” proclaimed one tax analyst with H&R Block’s Tax Institute. “You’re not going to find a document that says this, but it’s very clear that in a budget deficit, increased tax collection is another source of revenue” a tax expert and university professor stated.
Recently, several of my colleagues in the Legislature have been contacted by their constituents with questions about audits conducted by the Iowa Department of Revenue. The Department of Revenue has initiated an audit program focusing on unpaid consumer use tax. Specifically, the Department of Revenue is analyzing United States Customs records to identify purchases individuals have made outside of Iowa.
Iowa’s use tax provision complements the state sales tax. When a transaction is subject to sales tax but occurs outside of Iowa for use in Iowa and Iowa tax is not collected, it is subject to use tax. Taxpayers are responsible for registering with the Department of Revenue when they purchase taxable goods or services outside of Iowa and send the use tax to Iowa. The problem is not many Iowans know this.
One western Iowan, received a notice last week stating she owed tax, penalty and interest on purchases she made in the United Kingdom in the year 2000. Understandingly, she was shocked to learn she owed back taxes on her transactions made 10 years ago and frustrated that the penalty and interest was being assessed, especially because it had taken so long for the Department of Revenue to notify her. Similar reports of similar audits have surfaced throughout the state this year.
Nearly all Iowans understand they must pay their taxes and willingly do so. But many are expressing frustration about the lack of effort that goes into educating taxpayers about their obligations. The majority of Iowans are unaware they are required to pay use tax to the state when a retailer fails to collect it. Moreover, Iowans don’t understand why it takes the Department of Revenue 10 years to issue notification of taxes owed. It is not unreasonable to require the state government to issue notice of unpaid tax liabilities in a timelier manner.
Because such little outreach occurs, most taxpayers rely on certified public accountants to handle their tax matters. Even so, it is rare for an accountant to ask an individual if they purchased anything across state lines and paid sales or use tax. For this reason, it is important for taxpayers to educate themselves on the requirements outlined in the federal and state tax code. Individuals can learn more about federal tax law at www.irs.gov and state tax law at www.iowa.gov/tax. Additionally, if an individual is being audited it’s important everyone knows their rights. The following website is also helpful: www.iowa.gov/tax/educate/78619.html
(From Representative Dwayne Alons Capitol Comments June 29, 2010)