Stoos Views

Dear Doctor:

If you plan to serve as an expert witness retained for trial or testify as a treating physician, or would like to simply better prepare yourself for a deposition or trial, you will find The Chiropractor as Expert, Copyright © 2005, 2008 William Kevin Stoos interesting and informative. This manual will give you an overview of case law in the area of expert chiropractic testimony, explain how and why chiropractors can be effective witnesses, tell you how to prepare for testimony and give you an idea as to what subjects you may testify on in court. Further, this handy guide will explain your role in court, what makes an expert and how you can be a more effective, better prepared witness. This manual also contains true examples of how not to testify, how you may get in trouble as an expert witness and harm your patient or client’s case, and what to expect from the attorneys who examine you in depositions or in court. It also contains a discussion about treatment standards, how to protect your fees for services and how your testimony may be attacked in the courtroom. Based on the author’s thirty-three years of trial experience, including the use of chiropractors as expert witnesses, this manual is designed to inform the chiropractic physician about his or her role in the legal system and how to be better prepared for the sometimes unfamiliar trial process.

If you would like a copy, please send your check or money order in the amount of $39.95 payable to “William Kevin Stoos, P.C.” and we will send you a copy right away.

William Kevin Stoos, P.C.

3737 Grandview Blvd.

Sioux City, IA 51104

stooskevin@cableone.net

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Foreword

Chapter 1. What Makes You an Expert?………………………….. 1

You Are an Advisor……………………………………….. 5

Chapter 2. Is the Chiropractor a Medical Expert?…………….. 5

Do You Practice Medicine?……………………………… 5

Chapter 3. Why Chiropractors are Good Experts……………… 7

Chapter 4. The Legal Process—How Do

You Get Involved?……………………………………….. 9

Chapter 5. Preparation for Deposition or Trial………………… 13

Chapter 6. How You Can Become

A More Effective Expert……………………………… 15

Areas of Testimony Outside Your Field –

(Or, “Don’t Go There”)…………………………………. 17

“Disabled” People I Have Known

(Why You Do Not Want to Speculate)…………….. 20

Chapter 7. The Importance of Good Record Keeping………. 25

Legible Records……………………………………………. 25

File Handling Practices……………………………………. 26

Chapter 8. Understanding Cross Examination

Direct and Cross Examination…………………………. 27

The Legitimate Uses of

Cross Examination………………………………………… 27

The Illegitimate Uses of

Cross Examination………………………………………… 30

Chapter 9. Over Treatment—Myth or Reality?………………. 31

Are There Standards?……………………………………. 32

Chapter 10. The Value of Your Time:

Charging for Your Services…………………………. 34

Chapter 11. How Will I Get Paid for My Services?…………. 37

Expert Witness Agreement and File Matters………. 39

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………. 40

Bibliography

Message to the Racist Coward in the Cave

(A Note to Ayman al-Zawahiri)

 

Copyright © 2008 William Kevin Stoos

 

           

            I read with interest that the number two man in Al-Qaeda–Ayman al-Zawahiri–issued a web message and video which criticized our President-Elect and used demeaning racial slurs, referring to him as a “slave” and a “house negro” [sic] Once again, these cheesy “Al-Qaeda Cave Productions” video taped hate messages only serve to show how pathetic and ineffectual these cowardly terrorists really are.  The fact that they resort to racial epithets serves only to show how ignorant they are about the American political process and illustrates the poverty of their position. One thing we do not need in America is the opinion of some loser whose life is devoted to killing innocent people–Muslins, Christians, and Jews alike–while dishonoring the Islamic faith. Add to their resume of murder and sacrilege, racial bigotry.

 

            I spent a lot of time, money, and psychic energy hoping to get McCain elected because I thought he was the better man for the job. No one was any more critical of Obama than I. But, our side lost. We argue, we debate, we fight, and we vote. That is how we do it in America. It is called democracy–something those knuckle draggers in their caves do not understand. Those who fly airplanes into skyscrapers killing innocent people, who believe that anyone not sharing their faith must be murdered, and who believe that even their fellow Muslins are fair game if it means the furtherance of a global caliphate ruled by religious autocrats  cannot begin to understand  the concept of “one person, one vote.” Nor do they apparently understand that when a black man gets elected by a healthy majority of the voters, it does not mean he is a “slave” or a “house negro,” but the person the voters chose to run our country the next four years. It is called “the will of the people.” Here we respect that. Whether we wanted the result or not, we live with it and we move on.

 

            I hope our new president succeeds. We all do. He faces daunting tasks–whether they be geopolitical threats, the economy, or terrorism. I will say my prayers for him.  I want him to succeed not for his sake alone, but for all our sakes. There is no reason to wish otherwise, and no percentage for any of us in failure. The people have spoken and he will lead the country now. And those of us who opposed him, opposed him vigorously, and honestly–based on ideology, his world view, his experience, or for a variety of other reasons. That is how democracy works. Sometimes the process is tough, gritty, and even mean-spirited. Democracy is a tough business if it is done correctly.

 

But the lesson that the cowards in the caves do not understand is this–the election was never about race. I detest racial bigotry–whether it comes from David Duke, Jesse Jackson (see Stoos Views http://stoosviews.blogivists.com/2008/07/22 “Jesse Jackson and the Klan–Separated Only by a Hood”), Farrakhan, or a coward in a cave such as Al-Zahwahiri. It has no place in  America and, indeed, had no place in our election–which was vividly illustrated by the fact that polls showed that over 90% of the voters said race was irrelevant and that vast numbers of whites, blacks, Hispanics, Orientals alike voted for the President-Elect.

 

            Apparently the cowards on the caves are not only ignorant but racist as well–in fact more racist it seems than the country which they criticize. They did not grasp the supreme irony in their statement that our new President is a “slave” or a “house negro,” [sic] He was elected freely by the people of America and by a healthy majority.  He is now the leader of the free world. But, of course, Al-Qaeda would not understand such a thing. They are myopic in their world view, have never voted for anything in their lives, and exist only to spout religious and racial bigotry and kill innocent women, children, and anyone else they choose, in the name of religion. They serve no useful purpose and their hatred was never better illustrated than in this recent video–designed solely to separate what binds us and propagate the hate.  The irony is that such racial epithets against the President-Elect will have the opposite result. They do not separate the American public from their government or the rest of the world. In fact, such statements will only serve to unite this country–which is now in desperate need of unity.  And they are eloquent proof that the terrorists have nothing constructive to offer the world.

 

            I did not like it much when that chubby little Venezuelan fascist Hugo Chavez came to my country and called our President “The Devil” from the podium at the United Nations. Nor did I like it when the Dixie Chicks (Or was it “Ditzy Twits?”) insulted our President overseas. And I do not like it when some coward in a cave hurls pathetic racial insults toward Barack Obama. When a citizen of the greatest country on earth gets elected by a majority of his countrymen–black, white, red, yellow, and brown– he is not a “slave” or a “house negro.” Here we call him “Mr. President.”

“Drill Baby, Drill?” No Time Soon

 

(A Conversation with Renewable Energy Champion, Congressman Steve King of Iowa)

 

Copyright © 2008 William Kevin Stoos

 

            Today the sign on the gas station across the street from my office reads $1.87 per gallon. A couple of months ago, none of us expected to see gas so cheap again.  Now that the emphasis is on the sick economy, the price of oil has declined precipitously during the past few weeks, and we have just elected a new president, the once-important issue of offshore drilling has dropped off our collective radar screen–at least for now.  But the issue is still the same, and so too the dangers facing the United States. If we continue to rely upon foreign oil produced in large measure by countries that do not like us much or, worse yet, are avowed enemies, then we remain politically, militarily, and economically vulnerable.

 

            Pressure from the American public and four dollar a gallon gas has changed the politics of drilling in a major way. First, President Bush rescinded an Executive Order which banned offshore drilling, removing one obstacle to harvesting our own natural resources. Then Congress, remarkably, allowed the legislative moratorium to expire.  Therefore, two of the previous three obstacles to offshore drilling and reduced dependency on foreign oil have been eliminated within the past few months. However, a third remaining obstacle which neither the new Congress nor the President Elect seem inclined to discourage–environmental litigation–promises to provide political cover for the Democrats. Certain environmental groups have filed lawsuits against the development of offshore oil resources arguing that theoretical danger to wildlife trumps the security of the United States inherent in the reduction of our dependence on foreign energy resources.

 

          Arguing that the Secretary of the Interior has not sufficiently considered the theoretical impact of offshore drilling on water quality, air quality, and the welfare of polar bears and whales, the Center for Biological Diversity has filed a lawsuit designed to tie up oil leases off the shores of Alaska, the Gulf of Mexico, and Virginia. Put simply, win lose or draw, this litigation, remaining federal legislation and rules will effectively encumber the leases for years and do that which the new Congress and the new President will not need to do– block offshore drilling by legislative fiat or presidential directive.  The Left needs only to file [i]lawsuits and tie up the leases for so many years that we are not going to reap the benefits of our own natural resources for many years–if ever.  This myopic view of the development of energy resources (i.e., no fossil fuels) is not shared by the American public, disregards the rather remarkable history of offshore drilling, and is certainly not shared by one Congressman–who many consider to be the leader in the quest for development of all energy resources, including biodiesel, ethanol, wind, solar, nuclear and fossil fuels.

 

            If you thought the leader of the movement to develop all of our energy resources was some liberal legislator from California or the northeast, you would be wrong. In fact, he is Iowa’s own United States Congressman from the Fifth District of Iowa, and a leading conservative, Representative Steve King.  Congressman King, just reelected by a margin of 60% to 37% in an election atypical of the rest of the country in which Democrats made significant gains in the House and Senate, bucked the tide in a big way. In fact, it likely has as much to do with his open-minded, forward thinking attitude on energy policy as it does with his own innate common sense, intelligence and keen wit. Or, his solid Midwestern values of hard work, independence and love of the land that caused him to climb down from his bulldozer, and rise to the highest levels of elected office in a few short years. Criticized by the Left as too partisan and opposed by abortion rights groups, gay rights groups, old time liberal establishment, labor and the Hate Bush crowd, King has managed to get reelected by comfortable margins in his largely rural, western Iowa district where Jeffersonian love of the land values still predominate. 

 

          To meet Steve King is to be instantly impressed. His detractors often demonize him, but none can doubt his intelligence, his grasp of technical issues or his leadership in the area of renewable energy sources. He has the ability to discuss in detail the scientific aspects of human cloning, the environmental impact of terracing the land, the many ways a kernel of corn may be used, or political developments in South Ossetia with equal ease. When it comes to IQ points, he has few equals in the beltway. And, above all, he has never abandoned his down home, close to the earth common sense values shared by his fellow Iowans–who continue to reelect him overwhelmingly. On the issue of energy, he has few equals on either side of the aisle. And he has the credentials to prove it. The statistics are quite impressive, for the Fifth Congressional District of Iowa is:

 

–Number one (out of 435) in biodiesel production with an annual production of 81 million gallons;

–Number two or three in ethanol production, with an annual output of 1.1 billion gallons; and

–Number two or three in the generation of electricity from wind power, producing an amazing 1,000 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 270,000 homes.

 

          Put simply, when you add up all the BTU’s of renewable energy produced by his congressional district, including biodiesel, ethanol and wind power, Congressman King’s Fifth District of Iowa is the number one renewable energy producing district in the United States. And while King is the first to credit the hard working, creative and forward thinking people of Iowa who produce the fuel, invest in the plants, build the windmills, lay the grid and risk their capital to achieve these amazing results, there can be no doubt that King’s leadership in Congress and unwavering support for the development of alternative energy sources has played a leading role in this accomplishment as well.

 

           If you watch C-SPAN then you have likely seen Steve King on the floor of the House debating energy issues and educating those who would listen, on the dangers or reliance on foreign energy and the benefits of development of our own resources here at home. While many other Congressmen and Congresswomen pay lip service to the issues for the sake of headlines, King grubs around in the minutiae. He is one of the few members of Congress who actually know what the Alaska coastal plain looks like, what environmentally friendly low profile drilling rigs actually look like (anything but rusty hulks visible from the land which the environmentalists would have us believe), and the only one who has personally calculated our national energy production and consumption and converted all of it into a common denominator – BTUs. So, who better to answer my question as to the status of offshore drilling?

 

             I interviewed Congressman King to learn what we can expect in the days ahead on the issue of offshore drilling–which has been placed on the back burner in the recent past. That is, of course, until the next oil embargo, cut in production, or international incident in the Straits of Hormuz—at which time this issue will be right back on the front burner again. When I asked him what we can expect from Congress and the President, King’s response was typically dispassionate, straightforward and, unfortunately, not encouraging for anyone who believe that we must develop our resources–all of them.  We discussed the three-way hold that the Left  has on the development of our own energy resources. He noted:

 

“I really doubt that the new Congress–having recently allowed the moratorium on offshore drilling to expire–will have the nerve to pass a ban on offshore drilling and it is unlikely that President Obama will reissue the executive order that blocked drilling.” 

 

Of course, I found this part encouraging. However, Congressman King added that neither Congress nor Obama necessarily needs to re-impose the ban, to wit:

 

“If an act of Congress or the President were required in order to block offshore drilling, the Left would, without a doubt, push it through one way or another. However, their help is not necessary because virtually every offshore lease has been filed on by environmental groups.  They have blanket suits filed that automatically encumber future leases the moment they are approved.”

 King went on to say that the radical environmentalists had a “triple hold” on offshore drilling through executive order, statute, and litigation and:

 

“While two are temporarily gone now (the rescission of the executive order banning offshore drilling and the expiration of the congressional moratorium) the third, litigation, remains too powerful a barrier for energy companies to crack. Further, if litigation were not sufficient, the Democrats would quickly pass a statutory prohibition and or prevail upon President Obama to sign another executive order.”

 

          King believes that these political facts, plummeting crude oil prices, and a perceived softening of T. Boone Pickens’ position on alternative energy as a result of falling prices, all play into the hands of the extreme environmentalists who (as King noted with typical keen wit): “See homo sapiens as an invasive species that threatens all other species and the planet itself.”

           

          Put simply, according to Congressman King, we should not expect any further action from Congress or the President-Elect. It seems that the third arrow in the quiver of the radical left–endless environmental litigation–is enough to ensure that the United States cannot develop its own resources as every other country on the planet does, and remains dangerously reliant upon foreign oil owned by nations ruled by people who do not like us much and whose foreign policy is often in direct conflict with our own. And, all based on the theoretical possibility that someone might see an oil rig, or the possibility a bear, whale, or moose might, in theory, someday, be harmed in some way.  “Drill Baby Drill?” Not likely. Maybe, but no time soon. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With Thunderous Applause

 

By William Kevin Stoos, Stoos Views and Canada Free Press, © 2008

 

“So this is how liberty dies–with thunderous applause.”  Padme Amidala, Star Wars, Revenge of the Sith

 

            I have thought long and hard about what I would do if Obama were elected. I have made some post-election resolutions in order to organize my thoughts, adjust to the new reality, and chart the course for the future.

 

            First, I am going to congratulate the other side, thankful that we live in a country in which power is transferred peacefully through the ballot box and not through the force of arms. Agree or disagree with the result, we must live with it. That is how we do it here. Whether our side was not convincing enough, our message did not get through, or we sent the wrong messenger, we must accept the decision of the voters and move on. That is what makes our country great. 

 

          Then I am going to say a prayer for our country because we are going to need all the prayers we can get.  I will thank God for my family, friends, and business which has thrived by the grace of God and an environment that was heretofore friendly to small business people–the folks who create most of the jobs in this country.  I will give thanks that I am privileged to live in a “red state” where the Midwestern work ethic still predominates, the people are sensible, good-hearted, and help their neighbor without being forced to by the government.  Here we ask for nothing from government except freedom from government. Here, thank God, family values prevail, the air is clean, and the crime rate low.  Here, “the centre still holds.”  

 

         I will strive to take care of my little corner of the world and make it better to the extent I am able. Perhaps that is the best anyone can do right now; much of what happens from here on out is largely beyond our control.  At least for a couple more years. We have just given the reigns of power to a President-Elect who believes in the power of Big Government and a Congress eager to grant his every wish.

 

         I will work hard to remain a member of the “loyal opposition” and resist the prospect of a soon to be unfettered socialist government because our country is not going to look much like the America of times past. The country will, in time, know buyer’s remorse because it bought the glitz, the packaging, and the advertising, but did not look closely at the contents. I will continue to resist the income confiscation that will stifle the American spirit of entrepreneurship, as well as the thought police who punish anyone who dares to speak out against the Great Leader. If the Missouri Truth Squad prosecutors who threatened to prosecute anyone who “misstated” the policies of Obama, the Black Panther armed with a nightstick outside the Pennsylvania polling booth, or the “domestic security force” of which Obama recently spoke are harbingers of things to come, we are in serious trouble. The idea that he would propose a domestic security force is eerily reminiscent of the Brown Shirts of the 1930s and equally as frightening.

 

          I will continue to fight against misguided liberal politicians such as Chuck Schumer who propose a return to the “Fairness Doctrine,” which is nothing more than a thinly-disguised attempt to muzzle what is left of our “free press” in the United States and quiet the voices of the conservative talk show hosts who dare criticize The Great Leader. In Putin’s Russia they criminalize criticism of public officials, not here. Not yet.  We will try to check the advance of the radical juggernaut that begins in a few short weeks because there will be no one left in the states to do it. Our “free press’ has been in the tank for Obama for years now, and is seldom critical of anything He says or does.  The Fourth Estate has become an unapologetic shill for Obama–ABC (All Barack Channel), NBC (Nightly Barack Channel), CBS (Covering Barack Seriously) and others get a collective Chris Mathews tingle down their leg when He speaks. How are they to keep the power of government in check when the press has become a cheerleading squad? When the Evil Bush is gone, what will they have to talk about? Barack’s favorite food? The thoughts of The Great Leader?  The confluence of a subservient press, a socialist president, scary economic times (ironically brought on in large part by the party that just benefited from it), and an uncritical electorate, holds grave implications for our liberty. Thank God for the Canada Free Press, because I fear that there will be no one left to tell the story.

 

          Yet there is much for us to look forward to during an administration that promises to be everything to everyone and give us all that we need. As one of Obama’s supporters said: “Now, I won’t have to worry about my rent or groceries.”  The world has Changed overnight and everything will be better. He promised it would be so. Now we have Hope that:

 

–We will be loved above all nations of the world

–The terrorists will have no reason to attack us, ever again

–There will be no more war or poverty

–The planet will cool during the next four years

–The slaughter in Darfur will end

–We can disband the military

–We will all get free gas, food, and medical care

–Government will be our mother and father

–There will be no more racism

–Crime will subside

–China will stop building a new coal fired power plant every week

–North Korea will end its nuclear program

–The Arabs will love the Jews

–Hezbollah and Hamas will amend their charters and embrace Israel

–The air will clear when Obama bankrupts the coal industry, and

–The government can simply print as much money as we need to pay for everything.

 

            I fear that–without knowing it–we have traded our liberty for the sweet sound of promises that The Great Leader knows He cannot keep, the security that He cannot give, and the programs we cannot afford. And we did it to the sound of thunderous applause.

 

(Special thanks to Catherine T. Stoos, my daughter, future doctor, and Star Wars expert)

Sisters of Silence

(A Tribute to the Carmelite Sisters)

 

Copyright (c) 2008 William Kevin Stoos

 

 

“God hears most readily the cry of the soul that loves him.”

 

            There are many ways to serve God. Some preach from ornate cathedrals. Others conduct worldwide ministries, travel with entourages and ride in limousines. Some preach in glass palaces to affluent congregations and broadcast their services to millions. Others give homilies in modest churches and tend to the needs of their local parishes. Then there are those who serve silently—without fanfare or recognition—denying self  and material things. There are humble, gentle women who spend their lives praying for those they do not even know. Countless people have been blessed by the prayers of reclusive strangers far away, and do not even know it. They are selfless, serene souls who ask nothing for themselves and pray only for the good of others. Of all God’s servants, few are more selfless and deserving of our praise than the Carmelite sisters. They are truly special. The world needs to know that there are such women.

          The Carmelites are an order of nuns who serve the Church in a unique way—through solitude, devotion to God, and service to Man. I was intrigued, but most of all heartened, that anyone would do such a thing—withdraw from the world in order to serve it. In a noisy world filled with a cacophony of voices which compete with the message Christ, this community of devout Christian women rejects the trappings of materialism and the rush of daily living. They live an eremitical life in order to give the world the gift of their love and prayers.  In a society that worships at the Mall, is enslaved by computers and seems captivated by an endless stream of television drivel, there are those who withdraw from the noise and confusion and devote their lives to silence and prayer. To the rest of the world, their very existence must seem incongruous, anachronistic.  I am fascinated by them, but most of all humbled to know that they are praying for you and me. Until I had lived here for fifteen years, I did not even know that they lived among us. They live in an enclosed oasis of serenity and contemplation called a “Carmel,” where they serve their God. I am certain that most people in my town do not even know of them—including some of their neighbors.

            It was not enough to study their origins. I wanted to meet them and talk with them in their special place. I had corresponded with their Superior in the past and sent her some of my earlier articles, hoping that she would one day meet with me.  I did not know whether their eremitical lifestyle would permit an intrusion by someone like me. My initial e-mail requests (yes, they do have e-mail but are not fanatics about it) to meet with them went unanswered for several days. Eventually they agreed to meet with me, but under certain conditions. If I wrote about them, I could not extol the work of any particular sister. I learned that they are first and foremost a community of sisterly love, equality and mutual respect which denies self and supports each individual in her spiritual growth. I was to write—if at all—about the community. Agreed. Besides, who was I to argue with a Mother Superior? I drove to the Carmel—located on a secluded hilltop in the middle of our city—where I was honored to meet with the Superior. The tradition of a spiritual leader, who at once guides the community and serves the community, dates back to the earliest days of the Order. With apologies to Mother Superior, I found her to be a wonderful person possessed of a good heart and gentle nature. She was articulate, serene, and Spirit-filled. I was instantly impressed with her. At the risk of a polite scolding, if all of the Carmelite sisters are as devoted to God and Man as this woman—and I am certain they are–then they must have a direct line to the Man Upstairs.

            The Discalced (sic–“shoeless”) Carmelite sisters are spiritual descendants of a group of male Christian hermits who inhabited the rocky crags of Mount Carmel during the twelfth century in what is now Israel. Seeking to imitate the life of the prophet Elijah, those early hermits eventually became an order. In time, that order evolved to include women as well. After a few centuries of turmoil, a young Spanish nun—St. Teresa of Avila—revived the once troubled order, which had suffered from plagues, political upheaval, and abandonment of its original eremitical traditions. As a result of her efforts, the Carmelite order eventually spread from Spain to the rest of the world and now boasts nearly 900 Carmels and 14,000 adherents. 

These good sisters spend their days in solitude, contemplative prayer, and attending mass. They perform manual labor.  They do not take a vow of poverty per se, but eschew material things and lead a simple life that seeks to imitate Mary, worship God and serve humankind. They rarely leave the Carmel except when necessary for medical attention. Some Carmels do not even own a car. They are modern-day hermits in the truest sense of the world. Yet they do not withdraw from the world because they hate it. Rather, they withdraw from the world in order to serve it. Though physically separate, they are an integral part of the Church. Pope John Paul II once said that their enclosure does not isolate them from communion with the Church; rather, it puts them at the heart of the Church.

 

          That these women spend their days in quiet contemplation, prayer and worship, does not mean they are undisciplined. They adhere to a disciplined schedule that includes many hours of prayer, attendance at mass, manual labor, community meals, and periodic “alone time” in their cells in order to talk to God and pray for others. How much discipline must it take to refrain from talking and engage in silent, fervent prayer for hours on end?  We all know people who talk so incessantly that they give us headaches. The Carmelites, however, cherish silence. They talk infrequently and only as required. I suspect that they view idle chatter much like they view the noise of the world: it is an annoyance that disrupts the silent contemplation necessary to talk to God and hear His voice. I admire their discipline and envy their silence. They know that the voice of God comes in the silence. The world needs more silence and there is too little of it. 

          Most of us expect a reward for our efforts. Either we work for money, or we do things for others with at least the expectation of a little pat on the back. These sisters are different. They pray in silence for others every day, anonymously, taking prayer requests from total strangers, working miracles through their prayerful lives and expect nothing in return. It is this selfless anonymity that makes them most admirable and worthy of the praise that they deserve but never receive. One can always read headlines such as “Local business gives $1,000 to buy Christmas toys for kids.” It seems that people need to advertise their good works. Yet you will never read, “Boy healed through the prayers of the Carmelite nuns,” or “Marriage saved by the prayers of the Carmelites.”  These women help work miracles and change lives daily in ways we will never know. Ironically, the good that they do escapes even the notice of those who benefit the most. In the spiritual arsenal employed by the Church against the hopelessness, secularism and profanity of our culture, the Carmelite sisters may well be its most effective weapon.

            Few servants of God are more worthy of our thanks and admiration than these humble women. While they are enclosed, they are not detached. They are the heart of the Church–unseen, yet felt, and beating constantly–working to nourish and sustain the body of Christ. If these women are the heart of the Church, then I feel good–for the heart of the Church is healthy. We owe them a debt of thanks and our prayers as well, these selfless and serene Sisters of Silence.

 

Deo Gratias

 

Help Stoos Views support the Carmelites please. This request is unsolicited by the Order and is solely the work of the author. Carmelite Nuns, 2901 S. Cecelia, Sioux City, Iowa 51106 

 

 

 

 

 

The Hard Left Turn

Copyright (c) 2008 William Kevin Stoos

“Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” John F. Kennedy

“What can the government give you?” Barack H. Obama

The candidate was a man of great courage. A decorated war hero, he was nearly killed in combat. He risked life and limb to save his comrades and never left their side. He was a true patriot in every sense of the word. After his military service, he devoted his life to public service. He stood for strong national defense, a vigorous economy, and promotion of free enterprise. He vowed to fight socialism and believed with all his heart in the principles of freedom and capitalist democracy—which made the United States the most powerful country on earth. He knew how to salute the flag—you know, with the hand over the heart. He challenged Americans to work for the good of the country—not ask the country for a hand out or a free check. Of course, the government would help the truly needy—as it always had. But the country was not “Uncle Sugar” who would be all things to all people. Nor was it our private piggy bank. He did not believe in taking from the rich and giving to the poor. He was an enlightened, good-hearted man; but he was no Robin Hood. He did not believe in the Marxist axiom, “From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.” Communism was an evil doctrine, to be opposed at every level; capitalism, with all its faults, was the way to prosper and do the greatest good for the greatest number of people. It was what made our nation prosper. He understood this. His name was John. He was of Irish descent.

His platform held that, “If America is to work effectively for peace, [it] must first restore its national strength-military, political, and economic.” It cautioned that our military power was declining relative to that of the Chinese and Russians. It declared that democracy was the supreme form of government , which “places its highest value upon individual dignity,” and it opposed socialism, in which “the rights of men and women were sacrificed to the state.” It pronounced that, with respect to the former members of the Soviet bloc, his party would “never accept any deal or arrangement which acquiesces in the subjugation of these peoples” by Russia. His platform promised to “unshackle American enterprise and to free American labor, industrial leadership, and capital, to create an abundance that will outstrip any other system.” It boasted that, “Free competitive enterprise is the most creative and productive form of economic order that the world has seen.” It promised to “foster the development of [energy] from all sources, including water, tidal, and nuclear power.” It vowed to prospect for mineral deposits, oil shale, and radioactive materials as means of generating energy. It was a platform that was bold, unafraid, unabashedly pro-American, pro-capitalism, and pro-democracy. It did not seek to “transform” America, but to promote the values that made it great. And it did not apologize for America.

Although the biographical sketch as well as the platform might well be that of John McCain, it is not. The man was President John F. Kennedy and the platform was that of the Democrat Party. If his bio does not sound much like that of Barack Hussein Obama, and his platform does not sound much like the radical principles espoused by Obama, it should come as no surprise. Barack Obama is no Jack Kennedy. He is a radical, whose Robin Hood steal from the middle- class and give to those who do not work socialist creed does not remotely resemble that of our beloved Jack Kennedy. In fact, I doubt that Kennedy would agree with Obama on very much at all. Which brings me to my point.

In the early 1960s, I was a Democrat. Everyone in my family was a Democrat. Everyone I knew as a Democrat. We believed in the country and were proud of it. Our families worked hard. Most of us went to church. We saluted the flag. We did not know what welfare was. We helped the poor and our neighbor. No politician had to tell us to do so. We said the Pledge of Allegiance, belonged to the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, never thinking that it was politically incorrect to do so. We loved the country, and asked nothing from it other than to protect us. Our president was a national hero who risked life and limb to rescue his comrades during World War 2 and he was anything but a socialist. He never associated with homegrown terrorists, enemies of the United States, radical anti Semites, or racist preachers who cursed America from the pulpit. And patriotism was neither a dirty word nor politically incorrect.

Back then we were all traveling through life in a caravan–our whole family, and everyone we knew—in our Democrat Fords and Chevys, believing Democrat ideals, and living Democrat family values as we drove down the middle of the road. I still have the same basic values I did back then. So does my brother, my mother, and many of my friends. We did not change; the party did. Co-opted by vacuous Hollywood celebrities who tell us how to think, radical socialists who believe that your money should be given to someone who chooses not to work, and welfare-staters who believe government is a candy machine, the party of Truman and Kennedy is nothing I recognize. Nor would my father—who worked so hard for the party decades ago. In time, many of us became Republicans.

No, we did not leave the party…the Democrats left us. Sometime during the past five decades the Democrats turned left…hard left. And we kept driving straight down the road.