Observations©

By Donald S. Conkey

Date: November 19, 2009 - # 9947 - Title: Local events reaffirm beliefs in America’s resiliency. (823)

Last week it was my privilege to be involved in three events, two local, one in nearby Cartersville, that reaffirmed my strong beliefs in America, and in America’s four foundational documents that have made America not only the beacon of freedom and liberty to the entire world, but also the major defender of mankind’s freedoms and liberties throughout the world - in spite of how much President Obama apologizes for America’s perceived past sins. Obama campaigned on two themes: hope and change based on false promises. What America forgot to ask before electing him president was if his hope and change was anchored in the divine principles of freedom and liberty the Founders embedded in these four documents?

Sadly America has learned they were not! America’s ‘sleeping giant,’ its freedom loving citizens, have awaken to the dangers of Obama’s kind of change and hope, wrong change, false hope and promises that the government would provide cradle to grave care for its citizens, promises designed to ensnare the uneducated voter to vote for him. This past week I saw those newly awoken people in action. It was both exciting and heart warming to be a participant in these three events.

The first event happened around my kitchen table. I had the privilege of interviewing Hans Schulzke, the 17 year old son of Kurt and Corrine Schulzke of Acworth, for his ‘Citizenship in the Community’ merit badge, a merit badge needed to complete his requirements for his Eagle Badge. Not only did he pass but he passed with flying colors, explaining in detail his visits to our local probate court and his interview with a local detective, an expert on the local drug challenge.

Following the interview I talked with Hans about his life goals. He wants to become a constitutional lawyer and will enter Brigham Young in January to study law at the J. Reuben Clark Law School, a very prestigious law school. After his first year at BYU he will leave school to serve a two year mission for his church where he will become even more knowledgeable about the scriptures than he is now. And he is very knowledgeable now! And Han’s knowledge of the Constitution, at age 17, would likely surpass 95 percent of our local citizens, thanks to his home schooling and scouting requirements.

The second event also involved the Boy Scouts. Lori Pesta and her board members planned a “Salute to Our Veterans” non partisan dinner on Veterans Day. It was hugely successful. County Commissioner Buzz Ahrens welcomed the guests and my role was to coordinate with Phil Karski, a local scout commissioner to provide 11 Boy Scouts to stand at attention and welcome all visitors to this outstanding veteran’s event. Karski contacted fellow commissioner Shawn Kwak who provided scouts from Troop 994, a troop sponsored by Towne Lake Hillside Methodist Church here in Towne Lake. Kwak, in addition to being a commissioner, is an assistant scoutmaster, to Scoutmaster Matt Jenkins, of Troop 994. These scouts, with their demeanor, impressed every attendee at this event. What a blessing for these 11 scouts to learn first hand about service and about the service our veterans have provided in defending mankind’s freedoms and liberties around the world for over 220 years.

Also impressive were those young Junior ROTC cadets from Cherokee High School who performed their duties in posting the flag of the United States flawlessly. They were impressive! America’s pledge of allegiance reminds us that we still live “under God,” where liberty and justice is still available for all.  

The third event was set up by mentor Zeldon Nelson of the National Center for Constitutional Studies who has distributed nearly a million copies of “The 5000 Year Leap” since last March when Glenn Beck began to promote its virtues and principles of freedom. The Bartow County Patriots, affiliated with Glenn Beck’s 9/12 project, were given my name to contact regarding a speaker on the Constitution. I accepted their invitation. There were 60 plus in attendance and all were concerned and worried about the direction the Obama administration has taken since January. This is a recently organized group feeding off of Beck’s call to action. Its co-founders, Gail Englehardt and Rob Adkerson, are dynamic young people (compared to me) with a burning love for the freedoms and liberties they have enjoyed over the years, and want their children and grandchildren to have those same freedoms and liberties.