How Do We Lower Energy Costs?
- Rick Scarborough
- Jul 29, 2008
Dear Friends,
Some days, I wonder what is happening in America. The media reports daily on the impact of rising energy costs, as Congress fails to act. Yet, where are the news stories proclaiming "gasoline at $4.00 per gallon while Congress refuses to authorize offshore drilling - women, children and the poor hardest hit?"
After the announcement that George W. Bush had removed the executive order prohibiting the drilling for oil right here in America, and called on the democratically controlled Congress to do the same, the price of crude oil plummeted nearly 12.5% from a quoted high of $147.27 on July 14 to $128.88 in one week - simply because the United States hintedthat we may remove the obstacles to domestic oil drilling.
But as I write this to you today, the price of crude oil is in a state of flux, but appears to be starting to inch back up, thanks to the excuses of the "why we can't" crowd. It's time our Congressional representatives know that action is needed NOW! Vision America is giving you the opportunity to help by sending a fax to your representatives in Washington and tell them you're fed up with their inaction on domestic oil drilling.
With the price of gasoline at historical highs, our Congress continues to ignore the gifts that God has provided us. Some estimates indicate that there is more accessible crude oil available right here in the United States than the entire Middle East, if only Congress would take away the prohibition from getting it. The technology to accomplish this cleanly, safely and economically is ready to go TODAY.
Yet, the naysayers proclaim it will take seven to ten years to produce additional oil from our domestic sources. What a farce! On September 12, 1962, President John F. Kennedy pronounced that America "chooses to go to the moon" and less than seven years later, on July 12, 1969, this pronouncement became reality. Further, it was accomplished with technology that had not even been conceived of in 1962, with the most complex machine ever created by man.
My friend it's time for the excuses to stop. Congress needs to act now. While it is true that finding alternative sources of energy is important, we simply cannot ignore the resources God has provided. He promised to provide and He has literally placed a solution right at our feet.
What you can do:
- Pray for the wisdom and guidance of our elected officials to take action for the good of the American people and not to succumb to the whim of the radical elements that keep us reliant on countries who do not have our best interest at heart.
- Contact your Representatives and Senators - tell them that we need action NOW:
FAX CONGRESS - Forward this email to your like-minded friends, so they can have the opportunity to take action.
- Consider making a generous gift to Vision America so that we may continue to provide you and others with these insights.
Yes, I want to support Vision America!
If we continue to rely on foreign oil to meet the needs of America, we will all suffer the consequences and it will truly be: "Women, children and the poor hardest hit..."
Recent news from California suggests that someday very soon, you and I may be found guilty of "hate crimes," simply through a profession of our faith. A ruling by the California Supreme Court in May determined that homosexuals fall into the category of something called a "suspect class." Through this innocuous sounding decision, the Justices have determined that homosexuals are entitled to protection (at least in California ) from discrimination, just as race and gender are protected. Once again, the California judiciary is attempting to turn back the will of the people. This is yet another step the courts are taking to legalize "homosexual marriage" in California . According to the Alliance Defense Fund, the meaning of this action is that "any public expression that condemns or criticizes homosexual behavior" will soon be a criminal act in California .
Yet this ruling comes with a far more disturbing prospect: by defining homosexuality as a "suspect class" protected under this definition, a court could find your pastor, or for that matter YOU, guilty of hate speech - simply for affirming the sin of homosexuality as defined in the Bible. Furthermore, can you imagine the Bible being banned as HATE SPEECH?
Make no mistake that the homosexual community is determined to force their sinful ways into the mainstream as an acceptable part of American society - not through the legislative process, but rather through an activist judicial system. So fraught with faulty legal logic is this finding, even the decidedly activist California Supreme Court rendered this decision by only a 5-4 majority.
But California 's Supreme Court is not the only bastion of judicial preference for homosexuals. Recently, a Federal Appeals Court determined that the free speech right of homosexuals supersedes the free speech rights of Christians. The 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed an action brought by a group of eleven Philadelphia Christians against the city of Philadelphia for failing to allow them to gather and protest a taxpayer funded event glorifying homosexuality called "Outfest." In an attempt to follow the city's rules, the " Philadelphia 11" applied for, and was refused, a permit to gather by the city to protest the event. The city decided that homosexuals should be able to give their speeches and practice their lifestyle openly, without opposing views anywhere in evidence. When these Christians attempted to exercise their free speech at the event they were arrested and removed. Although the arrest charges were thrown out, the federal court failed to validate the right of these Christians to freely express their beliefs. Clearly, the 3rd Circuit Court believes that free speech is only guaranteed when it is not Christians speaking truth that contradicts or condemns the homosexual community.
The freedom of Americans to worship and speak the truth of God is under attack. I am very concerned as we Christians continue to face increasing pressure to forego our beliefs; that if we don't stand up for our principles, we will see increasing pressure from the deceived and the godless to silence us from speaking God's truth. Vision America will continue to monitor and report on these important developments. Please consider supporting Vision America by underwriting our efforts through your tax deductible gifts made on our web site at: VISION AMERICA DONATE.
Two weeks ago in Tulsa Oklahoma , the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) announced the success of a local sweep under a national program called "Operation Community Shield." I suspect you have not heard about this one yet, because it does not support the image of illegal immigrants that the "give them amnesty" coalition wants you to have. Of the 45 persons arrested, 15 of these illegal aliens are members of trans-national gangs and another 13, many of whom have prior criminal convictions, were also here illegally. Do we really want to give amnesty to gang members and other repeat criminal offenders? Regrettably, there are too many people whose first illegal act in the United States was crossing the border when they were not entitled to do so. More disturbing is the fact that too many of those who entered the country illegally were committing their first illegal act. With estimates of up to 20 million people here "undocumented," the damage done to our citizens and economy is staggering. These people have placed an unbelievable cost on our healthcare system, law enforcement agencies and other public services created for Americans. Consider that The Center for Immigration Studies finds that households headed by illegal aliens cost the federal government (taxpayers like you and me) $26.3 billion in 2002. Moreover, $25 billion was sent from the U.S. back to Mexico by illegal aliens according to the Mexican Central Bank. That would make the export of their citizens to the U.S. the second largest industry in Mexico!
If only the financial cost was the only issue. On September 11, 2001 terrorists destroyed the World Trade Center , costing the lives of more than 2600 innocent people, with another 125 dead at the Pentagon and 256 more on the four airplanes involved. America was shocked and horrified to action. Yet a far more disturbing statistic can be attributed to the tide of illegal aliens flowing through our borders. Since 9/11, more than 45,625 innocent lives have been taken by aliens in our country illegally.
Please help Vision America battle the plight of illegal immigration
So long as America does not enforce the laws put in place to protect its citizens, its citizens will not be safe. Vision America is working hard to find solutions to the immigration issues in America and your help is urgently needed. There are many around the world that desperately need our help, and would LOVE to come to America, but simply turning our backs on the laws that are the foundation of our country is a certain path to destruction. The costs will be staggering. We must continue to insist that our government enforce our laws and, where necessary, modify the laws to the benefit of all our citizens. But this doesn't mean handing a free pass to the lawbreakers who jumped the line and broke the laws to come here illegally. While our existing immigration laws may not be perfect, they simply must be enforced. Please help Vision America keep the issue of illegal immigration in the forefront of public discussion. We must find a way to close our porous borders that are open to the drug dealers, gang members, criminals and murders - just like those caught in Tulsa, Oklahoma .
Please make a generous donation today to support the work of Vision America
Thank you in advance for your generous support!
I remain...Your servant and friend,
Pastor Rick Scarborough
Fear the Lord and judge with integrity, for the Lord our God does not tolerate perverted justice, partiality, or the taking of bribes. 2 Chronicles 19:7
