United States

Crunchy Conservatism

By Graham Glover –

It’s been 10 years since the nationally syndicated columnist Rod Dreher penned, ‘Crunchy Cons: How Birkenstocked Burkeans, gun-loving organic gardeners, evangelical free-range farmers, hip homeschooling mamas, right-wing nature lovers, and their diverse tribe of countercultural conservatives plan to save America (or at least the Republican Party)”. I was a fan of the book when it was published and am an even bigger proponent of the ideas Dreher is advocating today.

Yes, I am a Crunchy Con. And you, the readers of The Jagged Word, should be as well.

Continue reading →

When Logic Fails, Might Makes Right; Welcome to the Future of Amerika

By Joel A Hess –

When logic is no longer used to determine what is right, might is right.

Many are flabbergasted by the rise of Donald Trump. They can’t believe he says what he says and gets away with it. More than that, his harsh tone and outlandish Jerry Springer Show campaign only increases his popularity! Predictably, the knee jerk reaction by people who believe they have a right to never be offended by anyone is to protest – not argue – and sometimes violently. “Use your words,” our mothers used to say.

Continue reading →

No Trump, I’d Rather be a Sheep than a Lion

By Joel A Hess –

“It’s better to live one day as a lion than a sheep for a hundred years” – Donald Trump and Benito Mussolini

Whether or not Donald Trump knew this quote was taken from the il Duce, the baldheaded embarrassment to both dictators and Italians, doesn’t matter. What does matter is that he desires to own and live by this quote. It should be noted that the original author of the quote was eventually mocked by the Germans, who really know how to do dictatorship, and dragged naked through the streets by his own people. I’m not sure Mussolini’s words are ingredients for success.

Continue reading →

A Plea to our Next President

By Graham Glover –

We are less than 9 months away from electing the next President of the United States. After months of talk and preparation, the electorate and pundits are knee deep in the primaries. There are still a lot of votes to be cast, but I suspect that after the 15th of March we will have a pretty good idea of who the nominees are going to be for each party.

Like almost every other political prognosticator, I am at a loss for how the 2016 election is unfolding.

Continue reading →

The Joy of Enduring “The Suck”

By Graham Glover –

I recently returned from a 2-week field exercise with my Soldiers. Apart from being away from my family, sleeping in a 1-man pup tent, not showering, and eating more MREs than my digestive tract prefers – it was a phenomenal time of training with my new Battalion.

There are many things an Army chaplain can do to earn the trust and respect of his Soldiers, to include, above all, being a faithful man of God. But living with them in their training environment – enduring the “suck” that everyone experiences while in the field, is one of the best ways for a Soldier to realize that where they go, their chaplain goes – when they suffer, their chaplain does so as well.

Continue reading →