by Mike Pyatt

In an era of “causes” some noble, others ignoble, a favorite of many is T.S. Eliot. In his day, he too distrusted the elite, saying, “The elites, in consequence, will consist solely of individuals whose only common interest will be their professional interest.” Eliot understood that the struggle to uphold “permanent things” has no surcease. He was a defender of cultural norms and social order. Self-described as “Catholic cast of mind, Calvinistic heritage, and Puritanical Temperament,” his stance on causes was “We fight rather to keep something alive than in expectation that it will triumph.” In human terms our victory isn’t always certain. He, like we defenders of liberty and life today, grasp that in every period of history, those who’ll endeavor to pull down “permanent things,” and others will defend them to the death. What are “permanent things?” Briefly, those verities that are timeless, immutable, and aren’t subject to material affirmation, or man’s whimsical approval. read more

by Mike Pyatt

A tent can be a metaphor, a symbol, or an idyllic place of refuge, safety, or hiding. Tents can be a place to dwell for some, like the nomadic Bedouins, who’ve lived in black goat hair tents for centuries, eschewing permanent dwellings, preferring portable tents or shelter that affords them the flexibility to move around with their families and animals in the forbidding African Sahara. T.E. Lawrence, “Lawrence of Arabia” once wrote of the nomadic lifestyle as, “the most biting lifestyle of all social disciplines, a life too hard for only the strongest and most determined.” The Song of Solomon, confirms those ancient tents, “Dark I am, yet lovely, daughters of Jerusalem, dark like the tents of Kedar, dark as the curtains of Solomon.” read more

by Mike Pyatt

Reformed theologian and philosopher, the late Dr. Francis A. Schaeffer, wrote a seminal book, in1969, Death in the City, against the backdrop of the 1960’s countercultural upheaval. It reads like today’s headlines, nearly fifty years after Woodstock, that’s now being celebrated by revisionist historians, heralding it as a time of “love and peace.” Lust and perversion’s more accurate, leaving 3 dead, 5000 treated for injuries, illness and drug overdoes. He contended there’s an inextricable link between the intellectual, cultural and spiritual orientation of society and impending death, physically and spiritually, when a society abandons a Biblical view of God and Fallen Man. The title of this compelling book parallels the writing of the Old Testament, Book of Lamentations, attributed to the prophet Jeremiah, who lamented that death and destruction had devastated his beloved Jerusalem. Many in our day lament the death and destruction in our beloved America. Drag Queens are now doing story time for children endorsed by renegade library boards. Last week, an 11 year-old boy “danced in drag for dollars” in a “Gay Bar” in Brooklyn, New York, with mom’s approval, cleared by Child Protective Services, after public outcry brought it to their attention. Governor Cuomo gave it a pass. He also signed infanticide legislation. Who’s protecting kids? read more

by Mike Pyatt

As adults, we’re unsurprised when one’s offspring is up front, asking, “What’s in it for me?” At least we can trot out our tawdry, “It’s not all about you,” speech that we’ve rehearsed just for this occasion, as we hastily eschew the #MeToo generation. Not so fast. In our search for a “public philosophy” that matches our much maligned “constitutional liberty” banner, we’re faced with this reality when we often begin our self-serving political profile for the “right candidate.” Whether it’s local government, State of Wyoming, or the national stage, many of us claim, “We want what’s best.” Just what do we mean? Do we mean the “common good?” Suddenly, we’re confronted with the fact that the “public good” is often at odds with “public opinion.” Listening to the recent Democrat debates, it’s abundantly clear that few, like our national electorate, understand the vital difference between a democracy and a republic. Our Founders would be woefully disappointed that their descendants have failed miserably on this front, using the two terms interchangeably at will, like epic and epoch, to our detriment and demise. read more

by Mike Pyatt

Amid the El Paso and Dayton shootings, Democrat Presidential hopefuls slavishly offered another tawdry emotional appeal for stricter gun control. Like Chicago? The El Paso shooter reportedly wanted “to kill as many Mexicans as possible.” That 24 year old Dayton shooter didn’t survive despite wearing body armor. Both are white. White nationalist racists? Paid extreme anarchist? Mental Health crisis? Pundits scratch their head, scouring for an explanation that comports with motives palatable to a culture inclined to reject the possibility of absolute evil. They prefer pillorying “assault rifles” and “gaps” in background checks. Memories are short and selective. In a 1930’s Sears & Roebuck catalogue, one could purchase any of ninety-six rifles or shotguns, and it would be delivered to one’s door by the U.S. Postal Service. That continued until the late 1970’s. How many mass shootings do you recall during that 40 year span? What changed so dramatically? read more