God, Constitutions, and Obama's Turkey Talk

Joe Frank Dell stirred up the Cafe Folks this week by asking why President Barack Obama went all the way to Turkey to say the following: "We do not consider ourselves a Christian nation or a Jewish nation or a Muslim nation. We consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values."

Mom says the dust really started flying resulting in Butch Jackson pulling out his handy copy of the Texas Constitution, which he carries at all times in the left pocket of his jeans, and quotes way too much. Of course in his main pocket, the right one, he totes his Red Man Premium Moist Snuff , which he dips way too much. But back to the controversy.

Butch read the preamble to the Texas Constitution: "We the People of the Republic of Texas , acknowledging, with gratitude, the grace and beneficence of God." Of course this brought up the question, "what the hell is beneficence"? Aunt Martha, the town librarian and columnist from, the Hubbard City News, whipped out her dictionary and said it meant, "the doing of good." This put them back on track in questioning Obama's epistle.

That night Mom thought maybe since Obama was from Illinois, those Yankee people danced to a different drummer. She googled their preamble: "We, the people of the State of Illinois, grateful to Almighty God for the civil , political and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy and looking to Him for a blessing on our endeavors".

When she reported back to the coffee drinkers the answer to Joe Frank's question became clear to the folks. Obama announced his views in Turkey because he obviously didn't think the Hubbard Folks would find out. It appears that the folks do have a long reach and so does God whose influence on our constitutions, and indeed our society, stretches from Texas to Illinois and all places in between.

Well let's hope that this is one more lesson learned by our young President and that God's influence stretches to the White House as well. The Hubbard Folks sure wish he would go to Church on our National Prayer Day instead of doing what ever he does in private.