#1783 (12/1) "How to Speak the Truth About Castro’s Bloody Legacy"

"HOW TO SPEAK THE TRUTH ABOUT CASTRO'S BLOODY LEGACY" - Beverly Hallberg / November 30, 2016 / http://dailysignal.com/2016/11/30/how-to-speak-the-truth-about-castros-bloody-legacy/

Fidel Castro's regime was responsible for over 78,000 Cuban deaths. (Photo: Xinhua News Agency/Newscom)

Ding dong! The witch is dead! Or at least that’s how the families of the 78,000 murdered victims of Fidel Castro, those who fled his dictatorship, and those who love freedom responded when the news of the dictator’s death was reported on Sunday.

Castro was a tyrant who imposed communism on Cuba for over 60 years while torturing and killing tens of thousands more who disagreed with him. Under his heavy-handed rule, Cubans were living in poverty, an island nearly frozen in time since before Castro assumed power, while he and his brother lived in extreme luxury.

But as shocking as it might be to believe, there are some—including a handful of world leaders—who are in mourning. One is President Barack Obama who failed to mention any of Castro’s atrocities over the decades, but said: “History will record and judge the enormous impact of this singular figure … ” Former President Jimmy Carter’s statement wasn’t much better: “We fondly remember our visits with him in Cuba and his love of his country.” But the most notably ridiculous statement came from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who called Castro “revolutionary” and a “larger-than-life leader who served his people.” Trudeau’s glowing comments were instantly mocked on social media, prompting the quick-to-trend #TrudeauEuologies.

These responses are in stark contrast to most Cubans, however. Even Castro’s own sister, who fled Cuba to escape her brothers, said, “My brothers Fidel and Raúl have made it an enormous prison surrounded by water.” That’s not exactly a ringing endorsement.

How can these two responses to Castro’s death be so opposite? Well, the one thing leaders like Carter, Obama, and Trudeau have in common with others who are mourning his death—they, unlike Castro’s sister, never had to live under his evil regime.

Though it seems unfathomable that people you know might try to defend or gloss over the past 60 years in Cuba’s history, it’s still on you to understand where others are coming from and communicate your feelings about Castro’s death in a way that wins them over … or at least makes them think twice.

Common Ground - A basic human right we can all agree on is dignity and respect for all. Regardless of your opinion of Castro’s reign and recent death, it’s important to talk about where Cuba and its people go from here.

A great place to start is the desire to see Cubans flourish, which, as Americans, we define as freedom. To be more specific, you can cite access to education, affordable and quality health care, the ability to worship and express political opinions without fear of death, etc. Or rather, basic privileges we take for granted that Cubans haven’t known for six decades. Horrifying, but true.

Examples - Highlighting exactly what Castro did and how he treated people during his 60-year reign is the most effective way to make your argument.

For example, Jehovah’s Witnesses, gays, and other “undesirables” were rounded up and sent to work camps—or UMAPs. Sound familiar? Further, there was no religious liberty under Castro. Dissidents were tortured, imprisoned, or killed. So extreme was Castro’s control, he banned Christmas for 30 years. (Bah humbug!)

Instead of liberty, firing squads, disappearing friends and neighbors, and families torn apart were hallmarks of the past six decades.

Castro killed Cubans. Castro killed Americans. Castro once destroyed 41 Cubans—mostly women and children—trying to flee his regime by sinking their tugboat. The total of the Castro regime death toll may never be known, but estimates approach 100,000.

Words - While it seems crazy that people are mourning the passing of a despot like Castro, it is important to refrain from insulting those who disagree. If you want to win the argument, keep your emotions in check. It won’t be easy, but it’s necessary.

The key is to use words and phrases that reinforce your common ground (respect and dignity for all), yet point out that Castro did everything to keep his people from realizing it. You can say: “While we agree that access to good, quality health care and education are basic rights every Cuban should claim, Castro spent his reign denying Cubans this reality. If we truly desire people to live with the dignity and respect they deserve, we can’t gloss over the atrocities that defined the last six decades.”

With the holiday season in full swing, it seems appropriate to spread a little cheer by speaking the truth about a dictator who banned Christmas for 30 years. ‘Tis the season!

[bold, italics, and colored emphasis mine]

Beverly Hallberg is a contributor to The Daily Signal, a visiting fellow at The Heritage Foundation, and president of District Media Group.

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"Fidel Castro Before the Judgment Seat" - Jerry Newcombe | Dec 01, 2016; http://townhall.com/columnists/jerrynewcombe/2016/12/01/fidel-castro-before-the-judgment-seat-n2253069
"Responses to Castro's Death Reveal Wide Chasm Between Obama, Trump" - Jackie Gingrich Cushman : Dec 01, 2016; http://townhall.com/columnists/jackiegingrichcushman/2016/12/01/responses-to-castros-death-reveal-wide-chasm-between-obama-trump-n2253071

#1782 (11/30) "Goodbye, Fidel Castro - WHY UTOPIANISM ALWAYS FAILS"

"Goodbye, Fidel Castro - WHY UTOPIANISM ALWAYS FAILS" - By: John Stonestreet| Breakpoint.org: November 29, 2016;

 http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/13/30169

A brutal communist dictator has gone on to meet his reward. And too many seem confused about the legacy of Cuba’s Fidel Castro.

On Friday, Fidel Castro died at the age of ninety, far older than many of his opponents lived to be. If you’ve been subjected to the fawning epitaphs of many in the media (or read about one NFL quarterback’s ridiculous defense of Castro) please keep this in mind: While exact numbers are difficult to come by, the number of Cubans murdered by Castro’s regime numbers in the tens of thousands, if not more.

In 1998, I found myself standing less than a hundred yards away from Castro. I’d spent a year in Jamaica right after college, and while I was there, Castro came for a visit. Looking back, knowing what I now know about Castro, the esteem in which he was held was amazing: He was met with a hero’s welcome by both public officials and the people… not to mention, streets and sidewalks that had been in disrepair for decades were fixed, and gutters were finally unclogged and cleaned up to honor him.

The obvious question was: Why? And the best answer my Jamaican friends could come up with when I asked was that Castro had “stood up” to the United States for decades. Implicit in their answer is the idea that Castro had stood up to them because he had the best interests of the Cuban people in mind. A sentiment shared by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when he called Castro “a larger than life leader who served his people for almost half a century.”

But what twaddle that is! Castro certainly was larger than life, and as I learned that day, an amazing public speaker. But oratorical skills cannot mitigate the consequences of evil ideas. Only people who didn’t actually have to live under Castro’s rule would call his treatment of the Cuban people “service.” The Cuba Archive has identified at least 15,000 Cubans who were shot, hanged, bombed or otherwise died in Castro’s notorious prisons. This is the legacy of the man that today’s version of what Lenin once dubbed “useful idiots” are praising.

In addition, Castro’s idea of “service” included making Cuba a satellite of the Soviet Union. He allowed the USSR to place nuclear missiles on the island, thus giving his people a potential front-row seat for Armageddon.

And then of course, there’s Cuba’s horrendous human rights record. According to Human Rights Watch, “During Castro’s rule, thousands of Cubans were incarcerated in abysmal prisons, thousands more were harassed and intimidated, and entire generations were denied basic political freedoms.”
If this is “service,” I’d hate to see “evil.”

But let’s be clear: what happened in Castro’s Cuba is fully consistent with the historical record of communism and all other attempts at man-made utopias, a word which, you should recall, means “no place.” All utopian visions attempt to reinvent man and refashion him along ideologically-inspired lines by force of state-level coercion. And that never works. Human nature just isn’t that malleable.

The 2001 film “Enemy at the Gates,” about the siege of Stalingrad during World War II, offers one of the clearest and concise critiques of communism I’ve ever heard. As he lays dying, Danilov, a commissar whose job it was to try and create this “new Soviet man,” tells the hero, “I’ve been such a fool, Vassili. Man will always be man. There is no new man. We worked so hard to create a society that was equal, where there’d be nothing to envy your neighbour. But there’s always something to envy. A smile, a friendship, something you don’t have and want to appropriate.”

Danilov is only mistaken on one point: there is a “new man.” But humans are only made new by a means that Castro tried so hard to destroy during his entire reign: the Christ of Christianity. And I pray this lesson isn’t lost on the rest of us.

[bold, italics, and colored emphasis mine]

RESOURCES
"Counting Castro's Victims" - Mary Anastasia O'Grady | Wall Street Journal | December 30, 2005;http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB113590852154334404

"How Castro Held the World Hostage" - James G. Blight, Janet M. Lang | New York Times | October 25, 2012; http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/26/opinion/how-castro-held-the-world-hostage.html

"Cuba: Fidel Castro’s Record of Repression" - Human Rights Watch | November 26, 2016; https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/11/26/cuba-fidel-castros-record-repression

"Cuba Archive" - http://cubaarchive.org/wordpress/
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"After Castro’s Death, Trump Seeks ‘Concessions’ From Cuba" - Josh Siegel / November 28, 2016; http://dailysignal.com/2016/11/28/after-castros-death-trump-seeks-concessions-from-cuba/

"Fidel Castro’s Death Is an Opportunity to End Cuba’s Communist Dynasty" - Mike Gonzalez / November 26, 2016 / http://dailysignal.com/2016/11/26/fidel-castros-death-is-an-opportunity-to-end-cubas-communist-dynasty/
"Voices: Castro's death hits home for my family" -  Alan Gomez , USA TODAY; November 28, 2016; http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/voices/2016/11/26/voices-gomez-fidel-castro-death-hits-home/94473392/

#1781 (11/27) SUNDAY SPECIAL: "Advent, Sacred Time, and Worldview - A WAY OF BEING IN THE WORLD"

"Advent, Sacred Time, and Worldview - A WAY OF BEING IN THE WORLD" - By: John Stonestreet| Breakpoint.org: November 25, 2016; http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/13/30146

It is time to prepare for Christmas. But I don’t mean at the shopping mall. I mean sacred preparation.


This Sunday marks the beginning of Advent, the time historically “set aside by the Church to help believers prepare to receive the fullness of Jesus’ coming.”And the word “coming” refers both to His Incarnation and “His return as the ‘Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory,” who will “send his angels to gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens’ (Mark 13:26-27).”

A few years ago, on BreakPoint I said that “walking through this season of Advent in prayer, scripture and devotional readings has been a huge blessing to my family, to my church, and to me personally.” That’s definitely still the case.

Today I want to explore the relationship between the observance of Advent and our worldview.
When most Christians think about worldview (if they think about it at all), what comes to mind are ideas. Now worldview isn’t less than ideas, of course, but it is more. Bill Brown, Gary Phillips and I define worldview as the framework of basic beliefs we have that give us a view of and for the world. That framework includes ideas, but also our imagination, our habits, and the basic stories—both cultural and personal—that shape our lives.

We live out of these stories—they give us, as N. T. Wright puts it, “a way-of-being-in-the-world.” It’s this “way-of-being in the world” that I want to talk more about today.Twelve years ago, the historian Robert Louis Wilken wrote in the journal First Things that “The Church is a culture in its own right. Christ does not simply infiltrate a culture; Christ creates culture by forming another city, another sovereignty with its own social and political life.”

What distinguishes this culture from the non-Christian world is not some kind of physical separation, or even a spiritual withdrawal, but, to borrow Wright’s phrase, a “way-of-being-in-the-world” that’s different. According to Wilken, three hallmarks of this “way” were the distinctive Christian uses of space, time, and language. Time today does not permit me to discuss the uses of space and language, so I’ll settle for urging you to read Wilken’s essay. We’ll link to it at BreakPoint.org.

But that does leaves time to talk about, well, time. As Wilken writes, “We should not underestimate the cultural significance of the calendar and its indispensability for a mature spiritual life. Religious rituals carry a resonance of human feeling accumulated over the centuries.” He continues “The season of Advent . . . is a predictable reminder that the Church lives by another time, marked in the home by a simple ritual, the lighting of a violet Advent candle set in an evergreen wreath on a dark evening in early December.” “Sacred seasons” like Advent, “run at right angles to the conventional calendar [and] they offer a regular and fixed cessation of activity.” They become “times of reflection and contemplation that open us to mystery and transcendence.”
What’s more, they provide the “gift of leisure,” a much-needed respite from “the world of work and money and minding our p’s and q’s.”

Only if we truly understand those cultural forces that shape our worldview can we intentionally open ourselves to the possibility that there is a way of being in the world that is both countercultural and transformative.

We have some Advent resources and readings for you at BreakPoint.org. And beginning on Tuesday, you can listen to a special Advent podcast titled, “He Has Come.” It’s available on our BreakPoint podcast. You can sign up for the podcast at iTunes or by visiting BreakPoint.org/podcast.

Please, find time and find space to prepare for Christmas. Have a blessed Advent.

[bold, italics, and colored emphasis mine]

FURTHER READING AND INFORMATION - Carve out time in this busy part of the year to begin your observance of Advent with a special BreakPoint podcast of "He Has Come." To sign up for the podcast, click here - http://www.breakpoint.org/podcast
"N.T. Wright: Worldview Quotes" - Theological Ramblings | September 3, 2008; https://ordinand.wordpress.com/2008/09/03/nt-wright-worldview-quotes/
"The Church as Culture" - Robert Louis Wilken | First Things | April 2004; https://www.firstthings.com/article/2004/04/the-church-as-culture
"The Incarnation: It's about Time" - Jim Tonkowich | Christianity.com | December 29, 2008; http://www.christianity.com/11597518/

#1780 (11/26) PRO-LIFE SAT: "The Truth about Miscarriage - GRIEVING THE LOSS OF AN EMBODIED SPIRIT"

"The Truth about Miscarriage - GRIEVING THE LOSS OF AN EMBODIED SPIRIT" - By: John Stonestreet| Breakpoint.org: Nov. 16, 2016; http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/breakpoint-commentaries-search/entry/13/28298

Millions of women experience the profoundly painful tragedy of miscarriage. How we respond to them says a lot about us and our worldview.

The abortion industry, and politicians allegiant to it, will defend to the death—pun intended—a woman’s so-called “right” to end the life of a living, developing human being in her womb for any and every reason. But strangely, when it comes to a miscarriage—that is, the unintended death of an unborn baby by natural causes—its script suddenly changes. Consider these words from Planned Parenthood: “Miscarriage is a common event in many women’s lives. Those of us who have had miscarriages know how difficult the experience can be. Miscarriage can leave us with many emotions to sort out.”

By God’s grace, my wife and I have never experienced a miscarriage, like so many of our friends and co-workers. Difficult seems like an inadequate word for the pain resulting from miscarriage—though the nation’s largest abortion provider fails to mention why: because it is the loss of a precious human being in the womb. Planned Parenthood’s concern for miscarriage’s unintended loss seems quite disingenuous given they want us to celebrate the intentional taking of 55 million human beings since Roe v. Wade.

But such logical schizophrenia is not confined to those who defend the legal right to abortion. Those of us on the pro-life side can also be inconsistent. While many Christians can make the case for the dignity of human life in the womb when it comes to the evil of abortion, when it comes to miscarriage—which ends between 10 percent and 25 percent of all clinically recognized pregnancies—the response is often far different. By the words we say or leave unsaid, too often we risk dehumanizing the child who has died and discouraging the grieving parent.

That’s the assessment of Constance T. Hull, who’s experienced four miscarriages herself. Writing in The Public Discourse (an excellent publication by the way), she encourages us to speak frankly about miscarriage. How? By acknowledging the reality that miscarriage represents—to borrow the wording of Thomas Aquinas—the loss of an “embodied spirit.”

Hull offers a number of ideas to help us comfort grieving parents, many of whom suffer silently. “First,” she says, “we need to bring miscarriage out in the open. We need to engage in discussions about the reality of miscarriage and the pain it causes families. This is a part of building a culture of life.”

She then points out, “We pray at abortion clinics and try to educate the populace on the horrors of abortion, but we also need to be ministering to and supporting families who have lost unborn children. The more we talk about it, the more families will come out from behind closed doors to share their stories and begin to grieve openly.”

Second, Hull says, we need to be intentional about highlighting this painful topic.  “People need forums,” she writes, “both in social media and in person, to discuss their experiences freely. Conversations with one’s priest, pastor, rabbi, imam, local crisis pregnancy center, friends, and family can help one come to terms with the grief and remembrance of those lost children.”

Third, Hull says we pro-lifers must examine our own beliefs and words that dehumanize the unborn or short-circuit the natural and necessary grieving process that comes when someone loses a loved one. We do this when we say things like, “You can always have another child,” or, “There was something clearly wrong with the child,” or even “They are in a better place.” Let’s remember Job’s friends were the most comforting when they didn’t talk at all.

Come to BreakPoint.org, and I’ll link you to Constance Hull’s powerful article on miscarriage.

I pray the truth of miscarriage as the loss of a precious human life will shame many in the abortion industry into repentance. And I also pray this truth sinks into our own hearts, so that we can comfort the grieving among us and carry their burdens in Christ’s name. Amen.

[bold, italics, and colored emphasis mine]

FURTHER READING AND INFORMATION - As John points out, whether a baby is lost through miscarriage or by the act of abortion, the end result is still a lost child. Read Constance Hull's moving article, "Abortion's Miscarriage Problem," linked below.

"Abortion’s Miscarriage Problem" - Constance Hull | Public Discourse | November 1, 2016;http://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2016/11/17889/
"Why We Don’t Talk about Miscarriage—And How to Start" - Gracy Olmstead | The Federalist | March 4, 2016; http://thefederalist.com/2016/03/04/why-we-dont-talk-about-miscarriage-and-how-to-start/
"Dealing with Miscarriage & Stillbirth: Coming Out of the Pro-Life Shadows" - Eric Metaxas | BreakPoint.org | October 14, 2015; http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/breakpoint-commentaries-search/entry/13/28298
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"Abortion Business CEO Claims Aborting a Baby is “The Same as the Loss Through Miscarriage” - Micaiah Bilger, NOV 25, 2016; http://www.lifenews.com/2016/11/25/abortion-business-ceo-claims-aborting-a-baby-is-the-same-as-the-loss-through-miscarriage/

#1779 (11/25) "The Federal Regulations That Affect Your Thanksgiving Foods"

"THE FEDERAL REGULATIONS THAT AFFECT YOUR THANKSGIVING FOODS" - Diane Katz / November 23, 2016 / http://dailysignal.com/2016/11/23/the-federal-regulations-that-affect-your-thanksgiving-foods/?

Independent estimates find that federal regulations cost the U.S. economy more than $2 trillion annually. (Photo: iStock Photos)

This being the fourth Thursday of November, we turn our attention to the abundance on our tables and the blessings in our lives. (There is also no small number of folks who are deeply grateful for the end of election season.)

Let us also give thanks that the Obama administration will soon cease, albeit leaving behind more than 21,000 regulations that President Barack Obama’s regulators issued, and which increased regulatory costs by more than $100 billion annually. The burden of this vast administrative state is crushing America’s entrepreneurial spirit, productivity, and economic growth. Independent estimates find that total regulatory costs are exceeding $2 trillion annually—more than is collected in income taxes each year.

Indeed, there is virtually no aspect of our lives over which laws and ordinances do not reign. Even the Thanksgiving menu is laden with regulatory do’s and don’ts. Some may be justified as safeguarding public health and safety, but thousands of others are simply the meddling of an administrative state that is threatening to transform us into regulatory serfs.

Lest there be any doubts about the extent of the problem, forthwith is just a taste of the regulatory minutiae that control today’s menu:

     Turkey. Title 9, Part 381.76, of the Code of Federal Regulations directs turkey inspectors on the proper method of examining a frozen bird, to wit: “If a carcass is frozen, it shall be thoroughly thawed before being opened for examination by the inspector. Each carcass, or all parts comprising such carcass, shall be examined by the inspector, except for parts that are not needed for inspection.”
     Cranberries. Title 7, Part 929, establishes a “marketing committee” overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to set quotas on the volume of cranberries shipped to handlers from growers in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington, and Long Island, New York. The grower “allotments” help to ensure that the price of cranberries remains artificially high.
     Bread/Rolls. Title 21, Part 136, requires anything labeled as “bread” in a bakery to weigh one-half pound or more after cooling. To be legally called a “roll,” each unit must weigh less than one-half pound after cooling.
     Potatoes. Title 7, Part 51.1546, dictates the proportion of allowable defects among specific grades of spuds. Potatoes graded as “U.S. No. 1” may not exceed the following tolerances at the point of shipping: 5 percent for external defects, 5 percent for internal defects, and not more than a total of 1 percent for potatoes that are frozen or affected by soft rot or wet breakdown. An entirely different set of tolerances apply to U.S. No. 1 potatoes while en route or upon reaching the destination, while similar standards are also set for “commercial” grade potatoes, “U.S. No. 2” potatoes, and “off-size” potatoes.
     Green beans. Title 21, Part 155.120, defined green beans and wax beans as “the foods prepared from succulent pods of fresh green bean or wax bean plants conforming to the characteristics of Phaseolus vulgaris L. and Phaseolus coccineus L. The beans shall be one of the following distinct color types: (a) Green; or (b) Wax. The varietal type is either (a) beans having a width not greater than 1 1/2 times the thickness of the bean; or (b) beans having a width greater than 1 1/2 times the thickness of the bean.”
     Cornmeal (for stuffing). Title 21, Part 137.275, distinguishes yellow cornmeal from cleaned white cornmeal: “Yellow cornmeal conforms to the definition and standard of identity prescribed by §137.250 for white cornmeal except that cleaned yellow corn is used instead of cleaned white corn.”
     Pecans. Title 7, Part 65, requires “country of origin” labeling for pecans and a variety of other foods. The declaration may not contain abbreviations or flags. However, the adjectival form of the name of a country may be used to identify the country of origin—provided the adjectival form of the name does not appear with other words so as to refer to a kind or species of product.

All of this regulation raises a simple question: Who are the actual turkeys?

[bold and italics emphasis mine]

#1778 (11/24) HAPPY THANKSGIVING! - "Thankful for Our Republic"

"THANKFUL FOR OUR REPUBLIC" - Tony Perkins, Washington Update, November 22, 2016; http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=WA16K24&f=WU16K08

Millions of Americans will gather together to celebrate Thanksgiving this week. In a constitutional republic such as ours, it seems especially appropriate that a federal holiday is set aside each year for the sole purpose of giving thanks. Even if the Pilgrims had never gathered with Chief Massasoit's tribe to feast and give thanks all those years ago in Plymouth, it would seem wrong not to officially recognize the extraordinary blessings that this great country has enjoyed over the course of its young history. After all, it is our great privilege to be part of a country founded on these immortal words: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

What's more, Americans should be eternally thankful for the wisdom possessed by our Founding Fathers, who, rooted in their Christian belief that there is no king but Jesus, instituted a form of government that requires the political leaders to be elected by the people. This means that no single president, administration or Member of Congress can govern without the approval (or disapproval) of the people.

The election two weeks ago was another stirring reminder that the American people are anything but predictable. With virtually every mainstream media outlet and almost every poll predicting a liberal victory, voters chose a different path. In what felt like an overnight seismic shift, the people placed a new party in the White House and gave one party unified control. As we have made clear over the last two weeks, this election is a God-given opportunity to right some of the wrongs done to life, natural marriage, and religious liberty over the last eight years. This reprieve that the Lord has given is all the more reason to be particularly thankful this year.

With this great democratic power that the American people have comes great responsibility, and it won't work without a moral foundation. As a Founding Father and our second President John Adams said, "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." Here at FRC [Familiy Research Council], we are keenly aware that this wonderful democratic experiment we call America would crumble overnight if it were not held in place by the sovereignty of God Almighty. That is why we are here in Washington, to further the cause of Truth that He has laid out for us in public policy and the culture.

In a certain sense, the primary reason to be thankful for our Republic is that it allows us to live in a monarchy. In other words, we are called as Christians to live completely in the service of Christ the King. We need to let him be the King of every aspect of our lives, which in turn means that He must be King over every aspect of our society. This is the beauty of America -- the freedoms we enjoy in this country allow us to attempt this wonderful mission in the first place.

Therefore, America has much to be thankful for [this Thanksgiving.]

[bold, italics, and colored emphasis mine]

"Thanksgiving: A Uniquely American Holiday" - Melanie Kirkpatrick / November 22, 2016 / http://dailysignal.com/2016/11/22/thanksgiving-a-uniquely-american-holiday/?D

#1777 (11/23) COFFEE TALK: "How to Be Persuasive About Politics With Your Liberal Relatives on Thanksgiving"

COFFEE TALK: "HOW TO BE PERSUASIVE ABOUT POLITICS WITH YOUR LIBERAL RELATIVESS ON THANKSGIVING" - Beverly Hallberg / November 22, 2016 / http://dailysignal.com/2016/11/22/how-to-be-persuasive-about-politics-with-your-liberal-relatives-on-thanksgiving/?

Thanksgiving has been known to spark dynamic and unexpected conversations with family and friends. (Photo: iStock Photos)

We want Thanksgiving to be as drama-free as possible for everyone. Because you can’t choose your family, it’s likely you have sharp disagreements with several members.

You may already be suffering from panic attacks in anticipation of the many dinner tables you’ll have to sit around. But as we’ve written for the past few months, there is a way to have a sane conversation about politics with the people in your life. So let’s close the chapter on 2016 and hope for good things in 2017. How can you be prepared no matter what political topic comes up between dinner bites?

Common Ground 
     There are many things we can agree on over the holidays: meals are better when you don’t have to cook them yourself, football all day is the best thing ever, and portion control is absurd.

Also, we’re pretty sure most people don’t head into Thanksgiving hoping for bitter conflict, a total meltdown, and the permanent severing of relationships. No one wants this for you, and you don’t want it for yourself.

Preparation is key. Think through the policy issues you disagree on first, and then have a strategy to tie that disagreement back to agreement. Listen first, acknowledge their concerns, and then block and bridge to an issue you agree on.

Here’s a guide to get you started.

Examples
     Obamacare
        We’re in the middle of open enrollment season and Americans are seeing their premiums skyrocket—more than 22 percent just this year according to the latest reports. Even Bill Clinton called Obamacare the “craziest thing in the world.” (Wouldn’t that be a fun Thanksgiving dinner table to sit around?)
     Yet, you may have a family member still buying the company line that Obamacare is good for those who need insurance. What’s the best way to respond?
     Tip: Personal anecdotes are powerful. Talk about how your premiums have tripled or how you no longer have access to the plans you want. Also, use stats and examples that prove Obamacare has achieved the opposite of what we were promised. Focus on the broken system, higher costs, longer wait times, and less choice.

More tips on how to win on Obamacare - http://dailysignal.com/2016/09/19/3-simple-ways-to-win-the-debate-on-obamacare/

Income Inequality
     After this election cycle, you might break into hives if you hear “income inequality” one more time. Us too. But maybe you have a cousin who likes to throw this term around like confetti—especially at family gatherings. The best way to engage in a thoughtful discussion with a big government lover?
     Tip: While the words “income inequality” aren’t threatening on a piece of paper, we know the phrase has meant something entirely different in political conversation since being hijacked by the big government side. A good place to start is to use different language.
    Use phrases like “equal opportunity,” “hard work,” or “achieve the American dream” to better illustrate your point—it’s more effective to give someone the opportunity to succeed instead of handing out freebies.
    How to win on income inequality - http://dailysignal.com/2016/08/31/use-these-3-strategies-to-talk-to-a-liberal-about-income-inequality/

Taxes
    It’s all fun and games until Uncle Jim changes the subject during dinner to tax policy. While this issue might glaze over just as many eyes as it does candied yams, it’s a different story when charges of “tax the rich” and the “1 percent” get interjected.
     How do you combat feel-good sounding words with facts and numbers? (Because we all know calculators don’t have feelings.)
     Tip: Use examples and numbers to combat those nice sounding phrases. RE: 1 percent argument?
     Say something like, “The rich can afford to pay more, but you know who can’t? Everyone else. The more money the rich have to give to Uncle Sam, the more they have to downsize, which often leads to fewer jobs for you and me. It’s a losing situation.”
    How to win on taxes - http://dailysignal.com/2016/10/11/three-ways-to-use-the-presidential-debate-to-talk-taxes/

For winning strategy on other topics, read here - http://dailysignal.com/author/beverly-hallberg/

Words
     In these conversations, saying things like “I understand what you are saying” or “here’s where I agree with you” before you outline your disagreement is helpful to diffuse a potential argument.
    But in addition to words, tone is so important. Keep it calm. And if you find yourself struggling to filter the words coming out of your mouth, take a big bite of mashed potatoes instead.

District Media Group always recommends carbs over conflict during the holiday season. But also (maybe) in life.

[bold, italics, colored, and underline emphasis mine]

Beverly Hallberg is a contributor to The Daily Signal, a visiting fellow at The Heritage Foundation, and president of District Media Group.

''Talking Turkey at Thanksgiving-TIPS FOR GOOD WORLDVIEW CONVERSATIONS" - By: John Stonestreet|Breakpoint: November 23, 2016;
http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/13/30144