Not just a baby in a manger…
But Good Will.

A hand of good will from a Good God, extended toward needy man in the most sacrificial expression this earth will ever know.

Love made tangible.
A quiet miracle birthed in an obscure place, yet celebrated even so, with angelic fanfare to humble shepherds.

Christmas.
It’s Christmastime.

But this year…our nation suffered a devastating blow.
We were not punched in our gut. We were not kicked in our sides.

We were raped savagely of our joy.
Our young ones – our innocent babies – were brutally, cruelly, yanked out of our grasps.

We were powerless to stop the insane mind that attacked them and he ripped into their little sweet bodies with bullets that were crafted with intent to stop evil men, not tear down young ones on the threshold of life.

This year, we will again celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25th.
Evil does not stop Good.

But our brothers and sisters of Sandy Hook mourn.
Gifts under trees will remain unopened, just as the eyes that would have sparkled with delight will also remain unopened.

Beds are not slept in.
Breakfast dishes are not left in the sink.
Shoes remain on the floor; there are no little toes to fill them.

Closets full of Christmas splendor that were meant to adorn little spindly frames will now retain their contents.

And mothers and fathers will wake to hearts of stone; no appetite, eyes clouded with pain, and arms aching with emptiness.

No voices at five a.m. to wake them up too early.
No one bounding upon the bed, or down the stairs.
No laughter.

No laughter because there are …
No children.

Celebrations continue all over our nation. Music plays through unseen speakers over our heads while Santas in the mall pose for one more snapshot.
But not for everyone.

A shadow hangs over our land.
This wound is deep.
We bleed still.
Christmas Day will come, and you will be tempted to put the thoughts of their suffering out of your mind so that you can enjoy what is before you.
That is human nature.

I adjure you most urgently: Ignore it.
Ignore that urge and walk to a quiet place, lifting those parents up in prayer as if you were praying for your own shattered heart.

It’s okay to cry on Christmas.
It’s okay to feel sad sometimes.

There is time to mourn.
Do not let them mourn alone.

They need your prayers.
Our prayers.

This Christmas as you celebrate, you will feel a small shadow pass between the brilliant sunlight of your own joy and its source.

It is the grief of your brothers and sisters of Sandy Hook.
It wafts through the atmosphere of our nation.

When you become aware of it, acknowledge it, and then acknowledge them – in prayer.

Take them to the One who has vowed that He will not leave our souls desolate.
Implore Him to help them recover, and then leave them in his care.

To see one who suffers, and feel sad, is not enough.
Do what you know you can do.
In this way, we love one another.
We are one nation under God.
Their suffering is our own.

Do not be afraid to feel sad on Christmas; rather, channel those emotions into something that will help them heal.

Remember with them…
Stand with them in spirit…
Mourn with them…

It is difficult.
It is painful.
It costs.
It is True Love.
And it is crucial for our nation’s healthy recovery.

Merry Christmas.

Leah

For tangible demonstrations of support:
If you wish to make a donation by check, please send to:

‘My Sandy Hook Family Fund’
c/o Wells Fargo Bank
26 Church Hill Road
Newtown, CT 06470

Note: You may reprint this cartoon provided you link back to this source. To see more Legal Insurrection Branco cartoons, click here.

Branco’s Facebook page is Cartoonist A.F.Branco

Obama-Care Arena

I had noticed it before, but didn’t realize how rampant it was until my book One Nation Under God: A Book for Little Patriots came out. Suddenly, I was being accused of trying to indoctrinate children in conservative values, or even to hate liberals. This is, of course, ridiculous. The book is unabashedly patriotic, but it is in no way partisan. In a counting book of one through ten, the only number that could be considered at all values-based is number one; One Nation Under God. That is not a partisan issue. So, what is bringing on this confusion between patriotism and partisanship?

Let’s take a look at the dictionary to see what it has to say on the issue. Miriam-Webster defines patriotism as “love or devotion to one’s country.” Although we disagree on the best way to run our country, I would hope that people of any political affiliation would love it. What are we to think of a group of people who, upon hearing the term “patriotism,” assume that people mean the other party? Shouldn’t everyone, if they think it’s a partisan issue, assume that their party is the one which is thought to love America best and more? Apparently not.

Perhaps patriotism is being equated with American Exceptionalism. Conservatives seem much more ready to holdAmerica in esteem above all other countries than liberals. Isn’t it patriotic, though, to think one’s country is the best country in the world? I think it’s a symptom of the chasm opening up between the mindset of conservatives and liberals. It would appear that conservatives are proud to display their loyalty to America, flaws and all, while liberals seem more wont to view patriotism as undeserved blind allegiance to a flawed land.

An author’s views don’t typically enter into his or her work, and One Nation Under God: A Book for Little Patriots is

no exception. There is nothing political about mine, unless one considers teaching children the basics of America to be a political matter. Seeing as these are things that are taught even in that bastion of liberalism, the public school system, this is pretty easy to refute.  Even they are allowed, for the time being, to say  ”under God.”

The interesting thing is, the vitriol comes almost exclusively from the hyper-political on the left. I know many democrats who do not live and breathe politics who are proud to love their country. I’ve gotten feedback from some solidly left-wing parents that they enjoyed reading it with their children and cannot imagine what the fuss is about. There is a small (and, ostensibly, growing) group, however, which is quick to label patriotism as partisan. These people assume the worst and are quick to pull the fire alarm of right-wing indoctrination based on these unfounded assumptions.

This seems to go deeper than a difference that can easily be put aside. This isn’t a matter of Americans loving Americans but disagreeing how best to keep her great. This seems to be a matter of irreconcilable differences. If we aren’t all patriots, where do we go from here?