Lyle's Blog

Leave it to Beaver was a sitcom that aired from 1957 to 1963. It displayed what Hollywood producers of that era intended for us to mimic. The Cleavers were an ideal family. The father was well reasoned and ruled his family without the use of force. The mother was the ever attentive watchdog and when “problems” arose, she always consulted with her husband.

The boys, Wally and the Beaver, exampled what a good brother relationship would look like. Wally, studios with an eye on the future and although definitely letting the Beave know he was the little brother, never made life for Beaver too burdensome He even tempered his friend Eddie’s relentless cutting remarks to the Beave.

Beave was the “perfect” young boy, making dumb mistakes and ever learning from the correction of his ever-virtuous parents and the example of his brother.

The Cleavers were the perfect American family without the fetters of Jesus Christ. No sin was big enough that couldn’t be remedied by father and on the innocent path that the Beave was on, he learned simple lessons on how to be a good person.

Then came Vietnam. I was in an antique store the other day in Sandpoint Idaho. A few Life magazines were on a table; one caught my eye. The cover told you that inside those pages were the pictures of those killed last week in Vietnam. I leafed through those pages, I saw their pictures, names, and ages. So many nine-teen and twenty-year old kids, so many Wallys under a different name.

All of a sudden the Wallys of America were sent to be slaughtered in a war that was largely was in the end fought for the glory of one general. The parents having been closely schooled in the necessity of World War Two were caught somewhat unaware that the Vietnam War was something new and different and totally unlike the War that should have ended all wars.

What Vietnam did was disassociate our country from the valor of men who fought bravely for their country. No, kids were now trained and shipped off for a nine month assignment to the battlefield and then sent home damaged in spirit, mind, and virtue or in a body bag. In the end 58,220 men met their end and were welcomed home by a mob of kids their own age, thankless of the sacrifice they had made.

Today we are led by the same feckless leaders who send men into battle with total disregard for the troops they command. The first thing Sleepy Joe did was bomb Syria the ever popular destination for expending military hardware and risking American lives; and don’t even think about those on the receiving end of Joe’s justice.

They get away with it now because our military is voluntary and the public has become accustomed to huge military budgets that line so many pockets of those with close ties to congressmen. Don’t get me wrong. I believe our military should be well equipped and trained but I kind of like keeping them close to home where their lives and the lives of others are less in danger.

The Bible says there shall be wars and rumors of wars right up till the end. We witness now not war out there but war within our own borders. Apparently if there’s no enemy abroad to fight, we will find conflict with each other. Yes, this identity political atmosphere has been orchestrated by the left but at some point the citizen is responsible for overly demanding attention to their own selfish desires.

It’s well past time to consider what Christ demanded of his followerswhich was simply to deny yourself, your need to get even, your desire to have what belongs to someone else and pick up your cross that’s been given you to bear and follow his example. Jesus said “If I be lifted up I’ll draw all men to me.” War is simple to avoid if we wanted to.

We lift up the arrogant and selfish whether in Hollywood or politics because virtue like truth has been redefined to satisfy the base desire of a society with an insatiable appetite for sin. We elect and worship people who reflect our values or lack thereof. We are the enemy.