This excellent book is so important. It clearly and powerfully explains what the parallels are between Germany's fall from grace and the beginning of our own fall. - Eric Metaxas; author of Bonhoeffer: Pastor; Martyr; Prophet; SpyIn When A Nation Forgets God; Erwin Lutzer studies seven similarities between Nazi Germany and America today—some of them chilling—and cautions us to respond accordingly. Engaging; well-researched; and easy to understand; Lutzer’s writing is that of a realist; one alarmed but unafraid. Amidst describing the messes of our nation’s government; economy; legal pitfalls; propaganda; and more; Lutzer points to the God who always has a plan.At the beginning of the twentieth Century; Nazi Germany didn’t look like a country on the brink of world-shaking terrors. It looked like America today. When a Nation Forgets God uses history to warn us of a future that none of us wants to see. It urges us to be ordinary heroes who speak up and take action.
#984703 in Books Slack Charles 2015-03-03Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.10 x 1.30 x 6.10l; .0 #File Name: 0802123422288 pagesLiberty s First Crisis Adams Jefferson and the Misfits Who Saved Free Speech
Review
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful. Word PowerBy VA DuckAuthor Charles Slack points out the incredible value and political leverage of the First Amendment through the telling of six cases of prosecution under the Sedition Act of 1798. His message; or 'moral' is clear and poignant and delivered without political bias.Matthew Lyon - Irish immigrant; and elected member of the US House of Representatives attacked for being a loudmouth; David Brown a "drifter" persecuted in what was a kangaroo-court; presided over by a Supreme Court Justice; Benjamin Franklin Bache; grandson of the Founder and publisher of the newspaper "Aurora" destroyed for dissent; James Thompson Callender; a Scottish immigrant and editor of politically incendiary diatribes; driven to a watery death; Luther Baldwin a workingman of Trenton; NJ who one morning joked; "I don't care if they're firing through his arse." in reference to a cannon blast of honor for John Adams and was jailed; Thomas Cooper an intellectual; firebrand and later in life professor described by Adams as; "a learned ingenious scientific and talented madcap"; are the protagonists; and victims.Each of these cases is characterized by the politically vengeful nature of the law's application; the petty animosity of its prosecution and the senseless pain it caused to the accused. This was a craven law intentionally written to expire at the end of a presidential term so that it could not be set on its own creators. In the end less than a dozen men were prosecuted; but enough to besmirch the constitution and help ruin the political party of its creators. Years later and too late; the congress decided the law; "unconstitutional; null; and void; passed under a mistaken exercise of undelegated power."It is hard to find heroes in this book besides the victims themselves: Secretary of State Pickering acts the petty head witch hunter; President Adams the self-righteous Prince of Philadelphia tries in vain to stand above the Bill he didn't veto (appearing a FAR cry from McCullough's sympathetic John Adams); Vice President Jefferson is reactionary to the point of suggested disunion with his over-the-top Kentucky Resolutions; even Madison the now out-of-office drafter of the first ten amendments appears at best - lame; and Justice Samuel Chase; appears in his traditional role as the man history loves to hate. (See Wm. H. Rehnquist's; Grand Inquests... for Chase's impeachment in 1805)The book is very well researched; especially well written in clear; vibrant prose and structured with the fast-paced anecdotes of the victims interwoven through its chronology. The last chapter concludes with lessons from that period; and for modern time reminds us that; the Declaration of Independence is our mission statement; the Constitution our user's manual and (with a phrase that Slack borrows from Ernest Hemingway) the the Bill of Rights ought to be our; "built-in; shock proof; sh_t detector"*. Recommended as good history; a good read and a good lesson to us all today who "recoil" at the "other" side of politics... regardless of which side you are on.__________* left incomplete through no delicacy of my own; but respectful of the "terms of agreement" for this page; substitute for underscore; the 3rd vowel of the English language; and blame Hemingway.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Critical reading on the first amendmentBy CustomerThis is a very readable book on the history of the first amendment and how if fared in the first half century of our country. The evolution of what free speech is and the lessons learned when power goes too far and fear has us giving up our rights. Also has a treatise on the first amendment during the rest of history up to today; and the dangers of letting power define free speech as anything offensive. Very helpful.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. I am not an avid history buffBy Donald TillemanBut I do like a good story well told.I did not quite know what to expect as this book was recommended by friends who fall a bit more to the right than I do. Many times; their recommendations feel like polemics to me and pushing a very certain point of view; so discovering the balanced manner in which the author framed the issue was a very pleasant surprise.I got totally immersed in the story and more than once wondered how could this happen here; after all where were the constitutional protections guaranteed in the Bill of Rights. The total disregard of those inherent rights; in respect to dissent was totally amazing to me and I wondered why in all my years at school this period was not covered in more detail. It seems to me that the educational system wants to sweep this bit of business under the carpet and pretend that it really can't happen here.The author's analysis of tying the alien and sedition acts to the social meme of political correctness was especially apt for me; as I find myself cringing under the yoke of "Thou shall not offend anyone; for any reason; at any cost!"I am of the school that legislating proper speech is a slippery slope that we as a people should not start down. Casting "hate speech" and "fighting words" legislation as tantamount to the alien and sedition acts of the early 19th century; is not a stretch at all.I; however have started to go out on a tangent; more to the point; the author did have a point of view to get across and although that was always under the surface; he did present the facts; through his historical documentation; in a balanced manner. The only suggestion I would have to make; would to be to include more of John Adams writings on this specific issue; as the author makes him appear weak-willed and driven by pure party police; a cartoonish character as it were; as I know Adams was a strong believer in the freedom and the American system. I would have liked to see a bit more of his thinking on this issue.In general that is my only criticism of the book; the "bad" guys were not as fully developed as the "heroes;" and were presented in a single dimension. It is for that reason alone I give this book four starts instead of five; even though I fund reading it a pleasure; rather than a chore.
