Living Better With Chronic Respiratory Diseases

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Living Better With Chronic Respiratory Diseases

Here’s news that should help many people with chronic respiratory diseases such as COPD breathe easier: Pulmonary rehabilitation is a proven treatment that improves quality of life.

The Problem

“People with COPD and other chronic respiratory diseases are often limited in many daily activities,” said Carolyn L. Rochester, M.D., professor of medicine, pulmonary critical care and sleep medicine at Yale School of Medicine and past chair of the American Thoracic Society Assembly on Pulmonary Rehabilitation. “Some may not be able to even walk from one side of their home to the other, prepare a meal or wash their own hair.”

Chronic lower respiratory diseases such as COPD are the third-leading disease-related cause of death in the U.S., just behind heart disease and cancer. Unfortunately, many people with COPD and other chronic respiratory diseases may not know about available treatments.

According to an eye-opening survey by Wakefield Research commissioned by the American Thoracic Society, the world’s leading medical association dedicated to advancing pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine, 62 percent of people diagnosed with a chronic respiratory disease have not heard of pulmonary rehabilitation—a proven treatment that is usually covered by Medicare and private insurance.

Pulmonary Rehabilitation Can Help

A comprehensive six- to 12-week program, pulmonary rehabilitation includes supervised exercise, education and support. Research shows that pulmonary rehabilitation enhances overall quality of life, reducing symptoms and improving physical and emotional function. However, it is significantly underused.

Explained Chris Garvey, FNP, MSN, MPA, MAACVPR of the University of California, San Francisco Pulmonary Rehabilitation and Sleep Disorders, “Pulmonary rehab works by strengthening the muscles to ease the burden on the lungs. It provides a safe environment to learn how to manage breathing, allowing patients to not only feel better, but to do more in their lives, including many activities they may have been avoiding because of their symptoms.”

The survey also revealed that 40 percent of patients diagnosed with these diseases are unaware of how deadly their condition is. Respondents ranked stroke, diabetes and Alzheimer’s over chronic respiratory diseases as leading causes of death. In fact, 28 percent of respondents did not rank chronic respiratory diseases in the top three at all.

In contrast with the lack of knowledge about pulmonary rehabilitation, the majority of patients with a chronic pulmonary disorder have heard of oxygen therapy (70 percent) as well as medicinal interventions, including long-acting or maintenance inhalers (61 percent), short-acting or rescue inhalers (52 percent), and inhaled or oral steroids (52 percent) as treatments for their disease.

Many patients, the survey discovered, who have heard of pulmonary rehabilitation do not pursue the treatment or fail to complete the treatment. Of the 38 percent of respondents who had heard of pulmonary rehabilitation, only 29 percent completed the program.

The right treatment can make a huge impact on the health and well-being of those living with chronic respiratory diseases. Lots of people with these issues tend to visit this pulmonary clinic to improve their quality of life. With the help of pulmonary rehabilitation, patients can learn how to better manage their symptoms and live a more fulfilling life. And with increased awareness about this effective treatment, more people can take advantage of it and truly start living better with chronic respiratory diseases.

Live Better

The American Thoracic Society partnered with the Gawlicki Family Foundation to create livebetter.org, a dedicated website about pulmonary rehabilitation, which includes a directory of programs that is continually updated based on feedback from the pulmonary rehabilitation community.

Learn More

If you or someone you know is suffering with COPD or another chronic respiratory disease, talk with your health care provider. Visit livebetter.org for more facts about pulmonary rehabilitation and to find a nearby program.

Thirty Years Of Perfect Harmony To Help Kids

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Thirty Years Of Perfect Harmony To Help Kids

by Richard C. Shadyac Jr.

Show business great Danny Thomas became just about everything in entertainment—except maybe a country singer. But in his greatest role—founder of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital—he understood the power of country music to help sick children. He also saw the close-knit bond between artists and radio, between radio and fans.

The result was “Country Cares for St. Jude Kids,” one of the most successful fundraising programs in radio history at $800 million. This year we’re celebrating the 30th anniversary of Country Cares, which began after Thomas approached Alabama lead singer Randy Owen and said, “I really need your people to get involved.”

He meant all the people of country music, who embraced the children of St. Jude as their own. There have been benefit concerts, campaigns for St. Jude such as “This Shirt Saves Lives,” and especially the annual St. Jude Radiothons at some 200 stations across the country. The result is nothing less than one of country music’s greatest hits ever.

Alabama has sold 75 million records, but Owen says, “Probably the most important thing I’ll ever do, except being a daddy and a husband, is St. Jude.”

Like Thomas, Owen didn’t just lend his famous name to a cause. He’s taken it to heart over decades of devotion. He’s visited with patients and families, he’s sung to them and for them. And, like Thomas, he has a gift for getting others to share his passion.

Up-and-coming country artists learn early on about St. Jude, from the groundbreaking research that’s freely shared around the world to the no-bill model that means patient families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food—because all a family should worry about is helping their child live.

Take Ashley McBryde. Long before she was a GRAMMY-nominated artist for her album “Girl Going Nowhere,” she was learning her craft in the clubs and bars of Memphis—and with a Wednesday-night volunteer gig at Target House, a housing facility for families at St. Jude.

Last year, she was back in Memphis for the Country Cares seminar, an annual gathering of artists and radio personnel. She toured the hospital for the first time, and later talked about why she supports St. Jude: “If you have a soapbox, and you don’t use it in a way that helps other people, then you don’t deserve a soapbox.”

Now, hundreds of radio stations, other country stars such as KaceyMusgraves, Kelsea Ballerini, the Brothers Osborne and Chris Stapleton, and millions of fans all rally around St. Jude, because despite great advances in treatment, children still die from cancer.

Four of five survive in the United States, which means we’ve come remarkably far but aren’t there yet. The situation is far worse in low- and middle-income countries around the world, where only one in five survives. That’s why St. Jude launched the St. Jude Global initiative and is collaborating with the World Health Organization, to reach more of the world’s sickest children.

• Mr. Shadyac is president and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Small Changes Can Mean Big Differences In Blood Pressure Control

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Small Changes Can Mean Big Differences In Blood Pressure Control

Almost half of the U.S. adult population has high blood pressure—that’s any reading at or above 130 for the top number or 80 for the bottom number.

If you find yourself among them, it may be wise to consider four lifestyle evaluation questions:

1. How often do you eat fruits and vegetables?

2. How much salt do you take in?

3. Are you at least moderately active for half an hour a day?

4. Are you at a healthy weight for your height?

What To Do

If your assessment reveals room for improvement, Michael Hochman, M.D., MPH, a Los Angeles physician and professor at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, has an encouraging message for you: “Know this: Small changes can make big differences. You don’t have to overhaul everything you do and eat. Tracking your blood pressure between health care visits lets you easily stay on top of your health. In 10 minutes or less, you can check your numbers. If you are learning for the first time that your blood pressure is creeping upward, small changes in your lifestyle—a bit more physical activity, a few more fruits and vegetables—could mean the difference between low vs. high risk for heart disease or stroke.”

Here are some hints to help you make those small changes:

• 15−20 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per day can reduce the top number in your blood pressure reading, called systolic pressure, by 5 to 8 mmHg

• Reducing sodium intake by 1,500 mg (3/4 of a teaspoon) per day can result in lowering systolic pressure 5 to 6 mmHg

• A 10-pound weight loss could lower systolic blood pressure by 5 mmHg.

Little-Known BP Raisers

If you do have high BP, consult your health care provider or pharmacist about the safety of your over-the-counter medicines.

Some OTC pain relievers, known as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs—such as naproxen and ibuprofen—may raise blood pressure. Acetaminophen may be a better choice for pain. Drugstore cold and flu medicines that contain decongestants can also raise blood pressure. To avoid these BP raisers, read medication labels and discuss alternative pain, fever or cold medicine with your doctor. A quick guide to BP raisers is at heart.org/BPtools.

Take It Home

Monitoring at home can help confirm a diagnosis and determine how well your lifestyle changes and medications are working to reduce your blood pressure.

Kitchen Corner: Neutral Beauty A Top Trend

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Kitchen Corner: Neutral Beauty A Top Trend

If your family is like most, the kitchen is your home’s central gathering place. Now, homeowners are looking to enhance their kitchens’ appeal with a timeless and transitional design that also makes a personal statement.

Expert Advice

A recent survey of top architects and designers found that when it comes to kitchens, neutrals win the game. According to about 67 percent of those surveyed, gray and white kitchens are the dominating design projects this year.

The experts see this trend not only in paint choice and cabinetry, but in sinks as well. Meeting that need is a new SILGRANIT sink color, Concrete Gray. Clean, organic and extremely balanced, the shade is at home in both urban and natural settings. Its revolutionary warm red and cool blue undertones make it the most versatile color yet from the German sink manufacturer BLANCO. It works well with the popular farmhouse look and with mixed metals styles and finishes. And color is not the only reason to pick SILGRANIT. As one designer commented, “All I have been selling are the granite composite kitchen sinks. People love the colors offered and are sold on the durability.”

The survey also found that while transitional is still the most popular style, farmhouse has seen steady gains; and that engineered quartz surpassed all-natural stone materials combined in popularity, paving the way to increasingly white countertops. Simplicity and minimalist design were consistently referenced as being important to those surveyed.

Find Your Match

Making it even easier to pick the best sink for your kitchen, BLANCO offers an app that helps match sinks and countertops. You can even take a photo of a countertop to add it to the app and match the sinks to that selection.

Including Concrete Gray, the company offers sinks in nine intelligent neutrals that can make a sink either a focal point or blend in with the counter. The granite composite SILGRANIT sinks are available in Anthracite, Café Brown, Cinder, Truffle, Metallic Gray, Biscuit, Biscotti, Concrete Gray and White to provide both warm and cool tones.

The faucets also come in complementary colors so you can match a faucet to a sink, an increasingly popular design idea.

You can find the app at www.blancoamerica.com.

What’s Next

As for the kitchens of tomorrow, the designers predict:

• Smart kitchens

• Appliances controlled by smartphones

• A technology-based look that’s edgy and futuristic.

Don’t Forget THIS During A Deep Housecleaning

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Don’t Forget THIS During A Deep Housecleaning

When it comes to doing a thorough cleaning, there are the “usual suspects”: getting rid of old clothes and magazines, organizing the pantry, cleaning the yard and getting the garden ready to plant. But there’s one item that many people don’t think about when it comes to deep cleaning—unused, unwanted cans of paint.

Not only do cans of paint clutter a basement, garage or crawl space, these areas are susceptible to moisture that can cause cans to become rusty or leaky. It’s important to properly dispose of unused paint-especially if you have completed any home improvement projects in the past year.

Before you get rid of your paint, however, it’s wise to create a paint list to keep in your files. Include the brand name, paint color or number, and the name of the room where that paint was used. Then, you can reference this list when you need to do a touch-up or when you’re looking to repaint.

Next, think about using up leftover paint for another project. Instead of buying new paint, simply use some paint you may already have. Looking to give an old rocking chair or dresser a makeover so it looks fresh and new? Use up paint from a recent bedroom or bathroom makeover.

If repurposing leftover paint in creative ways isn’t up your alley, there’s a way to recycle and properly dispose of unused paint: Take it to a PaintCare drop-off site. PaintCare is the paint recycling program that makes it easy for consumers and businesses to drop off their unwanted paint for recycling at no additional cost at over 170 participating locations in Colorado.

Drop-off sites are conveniently located at paint and hardware stores and accept all paint brands, regardless of when or at which store in Colorado it was purchased. Items that can be dropped off for recycling include most house paints, primers, stains, sealers, and clear top coatings (varnish and shellac). Drop-off is available year-round during each retail location’s regular business hours.

PaintCare then works with partners to transport the collected paint from the drop-off sites to processing facilities, where it’s remixed into recycled-content paint, given away through local reuse programs, used as fuel, or used in other products and applications. If it can’t be recycled or used some other way, it will be dried out and properly disposed of.

When you need to buy paint for a project in the future, make sure you buy the right amount to minimize leftover paint. Then, you won’t need to worry about using up or recycling the rest. To do this, give the representatives at your paint store the dimensions of the room you’re painting. They should be able to tell you how much you’ll need, depending on the type of coating and the desired outcome. You can also use an online paint calculator to help determine how much paint you need to get. The next time you think about storing or throwing away unwanted paint, think again…and recycle it! For more information and to find a drop-off site near you, visit www.paintcare.org.

Going Away? Tips To Keep Your Home Safe While You’re On Vacation

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Going Away? Tips To Keep Your Home Safe While You’re On Vacation

Peace of mind is important to just about all homeowners, including when they’re away on a hard-earned vacation. When warm weather arrives, however, crime rates increase, according to a study published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information.

Fortunately, you may be able to reduce any vacation time stress by taking five steps to improve security—protect your windows, monitor your doors, secure your AC, make your house a difficult target and stay in the loop about what’s happening at home.

How to make it look like someone is home, even when you’re away

• Stop your mail. Nothing says “there’s nobody home” like an overstuffed mailbox and a pile of newspapers on the front porch. You can fill out a simple form with the United States Postal Service asking it to hold your mail. Or, perhaps better yet, have a trusted neighbor stop by to pick it up.

• Leave dog toys in the front yard. Even if you don’t own a dog, you can give a burglar pause by making him or her think that you do.

• Maintain a well-kept yard. Remove tree branches that give easy access to top floor windows and cut back tall shrubs that make it easy for burglars to hide behind.

  • Remove any pest infestations. Even if you only have a minor problem before the vacation, it could quickly spiral into a serious issue by the time you return. It’s not only the harmful critters that need removing either. As such, checking out sowbugs treatment options and related care is advised. Early interventions will prevent major headaches later down the line. Besides, it’ll be hard to relax on vacation if you know that bugs are causing damage back home.

• Add outdoor motion sensor lights to scare away those trying to walk into your yard and peek inside. With smart lighting technology, you can program your lights to come on even when you aren’t home. This feature has an advantage over automated timers because you can turn the lights in your home on or off as you please from anywhere with your Internet-connected device, or set routines through your home automation service, such as ADT.

• Integrate your wireless doorbell with your lights for further security benefits. Have the doorbell trigger an inside light to give the illusion that someone is home, since burglars prefer dark areas for stealth.

While you’re away, home security can act as your house-sitting service and provide real protection. Choose a security company that has 24/7 monitored protection, such as ADT, which has over 19,000 employees who are always ready to help in case of an emergency. If you do choose to hire a house sitter when you’re away, provide him or her with a unique pin code to disarm your security system. Not only will you be alerted when the system is disarmed, you can deactivate this code once you return.

With these steps, you’ll have peace of mind on vacation.

Ten Easy Ways To Get A Dose Of Vitamin N(ature) In Just Ten Minutes

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Ten Easy Ways To Get A Dose Of Vitamin N(ature) In Just Ten Minutes

A growing body of scientific evidence proves getting outside (i.e., being an “outsider”) is good for our health and well-being. Exploring and appreciating nature—in our own backyards, community parks and school yards—reduces stress, improves memory, boosts heart health, and offers a host of other benefits for our minds and bodies.

“Having a living landscape of grass, trees, shrubs and flowering plants is good. Using this outdoor space to reap the health benefits it offers is even better,” said Kris Kiser, president and CEO of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI), whose Foundation created TurfMutt, an environmental education and stewardship program that teaches the value and benefits of the outdoors. “Getting outside, even for just 10 minutes, can do much to boost your mood, productivity, and quality of life.”

On its 10th anniversary, TurfMutt shares 10 easy ways you can enjoy nature in under 10 minutes.

Take a walk. Lace up your athletic shoes and head out for a walk around the block or to your neighborhood park. While you’re out, commit to turning off your cell phone and enjoying the natural setting around you (it’s just 10 minutes, after all!).

Get your kids moving. A rousing game of tag or hide-and-seek in the family yard is a great way to counter computer and screen time.

Play with your dog. A dog’s favorite “room” of the house is your family yard. Take inspiration from your pooch and spend a few minutes outside playing Frisbee or fetch.

Clean up your outdoor living room. Make simple work of yard chores by breaking them up into smaller chunks. Ten minutes is enough time to put a serious dent in weeding a flower bed, sweeping off the back patio, or picking up debris from your lawn.

Plant something. It is spring planting season, so take 10 minutes to dig a hole and introduce a new plant or get started on your vegetable garden or flower beds.

Dine alfresco. Taking a meal outside is one of the easiest—and most nourishing—ways to enjoy the outdoor space around you. Have breakfast with the backyard birds. Lunch at a park near your office. Enjoy your coffee break under a shade tree.

Study or read a book. Take the “work” out of homework by moving study or reading sessions to your backyard or community green space.

Swap a (short) commute for walking or biking. Do you typically use your car to run down to the mailbox, to a nearby convenience store, or to run other nearby daily errands? If it’s not too far, take a short walk or ride your bike instead.

Meet outside. Fresh air can be a catalyst for fresh ideas, so take your next brainstorming session for work outdoors. Need to have a heart-to-heart with your child? Scientists have discovered that communication between parents and children is more connected when conducted outside.

Sit back and relax. Sometimes, the best thing to do is absolutely nothing at all. Spend some time in a hammock, spread a blanket out on the grass, or take a meditation break outside to soak up the nature around you.

I-73 Response: County says city of MB mismanaged monies for decades

David Hucks
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I-73 Response: County says city of MB mismanaged monies for decades

In defense of a lawsuit filed by the City of Myrtle Beach, Horry County officials responded saying, “While the Defendant [Horry County] has worked to better the entire community, the City [Myrtle Beach] has apparently mismanaged its own budget, and now the City seeks to circumvent state law to shore up its own finances.” County officials say road tax monies are being confiscated by the city of Myrtle Beach to make up for the city’s own mismanagement of city finances.

The response was filed in the 15th circuit court on April 22nd.

Myrtle Beach Loves To Play The Victim

Horry County’s response goes on to state, “In its allegations, the City characterizes itself as a victim that will be the proper entity to protect the right of others. Instead, in its insatiable desire for more money, the City has decided to roll the dice so that it may raise fees and taxes within the municipal limits of the city.”

Other business leaders who operate inside the city limits of Myrtle Beach have made similar claims for years.

Businesswoman Ann Dunham raises ongoing concerns about City of Myrtle Beach debt

Strong Armed School Heist

While City Manager John Pedersen and his team continue to down-play the city’s financial issues, it is true that the city collected $20 million in Horry County school dollars set aside for a school at Market Common and then diverted those funds. It is also true that the city operates at its current debt ceiling and has limited opportunities to borrow because of that debt ceiling.

Horry County sued the city over the monies stolen from the appropriations of the Market Common school. The city has offered no plausible explanation for why it took the monies other than to state that a school was not needed in Market Common.

Had those funds been lifted from a bank, however, someone would be serving time. Apparently, a city government can legally steal monies from a county without any criminal repercussions.

The city then asked County Council Chairman Gardner to meet in secret about the funding. As can be seen in the video here, Gardner flatly refused.

City Gone Roque – County’s Sensible Response

In a tempered but measured response, the county says the city decided to file a lawsuit instead of working with Horry County Council through “normal correct political process to seek a resolution to best serve all citizens of the mutual communities.”

The ball is now clearly in Myrtle Beach’s court.

Questions remain as to whether the City of Myrtle Beach can be trusted to negotiate honestly.

Two of Myrtle Beach’s typical tourists caught on camera after shooting this week.

Myrtle Beach loses a legend

David Hucks
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Myrtle Beach loses a legend

Wilson Baker Springs was a key founder of the Ponderosa Group.

If Myrtle Beach ever hopes to build a future as bright as its early past, we will need great men of integrity and vision like Wilson Baker “Teedie” Springs, his family, and his contemporaries.

Wilson Baker Springs, 91, passed away on Tuesday, April 16, 2019. Wilson, or “Teedie” as he was known to his family and friends, was born on January 2, 1928 in Greenville, South Carolina, a son of the late Brigadier General Holmes Buck Springs and Louise Wilson Springs. He was predeceased by his parents; his first wife, Elizabeth (Betty) Moore Springs; two sisters and their husbands, Louise (Wese) Springs Crews and her husband, Rowan, and Alice (Tootsie) Springs Donevant and her husband, Pat; three brothers, Dr. Holmes Buck (Booby) Springs, Jr., as well as his wife, Shirley, David Albert Springs, and Albert Adams Springs III.

Wilson grew up in Myrtle Beach, graduating from Myrtle Beach High School in 1945 and from the University of South Carolina in 1949. While at Carolina, he was a member of Sigma Nu Fraternity, and after graduating with a B.S. in Business Administration, he enlisted in the Air Force and attended Officer Candidate School at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant and proudly served his country in both Tripoli, North Africa and stateside. In 1953, after completing his service, Wilson returned to Myrtle Beach to take over H.B. Springs Company. His late father, General Springs, had founded the real estate and insurance company in 1928, several years after moving his family to Myrtle Beach from Greenville, South Carolina. While the main purpose of the move was to assist the Woodside brothers in developing and building Pine Lakes Country Club and The Ocean Forest Hotel, it also enabled his father, General Springs, to bring the family closer to his own childhood home, Waverly Plantation in Pawley’s Island, and to establish the family company. Wilson was later joined in the business by his brother, Albert, and together they managed H.B. Springs Company for more than 50 years. In recent years, the business has been operated by Albert’s three sons. Wilson continued, however, until his death, to be one of the owners, as well as President and CEO of Ponderosa, Incorporated. During his almost seventy year career, Wilson felt privileged to be involved with numerous development and business ventures in the area, holding PirateLand Campground and Caledonia and True Blue Golf Courses closest to his heart.

Wilson retired after serving more than thirty years on the Board of Directors of Coastal Federal Savings and Loan and Coastal Financial Corporation. He was a board member of Myrtle Beach National Corporation, a past chairman of Ocean View Foundation and a past president of the Myrtle Beach Civitan Club, having been recognized as a fifty year member. He was also a former member of the Dunes Golf and Beach Club and a founding member of Wachesaw Plantation. As his parents were instrumental in the formation of First United Methodist Church in Myrtle Beach, he was a lifelong member, serving faithfully on numerous committees and boards over the years.

Wilson, or Teedie, was an avid outdoorsman all of his life, spending many days quail and dove hunting in the surrounding area fields and fishing the ocean waters and the creeks of Murrells Inlet, as well as the local inland rivers. Many years were spent duck hunting on Cane Island near Georgetown and for more than thirty years he traveled multiple times annually with family and friends to Sarben, Nebraska for both pheasant and duck hunting. In the late 1950’s, Teedie and his brothers, along with some close friends, began a tradition of gathering every Thursday to enjoy a day of either fishing or hunting, depending on the season. The group ended these days by preparing and sharing their bounty as stories and “fish tales” were exchanged. Teedie loved to tell a story and often amazed his listeners with his remarkable recall, even in his later years. Over the years, many have enjoyed the “Thursday Crowd” and the tradition continues today with strong friendships and bonds having been forged.

His family and his friends have always been the most valued gifts in Wilson’s life. He was ever faithful to both, as well as kind and generous; he was truly an honorable “man of his word,” both respected and dearly loved.

Wilson is survived by his wife, Sandra Bradley Pruett Springs; his three daughters and his three sons-in-law, Anne Springs Wilson and her husband, Henry Neyle Wilson, Margaret Springs Dyer and her husband, Thomas Howard Dyer, and Louise Springs Smith and her husband, Ashby Kenneth Smith; his three grandchildren, William Marion Wilson, Alexander (Alec) Springs Wilson, and Elizabeth Neyle Wilson, and Ken’s son, Dustin Wade Smith, and his wife, Meredith Cross Smith, and their children; Sandra’s sons, Dave Pruett and his wife, Tammy, Steve Pruett and his wife, Shelley, and their children, her son, John Pruett, and her late son, Doug Pruett’s wife, Jill, and their children. He is also survived by sisters-in-law, Carmen Cherry Springs, and Ann Mathis Springs, as well as by many beloved nieces, nephews, and their families; the beloved “girls at the office.”

How today became international government accountability day

David Hucks
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How today became international government accountability day

“The dictates of our nation state that authority comes from God. It is given to the public at large. The people then give limited amounts of this authority to elected officials, who then give even more limited authority to bureaucrats who work for elected leaders.”

Last August, I decided to team up our news group with the Freedom Action Network [FAN].

The Freedom Action Network focuses on government transparency and accountability. Dave Schwartz and Seth Powell pour out endless hours every week informing South Carolina residents about their rights. FAN puts a spotlight on what is going on in government. They explain the unlimited rights our constitution gives citizens versus the limited rights of elected officials and government bureaucrats.

Since August, I witnessed first hand, countless times how uncomfortable elected leaders at all levels of government are with these revelations.

April 17th, FAN Wednesday Watercooler

At first I found it surprising, but I now find it just business as usual when Myrtle Beach Mayor Brenda Bethune, State Representative Alan Clemmons, Charleston Representative Peter McCoy, Surfside Beach Mayor Bob Childs, or a host of other government bureaucrats complain after one of our Wednesday Watercoolers are aired.

UNJUST HISTORY OF GOVERNMENT

While the writings of Thomas Jefferson imprint the cornerstone of what I believe liberty demands, my coastal (liberal) friends constantly remind me that these were just ideals. They are quick to point out that Jefferson, the politician, also owned slaves. “All men are created equal,” they say, was just some Utopian thought Jefferson never exampled by his own actions.

From civilization’s birth, Pharoahs, European kings, Jewish religious leaders (Sanhedrin & Sadducees ), Warrior Kings (David, Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, etc), the Roman Empire, and the Holy Roman Empire doled out justice whimsically at best. In fact, every early form of human government created since the dawn of man proved to be self serving at best, cruel and unjust at worst.

GETTING TRUE LIBERTY, JUSTICE AND TOTAL TRANSPARENCY

How do we get complete government accountability and what particularly makes today “government accountability day“?

To have such, government must be totally transparent.

Yet also every resident must be required to be the same. The government must fully know as it is fully known. The same is required of each resident. Total transparency requires no one is allowed to hide.

Roughly two thousand years ago, on this very night, one king stood alone. He took responsibility for the full burden of the failings and “hiding” of all governments and all people that predated his time on earth up and through this very day and beyond.

DECISION NIGHT

This night was not a night when a man called Jesus Christ was required to do anything. Historical texts tell us it was a decision he made. Those texts read:

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

His government and its peace will never end.

He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!

THE ROAD TO JUSTICE RAN THROUGH A THURSDAY

Much in religion is made about “Good Friday and Easter Sunday”.

Thursday night’s betrayal is one that is hard to witness. Christ was despised because he put sunlight on the religious leaders, one of his very own disciples, and the government. They wanted him dead.

They were also jealous. They equally wanted him dead because the crowds followed him.

Yet on Thursday night into Friday morning, he chose to suffer. In suffering, he stood alone.

His thoughts, however, were on us and a new kind of justice and authority for us all.

He prayed, “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.”

“I have given them the glory [Spiritual True Authority] you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began!”

“O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them.”

He walked away, about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him. He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood

Christ was then turned over, judged and condemned by a lesser human system with no true authority.

BUT SUNDAY DID COME! CHRIST OVERCAME! JUSTICE PREVAILED!

Since then, the dictates of our nation state that authority comes from God. It is given to the public at large. The people then give limited amounts of this authority to elected officials, who then give even more limited authority to bureaucrats who work for elected leaders.

AN EXPENSIVE NIGHT

Thursday night was an expensive night. We ask Horry County residents, to never forget this. This is the true source of your rights and your right to justice.

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