I hope each of you had an amazing Resurrection Sunday Celebration, otherwise known as Easter.  If you happen to be among the percentage of American’s who don’t celebrate any portion of the Judeo-Christian history celebrated this past week, I at least hope you had a great day of rest!

Both of our church services were overflowing with people.  It literally was standing room only all the way back in the atrium, outside the sanctuary, likely with many folks who attend services twice a year – Christmas and Resurrection Sunday.  That is a great thing!

That got me to thinking – each of my writings thus far has talked about virtues. Most of my writings have said critical things about Washington, DC.  Indeed, my March 2 editorial referred to Washington as Rome, being under massive construction – while burning at the same time!  My March 9 editorial shared my belief that the most critical issues we face are “non-respecter of person” issues, which I would be writing more about in the future.

This week, I want to share with you a building under construction in Washington, scheduled to open in November 2017, which I believe will have a profound impact on our republic, indeed our world.  The Museum of the Bible will be located two blocks south of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum and 4 blocks SW of our Nations’ Capitol Building.

Through a series of events, on March 15, 2016 I had the privilege of touring the construction site of this incredible undertaking.  Pictured above, after climbing to the future top floor is my oldest son Robert, his new bride Brittany, my parents Hank and Bobbye and me.  You can see the proximity of the future Museum to the capitol in the photo.  The top floor will be glass enclosed, providing amazing views of our nations’ capitol.

500 words is not enough to explain why I am sharing this, so let me just share a couple quotes:

“The Bible ought to be a part of our education, because of its literary culture. There are countless phrases in our culture, that come from this book.” Richard Dawkins, world famous atheist, and author of the book The God Delusion.

“We just want to be honest brokers of the information. We’re just wanting to present the facts and let the people make their own decisions. We don’t want to embellish anything; we don’t want to be negative either.” Steve Green, President of Hobby Lobby and Chairman of the Museum of the Bible.

Personally – I believe this book points to the virtues required for a civil society, regardless of one’s faith tradition.  Today we are likely the least educated generation in our nation’s history on its subject matter, and this museum will help improve that situation.

For more information, I recommend listening to the interview conducted by Family Life Today, and Steve Green, Chairman of The Museum of the Bible.  That interview can be found at http://familylifetoday.com/program/the-bible-a-story-worth-telling/.  The museum website is https://www.museumofthebible.org/.

I hope you have a blessed week!

With the passing of First Lady Nancy Reagan, I have been thinking about Ronald Reagan and Nancy Reagan.

President Reagan was 41 when he married Nancy, and they shared 52 incredible years together. She married him at a low point in his life, and helped him achieve amazing things.

To me, as I reflect on Nancy Reagan – I am thinking about the value of marriage. I am thinking about the importance of working as a team. I am contemplating about the amount of work it takes to become such a team, and the fact that it is accomplished not with emotions and feelings only – but by a steadfast commitment. A lifelong commitment.

The work I do with High Frontier, we reflect often on Reagan’s peace through strength strategy and his willingness to call evil, well – evil. We are thankful for his willingness to speak truth to power – and how that changed the course of nations – literally.

I think of Lech Walesa, an imprisoned electrician in Poland, due to his efforts in the labor movement, who later in life, after becoming President of Poland, shared how Ronald Reagan’s optimism and speaking truth to power inspired him, as he studied in prison, and listened to the American President on the radio.

Yes – Ronald Reagan impacted countless people – and the course of nations. This side of the veil, we will likely never know his full impact.

But we know one thing for certain – Nancy was at his side all the way and I believe God worked through Ronald in a greater way, causing him to be the effective leader he was in large part to Nancy being his side.

Thank you Nancy – for your service to our country. We greatly appreciate you!

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This was the fourth week I was published in The Edgefield Advertiser, the longest running continues paper in South Carolina, published March 16, 2016.

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Friends –

The Presidential Primaries in South Carolina are over.  This is the third Federal Election cycle I have had an active role in elections where good friends have been on the opposite side of the primary battle.  I am a firm believer that Iron Sharpening Iron is a good thing; however, this cycle, watching some of the vitriol on social media, I have grown extremely concerned about our ability to unite on issues that we must win – regardless of who wins the Presidential Primary.  The Process in South Carolina is over – and we need to get back to focusing on the things which should unite us.

There are two things taking place in our state next week, which I believe are critical to our future, as South Carolinian’s – regardless of who you supported and may or may not still be working for this Presidential Primary season.  I will be doing two separate posts, as each carry strong importance.

First, next weekend, at the Madren Center on the campus of Clemson University, the second annual Palmetto Panel will be taking place.

This all day conference WILL NOT be addressing political campaigns, WILL NOT be discussing Presidential Politics and WILL NOT be about personalities.  It is about the issues, which quite honestly are non-respecter of person issues. In other words, the way these issues are addressed will affect ALL Americans equally.  To follow are the list of speakers, and what they will be speaking on:

• State Treasurer Curtis Loftis – Our State Budget and our Unfunded Liabilities
• Congressman Jeff Duncan – National Security and The Convention of the States
• Ellen Weaver – School Choice
• Bill Eames – Learning Specific Skills to Effectively Influence Your Elected Leaders
• Jim Simpson – Islamic Refugee Resettlement
• John Anthony – Property Rights
• Henry Cooper and Dr. Peter Pry – Specific Solutions to Securing South Carolina’s Electric Grid
• Ron Aiken – An Investigative Journalist for South Carolina Policy Council
• Representative Gary Smith – Updating on the South Carolina Legislature
• Vince Coakley – Word Radio Personality
• The end of the day includes a group panel discussion where the audience will be able to ask questions to each of the panelits.

If you are a South Carolinian who believe these are issues critical to our future in South Carolina – regardless of the election – I strongly encourage you to join us for this discussion.  Registration will begin at 8 AM and the conference begins at 9 AM – yes, the website needs to updated.  Seats are limited, so please reserve your ticket today at www.PalmettoPanel.com!  I look forward to seeing you next Saturday.

Friends –

In another post this afternoon, I shared a bit about my concerns surrounding the vitriol taking place among friends as a result of the current Presidential election, especially on social media.  I shared that I believe iron sharpening iron through the primary season is a good thing, and that I had participated in primaries, working against friends, in the last three Federal cycles.  I think this is important because it keeps our elected leaders, and those who want to lead sharp, but I also believe it is critically important we don’t burn bridges that we must cross again to work on issues that should unite us!

I shared in that post, there were two events / issues taking place in the next week, which I would post about separately.

The second issue, in my honest opinion is the most important issue we face – and that is the issue of LIFE!

Our founding documents repeatedly refer to Divine Providence, our Creator and Life.  Indeed, the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence begins: “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.”

In my humble opinion, getting the issue of life correct comes before all other issues.  Stated another way, if we get the issue of life wrong, none of the other issues will really matter much.

One of the gentlemen I helped in a primary, Richard Cash, wrote an excellent piece on Martin Luther King Day this year, where he shared that one of our Presidential Candidates this year, Dr. Ben Carson, would not have even been considered a person 230 years ago, at the founding of our nation.  Richard shared how our Constitution, prior to amendment, considered blacks 3/5ths of a person and how that we as a nation were able to change our ways from the sin of slavery. Richard then goes on to talk about how we have a class of citizen today, where millions cry from the womb, desiring the right of personhood, much like the cries for personhood we heard from the black community, prior to the civil war.  I strongly encourage you to read Richard’s post by clicking here!

The issue of Personhood for those living inside the womb, an area some say is the most dangerous place for a black infant to live in the early 21^st century, is an issue that is front and center this week in the South Carolina General Assembly.

In 2016, South Carolinians will be able to vote to add this personhood amendment to their constitution BUT ONLY if two-thirds of the SC House and Senate pass bills H4093 and S719, which will but this amendment on the ballot.

I strongly urge you to go to the Personhood SC website to get all the details, including to find out if your State Senator of Representative have pledged support of this effort, or are co-signers of their respective bills.

Click here if you need to find out who your elected leaders are.

This Wednesday is Personhood Day at the State Capitol.  In the event you have not been following this most important of issues, I would like to share with you Richard’s letter in its entirety:

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Dear Friend,

Calling upon all those who are able and willing to speak up for the unborn in Columbia.

Personhood Day at the Capitol is next Wednesday, March 16^th. If you are willing to come and speak to your state Senator and/or Representative, here is what you need to do:

1. Call their office in Columbia and tell the secretary that you are a constituent, that you are coming to Columbia on March 16^th, and would like to schedule a 10-15-minute appointment to speak with them about thePersonhood  (If you do not know who your state legislators are, use the Legislator Search feature at scstatehouse.gov. Click on their name, and their information will come up.)
2. Once you schedule an appointment, please email me at richard@personhood.scwith your name, the name of the legislator and the time of your appointment.
3. Register atpersonhood.sc so that we know who is coming.

Here a few talking points about the Personhood Amendment:

• This is a simple, one-page bill, that will allow us to vote to add a PersonhoodAmendment to our State Constitution on the 2016 Presidential ballot.
• This bill passed as an advisory question in the 2014 SC GOP primary by 79% of voters.
• This bill could create a legal challenge that leads to the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

The Bill is H4093 in the House, S719 in the Senate. You can print off a pledge to take to your legislator from our website under “

Pledge”, and it contains the entire bill on one page!

All those who register and make appointments will receive any last minute information from us next Monday or Tuesday before coming to Columbia on Wednesday, the 16^th.

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, ensure justice for those being crushed.” Proverbs 31:8

Speak up and Stand firm,

Richard Cash

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In closing, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to refer to the website, or feel free to call Richard at 864-505-2130 or the Chairman of the board of Personhood SC, my friend Dr. Matthew Clark 803-292-5241.

Thank you for considering standing firm for the least among us.

#AllLivesMatter

Each week, I will share a little more about myself, while discussing some topic or topics of the day.  I feel that’s important because it will help you understand how my views have been shaped.  My writing will include my efforts to “get outside the box,” which hasn’t led to a change in my principles, but has helped me understand other’s viewpoints, and think hard about ways to reconcile the divisions our national leadership like to accentuate.

In last week’s edition I mentioned my belief that national leadership in both parties encourage the American people being divided as it enhances their ability to control us.  I believe we’ve evolved into a one party system in Washington, and both parties are leading us in the same direction, simply at different paces.  Divided, we cannot unite against the corrupt and sometime treasonous activities taking place in the faraway land, Washington, DC.  Thus, the hyphenation of America continues.

Since Ms. Derrick asked me to contribute to the Edgefield Advertiser, I’ve outlined a calendar for the remainder of the year.  There are forty-three weeks left in 2016!  I believe if you participate in these weekly editorials, you will begin to see recurring themes in my thought process.  I hope these will eventually be placed online, where discussion can take place.  I hope you will join the discussion, as the topics discussed will be broad indeed.

Also last week, I shared that I was in branch banking in the Washington DC market when in 2008 President George W. Bush decided “to abandon free market principles, in order to save the free market system,” and how that angered me, causing me to engage in the civic arena at the local and state level.  To put it bluntly, the bailouts pissed me off.  I can’t describe in less than 500 words everything I witnessed in the banking world, the correlating real estate bubble, as well as multitude of other issues that caused my blood to boil!

I stayed active until just after the 2012 Presidential election, an election where conservatives were forced to work for a man who really was just “The Lite Version” of the Democratic ticket.

Following that election, combined with a Virginia U.S. Senate Primary defeat in June, which was far more important to me, I needed to take a break from politics.

Over the course of the next year I began something I would encourage everyone who struggles with anger directed toward our civil magistrates to do.  I committed to read one Proverb and five Psalms a day.  I repeated monthly for over 24 months. remaining faithful 65 % of the time!

The process of reading King David and King Solomon’s words each day for over two years re-confirmed for me that there is “nothing new under the sun.”  It also reconfirmed for me that the majority of our issues are “non-respecter of person” issues, which should unite us, not divide us.  More on that next week.

Have a blessed week!

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This was the third week I was published in The Edgefield Advertiser, the longest running continues paper in South Carolina, published March 9, 2016.

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Watching the Presidential Primaries in South Carolina these past two weeks, quite honestly has left me sad.

I’ve worked a large portion of my adult life in the Washington DC area.  My career has been spent working for medium to large sized private companies in operational management in the service industry.  In these settings, every dime was scrutinized.  Payroll and expenses were managed in a way that owners or investors received the largest return on investment possible.  Our compensation was set up in a fashion that if we performed well, we would also financially benefit. During turbulent times, we learned to “do more with less.”  When we performed poorly, there were always consequences.

I was in branch banking when President George W. Bush famously stated “I have decided to abandon free market principles, in order to save the free market system.”  That is when I became so angry I got involved in the civic arena at the local and state level.

As Edgefieldonians, we now live in a small, rural county, where the first piece of advice I received when I moved here was, “Scott, this is a small town.  Never forget, people know more about you than you know about yourself!”  I thought that was a hilarious piece of advice – and I have reflected back on it numerous times as I have gotten to know my new neighbors and combined that advice with my own view, that perception is not always reality.

This being only my second week doing this weekly column I hope folks who have pre-conceived ideas about me will re-read the paragraph two paragraphs above. A Republican President abandoning principles is what made me angry enough to get involved in the civic arena, not a Democrat.

Since then I’ve had the privilege of driving across the 14^th street bridge into Washington DC multiple times to attend meetings. Each time, I simply marvel at the number of construction cranes you can count in the skyline.  Rome is under massive construction, while at the same time burning.

Stated another way, since the bailouts, initiated by a Republican President 8 years ago, our nation continues to borrow 40 cents of every dollar it spends, mostly from enemies who want nothing more than to kill us.  Today, Washington is bigger and more corrupt than ever and our two leading Presidential contenders prior to Super Tuesday are: a man who knows how to pay off elected leaders from both sides of the aisle, and a political insider who runs a foundation receiving contributions from foreign enemies, as well as involvement in numerous other corruption allegations.

Perhaps when this is published, the results of Super Tuesday will change the outlook, and an outsider will be leading.

Either way, my hope is not in Washington, where leadership seeks to divide us for control and personal gain. My hope lies first in faith in God and through His intervention we will see a revival of virtue in the American people. When the majority finds that type of revival, I believe we will find there is more that unites us than divides us.

I hope you have a blessed week.

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This was the second week I was published in The Edgefield Advertiser, the longest running continues paper in South Carolina, published March 2, 2016.

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