We Are All Enlisted

The paperback version of my new book Preserve, Protect & Defend will be released Monday, October 1st. You can order the book on my website at www.DoesYourBagHaveHoles.org for only $8.95. From now until October 5th, for each copy of the book you order you will receive a free book. That’s two copies of a great book for only $8.95. I am confident that you will love this book, so your bonus book is for you to give away to someone you think will enjoy the book too.

The reviews from the readers of the e-book have been extremely positive. Many have commented, “I couldn’t put it down.” The following is one of the comments I received:

“Cameron has created a work that transcends all others. He beautifully merges history, truth, and an edge of your seat thriller into a book that you cannot put down. Preserve, Protect and Defend is one of the best written narratives.”

The following is one of my many favorite stories from the Revolutionary War. The account, dated December 31, 1776, was recorded by a sergeant in the army. “Our men . . . were without shoes or other comfortable clothing; and as traces of our march towards Princeton, the ground was literally marked with the blood of the soldier’s feet. . . On the last day of December 1776 the time for which I and most of my regiment had enlisted expired. [Washington called the regiment into formation and urged them to reenlist. The drums beat and Washington called for volunteers willing to stay to step forward.] Not a man turned out. The soldiers worn down with fatigue and privations, had their hearts fixed on home and the comforts of the domestic circle, and it was hard to forego the anticipated pleasures of the society of our dearest friends. [Washington turned and began to ride away, and then stopped.]

“The General wheeled his horse about, rode in front of the regiment and addressing us again said, ‘My brave fellows, you have done all I asked you to do, and more than could be reasonably expected, but your country is at stake, your wives, your houses, and all that you hold dear. You have worn yourselves out with fatigues and hardships, but we know not how to spare you. If you will consent to stay one month longer, you will render that service to the cause of liberty, and to your country, which you can probably never do under any other circumstance. The present is emphatically the crisis, which is to decide our destiny.’ The drums beat a second time. The soldiers felt the force of the appeal. One said to another, ‘I will remain if you will.’ Others remarked ‘We cannot go home under such circumstances.’ A few stepped forth, and their example was immediately followed by nearly all.” (The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, Volume 20 (Philadelphia, PA, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, 1896), 515-516) “God Almighty inclined their hearts to listen to the proposal and they engaged anew. Let it be remembered to their Eternal honor.” (Gerald M. Carbone, Nathanael Greene: A Biography of the American Revolution (New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008), 58)

America is again faced with a crisis that will decide our destiny. You are needed to enlist in the cause for freedom. You have a unique opportunity to serve your country in the fight for freedom and to be a part of the glorious cause of America. Your work is needed to teach and inspire others to learn and live the principles of freedom.

First Chapter of New Book

I am excited to announce the release of my new book “Preserve, Protect, and Defend.” The book is currently available for the Kindle and the Nook. The paperback version of the book is scheduled to be released in September. After reading the e-book, please send me a testimonial I can put in the printed book. As a thank you for your testimonial, I will send you a signed copy of the paperback book when it is released.

Link to Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Preserve-Protect-Defend-ebook/dp/B008VEICO8/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1344633818&sr=1-6

Link to Barnes and Noble
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/preserve-protect-defend-cameron-c-taylor/1112449594?ean=2940014858960

I love reading and writing about the founding of America and the Founding Fathers. There is a great spirit that resonates with the founders and history of The United States of America. I am grateful for their sacrifice, dedication, and integrity.

The revolutionary war was one of the longest wars in our history, lasting eight and a half years. One percent of the population sacrificed their lives in the glorious cause of America. “If we were to fight for our independence today and the war was equally costly, there would be more than three million of us killed.” (From speech “The Glorious Cause of Freedom” delivered by David McCullough on September 27, 2005) Abigail Adams wrote in a letter to her husband John in 1777, “Posterity who are to reap the blessings, will scarcely be able to conceive the hardships and sufferings of their ancestors.”(Cokie Roberts, Founding Mothers (New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers, 2004), 97)

Writing this book has helped me to better understand those who fought and suffered to establish a new independent nation, and has renewed my appreciation for the principles the founders put into the U.S. constitution to establish and protect freedom. As the blessed recipients of this freedom, we must ensure that their sacrifices and principles are not forgotten and freedom is not lost. Enjoy the book.

Chapter 1: Commencement

“Any last minutes changes you would like to make to your speech, Mr. Vice President?”

Aaron Banner smiled at his assistant and answered, “No changes. Thank you.” He had spent half the night memorizing his speech. He had never been very comfortable with teleprompters, and reading a speech made it harder for him to really connect with his audience, so he did his best to deliver the speech from memory and from the heart.

Aaron asked for a few minutes to be alone. Moments of solitude were usually brief due to his full schedule and being constantly surrounded with staff. Once alone, he went over his presentation notes one final time, then knelt and prayed for the Lord to strengthen and guide his words. As he was completing his prayer, there was a knock at the door and the voice of his assistant saying, “Mr. Vice President, it’s time.”

Forty thousand people were gathered at Stanford Stadium for the 131st commencement ceremony. It was a nice sunny day with a beautiful clear blue sky. Sounds of chatter echoed through the stadium as the crowd waited for the ceremonies to begin.

Vice President Banner came through one of the stadium tunnels and walked toward the large stage that had been assembled on the football field for the occasion. The audience, seeing his entrance, rose to their feet and stood in silence. By the time Aaron reached his seat, most of the crowd was standing, watching him silently. As he took his seat, a member of the crowd pierced the silence and shouted, “We love you.” A large smile filled Vice President Banner’s face, as a chuckle rippled through the crowd; he then signaled with his hands for the audience to be seated.

Stanford’s eleventh president, John L. Henry, took the podium to begin the commencement saying, “On my way to the stadium today I walked passed a mother taking a picture of her graduating son with his father. I overheard the mother say, ‘Let’s try to make this look natural— put your arm around your dad’s shoulder.’ The father retorted, ‘If you want it to look natural, why not have him put his hand in my pocket?’”

President Henry paused to let the laughter take its course and then continued, “Your families are extremely proud of you today. You cannot imagine the sense of relief they are experiencing, knowing they will not have to write another check to Stanford University.” A roar of approval from the audience greeted this comment. President Henry waited for the cheering to subside and continued, “Since I know you did not come today to hear me speak, I will be brief in my introduction of our keynote speaker. We are honored today to hear from a public servant, advocate of freedom, philanthropist, man of faith, and fiftieth vice president of the United States, Aaron W. Banner!”

Thunderous applause filled the stadium as Vice President Banner rose to take the podium. As President Henry and Vice President Banner crossed paths they firmly shook one another’s hands. The noise of the crowd covered the sincere thanks Vice President Banner gave to Stanford’s president for his introduction. President Henry put his arm on Vice President Banner’s shoulder as they stood together momentarily, conscious of the snapping cameras capturing the moment.

President Henry took his seat as Vice President Banner stepped in front of the microphone. Aaron waved and smiled as he waited for the clapping and cheering to subside. After a few moments, a hush fell over the entire stadium, as the audience anticipated his first words.

He began, “It is an honor to be invited to speak to you today. Each of you in this audience—graduating students, parents, friends, siblings—each and every one of you has been given special gifts and talents from God which only you possess. There are specific ways in which each of you is to make the world a better place. To quote Victor Frankl, ‘Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life to carry out a concrete assignment which demands fulfillment. Therein he cannot be replaced, nor can his life be repeated. Thus, everyone’s task is as unique as is his specific opportunity to implement it.’ Preachers are here to minister to our souls; doctors to heal our diseases; teachers to open up our . . .”

His next words were lost as the sound of gunfire echoed viciously through the stadium. Shouts of fear and anxiety permeated the crowd as they frantically sought to find cover. Rapid shots seemed to be coming from every direction. The lead Secret Service agent was behind the vice president on the stage, and to his view, everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. As he sprinted toward the vice president, he saw the vice president’s body jolt to the left as a bullet hit him from the right and his body then jolted to the right as he was hit by another bullet from the left. Several more shots were fired in quick succession as the vice president’s body folded over and began falling to the floor.

The agent continued his lunge in an attempt to catch the falling vice president and cover him from further fire, but it had all occurred so quickly, and he was unable to reach him in time. He watched in horror as the vice president fell to the ground. Vice President Banner’s head was first to hit and absorbed the full brunt of the fall. His body soon followed, hitting the floor awkwardly.

The agent quickly secured himself as a human shield over the wounded vice president to protect him from further harm, but the sound of gunfire had ceased. Other agents gathered with their weapons drawn, encircling the vice president’s body as he lay unconscious on the platform. The rest were searching for the source of the shots and radioing university and city police for assistance in apprehending the assassins. There were times the vice president wore a bulletproof vest, but today was not one of them.

An ambulance, prepositioned at the stadium for the commencement ceremonies, was quickly brought onto the field as closely to the raised platform as possible. Aaron Banner’s limp body was quickly secured onto the stretcher and placed inside the ambulance. As they attended to him in the ambulance, he remained unconscious.

Stanford Hospital was less than two miles away and the ambulance sped through traffic with the siren blaring, hoping to get him medical attention in time to save his life. Calls to the hospital had been made, alerting them that the vice president had been shot and would be arriving shortly. The medical staff quickly made the necessary preparations to be ready for his arrival. The ambulance pulled under the covered awning in front of the emergency entrances at high speed, and even before the ambulance was at a full stop, the medical staff raced to open the doors and rushed the vice president into the emergency room.

The doctors were prepared to treat the numerous gunshot wounds that had been reported. But what the doctors found astounded them. The vice president had multiple bullet holes through his clothing, but there was not one scratch on his body.

The vice president lay unconscious on the operating room gurney, but his heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen levels were all reading at normal levels on the monitors. He was taken from the operating room for an MRI to see what head trauma he had suffered. As the doctors reviewed the images, no trauma to the head or brain was detected, but there was a large bump and bruise forming where his head had hit the ground.

God Bless America

I am very excited to announce that I have nearly completed my newest book “Preserve, Protect, and Defend.” I have written several books over the past six years and felt it was time to write another book. I keep a file of future book ideas and since my latest book had been selling well and the publisher was anxious for a sequel, I began to ponder what book I should write next. I began working on several different books; however, none of them felt like the book I was to be writing. During this time, I had a book that I had never heard of before that was published in 2002 recommended to me by three different people within a two week period. I got the message that I needed to read this book.

I ordered the book and read through it in a couple of days. The book taught various principles through a fictional character and story. After finishing the book, I had the impression that I needed to write a book like this where true principles were taught through a fictional story. When I told my wife that I was going to write a novelesque book she quipped, “How do you plan on writing a novel when you have never even read a novel?” I replied, “If God wants me to write a novel, I can write a novel.” She responded, “If you write a novel, it will definitely increase my belief in miracles.” Well, the book you are about to read is a miracle. When I started on this book, it was clear to me that this was the book I was to be writing.

In fact, I have felt that much of my writing and study over the past six years was preparation for me to write “Preserve, Protect, and Defend.” I recent months, I have felt an urgency to release this book. Since an e-book can be ready more quickly, my goal is to first release the e-book by the end of July, and then release the paperback version by the end of the summer. Below is the book cover design. Please let me know what you think.

As we approach the 236th year since the declaration of independence, I thought I would share a few of my favorite quotes on America. May I suggest that before you light your fireworks on the evening of July 4th, that you have a moment of silence to honor the lives of those who fought to secure America’s independence and say a prayer of thanks to God for sending some of the wisest, noblest, and bravest men and women to secure the freedoms we enjoy.

Quotes on America
“None of those noble words about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, about all men being created equal, none of that would have been worth any more than the paper it was written on had it not been for those who were fighting to make it happen.”
–David McCullough, author of 1776

“Government is . . . like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master; never for a moment should it be left to irresponsible action.”
–George Washington “

America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.”
–Abraham Lincoln

“Without God, democracy will not and cannot long endure. If we ever forget that we are one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.”
–Ronald Reagan “

No one should be afraid to take on any enterprise in the name of our Saviour.”
–Christopher Columbus

During the civil war, a clergyman said to Abraham Lincoln, “I hope the Lord is on our side.” Abraham Lincoln replied, “I am not at all concerned about that for I know that the Lord is always on the side of the right. But it is my constant anxiety and prayer that this nation should be on the Lord’s side.”

“I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
–Presidential Oath of Office

Abraham Lincoln – A Servant of the People

Abraham Lincoln exemplified the heart of a servant throughout his life. Lincoln did not aspire to leadership positions but was elected by his peers because of his servant nature. He maintained his role as servant throughout the various positions to which he would be elected. As president of the United States, Lincoln often concluded his letter with the phrases, “Your friend and servant,” “Your obedient servant,” and “Your humble servant,” and in the White House, he never alluded to himself as “president” and he asked others to call him “Lincoln” instead of “Mr. President.”

As a servant to the people, Lincoln sought the guidance and support from the Almighty God. During the Civil War, a clergyman said to Lincoln, “I hope the Lord is on our side.” Lincoln replied, “I am not at all concerned about that for I know that the Lord is always on the side of the right. But it is my constant anxiety and prayer that this nation should be on the Lord’s side.” Lincoln worked diligently to do that which was right without concern for power, position, and popularity.

There were many that advised Lincoln against signing the Emancipation Proclamation. As he was about to sign the document, Lincoln was asked, “Are you certain this is the right course of action?” Lincoln replied, “I never, in my life have felt more certain that I was doing right, than I do in signing this paper.”

Booker T. Washington was born into slavery and recalled the day of emancipation that came when he was a boy. He wrote, “As the great day drew nearer, there was more singing in the slave quarters than usual. It was bolder, had more ring, and lasted later into the night. Most of the verses of the plantation songs had some reference to freedom. . . After the reading [of the Emancipation Proclamation] we were told that we were all free, and could go when and where we pleased. My mother, who was standing by my side, leaned over and kissed her children, while tears of joy ran down her cheeks. She explained to us what it all meant, that this was the day for which she had been so long praying, but fearing that she would never live to see. For some minutes there was great rejoicing and thanksgiving.”

Lincoln is today honored as one of the United States’ greatest presidents, even though he had no concern for such praise. Lincoln led the nation as a humble servant. He successfully lead the country through the civil war—preserving the Union while freeing four million people who were in the bondage of slavery.

Lincoln efforts to serve the Nation and free the captives would cost him his life. At the age of 56, Lincoln was assassinated. The Bible declares, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13, KJV) The following is one of the many tributes written after his death:

“To the memory of Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States of America, who died a martyr to his country, falling under the hand of a traitor assassin on the night of the 14th day of April 1865. The fourth anniversary of the beginning of the great War of Rebellion, through which he led the nation to a glorious triumph. . . The Great Republic loved him as its Father, and reverenced him as the preserver of its national life. The oppressed people of all lands looked up to him as the anointed of liberty, and hailed in him the consecrated leader of her cause. He struck the chains of slavery from four millions . . . with a noble faith in humanity. . . By his wisdom, his prudence, his calm temper, his steadfast patience, his lofty courage, and his loftier faith, he saved the Republic from dissolution. By his simple integrity, he illustrated the neglected principles of its Constitution, and restored them to their just ascendancy. By all the results of his administration of its government, he inaugurated a New Era in the history of mankind. The wisdom of his statesmanship was excelled only by its virtuousness. Exercising a power which surpassed that of kings, he bore himself always as the servant of the people, and never its master.”