It’s Monday, December 27th, A.D. 2021. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorlview.com. I’m Adam McManus.
By Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com)
Communist China removes Tiananmen Square sculpture
A monument at a Hong Kong university that was the best-known public remembrance of the Tiananmen Square massacre on Chinese soil was removed last Thursday, wiping out one of the city’s last remaining places of public commemoration of the bloody June 4,1989 crackdown against student demonstrators, reports the Associated Press.
The Chinese Communist Party claimed only 300 people were killed. However, Peking University leaflets circulated on campus suggested a death toll of between two and three thousand. And the Chinese Red Cross claimed 2,600 people were killed.
For some at the University of Hong Kong, the move to tear down the monument to the Tiananmen Square massacre reflected the erosion of the relative freedoms they have enjoyed compared to mainland China.
The 26-foot-tall Pillar of Shame, which depicts 50 torn and twisted bodies piled on top of each other, was made by Danish sculptor Jens Galschioet to symbolize the lives lost during the military crackdown on pro-democracy protesters.
The sculptor said, ”They are sending a signal to the students that it is over with the (Hong Kong) democracy movement and that it is over with free speech in Hong Kong.”
Manchin declines phone call from panicked White House before “no” vote
Democrat Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia is standing firm on his plan to vote “no” on Biden’s Build Back Better bill. Before going on Fox News Sunday, he had one of his aides notify the White House of his plan to tell the nation that he was voting “no” on the Biden administration’s over-the-top spending bill, reports ConservativeSociety.org.
The White House panicked in response, trying to call Manchin right before he went on air.
MANCHIN: “I’ve always said this Brett, ‘If I can’t go home and explain it to the people of West Virginia, I can’t vote for it.’ And I cannot vote to continue with this piece of legislation. I just can’t. I’ve tried everything humanly possible. I can’t get there.”
BAIER: “You’re done. This is, this is a ‘no.’”
MANCHIN: “This is a ‘no’ on this legislation. I have tried everything I know to do.”
In a statement Senator Manchin released on December 19th, he said, “The American people deserve transparency on the true cost of the Build Back Better Act. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office determined the cost is upwards of $4.5 trillion which is more than double what the bill’s ardent supporters have claimed. They continue to camouflage the real cost of the intent behind this bill.”
The senator also said, “I will never forget the warning from then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, that he delivered during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing during my first year in the Senate. He testified that the greatest threat facing our nation was our national debt and since that time our debt has doubled.”
To thank Senator Joe Manchin for his gutsy opposition to his own party’s bloated bill, email him through a special ink in our transcript today at www.TheWorldview.com or call him at 202-224-3954. That’s 202-224-3954.
Man’s Christmas display leads to 1,000 toys for tornado victims
And finally, a man from Villa Hills, Kentucky is delighting his neighbors with a dazzling holiday display at his home, and using the attention to collect donations for tornado victims in Western Kentucky, reports TheBlaze.com.
Ralph Mueller’s front yard is decorated with a stellar lights display and a small army of inflatable characters including the Grinch, Santa Claus, and an 18-foot-tall Frosty the Snowman.
MUELLER: “Whether you’re young or old, it just puts a smile on everybody’s face.”
Even though he only started decorating the yard last year through the encouragement of his granddaughter, he purchased 49 inflatables. This year, he has an even 100 holiday inflatables.
MUELLER: “I’ve got people driving by and thanking me just for bringing back Christmas.”
Mueller explained that he was inspired to help the tornado relief efforts after his son was deployed to Western Kentucky with the National Guard.
MUELLER: “Just seeing him down there and helping out, I figured I could do something to help out too.”
That’s when he set out two big collection barrels labeled “Toy donations for the children of Mayfield, Kentucky.”
Nancy Trencamp, a neighbor, decided to donate several toys herself.
TRANCAMP: “They lost everything. I mean, it’s, it’s just so sad.”
Mueller said the generous response has warmed his heart.
MUELLER: “We probably got over 1,000 toys. The amount of support we got is unbelievable.”
Mueller and his family traveled to Western Kentucky on December 23rd to deliver the toys and food, becoming a real-life Santa Claus to children devastated by the tornadoes.
Mark 12:31 says, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Close
And that’s The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Monday, December 27th in the year of our Lord 2021. Subscribe by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I’m Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.