America bought a pig in a poke. What does that mean? It has a kindred expression also: "Don't let the cat out of the bag."

In England years ago small pigs were marketed on the street by young boys on behalf of their dads. A "poke" is a sack. Originally the head of the pig in the sack stuck out. Because this allowed some pigs to escape, the head was no longer left sticking out. It was a pig in a poke.

Why not buy such a pig?

That brings up the second quote. Some unscrupulous boys started catching alley cats and replacing the pigs with cats. When a person opened the sack the cat almost always escaped; was let out of the bag. Thus, the deal didn't go through. The boys were cautious not to let the cat out of the bag before the sale.

To buy a pig in a poke was to get something without really knowing what it was. It was sold as something it wasn't. The sellers had to be careful not to reveal their subterfuge by letting the potential buyer know there was a cat, not a pig, in the sack. The admonition was to be sure you knew what you were getting.

By using this analogy I am not implying the president is a pig. I am saying he was an unknown factor.

America bought a pig in a poke in our last election. The only time I wrote anything slightly unflattering regarding candidate Obama resulted in fire being called down on my head. If any reader is tempted to do so now, consider this. Did you know candidate Obama was going to propose such a socialist agenda? Did you have any idea he would take over the automobile industry, and take such control of the banking community? Did you have any idea he would propose a health care program that would put one-sixth of our nation's economy under government control? Did you realize it would be proposed that American companies overseas would have to pay taxes in the foreign country as well as here, and thereby be forced to move overseas, costing America thousands of jobs?

If you did not know all that and the many other liberal government programs that are yet to be proposed - you bought a pig in a poke.

Those who tried to let the cat out of the bag were in effect told "Trust me for what is in the bag. Don't ask for any detail about its nature. If you do you are a radical, bigoted, extremist, intolerant prejudiced dogmatist."

Several polls indicate many Americans now feel they didn't get what they paid for with their ballots. The cat is now out of the bag. That is bad enough, but there are more cats in the bag.

Once you purchase what is in the bag it is yours.

It must be conceded there are those who are very pleased with the president's agenda. Their opinion is significant and they are to be respected. Some very fine folks like cats.

It is said if you don't know the errors of the past you are destined to repeat them.

Today we are told most young adults do not know or care what our government was designed to be. They have no interest in history quotes from our founders. They have no idea what alternative forms of government we have been spared.

Without a basic knowledge of our history and code of values, we are on the path to repeating the errors of the past.

For the sake of our inherent values and blessings, please take time to gain a basic knowledge of our heritage and let's avoid the errors of our past.

The Rev. Dr. Nelson Price is pastor emeritus of Roswell Street Baptist Church. Contact Price at nlprice@aol.com.