A Battle Ensues?

First of all I would like to welcome you back to the ’76er. I hope everyone had a great Christmas and a Happy New Year. A lot has happened over the weeks that the blog has been on a break (sorry for the major delay). Most of all, and on the forefront of all our minds, is the massacre of twenty innocent children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. And we’ll be going over that in this post among other things.

I titled this post A Battle Ensues? for a number of reasons. While the Constitution has been whittled away for decades and the size of government has grown explosively in just the last few, we have in the last eight or so years seen an aggressive drive to take the power out of the hands of the people and place it firmly in those of the government. It is something that needs to be talked about out loud because if you refuse to address the existence of the problem then it can never be solved.

I know that many people have notice that I have railed against the Obama Administration and they sometimes draw a conclusion that I must have loved Bush’s presidency. I hate to tell you, but that’s false. I petitioned against that administration many times throughout its term, called for criminal charges against Bush himself,  and I can partly thank it for contributing to my becoming politically active. And so we shall begin with President Bush and the War on Terror.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not looking for the perfect President. That’s a tough search because such a thing doesn’t exist. I’ve been known to say that everything started going downhill after Washington. But something changed on September 11, 2001 and it took a while for most of America to see it. Those who are diligent caught it pretty early on though. That day marked the first real time mainland America was attacked (significantly) and the result was devastating. Nearly 3,000 Americans dead, buildings destroyed, and the feeling of safety shattered by an enemy we never thought could touch us. We were right to be afraid at the time. But fear often leads to action. And action born of fear is usually not well thought out. At least not with the rights of citizens kept in mind.

I’ve quoted Benjamin Franklin before as saying anyone willing to give up essential liberty for temporary safety deserves neither. Keep that in mind as we move forward.

In the whirlwind of activity that followed the terrorist attacks we started two wars, initiated a global “war on terror”, and passed major legislation all in the name of security, freedom, and justice. At the time it was generally hailed as a triumph against our enemies and a show of force to those who would aid or shelter them. However, in those achievements of security we have to stop and ask ourselves at what cost were those strides against terror paid? Remember Ben’s words.

The Patriot Act was passed overwhelmingly and practically without opposition in 2001. The Act can grants expanded freedom of wiretapping and surveillance on American citizens. It allows the government to name anyone an “enemy combatant” or “terrorist” no matter what the circumstances of evidence of guilt. It even threatened the privacy of citizens of British Colombia. That’s in Canada, a whole other country. But would our leaders really allow infringements on our Constitutional rights? They probably had no idea. Congressman Jim McDermott is on record saying that the Senate didn’t even read the bill. So there’s that.

The Military Authorization Act and other bills allow the President to use the U.S. military as a policing force inside the borders of America. This is a direct violation of law but in the wake of the terror attacks it passed as well. I’ve had numerous conversations with people about these and various other bills that have been passed in the interest of security. I do agree that steps were needed, and still need, to be taken to ensure our safety. However, those measures should never come at the cost of the Constitution or our inalienable rights. Warrantless wire-tapping, arrest without cause, denial of due process and numerous other violations of our freedoms should be cause for alarm.

People say that it makes us safer and in some instances is does. But we have to consider the cost: our rights. I’m a big believer in “the slippery slope”. A person can be detained without reason for an indefinite amount of time under the suspicion of terrorism, which in itself is loosely defined. That goes for American citizens as well. You may say “well they won’t do that to innocent people”. Let’s be clear, if an American can be arrested and thrown into isolation for several years without contact with a lawyer or anyone for little to no reason, (this did happen by the way), then they can do it to anyone. It sets up the ability for tyranny.

Now I’m not saying all laws work this way and lead down that path. Making it illegal to j-walk won’t lead to your freedom of travel to be taken away. But if you ban a few things people can say you set the precedent to ban any or all speech. If you ban one kind of gun you can ban any gun. There are some glaringly obvious dangers in laws out there and we need to sit up, take notice, and say something about it.

So, we’ve touched on Bush’s administration (I know we could go farther back but I’m trying to keep it short). Let’s move up to Obama. Obama has nearly finished his first term and is about to begin his second. His first four years have been interesting. He has signed the National Defense Authorization Act into law. Some things are still coming out about it but it has sections so vaguely worded about how to define actions as “aiding terrorism” that some journalist made a point that simply asking their questions could be consider illegal.

Most controversially he championed his healthcare reform, more commonly known as Obamacare. Does/did healthcare need an over haul? Yes, it has for years. However we need to look at this thing very closely. I won’t get into the details about the tax increases and rise in healthcare costs (which most analysts in country are predicting). People still haven’t finished reading the darn thing yet so I’m sure more will show up later. What frightens me is just what this bill says the government can do and scarier still, that the Supreme Court said was constitutional.

Obamacare states that you have to have health insurance. I’m sure nobody thinks it’s a bad thing to have insurance. However, if you don’t get it you will be fined. Wait a minute. How can you say you want to help people with their medical bills and then bill them for not being able to get insurance? But here’s the scary thing I mentioned above. This means that the government can coerce you into doing what they want, so long as they can call it a tax. What? That is not how the Constitution was meant to be used. This is a blatant misuse of power. And that misuse has spanned multiple presidencies.

Now, let’s take a look at more recent events. Last month, a madman murdered his mother, stole her guns, and slaughtered twenty children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. This was a nearly incomprehensible act of evil committed in a place where we would like to think our children are safe. It was terrible, cold, and it is something we won’t forget. That being said, there were some expected results of this.

Gun control was instantly thrown to the forefront of the situation practically within minutes of the event. Now I know we just spent a three part series about gun rights so I’ll try not to make this an impromptu “part four”. Whenever something like this happens this subject always comes up. Without getting into too much detail we already know that gun massacres are not nearly as common as the media tries to say they are (they’re less than 1% of all gun crime). We also know that “assault weapons” aren’t widely used as crime weapons (all rifle types make up less than 4% of gun crime). And we also know what where there are more guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens there is less crime (juxtapose gun violence in Chicago with the levels of Phoenix). I could give a load more of facts that basically disprove everything the main-stream media is saying about guns and gun control. Connecticut has some of the strictest gun laws in the country. Didn’t help, did it?

The only way guns can be brought into this scenario is that the mother displayed irresponsible gun ownership. She feared her son was mentally disturbed enough that she may have committed him. Then why did she allow access to the weapons and teach her son how to operate them? There’s your problem.

But back to gun control. Now you have all the usual people involved. Bloomberg, Feinstein, the Brady’s, and Code Pink to name a few. They paint gun owners as mentally disturbed at best and murderers as worst. They blame the NRA for the evil perpetrated by a single disturbed individual instead of the murderers. So, just like always, new legislation is being proposed. Obama (we’ve gone over his record before) created a panel and gave them thirty days to come up with ideas. Being headed by vice president Biden (very anit-gun) I can guess as to what those ideas will be. We’ve heard of the use of Executive Orders and the banning of magazines, ammo, and “certain types” of rifles. Senator Feinstein’s proposal is the most restrictive gun legislation ever seen.

Like I said above, I’m not going to hinge this post on gun control but it is a large part of the bigger picture. The Second Amendment exists so that the citizens of this country can defend themselves in the event of invasion or from tyranny. It is not about hunting or sport shooting (although those inherently come from gun ownership). I’ve said before, the Second Amendment holds up the rest of the Constitution. That’s a fact. Look up what the Founders said about firearms. And now, because of the actions of a few madmen the rights of millions are in jeopardy. This goes far beyond gun rights by the way. This is about our rights as a whole, period. Ask any gun owner.

Looking back, the previous administrations have slowly but surely expanded the power of government and chipped away at the strength of the people. This has nothing to do with Republicans or Democrats. But now we look at those currently in power and see the things that are happening. Never before has the Constitution been on such a perilous edge as it is right now.

I mentioned earlier why I entitled this post A Battle Ensues? I chose this title mainly for this reason: this country hasn’t been this divided in over a century, both politically and socially. It seems, to me, that the country has split into two general camps. One moving forward towards a secular, government dependent, big government, unarmed future. The other trying to hold on to what made this country what it is and to honor those that came before us. The recent attacks on our rights, in particular our right to keep and bear arms, has caused further division and has greatly angered one side. The 49% that didn’t vote for Obama, which would be the latter of the two groups I described, is furious. I speak for most of this group when I say I am not happy in the least with the direction this country is headed. Those in power need to understand that they work for us, not the other way around.

Now there have been people appearing on various media networks referencing revolution and a new 1776. Truthfully a lot of these people do not represent the majority of conservatives and they are chosen to appear to make them look bad. I personally believe in the idea set forth by the Declaration of Independence. That idea is that when a government becomes destructive in the execution of its role, it is the right and duty of the people to abolish said government and replace it. I’m not saying pick up your rifle and let’s go. That wasn’t our Founders first choice. What I’m saying is that just as the government needs to realize they work for us, we need to remember that they work for us and remind them of that. Write your Senators and Congressmen, I have repeatedly. Write to the President and the political organizations that you think need to change and start listening to us. Grass roots starts with you. Our path to Independence centuries ago was grass roots. Without the individual citizen a country, a cause, an idea is nothing.

A Battle Ensues? I think a serious battle is on the horizon. One that will decide the course of this nation. One that will decide the role of our Constitution in the future. One that will show where we stand as Americans. Will you sit back and watch from afar? Will you be in the thick of it? Or will you, in apathy, leave the fight to others and hope for the best? The battle is here and it’s time to choose.

Thank you for reading. God bless all of you and God bless the United States of America.

Part Three: The Future of Gun Ownership in America.

Writers Note: In light of the events that transpired several days ago I feel the need to address it before continuing this series further. What happened on December 14, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut was an absolute tragedy. The slaughter of twenty innocent children and six adults is unforgivable. Personally I think it’s still too early to start going into politics about it, however due to the overwhelming outcry from the anti-gun community I think I need to at least respond.

Yes, guns were used to commit a crime. I am not trying to take away from the horror of what happened. However, we need to try and keep a level head about this. The rights of millions should not be taken away because of the madness of a few. We have gun laws and restrictions that do their job, despite what the media and Hollywood try to tell you.

While I won’t comment on any details of this event because information is still coming to light I will say this: As always, we need to do our research. Like how often do these kinds of crimes actually occur (they are less than 1% of all gun crimes). Were the proper precautions taken by the gun owner in securing the weapons? Were there signs that the shooter was mentally unstable prior to the attack? We need to look at the root of the problem and the root is not guns, it’s the criminal. It’s the why not the what. A gun can do nothing out of the hands of a criminal. So please let us not attack the Constitution because of a criminal.

Finally, I would like to say that my prayers go out to the families that have been rocked by this tragedy. I agree with President Obama, my heart is broken as well. To target a child is unspeakable and to lose a child is unfathomable. I pray God’s comfort over the families and the town. You can be sure God is with you and you can be sure that I and your country are with you. God bless you all.

The following post has not been altered from its original text to include the events of Sandy Hook Elementary.

 

If you’ve kept up with the series this far I thank you. This will be the third and final installment on gun rights and ownership. Again, thank you for your support.

Over the past two posts we covered the history of the Second Amendment and the current place of firearms in our society. We’ve shown how guns were used to sustain this country in its earliest form and win its independence. We looked at how guns are used responsibly today and how there is a social taboo associated with them. Now that we’ve looked to the past and present it’s time to look ahead into the future.

I understand that speculation and conjecture are ill-advised was of trying to figure out where one is headed. I’ve always been a believer that to see where you are going you need to look at the past. You need to know where you came from to see where you’re going to end up. With that in mind, let’s take a look at past attacks on gun rights and the future plans of the anti-gunners.

Over the past years there have been many groups formed to fight against the right to own and carry firearms. Among the most known today are The Brady Campaign, Mayors Against Illegal Guns, and the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence. They all have a trend that they follow. Whenever there is a mass shooting in the country they are the first ones on camera demanding harsher restrictions on guns and asking for donations to fund their campaign. But when guns are used to stop crime and save lives they are nowhere to be found. They refuse to acknowledge that there is such a thing as a responsible law-abiding gun owner.

Despite this they are major players in the war on guns. But these groups can do nothing without the backing of the government, local and federal, to make their dreams a reality. So what can we expect from the people that swore to defend our Constitution? It gets kind of grim. We first need to take a look at the man currently in the White House and what exactly he thinks about guns. Hold on, this is a long bumpy ride.

There are many who say Obama is pro-gun. They say he is even the most pro-gun President we’ve had in years. Why, he even signed the National Park Carry Bill (Hint: that doesn’t exist). I beg to differ. Obama has a very, very long history of anti-gun statements, actions and legislation. Let’s take a look.

·         September 9, 1996 State Senator Obama supports a ban on the manufacture, sales and possession of handguns and semi-automatic weapons, erroneously calling them “assault weapons”.

·         July 2, 1998 Obama endorses a ban on all sales and transfers of semi-automatic weapons.

·         December 13, 1999 Obama proposes banning gun store within five miles of schools and parks.

·         January 1, 2000 Obama co-sponsors a bill to limit firearms purchases to one per month.

·         February 20, 2011 Quoted as saying “There is no reason anybody should need an assault weapon”.

·         March 13, 2003 Obama votes to ban hundreds of Common rifle and shotguns.

·         March 25, 2004 Obama votes against lowering Firearm Owners Identification Card age from 21 to 18.

·         April 27, 2004 Obama reaffirms his opposition to concealed carry.

·         October 24, 2004 Obama says it’s a “scandal” Bush didn’t renew the assault weapons ban.

·         July 29, 2005 Now U.S. Senator Obama votes against prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers.

·         September 22, 2005 Obama votes against pro-second amendment John Roberts for Supreme Court Justice.

·         January 31, 2006 Obama votes against pro-second amendment Samuel Alito for Supreme Court Justice.

·         April 22, 2007 Obama favors a ban on standard-capacity ammunition magazines.

·         April 2, 2008 Obama again reaffirms his opposition to concealed carry.

·         November 13, 2008 President-elect Obama weeds out gun-owning applicants from his staff.

·         December 1, 2008 Obama nominates staunch anti-gunner Eric Holder for Attorney General.

·         February 25 2009 Obama and Eric holder seek to re-instate the assault weapons ban.

·         May 26, 2009 Obama nominates anti-gun Sonia Sotomayor for Supreme Court Justice.

·         October 14, 2009 Obama reverses stance on a treaty to regulate arms trade.

·         May 10, 2010 Obama nominates anti-gun Elena Kagan for Supreme Court Justice.

·         November 15, 2010 Obama nominates anti-gun Andrew Traver to head the ATF.

·         July 7, 2011 An Obama aide says gun legislation is in the “near future”.

·         February 13, 2012 Obama cuts the budget in half for armed pilot counter-terrorism program.

·         June 20, 2012 Obama uses his position to withhold document tied to gun smuggling probe.

·         August 6, 2012 Obama confirms renewing support for semi-automatic rifle and magazine ban.

·         October 16, 2012 Obama calls for reintroduction of semi-auto firearms ban.

So Obama is pro gun, really? And this isn’t even a complete list folks. Check out this site for this list and more info.

It’s evident, if you bother to look at the facts, that Obama does not have your Second Amendment rights in mind. Unless, that is, to limit them any way he can. Now I’m not saying it’s time to bury your AR’s in the backyard because they’ll come knocking tomorrow. Nothing moves that fast and he probably couldn’t get that far….constitutionally. But what I am saying is that we need to be vigilant. We need to see where we are on the slippery slope before we take a plunge and end up in a pit we can’t get out of.

Now what about the U.S. Supreme Court? Currently there is a dangerous 5-4 split on the gun issues. With one to two and possibly three Justices retire during Obama’s second term you can bet he’ll fill those in with more anti-gun friends. But let’s take a look at the current Supreme Court and where they stand.

Chief Justice John Roberts: Pro-gun (nominated By George W. Bush)

Justice Antonin Scalia: Pro-gun (nominated by Ronald Reagan)

Justice Anthony Kennedy: Pro-gun (nominated by Ronald Reagan)

Justice Clarence Thomas: Pro-gun (nominated by George H. W. Bush)

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Anti-gun (nominated by Bill Clinton)

Justice Stephen Breyer: Anti-gun (nominated by Bill Clinton)

Justice Samuel Alito: Pro-gun (nominated by George W. Bush)

Justice Sonya Sotomayor: Anti-gun (nominated by Barack Obama)

Justice Elena Kagan: Anti-gun (nominated by Barack Obama)

Two things seem pretty evident here. One) its obvious which party is the party of gun control. Two) if any Justices retire this term we can guess how the new ones would rule on any gun related cases.

So the President is obviously anti-gun. One look at his past and you can figure out his desires for the future. This is especially true when you consider his remarks to the Brady Campaign. He assured Sarah Brady that gun control was on his agenda but it has to remain “under the radar”. That’s a little sneaky, don’t you think? And the Supreme Court is practically split with the very real chance of it falling completely to one side. Is there anyone in Washington on our side?

Congress, for once. Currently there is no strong desire to push gun control either in the Democrat-held Senate or the Republican-held House of representatives. This is a good thing considering Obama’s support for the UN Arms Treaty. Should he even sign the treaty, it would have to be ratified by the Senate for it to take effect in our country. Luckily, even with a Democrat majority, there is a strong pro-gun majority in the Senate that would not approve of the treaty. At least not as the treay stands.

Ultimately the thing we have the most to fear is the use of the Executive Order by Obama. As we have seen in his first term, Obama has a tendency to wield the pen quite a bit (yes, I know Bush signed a lot as well, and while anyone who knows me knows I can’t stand Bush either, he was a war-time President during the peak of two wars. So it’s kind of expected).

Many people feel validated in their fears of what the second Obama term could bring. Gun sales have skyrocketed since the election. So I guess Obama is helping at least one corner of the economy, just not the one he wants to.

So to sum up this series I’ll leave it at this. We don’t know for sure what the future will bring in terms of the Second Amendment and your right to own and carry a firearm. But looking into the past we know how important guns were to the founding of our nation. We know our Founding Fathers saw our ability to keep arms as essential to maintaining liberty and democracy. We know how often firearms are used to prevent crime, defend our home and businesses, and to be vigilant in the face of evil. And now that we know what we may face ahead, we must remain constantly at the ready.

The rights the Constitution confirms for us are always on a slippery slope. Put too much regulation and restriction on them and soon the lines between “unalienable rights” and granted privileges starts to blur. We can’t destroy the liberty of many because of the crimes of a few. A madman walks into a theater with an assault weapon and kills multiple people. The gun didn’t do it, the crazy murderer did. Personal responsibility for crimes should start with the criminal not an inanimate piece of plastic and metal. The Second Amendment holds the others up. An armed man is a citizen; an unarmed man is a subject. I urge all of you readers, as always, to do your research and check the facts. The most dangerous words an American can say are “that could never happen here”.

I’d like to take this time to give my personal thank to some people and organizations that have made it their task to fight for our Second Amendment freedoms as well as advance the all-American culture of gun ownership. They have inspired me and encourage me through their actions. My thanks go out to:

The National Rifle Association, Gun Owners of America, The Second Amendment Foundation, The Virginia Citizens Defense League, The United States Concealed Carry Association, Mark Walters, Sean “Seanto” Young, Rob Pincus, David Codrea, Mike Vanderboegh, George “The Mad Ogre” Hill, the late Mark Craighead, Ted Nugent, and so many more I think I could actually run out of internet trying to list them all.

Thank you for reading. God bless all of you and God bless the United States of America.

Secession

There has been a lot of hype about the citizens of more than thirty states petitioning the government for secession from the Union. I think we need to talk about this.

First things first I’ll give my personal opinion about secession. I do think the States of the Union have the right to secede. I know that the Courts have had previous cases disputing that, (see Texas v White). In spite of this the Declaration of Independence outlines the formula for liberty for men. That when a government instituted among men becomes destructive towards those it is intended to serve it is the right and duty of the people to dissolve that government or, as displayed in the first paragraph of the Declaration, to dissolve the political bands which have connected them. The States came together and I see no reason why they cannot leave in like fashion.

Now, also drawing upon the Declaration, the reasons for secession should not be due to “light and transient causes”. King George was a tyrant and the constant rebuffs by his government as well as the institution of laws on a people without a voice for decades eventually led to one course: independence. In the end there was no other way. Fast forward a few years. Obama was re-elected. While I am disappointed to say the least about it, this is not reason for secession. Now, should he cut out the Second Amendment and make it rain with Constitution-destroying Executive Orders then by all means we need to do something along those lines.

But in the wake of the election there will be many ways in which people will try to make their voices heard. And that is a good thing. We as Americans have the right to speak our minds and we should. But there are intelligent and less so ways of going about it. Petition for secession probably falls towards the latter of the two.

I, like millions of Americans, am totally dissatisfied with the way Barack Obama has handled just about everything. I have spoken out about this verbally as well as starting this blog. I will continue to inform and educate in this manner as well as defend our liberty. Others have joined activist groups and posted signs. Some donate money to organizations and others make phone calls. But what is the one thing in common with all of these? Those people expressed no desire to leave the U.S.

I would not leave my country for anything. I love America and would defend her to the last if need be. I also understand that a good many of the people who signed the petitions for secession really have no desire to actually secede but are doing so to make a bold statement and that’s fine. But much like the hippies protesting war in the 60’s and 70’s, no one in the government is really going to take them seriously. I think a true petition of the Government for a redress of grievances, (see 1^st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution), would be a far bolder statement.

Imagine if as many people that signed those petitions, heck let’s go bigger, what if millions signed a petition of the Government over Obamacare, over-regulation, executive orders or any other number of things Obama has done. That would pick up a few people’s heads. Now would that make everything better? Of course not. Laws aren’t changed and governments made responsible over night. But, it is a start.

Imagine if we could even organize another Continental Congress. That would wake up a lot of people. To have representatives from all the States convene to discuss the role of our government. Truly that would be a show of patriotism and solidarity we haven’t seen since the formation of our country. Now don’t take that the wrong way. I’m not calling for revolution. Keep in mind, “light and transient causes”. Obamacare is no reason to march on Washington. I’m a pissed American but I’m not short-sighted.

The fact of the matter is this: We need to make our voices heard. We’ve let the government do whatever it’s wanted for the last seventy or so years. We let them pass the Patriot Act without some much as reading it. We let them sign the National Defense Authorization Act without protest. We let the TSA turn our airports into police states. Why? For security? I have to invoke the words of one of our Founders on this one. “They, who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” That was Benjamin Franklin. Despite what a lot of people try to say their words are still applicable to this very day.

I know I got a little off topic from where I started this. But let’s sum it all up. We need to be heard and let the Government know we are not happy. A petition of secession is one way, but not the best. Get that many and more signatures on a petition sent straight to the White House, Congress and the Supreme Court and you’ll turn a few heads. The First Amendment is one of the most important and also one of our greatest weapons as citizens. We should use it more often.

Can the States secede?  Yes I think they can. Should the States secede? It better be for a really, really good reason. It took our Founders years before they made the final decision to leave. It was not an easy choice so we today should not make light of such an act.

Thank you for reading. God bless all of you and God bless the United States of America.

The Die Has Been Cast

I once heard that actions speak louder than words. Apparently that does not apply to our past/current President Barack Obama. Despite what he has done and not done over the past four years, he was re-elected to the highest office in the land. Don’t get me wrong. Just because I disagree with those that voted doesn’t mean I didn’t want them to vote. If you read the last post you know how I feel about voting. Whether I agree or not in your choice of candidate thank you for voting. It is our duty to do so.

Now let’s talk about the next four years. I’ll be honest, I’m not optimistic. Now believe me when I say I do pray for Obama and hope he will lead this country well. But I have to look at history to figure where our future may be going. And based on the past the future doesn’t look good.

We, as a country, have decided to take a step down a path of bigger government and government intrusion. We have taken a step towards a more socialist government like those of European countries. You need only look at the news to see how well Europe is these days.

We have taken steps towards a country where the energy we have depended on for years is slowly being phased out, along with massive job loss in those areas, in favor of a renewable energy industry that can’t support us. Coal and oil suffer under Obama and his EPA despite his claims of helping them grow.

I have seen over the course of this campaign a classic tactic. If you say a lie loud enough and long enough people believe it as truth. Now I know Romney lied and fudged the truth too. They’re politicians and that’s what they do. I never said Romney was the perfect candidate because that person doesn’t exist. However, I was disappointed to see a President of the United States support ads and campaign tactics that were shameful at best and disgraceful of the office of President.

I am particularly upset with the media, who I believe has done more to help Obama win the election than any candidate in history. They have done so by refusing to properly vet him and dig into his past during the 2008 election. And then by praising him and continually omitting his blatant misuse of power and lies. Fox, of whom I’m not a fan, tried to but every other media outlet has painted them so badly no one left of center would consider tuning in.

Am I disappointed in the outcome of the election? Yes. But I consider this an opportunity for me and those who love the Constitution and this country to make our voices heard. I will never cease in defending liberty and teaching about the origins of this country. I encourage you to do the same.

Over the coming months I will be presenting a continuing series on Barack Obama. Since the main-stream won’t delve into Obama’s past associations and doings I will and bring the info straight to you. Now don’t worry. This blog isn’t going to turn into a non-stop Obama attack fest. I know that’s not what you want and I know that’s bad reporting and journalism. I will be posting plenty of stuff in between. But there will be an ongoing series about that.

So, if you voted, even for Obama, thank you. You did your country proud by making your voice heard. But the fight for the Constitution is really going to heat up over the next four years and we need to be there to defend it. I pray for the people of this country, its leaders and its future.

Thank you for reading. God bless you and God bless the United States of America.

Do Your Homework

With one day left before Election Day, I figured I needed to write something. On Tuesday millions of Americans will enter the polls and change the course of this country. Will you be one of them? I hope so.

I implore all of you as Americans to go vote. It is your duty as a citizen to do so. Remember that people died to give you that right. Don’t dishonor them with apathy. However, there is one question I have to ask: Do you know why you’re voting for who you’re voting for?

I have run across countless examples of people over the recent Presidential campaigns that, in the end, really have no clear reason why they support their candidate. I hear some say how great Obama is and then can’t tell me one thing he’s done for the country other than they think he’s cool. I hear people say Romney is the guy to elect and then tell me it’s just because Obama is bad. Why? What have you heard or learned to bring you to this vote?

Look, no matter how much I disagree with your choice, I promise you that I will never tell you who to vote for. Ever. I won’t insult the people who died for that right by telling you what to do with their sacrifice. I will, however, demand that you take the time to learn about the candidates and where they stand. Otherwise you’re just wasting your vote and I find it an insult to those who died for it. It is our responsibility as citizens to put honest and trustworthy people in office to lead and defend our country. So do your homework.

If you decide that Obama can lead this country to prosperity. That he can fix unemployment and defend our people and the Constitution, then vote for him. If you believe Romney will defend us from foreign attack, fix the economy and get us on the right heading, then vote for him. You should vote for whoever best represents your political stance, regardless of what others try to tell you to do. But, do your homework.

Now, on to the election itself.

I really don’t have the time between now and the election to get out as much info as I would like. The outcome will determine what course future posts will take. However, I believe this election will decide the path our nation will take in the coming years. It will show which direction the people of this country choose to go. We can either plunge forward without regard for our heritage and where we came from and put our hope in the caretaking ability and authority of the state. Or we can take a step back, see where we came from and use our history to build a better future.

I say this in earnest. Be careful how you vote Tuesday. It will decide the fate of our nation. Know why you are voting. Know who you are voting for. Don’t rely on the main-stream media, they have an agenda. Get the facts and dig. Do your duty and do your homework. May we turn to God in the days ahead and ask his guidance to do what is right.

Thank you for reading. God bless all of you. And God bless the United States of America.

What Happened in Benghazi?

On September 11, 2012 a terrorist attack was launched against the United States Consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Four Americans, (U.S Ambassador Christopher Stevens, U.S. Foreign Service Information Management Officer Sean Smith, and retired Navy SEALS Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty) were killed. Four Americans were killed. On American territory and nothing happened.

A lot of stuff has been thrown around since the attack. But you have to sift through it all to get as close to the facts as possible. So let’s try.

The attacks began at around 9:40 pm local time and lasted about seven hours, including a second attack on the CIA compound. Seven hours and no help came for these people except what was locally available (Libyan security and some CIA). Seven hours and no help?

Moving on, what sparked the attacks? For nearly two weeks our administration pushed the idea that it, and the protests occurring around the globe, was the result of an anti-Muslim video that had surfaced on YouTube. The facts surrounding that video: It had been out for months before the attacks, so it was not a spontaneous reaction to an inflammatory video. It’s the internet, new travels fast so there’s no way it took months to cross an ocean. Also, I think it should be evident by now that these so-called radicals don’t need a reason to kill us and hate us. They’ve been doing fine coming up with their own reasons.

Is it possible the attacks were planned? Well, Libyan President Mohammed Magarief seemed to think so. "It's a preplanned act of terrorism directed at American citizens. Reaction should have been, if it was genuine, should have been six months earlier. So it was postponed until the 11th of September. They chose this date, 11th of September, to carry a certain message." Those are his words five days after the attack. Our president took nearly two weeks to come out and say it was a terrorist attack, (in the Rose Garden speech everyone references he does not directly link the Benghazi attack with acts of terrorism).

Earlier this year, in May, Obama said Al Qaeda’s defeat was “within reach”. Well, it turns out that inside hours of the attack evidence surfaced that implicated Al Qaeda in the attacks. Two days after the attack officials from the FBI and the National Counterterrorism Center gave briefings on Capitol Hill confirming evidence pointed towards Al Qaeda’s involvement. With those in his own government and the leader of the country in which the attack took place saying it was preplanned why did it take so long for Obama to jump on board?

Let us also take a look at why practically no help came to those under attack. The attack began at 9:40 pm local time and ended shortly after a secondary attack on the CIA complex at around 2:00 am. That’s more than four hours and we pretty much sent no one to help them. Why? Did the President not know about it in time? According to the sources of retired Army Lt. Colonel Tony Shaffer, the entire White House knew it was happening and that they saw a live feed from a drone hat had been already over that area. It was 3:40 pm in the US when the attack started, the middle of the administrations work day, so they were awake for it. And the CIA made three, three, requests for assistance after the attack began. They were all denied and were ordered to “stand down”. Well, Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty courageously defied those orders in order to help those trapped in the consulate and they paid with their lives.

Also, radical Islamic group Ansar al-Sharia used twitter to claim responsibility for the attack two hours after it began. That would place their Tweet in the middle of the attacks. In addition, 300 to 400 national security officials received emails about the attack as it was happening. And, there had been repeated requests in the weeks prior to the attack for increased security, all were denied. So yes, the White House knew and Americans are dead.

Maybe they couldn’t get help there in time? I will grant that it is possible that sending reinforcements may not have arrived in time to save those who were killed. But, not sending any help at all? Not really. The United States has the most powerful and technologically advanced military on the planet, hands down. It has also been revealed that due to our assets in the area we could have had fighters in the air in twenty minutes and troops on the ground in two hours. Where were they? I can’t really buy the excuse that we weren’t sure what was happening or that we couldn’t violate a nation’s sovereignty by sending in our military. If memory serves me, we did just that on May 6, 2011 when we flew into “allied” Pakistan and killed the most wanted man on the planet, Osama bin Laden. So there’s that.

But I think one of the worst things to come out of this entire mess is the reaction of our government’s administration. Instead of truly condemning the attackers, Obama and Clinton repeatedly apologized to the world. For what? A video? Look, I agree the video was out of taste and morally wrong to produce, but here’s the deal: that guy had every right to make that movie. This is America and we have the right to say whatever we want. Whatever we want. That being said, it doesn’t mean we have to like everything someone says. This being America we can also tell that person exactly what we think of him/her. But ALL speech must be protected otherwise any speech can be restricted or outlawed.

I once heard that the problem with freedom is freedom. You have to deal with the results. And you know what? I can. The soldiers of my country didn’t die to give certain citizens rights. They died to protect the rights of every American. So, whether you like that or not, there it is.

But let’s get back to our governments response to this act of terror. Our administration repeatedly blamed the attacks on a YouTube video and religious intolerance and basically apologized to murderers. Even if the video was to blame, there should be no apologies coming from our end when they were the ones murdering people. Jesus Christ and Yahweh are slandered every single day. I don’t see Jews strapping bombs to their chests or Christians attacking embassies. You need to be able to deal with slander. It can, does, and will happen.

Or we can look at the civilian end of the spectrum. There were people that actually claimed that the attacks could be blamed on the Republicans. I have heard people say they actually believed the video was made by Republicans to touch off this world-wide protest to destabilize Obama’s administration. Really? These same people accuse conservatives and Republicans of making this whole thing a political issue. My issue is that that is an insult to four dead Americans. Heck there were even people in this country who had never even heard of the attack. Want to guess who they’re voting for? (http://www.theblaze.com/stories/the-number-of-obama-supporters-who-have-never-heard-of-911-benghazi-attack-will-terrify-you/)

Let’s wrap this up. There’s a ton more info I could include here, like possible US Government gunrunning, but I want to keep this short.

To summarize: Four Americans are dead and that is inexcusable. Deadly force should have been authorized when an armed violent mob jumped the fence at the US Consulate. It is US territory and the attack should have been treated as an act of war. Unlike the our Cairo Embassy where our ambassador ordered the Marines not to carry live ammo. I still don’t get that one.

At the very moment the embassy made it known they were under attack, US reinforcements should have been dispatched immediately. Instead two retired Navy SEALS responded, against orders, and gave their lives in the process. Local Libyan forces also tried to help, and it was Libyan civilians that pulled Ambassador Stevens from the building and took him to a local hospital. For that I thank them for putting themselves in harm’s way.

And, our government apologized for an invented offense and did nothing to bring justice to those that murdered four Americans. They purposely misled the American people about the attack. That is unacceptable. The President should be held responsible for purposefully letting our guard down over politics. He should be held responsible for the deaths of Chris Stevens, Sean Smith, Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods. He should not be leading a country that he feels the need to apologize for. But that decision is for us to make on November 6.

Thank you for reading. God bless you.