Asking the Tough Questions

Saturday evening I listened to a talk by John Pingree, President of the Houston Texas Mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  He mentioned the need for each of us to offer up our prayers; but he structured his thoughts in such a way as to emphasize how our prayers should focus on our individual challenge to become more like the Savior. 

President Pingree said we should implement the “dangerous prayer”, that prayer which would identify our own short comings; ask the Lord to help us get rid of what ever sin was keeping us from achieving progress towards becoming the kind of person He wants us to become.  It reminded me of another talk some years back where folks were reminded of their back sliding ways; working to become better people all the while keeping up their summer home in Gomorrah. (I wish I were better at finding a reference link to that particular item; but sometimes the magic works, sometimes it doesn’t.)

Asking difficult questions can be painful as it brings to light weaknesses which stand between doing what is right and holding on to our weaknesses.  Are we willing to ask tough questions?

I like to tell people I’m working on becoming a better person; that I gave up robbing banks and burglary, next I plan to stop stealing cars.  You’d think my parole officer would be happy; that is, if I had a parole officer.  I’m also a terrible liar, something I’ll have to give up eventually if I want to be counted among the righteous. 

Shifting gears, is it important to have men of integrity leading the country? 

What’s the deal with the Obama Administration covering up important blunders regarding gun running down Mexico way or over in Libya?  Is there no personal integrity to be found?  Why aren’t all the major news outlets hounding the Obama administration day and night until they come clean and provide the requested documentation?

First there was the Fast & Furious mess which got swept under the rug, at least by the largest news outlets; assault weapons being placed in the hands of drug cartels, guns which have murdered in the neighborhood of at least a couple of hundred innocent Mexican Nationals and at least 2 American citizens.  Frank Miniter, in an article posted at Forbes, not exactly a media outlet where most folks look for important headline breakers, posed the following thought:

“Why a gunrunning scandal codenamed “Fast and Furious,” a program run secretly by the U.S. government that sent thousands of firearms over an international border and directly into the hands of criminals, hasn’t been pursued by an army of reporters all trying to be the next Bob Woodward or Carl Bernstein is a story in itself.”

Now we have the mess in Benghazi which gets more interesting by the moment as the Obama Administration changes and alters their official statement as the world turns; just like the soap opera and every bit as sleazy.  Why should Americans have to depend on the Washington Guardian, a relatively obscure media outlet, to obtain a reliable account of this disaster?

“The two former Navy SEALs killed in last week’s attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi were not part of Ambassador Chris Stevens’ official security detail but took up arms in an effort to protect the facility when it was overrun by insurgents…”

{…}

“…while the administration has downplayed any link to al-Qaida, there is evidence some of  the attackers were affiliated with another group that sympathizes with al-Qaida and has grown more influential in Libya and other parts of north Africa.”

While the administration downplayed any link to al-Qaida they also avoided answering other troubling questions. 

Was Ambassador Chris Stevens acting as a front man to complete yet another version of Fast & Furious, only this time handing over assault weapons to al-Qaida and the Muslim Brotherhood?  When did the Obama administration become aware of the attack or was there real time coverage of the attack supplied by drone aircraft which might have been ignored during a political campaign because it would be unfavorable to Obama’s bid for re-election?  Who, exactly, was responsible for denying military assistance to those battling insurgents in a bloody assault on an American compound, requests which were denied at least twice over several hours? 

Was Obama present when live down feed of the attack was transmitted or was he off trying to convince voters he deserves another four years of failure and deception?  Can we depend on our news media to do their job?  We know Hillary Clinton fell on the sword to deflect the media’s attention; but how much of that was just for show and how much higher should we be looking for answers?

David Jackson, USA Today wrote:

“President Obama has declined to answer questions about a report that Americans under attack in Libya on Sept. 11 were denied help, saying the entire incident is still under investigation.”

Who will ask the tough questions and keep asking until the truth comes out; but more than that, when will the American public be told the truth instead of being spoon fed milk toast answers like, “We’re still looking into this” or “There is insufficient data at this time”.  Who will ask the dangerous questions, questions which might cause the White House to cancel the journalist’s press pass for making Obama look incompetent, or worse, a traitor?

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Markers along the Road

We depend on markers along the road, verification we’re on the right path toward our destination.  There was a picture of an old map which caught my attention this morning.  Something about maps is exciting, makes our imagination go to work.  Old maps may even act as portals to another time and transport us through history.

This past week we gave away our old sofa and love seat to make room for new ones.  Our cat, Pumpkin, came in from being in the rain and was scurrying through the den when it dawned on her, something was different; her markers along the way had been removed.

“Hey, humans; somebody walked off with my sofa and love seat!  You guys gonna’ make a police report or what?”  That’s a rough translation of her yowling while pointing to the obvious open spaces where the furniture had been.

The scene was repeated Tuesday when Pumpkin noticed the new sofa and love seat, “Hey, humans; they pulled a fast one, these aren’t ours.  Are you guys blind or just stupid?”  Pumpkin went off to sulk under the bed the rest of the day.

Markers in the road reassure us we’re headed in the right direction.  When I was in the back seat of my folk’s car on vacation, my dad driving at a reasonable speed, I can recall his line, “We’re lost; but we’re making good time”.   Checking to make sure the road signs matched with those on the map wasn’t one of my dad’s strong suits; that’s how we got to see Waco, Texas, only an hour out of our way and every one should see Waco at least once in their life. 

November is coming up soon, a chance to continue down the path we’re now on or, perhaps, alter that course with different leadership in Washington.  The markers would indicate a decided move toward socialism and totalitarianism; not exactly what our founders envisioned when they penned our road map, the Constitution. 

Individual liberties and rights protected by the Constitution are being removed a little at a time.  When my cat noticed the missing sofa and love seat the change was easily noticed and cause for alarm.  Whittling down individual liberties has been an on going process for many years; here a little, there a little until one day we awakened to find some of them nearly gone. 

The Supreme Court drove a wedge into the 1^st Amendment when they magically found words that weren’t included anywhere in the Constitution, something about separation of church and state which has been used to attack and remove anything associated with religion from the public square.  Our children can’t say a prayer at school or mention religion at sporting events without some ACLU lawyer filing a lawsuit.

I dare say, if Thomas Jefferson were to visit our time he’d wonder what happened to our markers along the way, those which lead us toward the kind of nation our Father in Heaven had in mind when His divine Spirit inspired these men to write the most superb documents in the history of mankind.  

Obama pushed for and got bipartisan support to destroy the 1^st Amendment’s protection of free speech, specifically the right to address grievances toward the government.

“The legislation, H.R. 347,  now allows Secret Service agents to decide where and when you have the right to speak freely. This legislation, supported by both parties, gives the Secret Service the ability to set up “NO FREE SPEECH ZONES”. In these zones, it would become a felony punishable by up to one year in jail to protest against the government.”

Why are there no Bibles used in teaching basic principles of conduct in each classroom and no moment of prayer set aside to acknowledge our Creator at the start of each day?  “Who stole these important markers?  What have you guys done with the protections built into the Constitution?” 

Dinesh D’Souza explained during a debate with Michael Shermer at Oregon University how a certain percentage of our population really does need help; but that over time that percentage has grown to include many who simply would rather let others do the work.

“About 10% of the population is getting pulled in the wagon. This percentage is increasing over time, and the people in the wagon are starting to think, “Hey, it’s nice back there in the wagon, why should I keep pulling?”’

There are no provisions in the Constitution for wealth redistribution and yet much of the nation’s budget is directed towards entitlements which are bankrupting us.  Entitlements are destroying the fabric of our society.   

Those pulling the wagon are being worn down by those in the wagon, those who could have been helping pull; but find it easier to let others do the work.  It wouldn’t be so bad if the ones in the wagon were helpless, too old or infirm; but able bodied individuals on the dole are demanding a free ride and president Obama points a finger of blame at those pulling the wagon for not doing enough rather than tossing the moochers out of the wagon.

My cat’s smart enough to notice something was drastically wrong when she saw the sofa and love seat were missing.  You can bet even the moochers in the wagon, those going along for the free ride know our nation can’t endure the way we’re headed.  It’s time to turn the wagon down a different path and establish those markers, markers intended to keep us on the right path. 

November 6^th would be a good time to begin the process of turning things around, getting us headed toward the path which recognizes individual liberty.  Constitutional markers provide a means of obtaining all other blessings; meaningful employment, a favorable economy, monetary stability and national security.  It’s time to speak up and be heard.

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Enslaving us for our own good

There in the shadows where we cannot see clearly there are dangers lurking; sounds like pulp fiction, “Only the Shadow knows”…  Take for example the Northside Independent School District in rural Bexar County, Texas, school administrators have implemented a program for all students “requiring them to walk the halls with identification cards in their pockets that are equipped with RFID microchips”.

“Backers of the program say the move is well intentioned and will actually bring the school millions of dollars in extra funding. Ghastly attendance rates in Bexar County currently keeps the district from earning around $175,000 a day in state assistance, reports KHOU News out of San Antonio, TX. Speaking to that city’s Express-News, district spokesman Pascual Gonzalez explains that the school wants “to harness the power of (the) technology to make schools safer, know where our students are all the time in a school, and increase revenue.”

This is Texas after all; I’m surprised these folks don’t just staple a tag on each student’s ear lobe like ranchers do with cattle, pigs and sheep.  Can you imagine having the school district track your every move; going to the bathroom, standing at your locker talking to friends, sitting at a table in the cafeteria while some office person keeps tabs on who you’re with and for how long? 

But it’s for their own good; and besides, look how much money the district will save by being able to account for each and every warm body.  I remember a quote, more of a warning, by C.S. Lewis regarding the damage done by folks with good intentions.

“Of all tyrannies a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.” (emphasis added) 

I read where some students have refused to comply with wearing the micro-chip ID card and have been punished for having bucked authorities.  One student, Andrea Hernandez, a sophomore at John Jay, was told she could not vote in homecoming elections unless she wore the RFID microchip ID card even though she had her school issued ID card from before the RFID microchips were required.

“After Hernandez refused to wear an RFID chip, WND reported that Deputy Superintendent Ray Galindo issued a statement to the girl's parents: “We are simply asking your daughter to wear an ID badge as every other student and adult on the Jay campus is asked to do.” If she is allowed to forego the tracking now, the repercussions will be harsher than just revoking voting rights for homecoming contests once the school makes location-monitoring mandatory, he argued.

“I urge you to accept this solution so that your child’s instructional program will not be affected. As we discussed, there will be consequences for refusal to wear an ID card as we begin to move forward with full implementation,” Galindo wrote.”

It doesn’t sound like the school district is “asking”; more like demanding while at the same time throwing down the gauntlet if you ask me.  A few of my friends refer to our public schools as child prisons and indoctrination centers; looks like they might be on to something. 
 
In the movie Shawshank Redemption, Morgan Freeman’s character, Red, had been institutionalized most of his life and had become accustomed to being watched over at all times.  When Red got paroled he was placed in a menial job sacking groceries and during the course of the day he asked, “Permission to make water, Boss?”  Has it come to that in our schools; each student’s activities being observed and recorded so some superintendent can justify receiving a fair share of the State’s money?

I still like my idea about stapling livestock ID cards to each student’s ear so school administrators can keep track of the heard, keep ‘em from stampeding in the halls when the bell sounds at the end of each class.  If you see some kid hanging out at the 7/11 during school hours, a bright yellow tag hanging from his ear you can alert the prison guards; I mean, alert school officials that some of that money promised the district is being wasted on a Big Gulp and a bag of chips; after all, it’s for our own good…

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Obama – What’s not to like?

We’re right at a month before the dead come alive and cast votes for the first black president’s second term in office, you have to ask yourself, “Obama – What’s not to like about him?”  Shivers run up my leg just thinking about Obama’s articulation and charisma; and he must be civilized, you never seem him wearing overalls or a bandana.

Rumors of Obama being a communist are just that, rumors.  A man is known by the company he keeps; just look at the folks Obama has picked to be czars.  Only 31 of his czars are linked to communism; perhaps that can be overlooked, after all, Obama delivers a prepared speech from a working teleprompter better than any undocumented president ever.

That Fast & Furious mess was supposed to have been swept under the rug long ago.  Why can’t that unfortunate incident simply go away?  Why can’t the public forget about it like they forgot about Mary Jo Kopechne so many years ago, water under the bridge?  Teddy Kennedy may not have been able to occupy the Oval Office; but folks kept electing him to hold down a Senate seat.

It was bad enough contemplating whether or not Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was murdered with a weapon linked to an operation originated by Obama and his underlings; but now there’s further evidence being brought to light that hundreds of innocent Mexican nationals were murdered with weapons from Fast & Furious.  This close to election time it might look even worse if the drive by media can’t suppress it from the evening news.

“A new report finds dozens of weapons recovered in Mexico have been connected with the ill-fated and ill-conceived anti-gunrunning program. While some Mexican authorities estimate 300 of their citizens have been injured or killed by Fast and Furious guns, little has been known about those weapons south of the U.S. border until now.”

Even after Obama invoked Executive Privilege to keep Congress from obtaining key evidence of this scandal it won’t go away.  What’s worse, some folks aren’t buying into the White House explanation that Fast & Furious was about catching gun runners or that it was only a continuation of a previous administration’s similar program.  There’s a vicious rumor, and it’s only a rumor that the original purpose for Fast & Furious was intended to destroy the 2nd Amendment so Americans would equate gun violence in Mexico with gun ownership here.  As Rush Limbaugh explained:

“Obama wants an assault weapons ban, he can’t politically get it because it’s not popular, so he tries to effect it anyway.  It’s kind of like if you’re NBC and you want to illustrate that certain trucks are dangerous. You put an explosive in a gas tank, and then you turn on the truck and remotely drive it down the road.  Then you trigger the explosive remotely, the truck blows up, and you claim the truck’s dangerous.  Then you get the truck off the road.  But it’s only dangerous ‘cause you at NBC blew it up.  NBC did that for a TV show.  They blew up a truck on purpose and made the viewer think it was spontaneous combustion.  NBC did it.”

Obama doesn’t want anyone to figure out that he’s lied to the American public or let us think Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was murdered because of a failed totalitarian attempt to strip us of our 2^nd Amendment right to own ‘assault type’ weapons.  Obama can’t afford for the voting public to wonder whether or not taxpayer money was used to support the Muslim Brotherhood in the Middle East with weapons which might have been used in orchestrated attacks on our embassies or the murder of more American citizens to include U.S. Ambassador to Libya, J. Christopher Stevens.  

Obama certainly can’t afford to have voters in the Hispanic community concern themselves too long about 300 innocent victims in Juarez, Mexico murdered by drug cartels armed with weapons Obama authorized under Fast & Furious.  Things like that put a sour taste in voters mouths when election time is so close.  It wouldn’t surprise me to see Obama throw Eric Holder under the bus this late in the game, take one for the team.  Obama covers his tracks well, what’s not to like about the guy?

Maybe that’s why recently Obama went to Mexico on a mission of mercy to extend an open invitation for illegal aliens, change that to undocumented future residents, to enjoy the benefits of free food stamps here in these United States of America.  Come on over, our taxpayers will be happy to feed y’all.  Pull the lever, have another free taco, that’s our way of getting out the vote.

“The Obama administration met with Mexican officials and held other events to discuss enrollment in food stamps and similar programs roughly 30 times since President Obama took office, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack revealed in a recent letter to Congress.”

What’s not to like about a president who not only promises free stuff but delivers on those promises?   I wonder, will the illegal aliens, sorry, I keep forgetting, will those future undocumented residents who speak Spanish get a free cell phone along with their free food stamp card?

When I was a patrol officer writing up burglary reports on night shift I’d often try to use humor to lighten up the mood after a home owner noticed his television, stereo and coin collections had been stolen.  I’d say something like, “You should be ashamed of yourself; that thief only got this little bit.  You should have had a lot more stuff for him to steal; now he’s going to have to break into one of your neighbor’s homes to make up the difference so he can get enough crack for a few hours of euphoria”. 

As taxpayers and citizens we should be ashamed of ourselves.  Obama’s trying to do what’s best for us, what’s not to like about him?

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.