Saturday, May 23, 2015

Jade Helm – Reason for Concern?





Conspiracy rumors abound as Jade Helm  military exercises begin to roll forward in various places of the United States.  Is there reason to be concerned or is this simply a chance for our military personnel to practice?   

One factor to consider would have to be the public’s loss of trust towards those in government.
“A key component of the controversial Jade Helm military exercise set to take part in nine U.S. states this summer will involve soldiers operating “undetected amongst civilian populations,” to see if they can infiltrate without being noticed.”
{…}
Despite assurances that the training is to prepare troops for overseas missions, Army documents in the past have made clear that plans for martial law are in place for within the Continental United States (CONUS). 

A leaked 2012 US Army Military Police training manual, entitled “Civil Disturbance Operations,” described how soldiers would be ordered to confiscate firearms and kill American “dissidents.” The manual also revealed that prisoners would be detained in temporary internment camps and “re-educated” to gain a new appreciation of “U.S. policies,” in accordance with U.S. Army FM 3-19.40 Internment/Resettlement Operations.” 

I suppose we should trust the military; after all, they are paid to protect us…right?  President Obama trusts the military completely; that’s why when he ordered U.S. Marines to be disarmed during his Inauguration Parade.

“He’s gutted their healthcare, plans to cut their pay and apparently, doesn’t trust them either. David Codrea over at Gun Rights Examiner points out that Marines marching in President Obama’s second inaugural parade recently were caring rifles without bolts, meaning they were removed.” 

President Obama should bear full responsibility for the public's loss of trust. 

Obama’s administration has shown time and time again its ineptitude and utter contempt for following limitations placed on government by the Constitution.   I’d list them all here; but space being at a premium…Fast & Furious scandal, Solyndra loan/gift of taxpayer funds, Obamacare’s “You can keep your doctor”, NSA spying on Americans, IRS targeting political enemies of Obama, Benghazi, racially dividing the nation, Executive Orders to get around Congress on Illegal Immigration, supplying arms to the Muslim Brotherhood, apologizing to the world for America’s greatness at the United Nations…  Is it necessary to continue?

It wouldn’t be so bad if Obama's administrators were simply inept; but their arrogance toward the public which employs them makes it even more difficult to excuse a total lack of respect for their stewardships.  When asked to justify their actions the general rule is to stonewall requested information, refuse to answer or plead the 5th in order to avoid prosecution for crimes against We The People.

When the largest military operation ever to take place on American soil during peacetime is being carried out with only Washington’s promise that it’s nothing out of the ordinary, there’s no reason to be concerned or the check’s in the mail…let’s just say a little skepticism is in order.



There was an old black and white movie made back in the early sixties, Seven Days in May, which dealt with the theoretical possibility of a military take over of the government.  The plot called for a group of upper echelon military to stage war games exercise and use that moment to remove the president from office under the pretense that he was unfit for office.


While the story line doesn’t match up, at least not entirely with today’s political setting, there are many similarities which are worthy of consideration.  Seven Days in May, was a fictional story; however, think on this:

“President Kennedy had read Seven Days in May shortly after its publication and believed the scenario as described could actually occur in the United States.”



Obama has removed top ranking officers from the military, men who had not planned on retiring; men who have publicly stated that they could not and would not follow orders from the White House to fire on American civilians.   

I have just been informed by a former senior military leader that Obama is using a new "litmus test" in determining who will stay and who must go in his military leaders. Get ready to explode folks. The new litmus test of leadership in the military is if they will fire on US citizens or not. Those who will not are being removed.”

Obama has scheduled Jade Helm as a military exercise to be carried out in several states, some labeled as “Hostile”, states which just happen to have voted against him and his agenda to transform America.  

Is this a military take over, similar to the one in Seven Days in May, only in reverse; a president of the United States setting the stage for Martial Law?

Obama didn’t trust U.S. Marines to have loaded weapons during his Inauguration Parade, he doesn’t trust American citizens with weapons either.  Is Jade Helm the elephant in the middle of the room that nobody can see, Obama’s bold opportunity to seize American’s weapons via a supposed military exercise? 

Are those FEMA buildings what they purport to be or is there a more sinister, a dark side to their being located behind schools or on Wal-mart properties shut down for “emergency plumbing repairs”?

While we’re into making outlandish comparisons…didn’t Richard ‘I am not a Crook’ Nixon have plumbers... White House Plumbers to fix those who stood against him?  Maybe Obama has a team of plumbers going to fix what needs fixing and they’ll use Wal-mart as cover during Jade Helm.

Here’s my solution to restoring a smidgen of trust in our government at this time.  Call off Jade Helm and put the public’s mind at ease.  There’s enough unrest going on without pouring gasoline on an already smoldering fire. 

Is there reason for concern regarding Jade Helm; you don’t have to be into conspiracy theories to come up with…yes.

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”.

Friday, May 15, 2015

War Games and Life’s Lessons





Going through Facebook this morning I glanced at a photo taken of a friend, Ryan Scott Welch, as he posed during a war games exercise.  My thoughts turned back to that time when I was in the Army.   

My MOS was as a Military Policeman; but a lot of the training was geared toward general Infantry situations.

After months of training we were tested on a combat course designed to challenge nearly every thing we were supposed to have learned.  It was a long time ago and some of the details escape my memory; however, we went out in teams of four or five men and had to navigate our way through hostile territory.  There were trip wires to avoid, holes to get around, bad guys hiding in bushes, snipers in trees and all manner of traps that, had they been ‘real’, could get you sent home in a body bag.

I’m proud to say our team made it through the arduous course without a hitch, having neutralized all attempts to kill us off. 

An officer greeted us at the end of the war games course and congratulated each member of the team for having done a good job.  He explained that we’d need to go through a debriefing, a chance to critique and improve the course for future training opportunities as he pointed us in the direction that led to the debriefing tables.

About five or six yards down the path, while we were still congratulating ourselves, we accidentally snagged a trip line.  A loud blast knocked us to the ground as a booby trap exploded. 

My first thought, one which seemed appropriate at the time, “Man, that’s just not right.  We already finished the course”   It should be noted the language used may have been less than Church Standard; but you get the idea.  I don’t think any of us could hear for a several minutes as the blast effect lingered.

After letting us regain our bearings we were given some valuable information, something we hadn’t considered.  He made sure he had eye contact with us, a long meaningful few moments before saying, “Men, you just got a free pass.  That could have been the last sound you heard in this life.  Remember…”, holding us riveted with his eyes, “until you’re out of the Army and home sleeping in your own bed; never relax or let down your guard.  The moment you do you’re dead.  You are always a target”   

That lesson applies to everyone, at least in a general setting. 

While going about this probationary state, mortality, as given by our Creator, there will be many challenges to… I was going to say, getting out alive; but that really isn’t applicable, now is it? 

We are to endure to the end and return home, having followed the commandments and having served with honor.  Our Father in Heaven knows the challenges we face; so does the Adversary.  Never relax or let down your guard.

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”.

Monday, May 11, 2015

American Thoughts




It all starts with:

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. -- That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…

How much of this is taken for granted or, in many cases, ignored?  Is there any consensus on our nation’s relationship with Nature’s God, our Creator, or have we drifted so far from our foundation as to make God irrelevant in the workings of government?

The founders of this country were, for the most part Christians, with teachings of the Lord from the Bible as their starting point for setting the standard of government.  
Christians, regardless of denomination, believe in God, maker of Heaven and Earth and in all things above and below; but how many Americans actually believe our nation was the result of divine intervention? 

My reason for asking is to establish common ground whereupon a proper discussion of America can be carried forward.

The creation story is found in the book of Genesis; but its interpretation is up for grabs depending on who you talk to.  Some claim God made everything out of ‘nothing’, a divine magic trick; but it is my belief that God organized existing matter and formed this Earth as a place for His children to enjoy mortality.  All aspects of the creation were considered as part of the necessary environment for mankind.  If you chose to believe otherwise, have at it; but my beliefs (*) trump yours as long as I’m writing.

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

You have to ask, why would God fashion man after his own image?  

We, each one of us regardless of the color of our skin or where we began mortality here on this spinning planet, each of us is a child of God.  He is our Eternal Father, our Creator.  Laws in the universe are eternal in nature; gravity, physics, math, chemistry and so on; they are constant and unchanging…the same as God; the same yesterday, today and forever.  

So why is it important we recognize God as our Eternal Father; and beyond that, why is it important we recognize Him when talking about being an American?  

I read an article by John Pratt many years ago, Did God Write the Laws of Physics?   He started off with a speculative line, “Did God write the laws of physics or are they self-existent and God just follows them perfectly?”   I don’t claim to have the answer; but isn’t that a wonderful way to start a discussion?  Would any of the answers offered by John Pratt add to your comprehension of the Creation?  Just wondering…

God . . . hath given a law unto all things, by which they move in their times and their seasons; And their courses are fixed, even the courses of the heavens and the earth, which comprehend the earth and all the planets.  Doctrine and Covenants 88:41-43 (but read the entire section

If we’re going to give God credit for the Creation; perhaps a better choice of words is in order…  If we are going to show gratitude to God for having created all of this, and ‘all of this’ isn’t an exaggeration; then at some point we have to accept that He had some eternal plan for ‘all of this’, to include each and every individual ever born.

The New Testament provides a simple and all encompassing answer to the Creation.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The same was in the beginning with God.  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.   John 1: 1-3
 
Modern scripture provides a fairly compact answer for why everything was created.  It’s found in The Pearl of Great Price, Moses 1:39.  (It should be pointed out that the Bible, the word of God as recorded by men, has lost many plain and precious passages over the years which have altered or lost important doctrine.  Modern revelation has been provided to restore original doctrine.  (See *)

For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. 

Our Father in Heaven has great hope for each of His children; those who lack this important piece of information as pertains to their relationship with God might contend that life is finite; there is nothing beyond a cold grave, that’s it.  How much brighter would our outlook be if we were aware of and took to heart the Great Plan of Salvation; the challenges of life would be so much easier to bear.  

Is this important when considering how each of us should live our lives?  Was this important to those men we call Founding Fathers of this nation?

If you responded, “Hey, don’t bother me; it’s time for another hour of Dancing with the Stars”, then you found this article by mistake.  For the rest of you, the journey toward appreciating citizenship in this particular nation becomes a little more important.

(Read between the lines and consider the unrest in Ferguson or Baltimore; what, if anything, do rioters and thugs know about the Creation and how we fit in as individuals?)

The Heavens didn’t assemble themselves randomly; they were organized with purpose of thought.  America didn’t happen by coincidence either. 
 
The courts consider Intelligent Design (ID) nothing more than Creationism or pure religion being foisted on the public.  This is the result of a concerted effort to remove religion from the public square, schools and government institutions. 

ID or Creationism isn’t permitted because of the ‘wall of separation between church and state’ which the Supreme Court manufactured from thin air based on their interpretation of the 1st Amendment along with a letter Thomas Jefferson wrote containing that combination of words… as no such wording is found in the Constitution.  

I’m getting off topic; but how can we share our love of country with each successive generation, our appreciation of how we’ve been blessed by our Creator when important parts of that history are now considered unfit to teach because it requires religion or faith? 

This land was reserved for a righteous people by that same Being who created everything.  This information is recorded in The Book of Mormon for those willing to invest some effort.

If you exhibit a particle of faith, even as a mustard seed, and accept the possibility that The Book of Mormon is true then you will advance to the next logical progression of thought, If the Book of Mormon is the word of God then Joseph Smith Jr. was a prophet of God, a modern day Moses if you will, because only a man hand picked by God could have translated such a book.  

It then follows that other modern day scriptures were intended to enlighten God’s children; the Doctrine and Covenants and The Pearl of Great Price being classified as modern scripture.  Don’t take my word for any of this; ask your Father in Heaven. 

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.  John 1:5 

Our nation was the result of God’s divine providence and our founding documents were brought about through selected individuals with a willingness to do His work.  Having men of integrity and faith becomes more important historically as we consider how we must continue in their footsteps even in our day.

And for this purpose have I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose, and redeemed the land by the shedding of blood.   Doctrine and Covenants 101:80   

A short review is in order… We are children of our Eternal Father in Heaven who created us in His own image for the express purpose of giving each individual a chance to advance through the eternities as we follow the same eternal laws He does in order to become as He is, having perfected immortal bodies with eternal life.   

Our Creator did this as part of a grand plan which required organizing chaotic matter floating about the universe in such a way as to permit our tiny planet the ability to sustain life in all its glorious forms.  

(I place no time limits on the Creation and accept that the Lord’s time is not the same as our time.)

Knowing the nature of His children, Jesus Christ was sent as an Atoning sacrifice or not one of us would be worthy to return.  A small portion of the planet, the land we now call the United States of America, was reserved as a safe haven, a place where men might live the laws of God without the yoke of servitude under kings and despots and eventually return to Him.   This is the promise of America and our experiment in self governance.

The French historian Alexis de Tocqueville recognized America’s goodness a couple of hundred years ago when he wrote:

“I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample rivers, and it was not there; in her fertile fields and boundless prairies, and it was not there; in her rich mines and her vast world commerce, and it was not there. Not until I went to the churches of America and heard her pulpits aflame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.”

Sadly, too many of my fellow citizens have either forgotten or ignored the goodness of America Tocqueville observed.  How else can we explain current events which portray so many individuals embracing evil and showing contempt for all the blessing showered down on us? 
 
To find America we need only look to our Creator and follow His commandments.  A simple solution; it starts with each individual doing what is right, not with someone in government mandating our actions.

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”.  

Wednesday, May 06, 2015

Please don’t fall


 
Early yesterday morning the phone rang as a customer needed a locksmith to come get the keys out of his car.  He was at a gas station about a mile away and the keys were in the ignition. 

My back has been giving me grief on and off for the past several weeks; but a simple lockout job shouldn’t be a problem, or so I thought.

I threw on clothes from the day before and was there in only a few minutes.  His was the only car at the gas pumps, a 2005 Ford Focus.  The fellow greeted me with a heavy Caribbean accent explaining that he’d bought the car this past week and didn’t know it had auto lock when the doors closed.

Glancing at the driver side door handle it was clear that it no longer functioned, at least not from the outside as it was unhooked.  I asked him how it got broken and how he’d been getting in.

“It was like that when I bought the car so I get in through the passenger side.  Is it very expensive to fix?”

My plan did not include taking a door apart to repair previous damage, not with my back as I set about fitting a door key.  With electric locks it would unlock the whole car and I could be on my way in no time.

That was a great idea too…

The door key fit perfectly except it didn’t unlock the whole car, just the driver door, the one that wasn’t going to open since the outside door handle wasn’t attached to anything.  There was no lock on the passenger side thanks to Ford’s engineering staff trying to save a few bucks on each unit. 

The only other outside lock was on the trunk; glad my key fit so nicely.  When I popped the deck lid I explained that my back was out and that he would need to push the back seat down by triggering the latch which holds the seat backs firmly to the frame. 

“I’ve already had to do that once”, as he laid the seat backs down and slid into the car.  He then unlocked the other doors and I opened the rear driver’s side door so he could exit the car.

“Please don’t fall”, I half way laughed as he tried to figure the best way to glide out of his awkward position, “With fabricated media coverage coming out of Baltimore someone would swear that a White guy just beat up a perfectly innocent Black guy and shot him in the back.”

Fortunately, perhaps not the most efficient choice of words; but fortunately the fellow was familiar with the news item referenced and had a good sense of humor.  Beyond that he was extremely grateful for being able to get on his way without further damage to his car; he’d fully expected me to break out a window or some other drastic measure knowing the door handle didn’t work.

Aren’t there enough problems in this country; illegal immigration, unemployment, an economy so bad it matches that of post WWII, and foreign terrorists on our own soil who don’t appreciate the 1st Amendment?   


Thank goodness we have the 2nd Amendment and two terrorists found out the hard way that you don’t mess with Texas.   

So why did some nitwit have to fabricate a story to further enflame racial divide by saying she saw and heard a White cop shoot an unarmed Black man in the back?

Summertime is just around the corner, that time when folks tend to get agitated more quickly and do stupid things.  Let’s hope cooler heads prevail as our nation struggles to find its way in spite of our challenges. 

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”.