With all jokes aside, I have been digging deep into my soul and have been challenging my (sometimes blind) faith in the fellows who run my party. They call themselves conservative… but are they really? I will admit, that because of my age and my preoccupation with my life, I have neglected my duty to fully understand the principles in which I publicly support. So I have taken steps to learn more, read more, and contemplate more on what political scholars write instead of what politicians say. Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr. wrote in 2002:

“Leaders are rarely as ideologically sound as followers. The Nixonians were better than Nixon, and the Taftians were better than Taft. This stands to reason. Private intellectuals have more freedom to speak out; politicians, as a part of their job description, have to seek a broader appeal.”

Or in other words (my words), Politicians (and talking heads like Rush Limbaugh) consistently compromise their principles for what they call, “The Greater Good.” But should it be like that? Maybe in some minor cases (many would say)… but for your Core Principles? I don’t understand that logic of thinking. Is there any candidate out there that wouldn’t sell out his Core principles when pressured by whatever force or special interest (use your imagination)?

I can only think of one: Ron Paul. Yes, you read it right… and no, I am not sippin the fire water. I have officially changed my stance on who I support for the Presidency of the United States (to the chagrin of my wife who still supports Huckabee… it could be worse, look at Arnold and Maria).

Ron Paul and I have had our differences of course, many of which were due to my quick to judge, reactionary personality that I have been cursed with (just ask Guav, he knows it all too well). But all in all I don’t think there is a better candidate who will, without reservation, stay true to his campaign promises… promises that are consistent with the perseverance of our Constitution. I have come to realize of late that his Libertarian ideals truly resonate with me. Like I mentioned before, I am in a state of intellectual limbo (with my politics and my religion). Better said, I am still trying to nail down what I believe to be true. What’s the old saying? The more I learn the more I realize how ignorant I really am. That speaks to where I am at in my life right now.

No laughing Guav.

26 Comments
Campaigns, Patriotism, Politics

History Lesson: Remember the fiscal mess our country went through in the 30’s and 40’s? And remember Franklin Roosevelt’s big brain child called “The New Deal?” It pretty much screwed the constitution, led to countless alphabet agencies, and took the conservative “planks” or principles, that were the foundation of their platform, and threw them over the proverbial fence. The GOP then led the way (so to speak) as the party of conservatism.

Question: Are we, as the GOP, throwing our planks away?

Answer: With the inevitable nomination of McCain and the last 8 years of Bush… it sure seems to point that direction, doesn’t it? I am truly sad for our country.

16 Comments
Patriotism, Politics

Dec. 23, 1944 - “Battle of the Bulge” - An entire U.S. armored division was retreating from the Germans in the Ardennes forest when a sergeant in a tank destroyer spotted an American digging a foxhole. The GI, PFC Martin, 325th Glider Infantry Regiment, looked up and asked, “Are you looking for a safe place?” “Yeah” answered the tanker. “Well, buddy,” he drawled, “just pull your vehicle behind me…

I’m the 82nd Airborne, and this is as far as the bastards are going.”

“The poster is a photograph of a dirty, scrappy, tough paratrooper, PFC Vernon Haught, of the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment, marching in the dead of that cold, snowy winter with a rucksack on his back. Going to reinforce the retreating American forces in Belgium. His expression leaves no doubt about his determination. He is moving out to go toe-to-toe with the enemy in Belgium. As you look at the poster, it strikes you that nowhere in this photograph do you see a parachute. And you and I both know there doesn’t have to be one — you simply know from the look: he’s Airborne. Under the photo is a quote from PFC Martin, also of the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment, who during the battle asked a retreating tank destroyer commander, “Are you looking for a safe place?” When the tank commander answered yes, PFC Martin replied, “Well buddy just pull that vehicle behind me — I am the 82d Airborne and this is as far as the bastards are going.” Imagine, an Airborne PFC telling a guy in a tank to follow him.” –General Henry H. Shelton Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Remarks at the 60th Anniversary of the Airborne Fort Benning, Georgia, April 13, 2000

I was just remembering the eighty deuce tonight and had to post one of my favorite WWII stories. I actually had the honor of jumping out of a C-130 with General Shelton in Ft. Benning, GA during the summer of 1998. Great man.

3 Comments
Patriotism

UPDATE: CS came up with a neat idea called “Patriot of the Week.” Every week we will highlight someone who we believe to be a Patriot who loves their country.

Jim Broussard, an American hero. After hearing a Reno bar was flying a Mexican flag above a U.S. flag, this angered U.S. Army veteran took matters into his own hands, drove to the bar and cut down the flags in front of a stunned group of Hispanic patrons. He then said, “”I’m Jim Broussard, and I took this flag down in honor of my country with … a knife from the United States Army. I’m a veteran, I’m not going to see this done to my country. If they want to fight us, then they need to be men, and they need to come and fight us. But I want somebody to fight me for this flag. They’re not going to get it back.”

If all Americans had the pride and patriotism that Jim Broussard has, we would be in excellent shape. He defied most Americans passive, non-confrontational, attitude and did what his integrity told him to do. He stood up for his country.

You know he’s doing something right when the DailyKos says this: “I’ve had my dealings with the likes of racists like Jim Broussard before and they share several traits: Ignorance, hate, cowardice, and a sociopathic sense of entitlement to inflict their authoritarian, sick vision of: White America rules!”

Watch this action.

48 Comments
Heroes, Patriotism

I know this is a bit old but this was this first time I have ever read it. I heard Michael Savage talking about a essay entitled “On Sheep, Wolves, and Sheepdogs.” It’s actually out of the book, “On Combat” by Lt. Col (ret) Dave Grossman.

Dave Grossman is an internationally recognized scholar, trainer and speaker on the subjects of violence and human aggression and a Pulitzer Prize nominee for his book titled “On Killing“. He is currently the director of the Killology Research Group. You may find out more about the author, his books and calendar of speaking engagements on his website www.killology.com

Here are a few blurbs:

Here is how the sheep and the sheepdog think differently. The sheep pretend the wolf will never come, but the sheepdog lives for that day. After the attacks on September 11, 2001, most of the sheep, that is, most citizens in America said, “Thank God I wasn’t on one of those planes.” The sheepdogs, the warriors, said, “Dear God, I wish I could have been on one of those planes. Maybe I could have made a difference.” When you are truly transformed into a warrior and have truly invested yourself into warriorhood, you want to be there. You want to be able to make a difference.

“If you are a warrior who is legally authorized to carry a weapon and you step outside without that weapon, then you become a sheep, pretending that the bad man will not come today. No one can be “on” 24/7, for a lifetime. Everyone needs down time. But if you are authorized to carry a weapon, and you walk outside without it, just take a deep breath, and say this to yourself…”Baa.”

Click below to read the entire transcript.

(more…)

20 Comments
Evil, Patriotism, Weapons

The biblical book of Joshua records the story of the Israelites crossing the Jordan River just before the battle of Jericho. The priests carried the Ark of the Covenant before the people and when their feet touched the water, it dried up. The priests then advanced to the middle of the dried up river and stood there, holding the Ark while the nation of Israel passed over on dry ground. After the crossing was completed, the Lord Himself instructed Joshua to have 12 stones removed from the midst of the dried up Jordan and taken to the Israelite camp for the night. Later, those 12 stones were used to fashion a memorial in the midst of the Jordan River at the spot where the priests stood while the people passed over.

Joshua 4 reads:

WHEN ALL the nation had fully passed over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, “Take twelve men from among the people, one man out of every tribe, and command them, take twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm; carry them over with you and leave them at the place where you lodge tonight.” Then Joshua called the twelve men of the Israelites whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe. And Joshua said to them, “Pass over before the ark of the Lord your God in the midst of the Jordan, and take up every man of you a stone on his shoulder, as is the number of the tribes of the Israelites, that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, What do these stones mean to you? Then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it passed over the Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the Israelites a memorial forever.” … And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan in the place where the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant had stood. And they are there to this day.

The Book records many more instances where memorials are established. The Lord Himself made one in Genesis 9, setting His own bow in the sky as a reminder of his covenant with man. The tassels of the prayer shawls worn by Hebrew men were to be reminders of the commandments of the Lord in Numbers 15. A day per week, the Sabbath Day, was set aside at the command of the Lord in Deuteronomy 5. The purpose was so the Israelites would, “Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.”

Biblical memorials have a purpose. They are not simply interesting or informative. They are crucial! In times of testing, in times of trial, when the enemies of the people of God were pressing hard and it was tempting to give in to to despair, to abandon faith in a God that is near, to reject not only His ability but His willingness to deliver, these memorials were designed to draw attention away from the clamor of the immediate to the immutable reality of the past. God’s people were to remember that He would deliver them today, not merely because He had said He would do so but because He had actually done so before and because His character does not change. Thus they could be confident of the tactic of placing their faith in God and hold firm to His deliverance from today’s enemy.

When the people of Israel forgot to remember God and His provision, they made poor choices and reaped accordingly. In Joshua 9, Joshua does not remember to consult with God on a crucial decision involving the Gibeonites and makes an ill advised treaty. At other times in their history, they failed to remember God’s words and neglected to drive out the Canaanites from the land or to destroy the high places where false gods were worshiped. Just before his death Joshua erected one last memorial. At Shechem, he recited for the people a history of God’s provision and encouraged them to follow God ending his exhortation with his famous line, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!” Near the end of Joshua 24 we read,

On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he drew up for them decrees and laws. And Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak near the holy place of the LORD. “See!” he said to all the people. “This stone will be a witness against us. It has heard all the words the LORD has said to us. It will be a witness against you if you are untrue to your God.”

Today we celebrate Memorial Day here in the United States of America. Separated by thousands of miles and thousands of years from those who established biblical memorials we are yet as close to them as if we stood shoulder to shoulder. Today, we remember the provision a gracious and loving God made for us and for freedom loving peoples across the world. We remember the love of country and liberty that fills the heart of America’s soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines.

We remember those, not driven or coerced, but those who, moved by love and devotion, willingly left hearth and home for a thousand battlefields known to none but God and the men who died there. We remember those in whose hearts God placed a fire that burns, depending on the times, with a quiet smoldering or a consuming blaze. We remember those who looked at the same times and events as their fellows yet responded differently. Possessed of purer and truer vision than the masses, they saw the world as their biblical forbears did, “(the) … men of Issachar, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do, …” These are men we may describe today, as the writer of Hebrews described other heroes of faith, as “men of whom the world was not worthy”. Men who did not tell others of their support, commitment and love since it was plainly evident in their deeds. As the Master clearly said, “Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends”, and again, “The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep!”

I think it may be Providential that Memorial Day this year falls here and now. As a nation in the midst of a debate about our role in the world; as a nation in the midst of a debate about what has happened to us and what our response should be; as a nation planning to continue these debates in the aftermath of a pathetic, short term funding of our military mission we have some decisions to make.

We must decide if the freedom we enjoy today is something we can simply take for granted will be there tomorrow. If we determine the answer is ‘No’ then we must decide how we will proceed to ensure that it is. It is at this point Memorial Day makes its crucial contribution to the debate. It reminds us that without the ability and the will to fight for what we believe our future is at risk. If we are not careful, we will miss the mute reminder of millions of silent graves. Their worldly voices silenced by the violence they endured, their counsel is easily overpowered by the click of the stock ticker, the cries of our children, the myriad demands of daily life made possible by the freedom we enjoy. If we are to have a chance at hearing the whispers from those who earned the right to speak in death by serving us in life we must make the conscious choice to stop and listen for them.

Their quiet wisdom is needed in times of doubt and indecision. It is needed when the choices we face are clear but the determination of which is the right choice is not. It is needed, today more than ever, as we choose the course we’ll follow as a nation in the days ahead. If we stop and choose to remember those that navigated these same murky waters before us we’ll find those things the memorials they erected were intended to enshrine. Their voices counsel us, “Duty … honor … God … country … sacrifice … liberty … love!”

If we will not make the effort; if, in the midst of the liberty they pass down to us, we forget to remember, we are fools. And like the stone erected by Joshua at Shechem, the very thing intended to comfort, guide and preserve us will bear witness against us that we received wisdom but were untrue to our fallen, our nation and our God.

Praying we strive to keep our memories clear and strong …

Blue Collar Muse

2 Comments
Heroes, History, Holidays, Patriotism, Spiritual Warfare

A few years back, Tina Turner recorded the song from which I stole the title for this post. The song’s lyrics relegated love to the unimportant rank of both a “second hand emotion” and “a sweet old fashioned notion”.

Perhaps for Ms. Turner, that’s true. Or maybe not, after all, it’s just a song lyric and she has to sing ‘em like they was wrote! But certainly for the Christian, love has everything to do with it. Far from “second hand emotion” and quaint, out of date notions, love is more than a concept, Love is a Person. That Person is God Almighty.

There are many aspects of love but the most important one to remember is that love is a verb. Even the noun form of the word refers back to the verb for meaning. If I say, “I have love for my wife.”, the usage is a noun but the thought is of the verb. Love implies action. If you love something you will be active in showing that love.

I’ve been thinking about this a bit lately since I was almost seriously injured or killed last Thursday. I recently merged my company with another company and the new company has rented a new location. I was driving a forklift down a portable ramp from the dock to the ground and the ramp shifted just as I entered the top of it.

The short story is that I rode an 8500 pound forklift down a 4 foot vertical drop while carrying a full load on the forks. A friend asked if I managed to soil myself. I replied that by the time I realized what was happening it was over. All I remember was a loud bang and an abrupt WHAM at the bottom of the ride. There wasn’t time to soil myself. There wouldn’t have been enough time to have saved myself either, had the lift flipped or rolled. I would have been ejected and likely crushed. As it was, the lift fell straight down and landed on the forks first and then the back wheels.

The crews working in the building rushed over, worried I might have been hurt. Other than my injured pride and a sore lower back and neck four days later, I am totally fine. The general consensus among the bystanders was, “Dude! You have NO idea how lucky you were!” My opinion is that I was not lucky at all.

You see, I’m convinced there’s One Who loves me. I believe He was watching out for me early that Thursday morning. That’s the reason I survived. My pastor says it like this, “God is not a car crashing, cancer causing Creator. He is a loving, life giving Lord!” Lovers watch out for, look after, protect, care for and generally desire the best for the one they love.

That is true in the spiritual arena and in the natural realm as well. I have always found it interesting that some folks try to deny that truth. They say they love someone or something, behave in a very unloving way towards it, and expect me to believe their words over their actions.

I believe we’re seeing this in some of the national debates America is currently having. People are saying things like, “I support the troops!” or “I’m a patriotic American”. They want me to believe they love the troops, the country or what have you. But I’m looking at their actions. Do their actions match their words? Are they watching out for, looking after, protecting, caring for and generally desiring the best for what they claim to love. If not, I refuse to believe their words. Talk is cheap - actions matter - that’s what love has to do with it!

What do you think? Can you love without action? Are words alone enough? Can I believe what you say if there’s nothing to back up your words?

Remembering that He said we should not love in word only but in deed and in truth …

BCM

7 Comments
Heroes, Patriotism, Spiritual Warfare, Word of God

So he wants to take the Oath while placing his hand on the Quran? Last I checked we do live in the US and people do have freedom of religion. I say go ahead and let him take the oath on his sacred book. We stand for freedom of religion, as bad as I disagree with Islam, I do believe they have a right to worship their Moon God. (more…)

8 Comments
Heroes, Insane Leftists, News, Patriotism, Politics

Is the US coming to an end? Did you know that President Bush and Canada’s President and Mexico’s President meet to discuss a North American Union? Will National Sovergnty end by 2010? Check out this article from WND. London stock trader urges move to ‘amero’. Here is a brief quote.

Steve Previs, a vice president at Jefferies International Ltd., explained the Amero “is the proposed new currency for the North American Community which is being developed right now between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.” The aim, he said, according to a transcript provided by CNBC to WND, is to make a “borderless community, much like the European Union, with the U.S. dollar, the Canadian dollar and the Mexican peso being replaced by the amero.” Previs told the television audience many Canadians are “upset” about the amero. Most Americans outside of Texas largely are unaware of the amero or the plans to integrate North America, Previs observed, claiming many are just “putting their head in the sand” over the plans.

We must act soon or SPP.gov will be the death of the good Ol’ US of A.

This is a very good read! Free trade poses threats to U.S. sovereignty

16 Comments
Patriotism

They said, “Give me liberty or give me death!” We say, “Give me security or I’ll not give you my vote.”

They said, “We must hang together or we will hang separately.” We say, “Hang yourself! I’m looking out for number one!”

They left houses, land, friends, and family to fight for freedom. We left morals, faith, friends, and family to fight for riches.

They placed a firm faith in God. We place a firm faith in self.

They gave all. We give only when it is convenient.

To them it was One Nation Under God. To us it is One Nation Under political correctness.

The above quotes are not exact but you get the point. It is time for America to turn back to what made her great! We live in desperate times. My opinion is, we will not change. We are too lazy to change. We like to blame the politicians for our failures. After all, very few want or are willing to be responsible including the elected. Some great American’s actually do take responsibility. Many of 3G readers take responsibility, no doubt. Responsibility can’t rest on the shoulder’s of the grass roots movement or on our military. Responsibility needs to go mainstream! Then responsibility must go to Washington. If responsibility can’t get to Washington then “We the People” have failed the men and women that founded our precious country.

Responsibility for what? Responsibility to stand on the Constitution of the United States of America. Responsibility to lead with accountability and conviction to moral principles. Responsibility to stay true to ethics and not the ethics found in Hollywood known as situational ethics but the kind that has a bedrock; based on truth, honesty, and what once was the American way.

Countless lives have been spent to protect our freedom we need to count those lives as honorable and stand up to the moral decay and take responsibility. We are not ruled by the Supreme Court. We are not ruled by the President. We do not take our orders from Congress or the Senate. “We the People” of the United States rule this great land. We refuse to bow to tyrants, treasonous “think tanks”, money, or political posturing. It is time we rise up and take the responsibility that belongs to only us.

What do you think we say that is so different than our founders?

3 Comments
History, Patriotism, Politics