Showing posts with label Patriotism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Patriotism. Show all posts

Sunday, June 6, 2010

6-6-1944



Today is June 6th.

66 years ago today the Allied forces landed in France and began the end of the Third Reich.

Every year on this day I watch The Longest Day. I read the book of the same name by Cornelius Ryan many years ago and have enjoyed the movie for the last few years since I found it on tape.

Its often said that Freedom isn't free, and sometimes I think we are too far away from exactly how high that cost is.

When every family had at least one son or daughter in uniform and everyone knew at least one Gold Star Mother we knew the cost of freedom and weren't willing to let it go cheaply.

Now, we don't know the cost of Freedom, or the price of getting it back. Ben Franklin said those who trade liberty for security deserve neither, and I really don't think we have either at this point.

Each day we lose a little more liberty, for the sake of security, but are no more secure than we were the day before, and maybe less so, because we are now prepared for what the enemy was doing, not what they are doing, but because we have 'done something' we have a false sense of security.

The stories about D-Day- even those produced when a film was supposed to entertain- help put that cost in perspective. Unlike Saving Private Ryan , which manages a realism in both language and gore that The Longest Day lacks, I think Ryan lacks the comprehensive historical overview Day has. And the lack of realism makes for a better story.

I want to review the events of D-Day; not be traumatized by them.

So take a minute today and remember the cost of freedom.

And then ask yourself why we have placed such a low cost on its loss.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Outside My Front Door



I thought about flying my flag upside down when Obama got elected; but talked myself out of it.

When they started talking about Cap and Trade, I was ready, but we dodged that bullet, at least temporarily.

But last Sunday, when they passed Socialized medicine I went ahead and started flying my distress flag.

I also have made up my mind not to buy a new flag as long as the Democratistas are in power.

It took a lot of thought to get to this point. I have an absolute love and deep respect for my country's flag. I know what it means to those who have fought for it.

And I also know what is happening to the country it represents right now. The country I fought for is becoming too much like the country I fought against.

When we take my country back I'll get a new flag.

And a taller pole to fly it from.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Time For a Second Bill of Rights


I am beginning to wonder if the Republican Party knows what it’s doing.

I don’t think they understand what the TEA Party movement is all about. I was listening to Hannity the other day and he was being criticized for saying ‘We need to take back the Republican Party’ while being registered as a Conservative. I was listening to a local morning guy who was recommending conservatives become precinct captains in the Republican Party and control the outcome of the election that way.

See? They don’t understand. We’re not just fed up with Democrats; we’re fed up with Republicans too. We’re fed up with every time some dipstick in Washington has “A PLAN” we lose some more of our money and our liberty. We’re fed up with being told that Washington is the answer, when we know Washington is the flippin’ PROBLEM!

Have you read the Constitution lately? If you haven’t, I urge you to take a few minutes and do so. It’s written in plain English and takes maybe an hour to read. While you’re reading, make note of which clause it is that gives the Federal Government the authority to regulate Health Care. Or look for the one that authorizes Social Security; Medicaid; Freddie Mac/Fannie Mae or any other number of government programs. Unless your copy of the Constitution has Obama’s signature on it, you won’t find them.

The Constitution gives the Federal Government ONE internal power; the Interstate Commerce Clause. Article I; Section 8, Clause 3: “To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;”. This one sentence has been bastardized to mean that the Federal Government has the ability to regulate a single farmer, growing grain for his own use, because that use will mean he will not need to purchase grain from another state, which invokes the Commerce Clause (US Supreme Court; Wickard v Filburn, 1942). A great discussion of the history of the Commerce Clause is here if you want the details.

Why have I drifted here? Because we need to reform not just Congress, but the Constitution, because the Supreme Court has way over stepped the original intent of the Commerce Clause and has aided and abetted in the destruction of our liberty, not as a safeguard to it.

The Constitution spells out four paths for amendment:
• Proposal by convention of states, ratification by state conventions
• Proposal by convention of states, ratification by state legislatures
• Proposal by Congress, ratification by state conventions
• Proposal by Congress, ratification by state legislatures

We need to start working at the state level to amend the Constitution several ways. I would like to see these amendments:

Amendment 28: Balance Budget- Washington cannot deficit spend without the approval of 2/3 of the states.

Amendment 29: Congressional Term limits: two terms or max of 15 years for a senator; 3 terms or 7 years in the House Consecutive, may serve a second 7 year stint if out of office for 6 years; up to a total of 20 years in Washington in if you serve in both Houses.

Amendment 30: Outlaw Congressional pensions. Let the bums retire on their own dime, not mine.

Amendment 31: Repeal the 17th Amendment and go back to State legislature appointing the Senators.

Amendment 32: Federal Judge Term limits. 10 years in any given chair; 25 total service to the Federal bench, mandatory retirement at 70.

Amendment 33: Reform the Commerce Clause so Congress can only strike down items that prohibit commerce between the states, not pass laws to control it. And make it retroactive.

The political class will scream bloody murder when we try this; Democrats and Republicans alike. And that’s what I mean about Republicans not getting it.

They wanted to start a Revolution against the Democrats.

Instead, they started one against Federal power.

I hope.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

September 12, 2009 March on Washington




I found this great photo series on AOL of all places. I tried cutting out a few photos, but the site wouldn't allow that. There are some phots of the signs that are worth scrolling through for.

The other interesting thing is that depending on your source there were either 'ten of thousands' or 2 million people on the march. I'll let you guess who is low balling the numbers. This article from the UK Mail News says 2 million. And has some great pictures. Thank God for the British Press.

The title shot came from Instapundit, who has been extensively covering the Tea Parties from the beginning

Have You Dropped Google yet?




Friday was September 11th. Google, who has in the past year had a tribute page to Micheal Jackson for his birthday, and missed Abe Lincoln's 200th, also didn't post a tribute to September 11th.

I have dropped tham as my search engine, and switched to bing, which seems, so far, to be just as good.

My problem is now the blog, since Google also owns Blogger.

I guess I can wait until it looks like they might make a dime off this blog, instead of costing them money, and I might move it.