Why Do We Bother?

Though the following article references the pro-life movement, specifically, I believe that it accurately reflects the ideals of so many of us who find ourselves caught up in the movement to defend freedom on all fronts.  As long as we keep remembering why we are doing what we are doing, we will continue to have the motivation necessary to persevere in the face of setbacks.  In the end the war will be won, but the prize will only go to those who stayed in the fight to the end.

 

 

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

This Week's Feature
Dr. Charmaine Yoest and Dr. Alveda King co-authored an op-ed that appeared in The Washington Times this week on Elena’s Kagan’s confirmation to the Supreme Court, why it was worth opposing her nomination, and why the pro-life movement will – over the long haul – ultimately win in the struggle to restore a culture of Life. 

Rights for the unborn

Pressing on for 'life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness'

President Obama's selection of Elena Kagan, the most demonstrably pro-abortion Supreme Court nominee in recent memory, presented a daunting challenge to pro-life leaders, as her 63 Senate votes during Thursday's confirmation attest.
Not unreasonably, observers have asked: Why then, do we bother?
The question resonates for this particular political confrontation but applies equally to the larger issue as a whole as we near four decades of abortion on demand in America post Roe v. Wade.
We bother because, in the end, we will win.
Think of "Rocky" and "Rudy." In a universally favorite movie plot, the unsung and discounted hero defies great odds, ignores the naysayers, perseveres in the face of overwhelming obstacles and emerges triumphant just when it looks impossible.
Tenacious persistence has been part of the American fiber since the beginning.
After all, our nation's founding was the impossible dream of the 18th century. America's founders had the audacity to believe that the people could govern themselves, and they agreed to take on the world's greatest military power to earn the right to try.
But in our modern, 24/7 drive-thru microwave Twitter culture, we often forget that great victories for the betterment of humankind don't happen instantly. Real, substantive change doesn't take place in the course of one election, one year or as the result of one political battle. It is achieved through a long march that can span many lifetimes.
Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech was not the launching point in the struggle for civil rights and equality. Rather, Dr. King's genius was his dedication to carrying a well-weathered baton that was handed to him by a long list of committed visionaries. The struggle to make all Americans truly equal regardless of race, which predates our republic, took more than a century and a half.
In 1773, Benjamin Franklin wrote "a disposition to abolish slavery prevails in North America" while Thomas Jefferson, in another letter, castigated King George for his "cruel war against human nature itself" because the king opposed efforts to prohibit the slave trade in the American Colonies.
President John Quincy Adams - the "hellhound" of abolition - was a strong opponent of slavery in America's early years and had hoped to see its end. Realizing near the end of his life that victory would not be achieved on his watch, he noted that in spite of this, "my conscience presses me on."
But Adams, in his later years, befriended a one-term congressman from Illinois. Young Abraham Lincoln, who went on to become the 16th president of the United States, later based his Emancipation Proclamation on Adams' anti-slavery arguments.
As decade stretched into decade, Americans from Harriet Tubman to Rosa Parks pressed on in the defining human rights struggle of their time. And, after fighting a bloody war, staging protests at lunch counters or walking into a hostile school escorted by armed paratroopers, hundreds of thousands of people eventually moved the nation to do the right thing.
Finally, on July 2, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson - with King present - signed the Civil Rights Act, a law that put into practice the 14th Amendment guarantee of equal protection for all Americans.
Today, in poll after poll, Americans are trending more and more pro-life. They want to see abortion restricted, support parental involvement laws and want an end to taxpayer-funded abortion. On the issue of judges, Americans are also very clear. In a recent poll, 87 percent said they support judges who "interpret the law as it is written" and 70 percent said they think elected officials should make policy and not the courts.
In spite of this opposition to an agenda-driven judiciary, Washington elites continue to defy the people. Elena Kagan's nomination is a prime exemplar of this vast contradiction.
After months of dedicated opposition to her nomination, Ms. Kagan's confirmation is a difficult setback in our long march to ultimate victory.
Justice Kagan's agenda-driven philosophy, her advocacy of abortion without any restrictions, and her record as a White House aide who manipulated medical evidence to achieve political ends has caused a stir among the electorate.
In 1857, when the Supreme Court ruled in Dred Scott v. Sanford that black Americans essentially had no protection under the Constitution and therefore virtually no rights, abolitionists may have felt that their cause had been dealt a serious blow - yet they continued to press ahead.
They pressed ahead, as we do now, not because victory was immediate but because they were compelled by duty to do what is right. And in America, land of the second chance, we know there will be another opportunity.
When opportunity comes, we will take on the challenge to the best of our ability. We take that challenge knowing that maybe on our watch, or maybe on our children's watch, 1964 will come again. We are, after all, one human race on an unending quest to secure life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all.
Remembering this, may our consciences press us onward.
Charmaine Yoest is president and chief executive of Americans United for Life.

Alveda King is director of African American Outreach for Priests for Life and founder of King for America.

When the Music Stopped

The following incident apparently happened a few years ago, but for some strange reason, the story never appeared in my inbox. I just got it tonight and wanted to pass it along to others who may have missed it. Let's pass it along to our children!

WHEN THE MUSIC STOPPED

For those who are unaware, at a military theater, the National Anthem is played before every movie.
From a Chaplain in Iraq :
I recently attended a showing of ‘Superman 3,’ here at LSA Anaconda. We have a large auditorium we use for movies, as well as memorial services and other large gatherings. As is the custom back in the States, we stood and snapped to attention when the National Anthem began before the main feature. All was going as planned until about three-quarters of the way through The National Anthem the music stopped.
Now, what would happen if this occurred with 1,000 18-22 year-olds back in the States? I imagine there would be hoots, catcalls, laughter, a few rude comments; and everyone would sit down and call for a movie. Of course, that is, if they had stood for the National Anthem in the first place. Here, the 1,000 Soldiers continued to stand at attention, eyes fixed forward. The music started again. The Soldiers continued to quietly stand at attention And again, at the same point, the music stopped. What would you expect to happen?
Even here I would imagine laughter, as everyone finally sat down and expected the movie to start. But here, you could have heard a pin drop. Every Soldier continued to stand at attention. Suddenly there was a lone voice, then a dozen, and quickly the room was filled with the voices of a thousand soldiers, finishing where the recording left off: ‘And the rockets red glare, The bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night That our flag was still there. Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave, O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.’
It was the most inspiring moment I have had here in Iraq . I wanted you to know what kind of Soldiers are serving you here.
Remember them as they fight for you!
Pass this along as a reminder to others to be ever in prayer for all our soldiers serving us here at home and abroad. For many have already paid the ultimate price.

Written by Chaplain Jim Higgins

Ain't It The Truth, Though!

Words of Wisdom for You

1. In my many years I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm and three or more is a congress. -- John Adams

2. If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed, if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed.
-- Mark Twain

3. Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But, then, I repeat myself.
-- Mark Twain

4. I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.
-- Winston Churchill

5. A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.
-- George Bernard Shaw

6. A liberal is someone who feels a great debt to his fellow man; which he proposes to pay off with your money.
-- G. Gordon Liddy

7. Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner.
-- James Bovard, Civil Libertarian (1994)

8. Foreign aid might be defined as a transfer of money from poor people in rich countries to rich people in poor countries.
-- Douglas Casey, Classmate of Bill Clinton at Georgetown University

9. Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.
-- P.J. O'Rourke, Civil Libertarian

10. Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else.
-- Frederic Bastiat, French Economist (1801-1850)

11. Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And, if it stops moving, subsidize it. -- Ronald Reagan (1986)
12. I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts.
-- Will Rogers

13. If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs when it's free!
-- P.J. O'Rourke

14. In general, the art of government consists of taking as much money as possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other. -- Voltaire (1764)

15. Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you! -- Pericles (430 B.C.)

16. No man's life, liberty, or property is safe while the legislature is in session. -- Mark Twain (1866)

17. Talk is cheap...except when Congress does it. -- Anonymous

18. The government is like a baby's alimentary canal, with a happy appetite at one end and no responsibility at the other. -- Ronald Reagan

19. The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of the blessings. The inherent blessing of socialism is the equal sharing of misery. -- Winston Churchill

20. The only difference between a tax man and a taxidermist is that the taxidermist leaves the skin.
-- Mark Twain

21. The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools.
-- Herbert Spencer, English Philosopher (1820-1903)

22. There is no distinctly native American criminal class ... save, Congress.

23. What this country needs are more unemployed politicians.
-- Edward Langley, Artist (1928-1995)

24. A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have.
-- Thomas Jefferson

Malts in the Cafeteria

Guest Column | by Tracy Stone Lawson
Malts in the Cafeteria
A presidential election lost.
Posted August 02, 2010
Print This Post • 10 comments

When I was in sixth grade, three of my classmates and I ran for student council president. The entire student body would vote, and the one with the most votes would be president; second-most vice president; third, secretary; and fourth, treasurer. Looking back, I suppose the other three offices were mostly for show. There was little opportunity for us to manage a lot of cash. The vice president was only there in case the president was sick and unable to fulfill the obligations of the office. The presidency was the only job that really mattered, and that was the job I wanted.

I hope you’ll believe me when I say I was motivated by only the purest intentions — I sincerely wanted to make the school a better place. I put a lot of time and thought into my speech and carefully selected an outfit to wear.

I realize now that my ideas for leading the school through the 1976-77 school year were nothing monumental. I wanted to place a suggestion box in the library so any student could make his or her ideas known; I wanted to start a student newspaper. Maybe there was something in the speech about soliciting student volunteers to pick up litter from the playground, and that the big kids should be deterred from bullying the little kids. At the time it seemed like a solid platform.

On Election Day, I wore my white sweater with a hand-lettered campaign button pinned over my heart. We gave our speeches at a podium set up at the front of the cafeteria.

Todd, a red-haired, freckled boy on whom I’d had a crush since fourth grade, gave his speech first. It (unlike him) was nothing remarkable. Though my heart was still loyal and he was definitely the cutest boy in our class, he was not, I decided, presidential material. My best friend, Debbie, gave her speech next. She was a worthier opponent, and prettier than me, but still I felt confident, thinking I had a real shot at the power seat at Sharonville Elementary. I knew Debbie really wanted to be class secretary, but since there was just the one election, she was hoping for third place in the popular vote.

Campaign Promise Turns the Tide

Then it was Chris’s turn. I remember just one sentence from his speech, but it was the sentence that torpedoed my dreams of the presidency: “Elect me and we will have malts in the cafeteria … every day!”

Now, really — frozen chocolate malts were a coveted treat. They cost a quarter extra, and the cafeteria ladies put them on the lunch menu maybe twice a month. To blithely suggest that it was within the student council president’s authority to open the floodgates and provide unlimited chocolate malts was … irresponsible.

But it didn’t matter, as long as the voters believed it.

My carefully thought-out speech was lost to the ages. Nothing I said would have mattered at that point. Chris had the election in the bag.

Chicanery! I was indignant, and even though the word chicanery wasn’t in my vocabulary at the time, I had just been schooled on the concept.

When the votes were tallied, the results were announced over the school public-address system. Chris had been elected president, I was vice president, Debbie was secretary, and Todd treasurer.

A month after our inauguration it became painfully clear that Chris could not deliver on his campaign promise, and his approval rating plunged. Hobbled by the bureaucracy in the cafeteria, he resigned office before he could be impeached. As vice president I assumed the president’s duties, and the suggestion box was installed in the library.

Malts in the cafeteria. Every time a politician makes a promise, that’s what I hear. It’s all just malts in the cafeteria.

Source: http://www.thefreemanonline.org/headline/malts-in-the-cafeteria/

FDR's Depression Policies: Good Deal or Raw Deal?

This is a video debate between a Keynesian economist and a free market economist, and it gives an insightful look at the differences in how both sides view FDR's policies during the depression. I was sad that the question asked of the audience was not repeated at the end, but I think I know what the answer would have been. The first guy that talks is pretty dry, but if you'll hang around for the rebuttal, I think you'll appreciate this debate.

FDR's Depression Policies: Good Deal or Raw Deal? from FEE on Vimeo.

Everyday Ethics: Consumer Rights. . .And Wrongs

This is the latest video out from Prager University. Everyone needs to see this. Great food for thought!

Glenn Beck and other speeches on YouTube.

I found out that Glenn Beck's speech, as well as some of the others from the American Revival event are available on YouTube so I'm sending the links for those who might be interested.  (Be interested!)  The subject of the meeting was Faith, Hope, and Charity.  I have numbered the speakers below in the order they presented, in case you'd like to watch them in order.  Glenn's keynote speech was actually last, rather than first, as is typical of keynote speeches (in my limited experience).

4) Glenn Beck's American Revival speech that I talked about in my last email can be accessed in 6 parts on YouTube here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ljulr6R1IRE (part 1, follow the links to the remaining parts)

1) David Barton's subject was Faith, and he talks about the faith of our founding fathers, but that particular talk is apparently unavailable at this time. Here is a link to a different presentation that will cover much of the same information.  His organization, Wallbuilders, is dedicated to promoting the idea that the United States was founded upon Christian principles, and he owns the largest collection of original writings of the founders before 1812.  He is amazing to listen to.
David Barton on American Exceptionalism:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JxaV4gaCrk&feature=PlayList&p=062C67575D84A9B0&playnext=1&index=13  (part 1)
 
2) David Bruckner speech on hope:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfhNSih34MI

3) Judge Andrew Napolitano's speech on charity:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8W-C8RmQtpo

The Constitution as a Political Platform--What a Concept!

The following comes from the website of Scott Bradley for Congress. In my search for a "good, honest, and wise" person that I believe would uphold the Constitution, I found Scott Bradley, and my search ended. The following is a portion of his page on the issues. I love how he just quotes the section of the Constitution that applies to that issue, and, for the most part, lets it speak for itself.

The Declaration of Independence is the promise ---- The United States Constitution delivers the promise.

The Declaration of Independence declares that God is the Source of Mankind’s Rights, and that governments are instituted among Men to Secure these Rights. The United States Constitution grants the national government power to fulfill its appropriate assigned responsibility while preventing it from assuming un-granted powers

The United States Constitution is a legally binding written contract specifying the limits, scope and bounds within which the United States government, and its various departments may act.


The Oath of Office which all must take (see U.S. Constitution Article II Section 1, and Article VI clause 4) is a sacred covenant made before God and the people of this nation that the officer will be restrained and keep all actions within those powers and responsibilities specified within the United States Constitution, and will faithfully execute those duties.


No officer or office within the government has the authority to stray outside the bounds of power defined and granted by the United States Constitution, and no officer may delegate, grant, or assume that authority.


The United States Constitution established checks and balances between the various departments of the national government to assure that the powers of those departments were kept within the scope and bounds of their constitutional mandate.


We, the people of this nation, have agreed to be governed within the limited and well defined framework established in the United States Constitution, and those governments which are closer to us. Authority is not granted to those who hold office to delegate our governance to international bodies, bureaucracies, or agencies. Our allegiance is to the limited republican form of government which was established under the United States Constitution.


The power to regulate International trade and commerce is granted solely to the U. S. Congress, (see U.S. Constitution Article I Section 8 clause 3) and may not be delegated to international bodies or agencies. Enactments such as NAFTA and CAFTA and proposed agreements such as FTAA and the so-called Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) violate this essential element of U.S. sovereignty.


The fruits of one’s labors are the right and responsibility of the individual to administer, and the power to redistribute those fruits is not granted to any level of government.


The United States Constitution does not grant the national government power to enact such usurpations as the so-called “ObamaCare” Health bill, nor any other of the numerous entitlement programs that have bankrupted the nation.


Article I Section 8 clause 4 of the U.S. Constitution delegates authority to the U.S. Congress to regulate the immigration and naturalization process. Article 4 Section 4 of the Constitution requires the U.S. government to protect the states from invasion. The integrity and protection of the international borders of the nation must be maintained. No “right of migration” exists for foreign nationals to enter the nation under terms other than those defined by Congress, and Congress has a duty to establish terms which protect the sovereignty of the nation and its established form of limited Constitutional government.


The power and authority to engage this nation in war is a solemn responsibility which requires careful deliberation to ascertain its necessity and justice. That power lies solely with the U.S. Congress (see U.S. Constitution Article I Section 8 clause 11) and may not be delegated to the President or any international body.


The might of the United States military is to be used solely to protect the people of this nation from attacks against their lives, liberty, and property. The U.S. military is to remain strictly under U.S. command, and is not to be used to carry out the mandates of any international or foreign power, or to be used as “nation–builders”, or “peace keepers” in disputes foreign to this nation (see U.S. Constitution Article I Section 8 clauses 11-16).


The United States Constitution (Article I, Section 8, clause 17) grants the national government power to hold federal lands for certain specific purposes, and none other. By their legislative enactments and by their actions the Founding Fathers demonstrated that they intended the lands within each new State to be transferred to the States and the People as soon as possible when a new State joined the nation.


Article III Section 2 clause 2 of the United States Constitution grants to Congress the authority to limit the scope and power of the Judiciary and court systems. Congress must act within that grant of power to check the usurpation which is rampant within the Judicial Branch.


The Second Amendment protects the individual right of all mankind to keep and bear arms to protect their lives, liberty and property from all who would be tyrants and criminals, both foreign and domestic, and that right shall not be infringed.


The so-called USA Patriot Act eviscerates the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution and severely threatens the liberties of the people of the nation. Within that act, and many other recent enactments, may be found seeds of tyranny.


The right to Trial by Jury (see Article III Section 2 clause 3 of the U.S. Constitution, and Amendments 6 and 7) is essential to the preservation of liberty, and the duty of government to act within the bonds of both justice and mercy; therefore, the right of the jury to examine and judge both the law and the facts in the case before them must be restored and preserved.


While education is essential to a free and prosperous nation, no element or role in that process is granted to the national government (see Amendment 10). That role and responsibility rightly belongs to the individual, the family, and local associations created and controlled by the people.


As proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence, life is a sacred gift from God, and its protection is one of the primary purposes of proper government. Both the born and the unborn have the right of that protection, and to tamper with the God-ordained well-spring of life is a grave and dangerous assumption which must be prevented.


Government-created debt, and the resultant creation of “money” out of thin air, is the source of inflation, which destroys the fruits of individual labor, and creates a bondage for future generations.

To Preserve the Nation–Restore the Constitutional Foundation

The Plain English Words of the United States Constitution are My Platform!

Go to ScottBradleyforSenate.com  to learn more about Scott and to get a great education about the principles upon which this nation was founded.  

Justice and Mercy

by Mike Morley, Utah State Representative

[This article gives some good food for thought about how we should look at government and its programs.]

JUSTICE AND MERCY
Rep. Mike Morley

Public debate, often strident and divisive, continues daily on a myriad
of topics from illegal immigration to health care to extended
unemployment benefits and home foreclosures. Airwaves, message boards,
and news programs are filled with rancor, desperation, frustration,
calls for action, calls for a return to the fundamental values of the
Constitution, calls for compassion and civility.

Though it may sound simplistic, I am convinced the answer to these and
other societal concerns can be found in the age-old discussion of
justice and mercy.

Our government was established in defense of the self-evident truth that
“all men are created equal”. The Constitution of the United States, in
its opening statement, declares one of the purposes of the document is
to “establish Justice”. The Pledge of Allegiance closes with the words,
“liberty and justice for all. The building which houses our nation’s
highest court, the Supreme Court, boldly declares the ideals carved in
stone “Equal justice under the law” and “Justice the guardian of
liberty”. Members of that court are aptly called “Justices”.

The statue of a blindfolded Lady Liberty, a sword in one hand and the
scales of justice in the other, adorns many of our government and court
buildings reminding us that justice is blind or, in other words, fair
and impartial and unable to distinguish between people on any basis
other than what is lawful and just.

As individuals, we feel empathy for those who are less fortunate than
ourselves, whose circumstances fall short of the ideal. Our hearts
reach out to them and we want to help. This is right and good – and
merciful.

Good government is just. It has no emotions, no preferences, no
empathy. Government cannot be merciful. A merciful, charitable
government is a government that takes from one and gives to another
because they are found to be disadvantaged, more deserving, less able.
This is the very antithesis of justice. Mercy is the duty and
responsibility of individuals, churches, charitable organizations,
private industry. Justice is the claim of government.

So, when we hear cries for compassion, leniency, understanding,
sympathy, Christian charity, and mercy, let us remember that these
virtues are our individual responsibility and should be exercised by
each of us while government ensures justice for all.

What I Think of Glenn Beck

I know what you're thinking: Why should anyone care what you think of Glenn Beck? The answer is: They shouldn't. But I've had a bit of an eye-opener today that I need to put in writing, and if anyone is interested, they can read it.

The man is an absolute anomaly to me. For the past 20 years I have studied different aspects of government, off and on, and I think I have a pretty good grasp of they way things are, at least on a surface level. I believe that there is a world-wide conspiracy that seeks to overthrow the freedom of everyone on the planet. I believe that conspiracy has allies in every government on earth, and that most, if not all, of the mainstream media is controlled by them. Which is why I've had a hard time wrapping my brain around the whole Glenn Beck phenomenon. He seems to be saying good things, albeit a bit crudely at times, but I have not trusted him, because as controlled as I believe the media to be, I could not believe that someone who seems to be doing the good things he appears to be doing was not in some way being controlled by the media. I disagree with him on one point that I find significant, and it has bothered me.

Today I watched a talk he gave at the American Revival Meeting in Salt Lake a couple of days ago. As I watched, and laughed, and cried, something occurred to me, that I'm ashamed to say had not occurred to me before, where Glenn Beck is concerned. Here it is: If I'm right in my assessment of the control of the media by the powers that be, and assuming that Glenn Beck is a good guy, the only way that his message could get out to the public without being censored or shut down is if God had a hand in it. After watching his keynote address at the American Revival meeting, I believe that he is being helped by God to do what he is doing. Money does indeed talk, and maybe he brings in enough that they think he can't do much damage so they let him talk. Although, apparently the liberals have branded him as the most dangerous man on earth. A title he wears with humility, amazingly enough.

Whatever else this man is, I believe him to be on a mission for God. He is talking about God, and Jesus Christ and His atonement, and the founding principles of this nation, and people are listening and waking up. Quite frankly, those are the things that all of us, as Christians and freedom-loving patriots should be talking about.

So I repent of things I have said about him in the past. On the matter with which I disagree with him, well, we both can't be right, but likely we both believe we are. I hope that when the one of us who is wrong finds out we're wrong, we'll humbly acknowledge it and change our thinking and the way we talk about it.

I would like to invite anyone who reads this, if you haven't already done so, to subscribe to Glenn Beck's website (glennbeck.com) and listen to the speech he gave at the American Revival. It was one of the best speeches I've ever heard and if it doesn't get you motivated to find out what you're supposed to be doing with your life as a Christian and a Patriot, and start figuring out how to do it, not much else will. I invite you to share it with your children and encourage others to subscribe and do the same. You can subscribe for one month, and cancel your subscription if you want, but I promise that the speech alone, is worth the $9.95 subscription price all by itself. There is a lot of other good stuff on there that you might want to enjoy during the month.

Our country is on the brink of destruction. It was prophesied that this would happen, so it shouldn't be a surprise to any of us. Ezra Taft Benson said on several occasions that when we stand up for freedom, we stand up for God. We will be held accountable for our actions in relation to government, and the time to stand up is now.

Thanks for reading.

Justice!

This just came through in an email. I've changed some of the peripheral commentary, to remove the controversial tone, as I'd like this post to focus on the words of the judge. It's a good reminder of what we as Americans should be all about.

Here it is:

Remember the guy who got on a plane with a bomb built into his shoe and tried to light it?

Apparently his trial over and he was sentenced. Here's what the judge had to say.


Ruling by Judge William Young, US District Court.

Prior to sentencing, the Judge asked the defendant if he had anything to say His response: After admitting his guilt to the court for the record, Reid also admitted his 'allegiance to Osama bin Laden, to Islam, and to the religion of Allah,' defiantly stating, 'I think I will not apologize for my actions,' and told the court 'I am at war with your country.'

Judge Young then delivered the statement quoted below:


Judge Young: 'Mr. Richard C. Reid, hearken now to the sentence the Court imposes upon you.

On counts 1, 5 and 6 the Court sentences you to life in prison in the custody of the United States Attorney General. On counts 2, 3, 4and 7, the Court sentences you to 20 years in prison on each count, the sentence on each count to run consecutively. (That's 80 years.)

On count 8 the Court sentences you to the mandatory 30 years again, to be served consecutively to the 80 years just imposed. The Court imposes upon you for each of the eight counts a fine of $250,000 that's an aggregate fine of $2 million. The Court accepts the government's recommendation with respect to restitution and orders restitution in the amount of $298.17 to Andre Bousquet and $5,784 to American Airlines.

The Court imposes upon you an $800 special assessment. The Court imposes upon you five years supervised release simply because the law requires it. But the life sentences are real life sentences so I need go no further.

This is the sentence that is provided for by our statutes. It is a fair and just sentence. It is a righteous sentence.

Now, let me explain this to you. We are not afraid of you or any of your terrorist co-conspirators, Mr. Reid. We are Americans. We have been through the fire before. There is too much war talk here and I say that to everyone with the utmost respect. Here in this court, we deal with individuals as individuals and care for individuals as individuals. As human beings, we reach out for justice.

You are not an enemy combatant. You are a terrorist. You are not a soldier in any war. You are a terrorist. To give you that reference, to call you a soldier, gives you far too much stature. Whether the officers of government do it or your attorney does it, or if you think you are a soldier, you are not----- you are a terrorist. And we do not negotiate with terrorists. We do not meet with terrorists. We do not sign documents with terrorists. We hunt them down one by one and bring them to justice.

So war talk is way out of line in this court You are a big fellow. But you are not that big. You're no warrior. I've known warriors. You are a terrorist. A species of criminal that is guilty of multiple attempted murders. In a very real sense, State Trooper Santiago had it right when you first were taken off that plane and into custody and you wondered where the press and the TV crews were, and he said: 'You're no big deal.'

You are no big deal.

What your able counsel and what the equally able United States attorneys have grappled with and what I have as honestly as I know how tried to grapple with, is why you did something so horrific. What was it that led you here to this courtroom today?

I have listened respectfully to what you have to say. And I ask you to search your heart and ask yourself what sort of unfathomable hate led you to do what you are guilty and admit you are guilty of doing? And, I have an answer for you. It may not satisfy you, but as I search this entire record, it comes as close to understanding as I know.

It seems to me you hate the one thing that to us is most precious. You hate our freedom. Our individual freedom. Our individual freedom to live as we choose, to come and go as we choose, to believe or not believe as we individually choose. Here, in this society, the very wind carries freedom. It carries it everywhere from sea to shining sea. It is because we prize individual freedom so much that you are here in this beautiful courtroom, so that everyone can see, truly see, that justice is administered fairly, individually, and discretely. It is for freedom's sake that your lawyers are striving so vigorously on your behalf, have filed appeals, will go on in their representation of you before other judges.

We Americans are all about freedom. Because we all know that the way we treat you, Mr. Reid, is the measure of our own liberties. Make no mistake though. It is yet true that we will bear any burden; pay any price, to preserve our freedoms. Look around this courtroom. Mark it well. The world is not going to long remember what you or I say here. The day after tomorrow, it will be forgotten, but this, however, will long endure.

Here in this courtroom and courtrooms all across America , the American people will gather to see that justice, individual justice, justice, not war, individual justice is in fact being done. The very President of the United States through his officers will have to come into courtrooms and lay out evidence on which specific matters can be judged and juries of citizens will gather to sit and judge that evidence democratically, to mold and shape and refine our sense of justice.

See that flag, Mr. Reid? That's the flag of the United States of America . That flag will fly there long after this is all forgotten. That flag stands for freedom. And it always will.

Mr. Custody Officer. Stand him down.

The Human Statue of Liberty

This statue of liberty picture was taken back in 1918, and
was done by 18,000 servicemen who were preparing for
war in a training camp at Camp Dodge in Iowa. Pretty amazing!

Click on the image to see it larger.

A Witness and a Warning

This is a fabulous video, composed of words from our prophets. Click on the video square to open up the full picture.

LIBERTY 101

I just came across an internet course, put together as a basic primer in understanding principles of liberty. It is excellent information, containing talks by prophets and other general authorities, as well as videos and audio files. It would be well worth the time to read each of these pages, and share this information with others who are interested in defending the cause of freedom. By the time you finish, you'll have a good overview of what we face as a nation, and how you can further the cause of freedom from your little corner of the world.

The following educational course has been designed to guide you through an understanding of what the prophets have taught regarding Freedom, God-given Rights, The Proper Role of Government, The Constitution, Free Enterprise, Secret Combinations, God’s Law, Zion and more.

• The War in Heaven on Earth Today
• Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness
• The Proper Role of Government
• Overview of America
• The Constitution: A Heavenly Banner
• Freedom and Free Enterprise
• Just War and Foreign Policy
• The Hidden Things of Darkness: Political Secret Combinations
• Spiritual Secret Combinations
• Beware of Pride
• The Majesty of God’s Law: It’s coming to America
• Becoming Zion

Please go here to access them: http://www.latterdayconservative.com/education

Navy Petty Officer Mike Monsoor

The Sailor Pictured Below Is,

Navy Petty Officer,

PO2

(Petty Officer, Second Class)

EOD2

(Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Second Class)

"MIKE MONSOOR"

April 5th, 1981 ~ September 29th, 2009

Mike Monsoor,

Was Awarded "The Congressional Medal Of Honor" Last Week,

For Giving His Life In Iraq, As He Jumped On,

And Covered With His Body, A Live Hand Grenade,

Saving The Lives Of A Large Group of

Navy Seals That Was Passing By!

~

During Mike Monsoor's Funeral,

At Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery, In San Diego , California ...

The Six Pallbearers Removed the Rosewood Casket from The Hearse.

Lined Up On Each Side of Mike Monsoor's Casket Were His Family Members, Friends, Fellow Sailors, And Well-wishers.

The Column Of People Lined The Path From The Hearse All The Way To The Grave Site.

What the Group Didn't Know At The Time Was,

Every One Of Those Navy Seals

(45 to Be Exact)

That Mike Monsoor Saved That Day

Was Scattered Through-Out The Column!

~

As The Pallbearers Carried the Rosewood Casket

Down The Column of People to the Grave Side

The Column Would Collapse...

Which Formed A Group Of People That Followed Behind.

~

Every Time the Rosewood Casket Passed a Navy Seal,

He Would Remove His Gold Trident Pin from His Uniform,

And Slap It Down Hard,

Causing the Gold Trident Pin to Embed Itself

Into The Top of the Wooden Casket!

Then The Navy Seal Would Step Back From The Column, And Salute!

~

Now For Those,

Who Don't Know What a Trident Pin Is,

Here Is The Definition!

~

After One Completes the Basic Navy Seals Program

Which Lasts For Three Weeks,

And Is Followed By Seal Qualification Training,

Which Is 15 More Weeks of Training,

Necessary to Continue Improving Basic Skills

and To Learn New Tactics And Techniques,

Required For An Assignment To A Navy Seal Platoon:

After successful completion,

Trainees Are Given Their Naval Enlisted Code,

And Are Awarded the Navy Seal Trident Pin.

With This Gold Pin They Are Now Officially Navy Seals!

It Was Said

That You Could Hear Each Of The 45 Slaps

From Across The Cemetery!

By The Time the Rosewood Casket Reached the Grave Site,

It Looked As Though It Had A Gold Inlay

From The 45 Trident Pins That Lined The Top!

This Was A Fitting End To An Eternal Send-Off For A Warrior Hero!

~

I Am Proud Of All The Branches Of Our Military.

The Fine Men and Women of Our Military

Will Continue To Serve and Protect Your

Freedom and Right to Do So!

<>

"GOD BLESS AND KEEP OUR TROOPS SAFE!

What a Way to Fly the Flag!! Beautiful!

An LDS View of the Immigration Issue

I just listened to a radio program where immigration was being discussed. The moderators and guest were all LDS and they discussed the issue from an LDS perspective, giving me some new things to think about. They do not claim to be speaking for the Church as a whole, just to be voicing their opinions from a gospel perspective, as they see it. Here are my notes from that program. To hear the whole thing, click on the link at the bottom of the post. I'm going to try to do it in a question/answer type of format, as that will bring out the hot button issues in a way that will be easy to reference, should anyone want to come back to it. My own comments are in italics, not to be confused with the notes from the podcast.

1. What are borders for? When we talk about borders, what are we really saying? We have a border between Utah and Nevada, for what purpose? Is it to make sure that all the Nevadans stay on their side of the line? No, obviously, within our country people are allowed to go from one state to the other without restriction, usually. The reason for borders has to do with the governments and with sovereignty. Those who live within the delineated boundary lines of a state, are living under the laws passed by the government of that state. As long as people are willing to abide by the laws of the different states, they may come and go as they please.

The borders between nations are there for essentially the same reasons as the borders between states. Is there any reason why people shouldn't be able to cross national borders as freely as they cross state borders? What is the purpose in labeling someone as "illegal" when all they have done is cross over an imaginary line? If we as Latter-day Saints believe that our Heavenly Father is the God of this land, and that He is in control of who comes here, as he said that it was preserved for a righteous people, and those who come here who do not serve Him will be swept off, can we not then leave it in His hands to deal with those who come here? This is not to say that we shouldn't have laws that prosecute those who commit crimes. We should and we do, but why should coming here be the crime? One of our big problems is that our penalties for crimes are not sufficient enough to deter those crimes.

2. What about the economics side of the argument? Why should "they" be allowed to come here and steal from those of us who are already here? This point goes a lot deeper than the question appears on the surface. The real question that should be asked is "Do we agree with the system that is in place, that allows them to come and receive something for nothing?" Why is it any worse for them to come and live off the dole in this country, than for anyone else who is already here? The problem here is not that people are sneaking into this country and stealing from us, it is that a very corrupt government has put a system in place that enslaves people, both those of its own country, and now others coming here looking for a better way of life (or at least it would be better, if we'd stop giving them all this "free" stuff) by handing out all the goodies in order to buy their votes. Again, the issue is not the "illegals;" the issue is the people that we have elected to office.

The LDS religion considers the dole to be an evil that should be abolished; so where is the evil here? Is it in those who come here and get on it, or those who offer it for the purpose of enslaving those who come here and get on it?

3. The Constitution guarantees to each state a Republican form of government, and is to help each state guard against invasion. Some people will say that we are being invaded by those who illegally cross the borders. Why are thousands of Mexicans coming into the country considered to be an invasion, any more than thousands of people who might show up in a state for a weekend Amway convention? The only difference is that one group has already been labeled "illegal" before they get here. In the Book or Mormon we read about times when the Lamanites invaded the lands of the Nephites. The invasion was when they attacked them and tried to take away their freedoms. However, there were other peaceful times when they had a free exchange with one another, and it wasn't considered an invasion then. While there are groups who are coming here with evil intent, there are also many who just want to get away from the oppression that they are experiencing in their own country. Those who want to work honestly and just make a living should not be hampered from doing so. If our government stopped handing out money as if it were candy, that would stop the incentive for those who don't really want to work to earn a living. At least those who come here to work in the fields for low pay, are working, which is a lot more than thousands of our own people who sit around collecting welfare checks for doing nothing.

4. What about the numbers? There are millions of them that are coming here. If we start talking numbers, then at some point we need to be concerned about the babies that are born here. There are now nearly 310,000,000 people in the United States. How many do we think it can hold? Do we say we'll shut things down when it reaches 400 million, or 500 million? In terms of numbers, what difference does it make if they walk across the border, or are born here? It still adds to the total population. In the scriptures the Lord tells us that there is enough and to spare. We don't need to worry about using up all of the space. And as far as being a drain on the economy goes, everyone has to eat and has certain needs and wants that require making purchases. With more people come more opportunities for businesses to expand, requiring more people to work, etc. When the government gets out of the way and stops taxing and regulating, making it difficult for businesses to flourish, then the supply and demand even out and society runs well. The drain on society comes when government redistributes the fruits of the labors of the people who work, giving it to those who don't. That is never the way to prosperity, but the path to enslavement, and eventually the demise of the whole system.

5. What about the Church's policy to allow "illegals" to be baptized? Those of us who worry about this are, in essence, putting nationalism above Christian duty. We are saying that my nation, even if it is wrong, is more important than bringing these souls back Home. We, as members of Christ's church, must remember that our whole purpose on this planet, is to help each other get back Home. Period. All the rest is either fluff, or the means to that end. What right have we to judge another's worthiness to be baptized, when the only law they are "breaking" is to walk across a border that maybe shouldn't be there in the first place?

6. Let's make sure we're talking about the real issues when we talk about the immigration problem. If we are worried about all the crime, let's talk about laws that should be prosecuting crime, but don't. If we are talking about millions of people putting a drain on our society and bankrupting the system, let's discuss socialism and how that is not the system this country was meant to function under. When our own people will return to the Christian roots that founded this country, we will put people into the government who truly have our interests in mind, rather than padding their own wallets, and re-election campaigns. The laws will change to favor free enterprise, and will end the redistribution of wealth by government, leaving charity in the hands of individuals and churches, where it was meant to be handled. When those things happen, there won't be an immigration problem.

When I heard the Church leaders say that we needed to show compassion in the immigration issue, I was a bit put out, having a friend who was killed by someone who was here illegally. I now realize that my energy can be better spent working to educate people as to the proper role of government and how to elect good people to office, than standing around whining about the immigration problem. They are not the problem, we are. Let's get our own house in order so we won't be afraid to invite others to come and enjoy what the Lord has so graciously blessed us with.

This discussion is not meant to say that we shouldn't be enforcing our borders. Right now, we do have laws on the books regarding immigration. I believe the point of this discussion is to show that there are other ways of looking at the same issue. Many of the laws on the books of this country are just plain wrong and should be overturned. Those living on the borders, such as those in Arizona, are dealing with a horrendous problem. Tightening up the fences and putting more people with guns down there is certainly one way of dealing with it, but it will continue to be a small bandage on an infected, festering wound until the government changes its policies that encourage criminal behavior. We must demand more from our elected officials.

Listen here: http://ldsliberty.org/?p=294

My Favorite George Washington Portrait

I am reading a book called the Making of George Washington. This portrait is the one used for the cover art. Here's the story behind it:

"In 1785, the renowned French sculptor Jeane Antoine Houdon visited Mount Vernon preparatory to creating his famous statue of George Washington for Virginia's Capitol rotunda in Richmond. The sculptor made life masks of Washington which he took to France. One mask was returned to the United States. It is a treasured artifact in the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York.

For the cover of his 1970 book The Making of George Washington, General William H. Wilbur commissioned artist Ruth Stedman Druliner to present Washington as he appeared in the prime of his years to the men and women of the young American Nation. By meticulous study of that life mask, the best known existing portraits of Washington and the recorded impressions of individuals who knew the living man, Mrs. Druliner produced this exclusive portrait."

When I saw this picture, it immediately grabbed my attention as having more life to it than any of the other portrayals I've seen of George Washington. I love the twinkle in his eye, which makes him look less stern, and thus more approachable, as his friends and acquaintances described him as being.

Why Is Democracy Such a Bad Thing?

Why Is Democracy Such A Bad Thing?
by Doug Newman
dougnewman@juno.com

Special to The Libertarian Enterprise

I got an e-mail the other day from someone forming a grassroots lobbying organization. I told him that, while I agreed with the aims of his organization, he was wrong in asserting that "the right of the people peaceably to assemble" was a characteristic of a democracy.

The differences between a democracy—a very bad thing—and a constitutional republic—a very good thing—are not just something to be discussed in college political philosophy classes. Political philosophy is about real things and the differences between democracies and republics have profound real world implications.

In the Mel Gibson movie The Patriot there is a great line about there being no difference between one tyrant 3000 miles away and 3000 tyrants one mile away. The Founders hated the concept of democracy and knew from history that democracy always degenerated into despotism. Neither the Declaration of Independence nor the Constitution even mentions the word "democracy".

Democracy has been defined as the right of 51 percent to [spit] in the cornflakes of the other 49 percent. You have no rights in a democracy as they may be overridden by the whims of the majority. If the majority votes that half your income be confiscated before you can so much as buy groceries, oh well, this is a democracy! If the majority votes that you cannot alleviate your back pain in a socially unacceptable manner, oh well, this is a democracy! If the majority votes that Jews be rounded up and sent to forced labor camps on the North Slope of Alaska, oh well, this is a democracy!

It has often been said that, in a democracy two wolves and a sheep take a majority vote on what's for supper, while in a constitutional republic the wolves are forbidden on voting on what's for supper and the sheep are well armed. A constitutional republic is founded on the premise that rights are antecedent to government, and that government exists to protect those rights. These rights may not be violated either by the whims of 51 percent of voters, by a legislative or judicial majority or by a unitary executive.

For evidence that our Founders hated democracy, you need look no further than the Constitution. They went to great lengths to thwart democracy. They gave us three coequal branches of government with strictly limited powers. They set up an intricate system of checks and balances so that, when one branch stepped out of line, another branch could step in and say "we don't think so!" The powers delegated to the federal government—Article 1, Section 8—were "few and defined".

The Electoral College is not just some quaint relic from a more agrarian age. It serves as a brake on the rule by the runaway passions of the people, i.e. democracy. Likewise, we have two houses of Congress. The House of Representatives is elected directly by the people. Until the passage of the Seventeenth Amendment—a bad one—in 1916, the Senate was elected by the various state legislatures. Why? Again, the Founders feared the runaway passions of the people, i.e. democracy.

Not only was democracy an anathema to the Founders, it should be abhorrent to every follower of Jesus Christ. In Luke 23, Pilate declares that he found Jesus not deserving of death. However, he caved into the roar of the angry mob and sent a totally innocent man to die an excruciating death.

One of the key delegates to the Constitutional Convention was George Mason. Mason refused to sign the Constitution because it did not contain a bill of rights. Mason is widely acknowledged as the "father of the Bill of Rights".

This Bill of Rights is more accurately a bill of prohibitions on federal power. These rights cannot be voted away either by the people or by their elected representatives.

The language of the First and Second Amendments indicates that the rights they protect already existed, and that government cannot infringe these rights, regardless of what the majority says.

The Fourth through Eighth Amendments protect the rights of the accused. These rights are not to be surrendered under any circumstances, e.g. War Between the States, Drug War, War on Terror or any other real or perceived emergency. Again, they cannot be voted away.

The Sixth Amendment guarantees the right to a jury trial. To the Founders, this meant a trial by a fully informed jury. Such a jury was the ultimate check on any bad law. If so much as one juror felt that the defendant was being tried under a law that was unbiblical, unconstitutional or just plain stupid, he could vote to acquit and the defendant would walk.

The Ninth Amendment protects your right to do things even if other people disapprove. Homeschooling your children and smoking that hooch come to mind. It is a very important check on the tyranny of the majority.

The Tenth Amendment forbids Uncle Sam from engaging in any activity that is not expressly authorized elsewhere in the Constitution, regardless of how people may vote.

So there you have it. A constitutional republic is a charter of liberty while a democracy is a recipe for slavery. And the next time you hear an old-school patriot wax indignant about how America is not a democracy, but a constitutional republic, I hope you will understand what he is talking about.

[Final 3 paragraphs edited out.]

Without Prejudice i.e. all Inalienable, Natural, Rights reserved, as per UCC 1-103 and 1-207

Entire article may be seen here: http://www.ncc-1776.org/tle2007/tle419-20070527-05.html I edited out the last few sentences because I didn't feel that they fit my attempts to keep this blog educational, as opposed to negative. I isn't going to be easy, but when possible, I will always provide the source so that anyone may read what I've taken out, if they so choose.

Patriotism Preached Positively!

The following is a collection of quotes by former general authorities about the future of this great country, and how we should look forward with faith, rather than fear about the events to come. The emphases were put there by the person that sent the information, but I decided to leave them in to call attention to some very important points. Enjoy!

BRUCE R. McCONKIE

“It is our firm conviction as a people that the stars and stripes will be waving triumphantly in the breeze, as a symbol of the greatness and stability of the United States of America , when the Lord comes. This nation was established to be the Lord’s base of operations in this final gospel dispensation. From it the gospel is to go to every other nation and people. The greater its influence among the nations of the world, the more rapidly the gospel spreads. But the Lord has told us that all nations, the United States included, shall cease to be when he comes” (The Millennial Messiah, 491).

JOSEPH SMITH

“We are fast approaching that moment prophesied by Joseph Smith when he said: ‘Even this nation will be on the very verge of crumbling to pieces and tumbling to the ground, and when the Constitution is upon the brink of ruin, this people will be the staff upon which the nation shall lean, and they shall bear the Constitution away from the very verge of destruction” (Church Historian’s Office, Salt Lake City, July 19, 1840) (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, 623 - 624).

JOSEPH SMITH

Words of James Burgess: “In the month of May 1843, several miles east of Nauvoo, the Nauvoo Legion was on parade and review, at the close of which Joseph Smith made some remarks upon our condition as a people and upon our future prospects, contrasting our present condition with our past trials and persecutions by the hands of our enemies; also upon the Constitution and government of the United States, stating that the time would come when the Constitution and government would hang by a brittle thread and would be ready to fall into other hands, but this people, the Latter-day Saints, will step forth and save it. . . .I, James Burgess, was present and testify to the above” (The Words of Joseph Smith, 279).

EZRA TAFT BENSON

“The Lord told the Prophet Joseph Smith there would be an attempt to overthrow the country by destroying the Constitution. Joseph Smith predicted that the time would come when the Constitution would hang, as it were, by a thread, and at that time ‘this people will step forth and save it from the threatened destruction’ (Journal of Discourses, 7:15). It is my conviction that the elders of Israel, widely spread over the nation, will at that crucial time successfully rally the righteous of our country and provide the necessary balance of strength to save the institutions of constitutional government” (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, 618 - 619).

President Harold B. Lee: Men may fail in this country, earthquakes may come, seas may heave beyond their bounds, there may be great drought, disaster, and hardship, but this nation, founded on principles laid down by men whom God raised up, will never fail. This is the cradle of humanity, where life on this earth began in the Garden of Eden. This is the place of the New Jerusalem. . . . This is the place where the Savior will come to His temple. We are living in a time of great crisis. The Country is torn with scandal and with criticism, with faultfinding and condemnation. There are those who have downgraded the image of this nation as probably never before in the history of the country. I plead with you not to preach pessimism. Preach that this is the greatest country in all the world. . . . It is the nation that will stand despite whatever trials or crises it may yet have to pass through. We must be on the optimistic side. This is a great nation; this is a great country; this is the most favored of all lands. While it is true that there are dangers and difficulties that lie ahead of us, we must not assume that we are going to stand by and watch the country go to ruin. We should not be heard to predict ills and calamities for the nation. On the contrary, we should be providing optimistic support for the nation. You must remember . . . that this church is one of the most powerful agencies for the progress of the world, and we should . . . all sound with one voice. We must tell the world how we feel about this land and this nation and should bear our testimonies about the great mission and destiny that it has. If we do this, we will help turn the tide of this great country and lessen the influence of the pessimists. We must be careful that we do not say or do anything that will further weaken the country. It is the negative, pessimistic comments about the nation that do as much harm as anything to the country today. We who carry these sacred responsibilities must preach the gospel of peace, and peace can only come by overcoming the things of the world. Now, we must be the dynamic force that will help turn the tide of fear and pessimism. (Excerpts from a talk given at Ricks College Devotional Assembly, “Have Faith in America,” October 26, 1973, and printed in two sources: Ye Are the Light of the World: Selected Sermons and Writings of Harold B. Lee, 340, 350-351, and The Teachings of Harold B. Lee, edited by Clyde J. Williams, 365-366.)

A Tribute to Our Veterans

It is the VETERAN, not the preacher, who has given us freedom of religion. It is the VETERAN, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press. It is the VETERAN, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech. It is the VETERAN, not the campus organizer, who has given us freedom to assemble. It is the VETERAN, not the lawyer, who has given us the right to a fair trial. It is the VETERAN, not the politician, Who has given us the right to vote. It is the VETERAN who salutes the Flag, It is the VETERAN who serves under the Flag, ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD, AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM. God Bless them all!