Pray for Loki

Update: The US has lost a sorely needed Constitutional scholar and autodidact. I will have faith that the Lord has called him home and we will meet eventually. My condolences to his family and my thanks for their support of his efforts to educate and encourage others. Rest In Peace Tim Kerlin. The world is a smaller and sadder place without you. 

 

 

While I am terribly tardy in posting a thank you to Loki from the Halls of Valhalla network on BTR, I am very grateful for his assistance. In addition, Loki has undergone his own surgery and is now in very bad condition, having suffered a blood clot to the brain. Please pray for him for both salvation and recovery.

According to Snooper: "Loki’s wife said that she had been telling Loki to admit that he was a Christian and to stop hiding this fact"  If this is so, it is an answer to prayer, not only my own but those of many others as Loki has staunchly held to the position that he is an agnostic through the years.

Loki has served as a teacher and a friend since the first time I encountered him. I was humbled that he was willing to host my show for me during my recent surgery and it is my sincerest wish that he accept salvation and a close second that he recover fully and quickly from this injury.

I also pray for comfort for his wife and family in this time of trials.

"But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall." ~ Mal 4:2

"How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him." ~ Acts10:38

Political Pistachio: Federal Government Snooping: All Branches of the Government Approve

"The dangerous implications of today's federal snooping are no different, and whether the branches are all in agreement, or not, the concept of monitoring the actions of American Citizens under a general warrant remains to this day to be unconstitutional.  The fact that all of the branches agree with the surveillance choices of the Obama administration makes it even more dangerous, because it also means that the ruling elite has found a way to spit on the concepts of the separation of powers, and checks and balances, and call collusion a constitutional action when in reality, collusion of the branches against the States, and the people, is a breach of the contract called the Constitution, and is a declaration of war against the citizenry of the United States of America."
Read more at:
Political Pistachio: Federal Government Snooping: All Branches of the Government Approve

Speaking My Mind About Islam

Today is speak your Mind about islam day, so here goes. First off, for those of you on Twitter, here's a hashtag for you: #SpeakYourMindAboutIslamDay . The DOJ has indicated that sharing unflattering opinions about islam on social media, regardless of the truth of those opinions, will be prosecuted. In AMERICA! Our rights require exercise if they are not to be lost. This nation depends on an informed citizenry that is willing to stand for the Constitution and the rule of law.

“War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things; the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks nothing worth a war, is worse. A man who has nothing which he cares more about than he does about his personal safety is a miserable creature who has no chance at being free, unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.”
― John Stuart Mill

Next up are my own thoughts and opinions. Islam is to the world what an abusive father is to a family. It encourages abuse and abusive behavior. It insists upon being the only authority with the power to speak or act. It punishes those who are bound by their cultures and upbringing, those who have never known anything else, when they deviate by so much as a glance or raised eyebrow from its approved positions.

There are many verses in the quran that require and approve of the killing and/or enslavement of those who do not follow islam. Those deceived souls who follow and approve of islam insist that these verses only apply in war without noting that, until the world has been conquered for allah, islam IS at war with all who do not submit to it. Within islam there are only dar al harb and dar al islam, the house of war and the house of islam. The goal of islam is to eliminate by any and all means the house of war.

 "Terror is necessary in the winning of wars" "Terror will not work if the heart is filled with faith" ~ From The Quranic Concept of War by Brig. General S. K. Malik

 That sounds "nice"- to eliminate war - doesn't it? Unfortunately, according to islam the only way to do that is to convert or kill all those who currently occupy the house of war and that is everyone in the world with the exception of those who currently follow islam. It's rather like the old warnings about trying to get a genie(or as they are known in islam a djin) to grant you a wish. Wish to be the oldest child in your family? Easy, the genie kills all your older siblings. Wish to have all the gold in the world - poof! It's yours, but, because no one else has any, it is now worthless.

As Bill Warner noted in his videos, islam is at war with us regardless of our opinions or actions regarding islam. Today is to be a reminder to the DOJ that this is America and we HAVE freedom of speech. Any law that has been made that contravenes the US Constitution is no law at all and every citizen has a duty to refuse to comply with such a law. We cannot yell "fire" in a crowded theatre because that could create an immediate, physical threat to the people in the theatre. Speaking ill of another does not rise to that same level of threat. Unless it is the opinion of this administration and the DOJ that the followers of islam are so mentally unstable that they ought to be in a mental institution because they are incapable of controlling themselves when they feel their religion has been insulted, then this is absolutely illegal. (And were that the case, I contend that it would be the duty of the DOJ to round up the followers of islam and incarcerate them in mental institutions rather than taking action against American citizens exercising their God given and Constitutionally affirmed rights to freedom of speech.)

So, it is now the time when: "Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it."~Thomas Paine Speak your mind about islam today and every day...while we still may.

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. " ~ 1 John 4:18

Personal Responsibility vs Dependence

Today the Sheboygan Press ran an article with a photo about Milwaukee County Sheriff Joe Clarke. The link I included does not show the advertisement that was posted directly to the left of the article and directly below the photo of Sheriff Clarke. It was an ad showing the silhouette of a pig in black with the words "Black Pig" in a large font underneath. The next line, in a much smaller font, read "Casual comfort Food With a Twist", and under that, there was a section of the ad box that was solid black with the word "oink!" in big white letters. (I do not know if the restaurant I linked to is related to the ad, but I couldn't find such a restaurant in the local phone book or anything else on-line and I even ditched startpage and tried google for you) (Correction made to the second line of the ad on 2/25.13)

Personally, I think this is just a case of poor layout review-probably due to the fact that whoever was doing the layout either didn't look at the article or the placement didn't strike them as a commentary on the article.(Which is as it should be in today's world.) I believe that is the case, although my youth spent in the Berkeley of the Midwest seems to have sensitized me to it. It made me chuckle though and here is why.

The Sheboygan Press, like the great majority of main stream media outlets, is seriously biased towards the progressive side of the spectrum. That means they are part of those raising the hue and cry against Sheriff Clarke for doing his duty by the people of Milwaukee county. He told them that they need to (gasp) take responsibility for their own safety, because due to the layoff of several officers and decreased hours for others, 911 may no longer be your best option in an emergency.

On first hearing, this was not at all controversial or even remarkable. Of course an individual is responsible for their own safety, first and foremost. Law enforcement is a backup plan and always has been. Or so I thought. Apparently this simple, truthful announcement set off a firestorm of controversy. Puzzling to be sure.

 Then, it became apparent why this statement is being viewed with such alarm by the main stream media and government in general. It is because, in order for the American Experiment in self government to fail, the people must become dependent upon the government rather than themselves.

Rather than acknowledging the entrepreneurial and independent nature of the founding generation of this nation, what have our children been taught now for decades? Go to school, go to college, get good a job with good benefits and retire. That's the American dream these days. (Job should be a dirty word, but that's another post. ) What else is part of the American dream, as dreamed by the progressive/communist/socialist/Gramsci Marxist enemies that have had near complete control of our school system for decades now? The idea that the government is there to take care of you. "Government is mother. Government is father." If you are under 40, those last few sentences probably mean nothing to you. They represent what children were taught in  the U.S.S.R. before the fall of the Berlin wall.

Why is that important? Because if you are dependent upon the government, the government controls you. The American Experiment is about putting the people in control of the government. If we wanted the government to control our every action, we would still be subjects of the crown. In order to create their Utopian fantasy world, the progressives MUST have a people that is dependent on the government. May Americans never be that people. Historically, every time governments attempt the Utopian nonsense that those currently in control of our school systems advocate, it has resulted in the deaths of millions of people- people killed by their own governments. Every. Single. Time.

Getting back to the article at the top of this post, it made me chuckle because, if the ad placement had been meant as a racist and anti law enforcement slur, that would mean that the progressives were being racist towards a member of the melanin blessed among us, in stark contrast to what they preach because said member of their preferred dependent class wasn't pushing their nonsense. I found that amusing and ironic.

So, Sheriff Joe Clarke, Thank you for doing the right thing and for alerting your constituents to their increased need for self defense options. And thank you for living in reality as opposed to those who clearly do not. Freedom isn't safe. It never was and never will be, on the individual level. On the national level, however, it is leaps and bounds safer than anything else.

 If you are currently on the government dole-get off. Provide for yourself and your family. If your state is bending the knee the to the feds in order to get fed money(our own money back after a chunk has been removed for bureaucratic nonsense), tell your governors and your legislature to stop taking it. Tell them to collect federal taxes at the state level and then refuse to send them until the feds abide by the Constitution. Do it now. It is a matter of life and death.

"But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel." ~1 Timothy 5:8 

It's Not About Self Defense

"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

The 2nd amendment is not about self defense. Its purpose is to "make regular" or to create a citizen militia. (The word "regular" did not mean the same thing then as it does now.)  That is the function of the 2nd amendment, to recognize that every adult male IS a member of the militia as the founders of this nation understood it.

 

"A militia, when properly formed, are in fact the people themselves ... and include all men capable of bearing arms."

Richard Henry Lee - Senator, First Congress

"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of people always possess arms..."

The idea was the same idea as they have in Switzerland, only without the mandatory service/training in a formal military because this nation was not to have a formal military. The Navy wasn't created until Thomas Jefferson's tenure as president. (And the self declared enemy that made that necessary was islam - as it is today.) The idea was that The People would be responsible enough and courageous enough in themselves to protect this nation.

"The great object is that every man be armed. Everyone who is able may have a gun."

"Are we at last brought to such humiliating and debasing degradation that we cannot be trusted with arms for our defense? Where is the difference between having our arms in possession and under our direction, and having them under the management of Congress? If our defense be the real object of having those arms, in whose hands can they be trusted with more propriety, or equal safety to us, as in our own hands?" Patrick Henry

 The People were to be a permanent militia which would be more than sufficient to the needs of this nation. One that is capable of repelling any invader who would be foolish enough to attack a free people. One that is capable of removing the types of power weasels who would be drawn to positions of authority in this nation.

"Who are the militia? Are they not ourselves? Is it feared, then, that we shall turn our arms each man gainst his own bosom. Congress have no power to disarm the militia. Their swords, and every other terrible implement of the soldier, are the birthright of an American...[T]he unlimited power of the sword is not in the hands of either the federal or state governments, but, where I trust in God it will ever remain, in the hands of the people."

Tenche Coxe, The Pennsylvania Gazette, Feb. 20, 1788.

That is why any assault on the right to keep and bear arms is so egregious. That is why gun sales and ammo sales have skyrocketed since this administration was put in place. Not because those buying guns are violent or racist or rebels, but because The People can see the writing on the wall.

"You have rights antecedent to all earthly governments; rights that cannot be repealed or restrained by human laws; rights derived from the Great Legislator of the Universe" John Adams

We see the continual and deliberate refusal of those in authority to enforce the law on themselves or their fellows in the criminal destruction of this nation. If the law will not be enforced equally at the highest levels, then we can be sure that it will not be long before it is selectively enforced at the local level - if such is not already the case.  

"Can the liberties of a nation be sure when we remove their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people, that these liberties are a gift from God? Thomas Jefferson

Mr. obama is seated in violation of the eligibility requirements of our Constitution. Ms. rodham-clinton is seated as SoS, also in violation of the Constitution. Mr. holder is allowed to skip out of any consequences for his egregious actions in Fast and Furious. We have testimony that the DOJ's office is enforcing the law selectively and then Mr. obama himself, acting as president, DIRECTS the DOJ to refuse to enforce our immigration law and sues a border state for acting when the federal government abdicates its responsibility to do so.

Now we see our people hung out to dry and abandoned to die in Benghazi, while the witnesses who escaped haven't been seen or heard from since. A traitor is appointed to replace the unconstitutionally seated Ms. r-c.  The Patriot act and the NDAA are used against the American people, while those whose stated goal is to bring down our miserable house from within are given aid and comfort and F-16s and tanks.

"We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge or gallantry would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution is designed only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for any other." John Adams

We are not blind. This is the place where the rubber meets the road in the American experiment. Can We the People reclaim our government and restore the Constitutional limitations as they were meant to be, or will we go down the same road to destruction as all nations whose people have succumbed to the lethal Utopian philosophies of communism/socialism/fascism?

"Posterity, you will never know how much it cost the present generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it. If you do not, I shall repent in heaven that ever I took half the pains to preserve it." John Adams

It has come to the proving point for our unique form of government. Can We the People remove the traitors and power weasels who have taken positions of power and authority within the republic in accordance with the processes outlined in our founding documents - or will we be destroyed in the same manner as other nations who became dependent upon government largesse?

"For they know not to do right, saith the Lord, who store up violence and robbery in their palaces." Amos 3:10

A New Year

We have before us a new year. What will the new year bring? 

Not too surprisingly, Congress, not wanting to be seen as completely incompetent in a way that would have ordinary people being directly affected, has come to an agreement that will allow the price of milk to remain the same. You see, the farm bill expired in October and if it were not renewed, then the price of milk would have doubled this month.

So you see, if Congress thinks something might cause regular people, those who ignore politics(or at least those who drink milk, eat cheese, ice cream or yogurt and other milk dependent foods-mac and cheese anyone?)to become alarmed at their antics, they will act in their own best interests. Why they don't see the shredding of the Constitution in the same way, is because We the People have neglected our duty to make it so. 

There are many reasons that this could be so. Everything from our very comfortable levels of prosperity to the cultural Marxism that has been taught in our schools for the last 5 decades or so to the increasing reluctance of individuals to actually exercise those rights with which God has endowed us has led us to this place. I have become increasingly convinced that only individual efforts across the population can bring us out. 

I do not mean "grass roots" either. I mean concerted and sustained efforts by individuals to exercise their rights individually across the board. Your "grass roots" group won't be with you at that traffic stop or when you are open carrying in a public place. YOU must be able to exercise your rights when you are alone. That is the courage and resolve that is required of us as American citizens. That is the civic duty that used to be taught in our schools. That is the value of reading the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution and knowing your rights and your duties as a citizen of this nation. 

The Constitution of the nation is  our bedrock place to stand, as individuals, against the powers of the federal government. Your states constitution is the same thing at the state level. You and I need that bedrock to oppose the dreck that is coming at us in this new year. If you haven't already, make it your new year's resolution to read them and know your rights. 

I hope we  can stand. Knowing that there are and will be many suits against the abomination that is obamacare, I suggest that citizens across the nation educate themselves regarding the process of jury nullification. 

Contact your legislators. Daily. Demand good behavior and respect for the limitations put on them by the US Constitution. Senator feinstein and any who join her in her call to infringe on the right of the people to keep and bear arms is in violation of her oath to support and uphold the Constitution. Ask your legislator to file charges against Ms. feinstein and any who join her in that effort. Your life and the lives of every person you know may very well depend upon it.

Then you may want to do yourselves and your neighbors a favor in this new year and research for yourself what the term "natural born citizen" means. There are plenty of resources out there. Don't be lazy and accept the much edited and milquetoast wikipedia - find out what those who debated and voted to accept the US Constitution had for a definition. You may also be surprised to find that current US law makes a distinction between "native born citizen" and "natural born citizen" although not many are willing to research far enough to find out. 

Before you toss this as the rantings of a "birther" know that I don't care a whit where Mr. obama was born. I do care a great deal, however, that he be a natural born citizen if he is to sit as Commander in Chief to the armed services of this nation. I do care a great deal if he is going to be handed the power to usurp the legislative process through the issuance executive orders. And mostly, I care because, if we are going to ignore one portion of the Constitution and allow someone who is Constitutionally ineligible to serve as POTUS, then what other part or parts of the Constitution may we hold as inviolable and on what grounds? 

That is why the Constitution must be held to as strictly as the Bible. It is the ground we, as Americans, stand on when we exercise our God given and Constitutionally affirmed rights. The right to freedom of speech, religion, the press, to remain silent under questioning, to have legal representation present during questioning to advise us how best to protect ourselves, to privacy in our persons, papers and effects, to keep and bear arms and swarms of rights un-enumerated but recognized as existing in that venerable document. If one bit may be ignored with impunity, so too will the rest. 

It is up to us, individually, to do what must be done to protect this nation and restore the Constitution. To remove all federal laws, rules, regulations and agencies that are in excess of the authority granted to the federal government by that document. We can do it slowly, as surely we did not come to these egregious excesses overnight, so it would be deleterious to dismantle them overnight, but they must be removed. 

If we find a need and will to recreate them on a state level, then we may do so in our individual states, but the states must retain sovereignty over the federal government. 

No other nation, in the history of the world has come to the brink of disaster with so many options for it's aversion as have we. But it will take dedicated, persistent individuals to make the changes. In other words, 'an irate, tireless minority keen on setting the brushfires of freedom in the hearts of men'. We each need to be one of those willing to take the legal route, the legislative route and the route of persistence and defiance of any action by those acting on behalf of the government to infringe upon our rights if this nation is to be restored.

Does this sound gloomy, even dire perhaps?  It should. We are on the precipice of the destruction of this nation. We the People are the only ones who may avert it. We have had those who immigrated from communist nations warning us for years of where we are headed if we do not restore our Constitution and remove from power those who would ignore, pervert or destroy it, and yet we have not done so. We continue to run headlong into destruction-or so it seems.

I say "or so it seems", because that is what the MSM seems to be pushing. Telling us that we are heroes for enlarging the entitlement mentality and system beyond sustainability. Telling us it is good, yes, ever so good, for the people to be dependent upon the government instead of the other way around. I tend to think that most people, when they really stop to think about it, know this is nonsense. I am even thinking, of late, that the majority of the people are not as the MSM portrays them-communists desperately waiting for a hitler, stalin or marx to lead them into an age of human evolution past the barbarities of history - but rather conservatives who do not know that they are conservative. 

That is the reason for the inundation of the progressive narrative across the MSM airwave spectrum and the indoctrination centers for cultural Marxism that our schools have become. Not to tell it like it is, but rather to imply that what is not, exists in the hearts and minds of Americans. To intimidate ordinary citizens(which no American citizen is) into accepting their progressive drivel by indicating that those who disagree will stand utterly alone in the hopes that Americans have forgotten that individual liberty requires an ability to stand alone. 

This new year will determine if we are truly Americans, exceptional in our choice to live as free men and women and responsible enough to hold ourselves to the high standards of personal responsibility necessary to do so - or merely Europeans  that had a brief hissy fit who will now become as banal as the citizens of all those nations to whom we gave the opportunity to grasp liberty for themselves, but who have failed to do so.

Why has America been able to grasp freedom where other nations have failed?  It comes from having a base of strong individuals for citizens. Citizens who are willing to claim our God given and Constitutionally affirmed rights. Citizens who  will work to ensure a governmental form that allows the greatest amount of personal liberty possible with the least amount of government interference. Citizens who accept that corruption is to be expected from government, but who reject out of hand the notion that such corruption cannot be countered by the citizenry. Citizens who decide that their own honor and reputation is worth more than any activity that could tarnish them ever could be. (An attitude that is espoused in Christianity-which is why even - did I say "even", I should have said "especially" non Christians should want those values promoted throughout this nation.) That is American Exceptionalism and it is what makes us successful as a nation. We discard it, as we discard its Christian underpinnings at our peril. 

So, are you an American, willing to take personal responsibility to hold Congress to their Constitutional limitations or a European, held hostage in a culture you do not understand? If you are not sure, now is the time to resolve to find out.

^"18 Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the Lord thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment.
¹⁹ Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.
²⁰ That which is altogether just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee." ~ Duet 16:18-20

Exercise: It Does a Republic Good.

A little bit ago, my family and I successfully completed the NRA's basic pistol shooting course. We did this because, well, because I insisted that, now that we have a concealed carry law in WI, it was our duty, even though all of us have had a modicum of training in the past, to become more knowledgeable about firearms. Those who choose not to carry should take such a class as well because it is a duty consistent with the right to bear arms to know how to use a firearm should you be put in a bad situation. Even though all the classes I had seen on-line in our area were full, a friend told us about some openings in his class, so off we went.


I'm so proud of my boy.

In addition to being a lot of fun, the class struck me as a picture of our larger rights and responsibilities as American citizens. We have self evident God given rights, yes, but they come with an equally self evident duty attached to them. That duty is to exercise those rights appropriately and responsibly. This is something that people tend to understand immediately when speaking about firearms, but not so much when it comes to our other self-evident rights. One of the most important duties that is required to maintain our rights is to exercise them appropriately at every opportunity.

We often don't think of exercising our freedom of speech, or our freedom of religion or our freedom from unreasonable search and seizure and all the rest as duties. We are usually all too happy to give them up at the drop of a hat when challenged. Just as it is an uneasy feeling to carry a firearm around with you, it is just as uneasy to exercise any of our other rights in the face of opposition or authority. Just look at how many people have tamely submitted to the TSA's unconstitutional searches. This is to say nothing of exercising our other self evident, but unnamed Constitutional rights, like the right of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children.


He's a good shot, too.

Think about that. We have a whole slew of other unnamed, yet self evident rights, to which we often do not lay claim, due to the fact that they are not named. Not only that, but we often give up our named rights out of ...what? Is it a wish to be nice? Is it a wish to be perceived as cooperative? Is it sheer ignorance of how those rights are to be appropriately exercised? Or is it cowardice?
I tend to think it is a combination of all those reasons and more. Whatever it is, we need to stop it. We are at, and possibly past, a tipping point, beyond which America no longer exists as the land of the free. We need to be exercising our rights. All of them. Every time it is appropriate to do so. What's more, we need to help each other stand up for those rights as well.


As you can see, those who exercise their rights, understand their responsibilities.

At first it will be scary, but, as you become more familiar with the process and the likely results, you will come to understand what the phrase "We The People" really means in the Constitution. Far from being a hindrance to the exercise of freedom, acceptance of that responsibility is what gives us the power to remain free. I know we've come a long way from the days of our founders, but I think we can still handle the risks and responsibilities that go along with the power to direct our own lives, don't you? Try it, you never know, it may be fun.


Even though he grumbled about it at first, if you enlarge the photo, you'll see that "Dad" enjoyed the class too.

"And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing.

Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.

For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end.

And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough" ~ Luke 22:35-38

Don't Ask but Tell all You Like

“The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other guy die for his.”― George S. Patton Jr.

The recent repeal of the 1993 military personnel eligibility act went live a few days ago. It went live in spite of the fact that it was unconstitutional for the judicial or the executive branch to address a matter that is quite clearly delineated to the Congress and no one else. (US Constitution, Article 1, section 8)

The quote at the beginning of this post is pertinent and timely. Everyone does not have a right to serve in the military. There are and always have been strict entrance requirements. There is a reason for those requirements and that quote says it as eloquently as can be managed. But for those who don't understand the reasoning, who would label me homophobic or other less prettified names, the point of those entrance requirements is to limit the number of casualties incurred by our military.

I know a fine young man who planned to make the military his career after high school. he was denied admission due to a hearing defect. Surely those with hearing defects should be able to serve if they have that desire. Yet there is no outcry about the hearing impaired not being allowed to serve.

I know others who didn't meet the height/weight/intelligence criteria required to enlist. Where are the political movements for them? There are none. Why not? Because we recognize the value of being able to hear orders clearly in relation to a unit's ability to survive in combat. Because we recognize the ways in which these other things can cost our military lives.

The problem here is that unit cohesion is not seen as being just as vital to that struggle to "make the other guy die for his" as are the physical/mental requirements I mentioned above. This action on the part of the executive and judiciary branches, along with the badly skewed survey on how this change will affect our military will cost lives. Some of the highlights of the flaws that Congress ignored are :

"The Pentagon report admits “the majority of views expressed in [140 focus group sessions] were against repeal of the current policy.”

It based its “no-risk” assessment of open homosexuality for military effectiveness on a panel of 11 unidentified, nonscientific personnel.(emphasis mine)

It dismissed 67% negative views expressed by combatants by suggesting their lack of service with homosexuals feeds the negativity."


Shame on us for not speaking out more, but more shame on Congress for allowing their Constitutional powers and authorities to be so usurped. We have failed our military. I can only pray that the cost is not more than we can pay.

"Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." ~ Matt 15:14

"Time's Up!": Filing Sexual Assault Charges Against TSA Screeners

"Time's Up!": Filing Sexual Assault Charges Against TSA Screeners

"You can fight back with following explicit instructions. You have rights and by "fighting back" I am referring to via the Police Departments and Sexual Assault Investigators/Detectives within the police departments, FBI and the media.

Get to the airport early.

First, calmly and respectfully tell the TSA Screener that you are objecting to the invasive body search even though you are not being given a choice to either refuse it or leave the airport.
This means that you are being forced against your will to submit. If they tell you that you must submit, then it is like a man putting a knife to your throat and giving you no choice. You are forced either way."

Please read the rest of this excellent article on how to stand up for your fourth, fifth and eighth amendment rights with regard to the new TSA "enhanced pat-down" procedures/scanners.

We, as Americans have a duty to stand up for our rights, even if it is inconvenient, embarrassing and scary. It is our duty. I suggest that everyone who flies should download this article, print it off and do exactly as the article suggests.

"Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.
"~Job 13:15

Freedom or Security?

We have, in this nation alone among the nations of the world, the unique opportunity to experience and maintain freedom. The thing of it is, that: "Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it." ~ Thomas Paine
It is our time to undergo the fatigues of supporting freedom. It is our time to insure that our soldiers do not come home to find that they are significantly less free then they were when they left.

One of the ways we support freedom is by resisting legislation that make us less free.

Legislation like S 510. The Food Modernization and Safety act which, while touting safety, may remove our ability to garden or buy food from local producers at farmer's markets and the like. The problem is not that people do not want their food to be safe, but rather that we believe ourselves able to make our own judgements regarding the safety of food from our gardens and local producers.

Legislation like the repeal of the military personnel eligibility act of 1993. This was unanimously approved by Congress less than ten years ago. Has our military or the world changed so significantly during those few years that this is a reasonable move? The bottom line is what will best serve the needs of our military, not what one special interest group, no matter how organized, wants. I rather imagine that there are groups within this nation that, were they organized, would constitute a larger segment of the population than this group, yet they are not organizing and demanding to be included in a military whose standards exempt them from service. Our military as it stands is the finest fighting force on this planet. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

One of the other ways we do our civic duty is to vote for our elected representatives. We are to vote for people who represent our values and who are of strong character. People who will not be swayed by political correctness or bribery or any thing other than what is best for our nation.(Or whatever level of government to which we are electing them.)

These examples show the ordinary actions needed to maintain our nation and it's freedoms. You call your elected representatives and let them know what you think. It's easy. It can be done with a minimum of fuss and time. Just a few minutes and you've done your duty. Voting takes a few hours out of every year to actually cast a vote and a minimum of research to decide for whom that vote should be cast. This is when it is easy to fulfill your duty as a citizen of this, most free of all nations.

This next example is about when it is not so easy. The TSA was established as a reaction to a terrible attack on our nation. The goal of the TSA is to prevent another such incident from taking place. However, the TSA has overstepped it's bounds by quite a bit. The authority of a federal agency may not exceed the Constitutional limits put upon the federal government itself and the TSA has done so.

In initiating these new screening procedures, as well as some that are probably not so new, by my count, the TSA has violated no less than three Constitutional amendments when they elect to put someone through the more stringent screening. Here is what I understand the procedure to entail.

1. The TSA selects an individual to go through extra screening, for a variety of reasons, all of which involve some degree of profiling. (Everything from "the metal detector beeped" to They were wearing a competing team's football Jersey" to "she was good looking" are among the reasons I have heard and I'm sure there are others.)
2. That individual is taken aside and asked to either go through a machine which will perform a virtual strip search or be subjected to an "enhanced" pat-down which includes the TSA agent touching intimate body parts, or possibly both. Possibly in full view of their fellow passengers.
3. Once an individual has been moved into the special screening area, they are subject to a fine of up to $10,000 if they leave before submitting to these procedures.

Now let's look at the amendments which, in my opinion, are broken by this procedure.

Amendment IV
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

I don't believe that a virtual strip search or intimate groping are reasonable searches when the only reason for the search is that the individual has chosen to travel by a form of mass transit rather in their personal vehicle. Nor have I seen or heard of any accounts where the TSA produced a warrant to search anyone.

Amendment V
No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.


I think hijacking an airliner or attempting to do so would constitute a capital or otherwise infamous crime. If an individual is not allowed to leave the screening area without being subject to a fine, that demonstrates that the individual so selected has been presumed guilty. This is without a trial of any sort. Forcing an individual to go through this sort of invasive screening is also the equivalent to forcing the individual to testify against themselves if they cannot afford the fine for leaving.
(In addition, the definition of sexual assault in many states is something along the lines of unwanted touching under coercion or threat of force. I think the threat of a $10,000 fine qualifies as coercion in my book.)

Amendment VIII
Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

$10,000 dollars for refusing to fly if you must subject yourself to these screening procedures and leave the screening area before they have been inflicted on you. You have not been tried, nor convicted of a crime, merely decided not to have your privacy invaded for the convenience of flying. This fine, in my opinion, is excessive. It demonstrates as well that the government considers you to be guilty of a crime for merely entering an airport and deciding not to fly. We are not under martial law here. There is no epidemic that would restrict people from traveling wherever they want, so there is no justification for these procedures.

Oh some may argue that we are in a time of public danger. I assert that we have never had a time when terrorists did not have the ability or inclination to attack us. Indeed, there have been many attacks before the tragedy of 9/11 against this nation both abroad and on US soil. Why are these procedures more necessary/acceptable now? Simply because that was a spectacular event? Or simply because we are more aware of a threat that has always existed? I submit that it is the second and further, that these procedures do not make us any more safe than we were before they were implemented. We the People need to demonstrate that a free people does not give up their unalienable rights over such threats. That we are willing and able to stand against terrorism of any sort. And that we can defend ourselves without resorting to a police state.

It is our duty, our civic duty, as American citizens, to stand up to the TSA and refuse to allow them to violate our Constitutional rights. You do not give them up when you purchase a ticket or walk into the airport. They are unalienable. Yes, this will be scary and inconvenient. Blood has been shed to protect these very freedoms. We owe those who shed that blood the duty of being inconvenienced to protect what they have paid so dearly to provide for us.

The choice is ours: Freedom or Security?
Bear in mind that no one is really safe if they are not free.

"And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born. "~ Acts 22:28

Where's the Anger?

Update: Federal Judge Martin Feldman in New Orleans, today lifted Mr. Obama's drilling ban as well as issuing a separate order preventing the US from enforcing that ban. The ruling was as a result of a law suit filed by several offshore service and supply companies in Louisiana. BP was not a part of this suit. (H/T The Maritime Sentry)

I keep hearing about how Americans are angry at BP over this oil spill. I look around and the only folks I see being actively angry about it are the talking heads in the MSM and ones who get their news almost exclusively from those same talking heads.

I am not angry at BP. It was an accident. How should anyone be angry about an accident? I will admit to being a bit upset about the way Mr. Obama and his administration are bungling and hampering the clean up efforts. I am also flabbergasted at how anyone thinks it is legal or Constitutional for Mr. Obama to demand that BP not pay dividends to it's shareholders or to command them to put 20 billion dollars in an independently administered fund for reparations. Where exactly are Mr. Obama and his administration finding the authority to do these things?

The message here isn't that BP shouldn't make appropriate reparations, they should. But rather that those reparations should be in accordance with the law, not whatever Mr. Obama says. Last time I checked, the president doesn't make the law, they may only approve or veto laws proposed and approved by the Congress. Has that changed since Mr. Obama was elected? What am I missing here?

In addition, I would like to know what those actions on the part of Mr. Obama and BP are saying to the business world in general. To me it appears that the message is, you are no longer working for yourselves, but rather for the government. Your profits are no longer your own, the government will tell you how that money is to be used.

"They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying snares privily; they say, Who shall see them? "~ Psalm 64:5

Oppose Healthcare

For all those in Wisconsin who are incensed, as am I, that healthcare was passed by the Congress, here is the next step, or at least one of them. Wisconsin Attorney General Van Hollen has examined the legislation, determined that it violates the Constitution and is asking for the authorization to join other states in challenging the legislation.

In order for this to happen, Mr. Van Hollen requires authorization from either the governor (fat chance), the State Assembly (again, not likely) or the state Senate. Mr. Leibham and others have joined in crafting a resolution to give Mr. Van Hollen that authorization from the Senate.

The legislation is LRB−4576 and it will be coming before Senator Decker (R-Weston) the Senate majority leader within the next few days. The authority to bring this resolution up for a vote rests in his hands. I would suggest that we all contact Mr. Decker at Sen.Decker@legis.wisconsin.gov to share a wish that the Senate authorize Mr. Van Hollen to pursue a challenge this legislation legally along with the Attorneys General of several other states.

"Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? "~ Matthew 24:45

Quick Update

The Constitution Rally was well attended with ~1,000 or so people (by my own count ). I wasn't particularly pleased to see Sen. Leibham(R-Sheboygan, Manitowoc and Calumet Counties) as a speaker, as I think we need to keep the presentations party neutral. He was encouraging folks to support the Health Care Freedom Amendment, a piece of legislation that might preserve our right to make our own healthcare choices.
Would it also prevent us from having to have a national ID in the form of a healthcare card linked to our health records and bank accounts? Would it prevent us from being burdened with the regulatory and fiscal concerns related to the national bill? I'm not so sure it would.

I wouldn't have minded hearing about the bill that was to come up for consideration before the Senate this week to disenfranchise the voters of this state by giving all of WI's electoral votes to the winner of the popular vote in a presidential election, but I don't recall that being mentioned. Such things make me wonder if any of our legislators understand the difference between a republic and a democracy.

I was also disappointed to see the table reserved for a representative of the democratic party still vacant. Personally I would like to see that fiscal sanity and support for our Constitution is a goal of both of the largest political parties. If we must have them(which I dispute) the parties should agree that fiscal sanity and respect for our Constitution is good for America as a whole. But then, if that were the case, why would we need a TEA Party movement?

The Sheboygan Press, in true MSM fashion declared: "TEA Party riding on Republican momentum". I suppose the MSM is just itching for a way to categorize the TEA Party movement as something, anything other than what it is: We the People declaring our authority over our legislators and our government.

The Sheboygan Youth Symphony was wonderful. Kudos to all the young musicians and Dr. Rich as well.

"Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. "~Isaiah 1:16-17

What to do with your Saturday in Wisconsin

If you're up for a trip to Madison, there is a Rally for Life at the capitol this Saturday.

You Are Invited ……
10 a.m. Workshop – Effective Community Organizing to Stop Planned Parenthood
Calvary Lutheran Church
701 State Street
(Parking Ramp Across the Street)

Statewide Pro-Life Rally on the UW-Madison Campus
Saturday, February 6, Noon
Library Mall
Following the Rally, we will walk
to the Madison Surgery Center,
1 S. Park St.

For More Information, Contact:
Jolene (608) 289-8122, totally4life@yahoo.com

If you don't have the time to make a trip to Madison, and are in the Sheboygan area, you could attend the Sheboygan Liberty Coalition's Constitution Rally.





Then on Sunday, if you need a reminder of why we need to protect both our children and our Constitution, the Sheboygan Area Youth Symphony will be performing at the Wiell Center.

"Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers."~ Prov 17:6

Wisconsin's 10th Amendment Resolution

Senator Liebham has kindly provided me with the text of his proposed resolution regarding the 10th amendment for Wisconsin and his aid, Mr. Werwie has assured me that I may publish it here. Without further ado, here is the text of the resolution.

2009 − 2010 Legislature SRM:wlj:phLRB−0927/1
"2009 − 2010 LEGISLATURE2009 SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

Relating to: state sovereignty.

Whereas, the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States reads,“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people”; and

Whereas, the Tenth Amendment defines the total scope of federal power as being that specifically granted by the U.S. Constitution and no more; and

Whereas, as the scope of power is defined by the Tenth Amendment, the federal government was created by the states specifically to be an agent of the states; and

Whereas, today the states are demonstrably treated as agents of the federal government; and

Whereas, the legislature has forwarded to the federal government numerous resolutions opposing federal encroachment on state powers but has received no response or result from Congress or the federal government; and

Whereas, many federal mandates are directly in violation of the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States; and

Whereas, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in New York v. United States, 112S. Ct. 2408 (1992) that Congress may not simply commandeer the legislative and regulatory processes of the states; and

Whereas, a number of federal proposals from previous administrations and some now pending from the present administration and from Congress may further violate the U.S. Constitution; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the senate, the assembly concurring, That the state of Wisconsin hereby claims sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States over all powers not otherwise enumerated and granted to the federal government by the U.S. Constitution; and, be it further

Resolved, That adoption of this resolution does not constitute an application by the legislature of the state of Wisconsin for the calling of a federal Constitutional Convention within the meaning of Article V of the U.S. Constitution; and, be it further

Resolved, That this resolution shall serve as notice and demand to the federal government, as our agent, to cease and desist, effective immediately, mandates that are beyond the scope of its constitutionally delegated powers; and, be it further

Resolved, That the senate chief clerk shall provide copies of this joint resolution to the president of the United States, to the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, to the presiding officer of each house of each state legislature of the United States, and to each member of this state’s congressional delegation.(END)" (Emphasis in bold is mine)

"Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no." ~Exodus 16:4