Ism

Sittin here thinking agin. For some reason my mind went to the term “socialism” and “communism”; which started me thinking bout “ism”.

I will admit there are times when my mind wanders, and sometimes I get concerned it may lose its way back.

The thought came to me that “ism”s are oppressive to people. But what really caught my attention, or imagination, was the thought: socialism, communism, multiculturalism, environmentalism, racism, humanism. Get my drift?

How well I remember the news reels in the fifties regarding USSR and the plight of the people. Almost no jobs, very little money, long lines at the bread store, for stale bread. I especially remember stories of children having to roam the streets begging, and stealing in order to have anything to eat, because their father had been arrested for being a “dissident”. I remember how chilling it was to read about neighbors, overhearing conversations between husband and wife, and reporting it to the authorities. I recall reading “Tortured for Christ”, “Gulag Archipelago” . My most favoritest was “The Persecutor” by Sergei Kourdakov.

I do not understand how some person would be able to read these books, and not be affected. I do understand how some person would not want these books to be read by a broad collection of humanity.

So, here is my bottom line: If socialism, and communism were failures across the world, why are we so hell bent for leather to get it installed in this country? Or are we seeing the results of decades of dumbing down our society?

Anyway, that is what happens when I get to thinking, and no longer get paid for it.

Are you a terrorist?

Seems like the time is here to take a stand. Someone once said, these are the times that try men's souls. How do we respond? Do we stand up, and declare our allegience, or do we lay down or bend over and grab our ankles?

There is a reason the powers that be are afraid of the "Rightwing Extremists"; God and one are a majority, and that means others have to be a minority.

May God have mercy on our souls.

 

Turned on by a great lady (Updated {mea culpa})

Stopped in and visited LindaSoG at her blog Something...and half of something. If you haven't visited her, you really need to.

This morning she had a graphic that I found interesting and I asked her if I could steal it, she very graciously sent me the link. So, here it is:



Thanks to Van Helsing for the image, and thanks to Linda for turning me onto it.

Van contacted me and squared me away on who deserves the credit for the updated DHS alert level which would be America is an Obamanation please accept my apology.

Every little bit helps as we progress onward in this battle to keep our country.

Thinkin agin when I ain’t getting paid for it

I continue to hear that old saying “The person who will not learn from history is doomed to relive it.”

I am somewhat of a lover of history. Right now, my military mind is running amok in the world of the Third Reich.

There are really so many areas I can go to in this discussion, but I think I want to keep it generally in one area.

Just the other day we became aware of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Intelligence and Analysis Assessment on Rightwing Extremism. There are a couple of points in this assessment that I would like to take a look at, and perhaps bring a little bit of history to light in the same area.

I will pursue using the points addressed in the assessment under the heading of: “Rightwing extremism in the United States can be broadly divided into those groups, movements, and adherents that are primarily hate-oriented (based on hatred of particular religious, racial or ethnic groups), and those that are mainly antigovernment, rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority, or rejecting government authority entirely. It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration.”

Perhaps the most glaring point made, is in the area of returning veterans. In World War II Germany there was a man in the naval service, who distinguished himself in World War I as a submarine driver…he held the country’s highest awards. We know him today as Martin Niemoller.

After WWI he returned to civilian life, and became a pastor of a church. When Hitler and the Third Reich, began instituting the German Church, based not on Christ, but on state pride, Pastor Niemoller, among others, spoke out against the efforts.

The Third Reich called for Naval Officer Niemoller to again take up the war effort and lead submarines in the second world war; to which he refused. After refusing, he began to speak out more vehemently against what was happening in the name of religion. He was having an effect on the townspeople, and like Dietrich Bonhoffer, was eventually arrested and locked in prison in order to silence his “antigovernment” speech.

Now what could the German leadership do with him? Here was a national war hero, who had offered up his life to protect the homeland. He was a hero. Hitler, was torn with what to do with him, because if he out and out killed him, he took a chance of making a martyr out of him, before he could completely establish his church. So, Pastor, National Hero, Niemoller was locked up and released a couple of times. He refused to disclaim his Christian belief. Eventually, he was locked up and not allowed to leave. And in 1945, was finally executed for crimes against the government.

Pastor Niemoller left us a thought that should be floating through everyone’s minds at a time like this, when our nation is being led into “change”. I think, {again, I ain’t getting paid for thinking} that I would like to paraphrase his statement, to bring it up to where we are today.

When first they came for the Christians, I didn’t do anything, because I wasn’t really a Christian.

Then when they came for the homosexuals, I didn’t do anything, because I wasn’t a homosexual.

Then when they came for the academicians, I didn’t do anything, because I wasn’t an academician.

When they next came for the journalists and media types, I didn’t do anything, because I wasn’t a journalist.

When they finally came for me, there was no one left to do anything.

So, why is there such a fear in our government of military veterans? I would propose a couple of ideas here. Military veterans, are willing to lay down their lives for the country they love: when someone is bent on destroying that country, as they love it, they stand ready to defend.

Should we take an inventory of the people who are responsible for the “change” in this country, and the risk assessment, TODAY, I really believe we will find that not one of them has ever been in the military, or even considered being willing to give up their life for this country, mainly because they don’t like liberty and freedom, and they, deep down in their innermost being, believe they are better suited to tell the rest of us how to live our lives. Remember the song, “He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother”? Well, their version of that is, “He ain’t heavy, because I am the one who carries the weight”.

The United States of America has a reputation as being willing to stand up for the little guy and put down anyone who is oppressive…it is in our Declaration of Independence, it is in our Constitution. That brings another thought {no charge for this one either}. According to the DHS assessment, “Rightwing extremists… rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority”. Our Constitution gives limited authority to the federal gummint in favor of state and local gummint! So, you see, even the founders of this country and the Constitution are guilty of rightwing extremism.

No, cotton-pikkin wonder we the people of the Republic of the United States of America are being labled as antigovernment. When will they ever learn, when will they ever learn?

Tax Day Tea Party

Yesterday, was tax deadline day, it also was Tax Day Tea Party day. Fortunately, a tea party was held here in Sioux Falls.

While the people were setting up the tables and props, there was a pretty good east wind blowing across the lake, it took some extra effort to get the banners, and signs taped down to the tables. More about the wind, later.

My aunt mentioned to me that she had only heard an advertisement for the tea party, once on the television, and that was the morning of the party. I explained to her that the majority of the advertisement was through the internet, the AM talk radio station, and word of mouth. She couldn’t understand why there had not been more announcements on the television. I explained to her that the television stations have a vested interest in encouraging ever expanding gummint; they want no part in any subversive activities that would encourage reducing gummint.

A man made up as Abe Lincoln was there, and you could have your picture taken with him to commemorate the day. There was also a place where you could have your picture taken with “Daisy”. There was a lot of speculation as to who “Daisy” might be, and just prior to the festivities kicking off, “Daisy” was carried in. She was about a forty pound pig. Yes, you got that right…No, I can’t say I saw them put lipstick on “Daisy”.

Thanks was given to the Water Show enterprise, here in Sioux Falls, for the loan of their water-worthy replica of a “man-o-war” to symbolize the British ships bringing in the load of tea, and other commodities.



I had mentioned the stiff east wind that was blowing across the lake, and blowing everything around; at the start of the festivities, there were so many people gathered around, that a lot of the banners, were no longer moving with the wind, because the people were blocking the wind.

A drum corps, and a chorus, were in attendance from the local high school, which, I might add, is also the high school that provides Marine Corps Junior ROTC. They were great!





The MC announced that we were not having any politicians in attendance, primarily because the event was “grass-roots” and not beholden to any political party. There were guest speakers made up to represent historical figures instrumental in our country’s founding and growing. Their words were well taken, and encouraging.

I asked someone about the commie pinkos that were supposed to be there as a counter demonstration, and was informed that there was one van and a motorcycle in the driveway of the parking lot, but that was all. I left the event early to get to work, and did not see any protesters at all.

The count of the people in attendance was somewhere upward of 3500. When I left, there were vehicles lined up in the road trying to find parking places so they could be a part of the event.











Well, it was a good event, and I came away encouraged that there are more people here, than I thought, who are concerned about where the gummint is taking us. You see, South Dakota is an integral part of “flyover country”, we are the hicks that embrace our religion and guns. But I have had a concern that we are a bipolar community. We are considered to be a conservative state, yet, we have a tendency to vote very liberal. I have talked with citizens here, and been informed that it is a good thing to have both a conservative and a liberal in the senate, cuz, it keeps a balance. I am sorry, but I don’t see any balance there, to me it is a cancelled vote, because we only have two senators, and when they vote against each other, we might as well not have a vote.

I have also been told that it is important for us to have the right person in con-gress to make sure we get federal money to do things. Well, hellooooo!!! How often we forget where those federal funds come from. Here we are having a tax day tea party, to make our desires known that we want less taxes, yet, part of our population still wants to get those federal funds. {Shake my head in wonder}.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Oscar

So, the Department of Homeland Security is frightened about “right-wingers”! How do they define a right winger? Anyone who is against taxes? Anyone who is against the change being defined by the current administration? Anyone who is against the tide of illegal aliens flowing into the country? Anyone who purchases guns and ammo? Anyone who is a veteran and possesses combat skills? Anyone who does not agree to unlimited abortion paid for by taxpayer money? Anyone who believes the Bible and believes in God?

If you answered “yes” to the above statements, then you are aware of where the gummint is currently moving.

To my military mind, I am a little disconcerted when I see our gummint establishing a department of “Homeland” security. You see, I am old enough to remember the cold war, and all that was happening behind the “Iron Curtain”. For the Russian, the ultimate patriotism was protection of the “Motherland” or the “Homeland”. Back in the days when we controlled our borders, we didn’t have much use for “Homeland Security”, cuz we was already taken care of business.

We have fought a number of wars to maintain our “Homeland Security”; as long as we were the dominant military force, and we took very little prisoners, we didn’t have any problem with keeping our “Homeland” secure. However, over time, many mamby pamby ultra liberal intellectuals, have decided it is better if we are not the dominant military force in the world, and have given away, or sold, our military and security secrets to the rest of the world, so they might feel a bit more smug that we are not so dominant.

The end result of sharing our might with the rest of the world, is that there are despots who desire to rule the entire world, and will do just about anything to reach that goal. Now, we have our members of the gummint doing all they can to assist the despots, ergo, we are now unsecure on our borders. Feels good don’t it?

We should recognize, that back when our country was being established, there were a number of influential people here who were not interested in separating from an oppressive monarchy, and argued against our becoming a sovereign nation. That mindset is still alive and well, today, and is endangering our continued livelihood.

What was that old saying? You never miss the one you love, until the one you love is gone. May God have mercy on our unrepentant souls.

Sunday Reflection: Higher Ground

I’m pressing on the upward way,
New heights I’m gaining every day;
Still praying as I onward bound,
“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”

{Chorus}
Lord, lift me up and let me stand,
By faith, on heaven’s table land,
A higher plane than I have found;
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

My heart has no desire to stay
Where doubts arise and fears dismay;
Tho’ some may dwell where these abound,
My prayer, my aim, is higher ground.

{Chorus}

I want to live above the world,
Tho’ Satan’s darts at me are hurled;
For faith has caught the joyful sound,
The song of saints on higher ground.

{Chorus}

I want to scale the utmost height,
And catch a gleam of glory bright;
But still I’ll pray till Heav’n I’ve found,
“Lord, lead me on to higher ground.”

{Chorus}

Johnson Oatman, Jr.
Copyright, 1925, Renewal, Homer A. Rodeheaver, owner