Obama has surrendered the high ground — America’s preeminence in Space achieved by NASA — to the Russians.

I frequently disagree with Senator John Glenn’s politics. And, I shall not take a position on the senator’s agenda for NASA, as outlined in his very informative article — STATEMENT OF SENATOR JOHN GLENN (Ret.) REGARDING NASA MANNED SPACE FLIGHT. However, I agree with the Senator in that I am very much opposed to Obama’s destruction of NASA, and the implications that his decree has on America’s standing among the nations:

The U.S. for the first time since the beginning of the Space Age will have no way to launch anyone into space – starting next January.

Our astronauts will have to be launched in Russian spacecraft, from a Russian base in Kazakhstan, to go to our International Space Station.

Starting at the end of this year, and probably for the next five to ten years, the launches of U.S. astronauts into space will be viewed in classrooms and homes in America only through the courtesy of Russian TV.

For the “world’s greatest spacefaring nation,” that is hard to accept….

In many conflicts over most of history, battles were won by those who controlled the high ground. The most important battle of all history suggests itself: At the Fall of Adam, Satan — leader of the fallen angels — captured the high ground that God had given to Mankind. The Scriptures teach us that ever since, “… we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:12). However, the Man, Jesus Christ, not only provided salvation to any human who simply believes in Him, but He also regained the high ground after His resurrection as He ascended through the angelic heavenlies to the Father’s throne: “Which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand, in the heavenlies, far above all principalities, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. And, has put all things under His feet, and gave to Him to be the head over all things to the church, which is His body.” (Ephesians 1:20-23). The importance of gaining and keeping the high ground is even illustrated in our theology. The relationship between NASA’s high ground and the foregoing illustration was first brought to my attention while studying Lesson 155 of Charles A. Clough’s Biblical Framework series, and is also referenced in his associated Class Notes, Part 6, page 19 of the PDF file.

In the late fifties and early sixties, the United States of America lost the high ground to the Soviet Union, noted by the whole world with the launch of Sputnik. Sputnik was a disaster to America’s preeminence on the world stage, even having military implications. Soviet Cosmonaut, Yuri Gargarin, continued to claim the high ground as the first human to enter earth orbit in outer space. But, America refused to allow those records to persist, and surpassed the USSR all the way to the moon. America confirmed its claim to the high ground as all the world watched the lunar landing via television, earning international respect.

America furthered its claim to the high ground as it built “Space Station Freedom.” Then, America began losing control of the high ground as we invited 15 other nations to participate with us. Its name was changed to “the International Space Station.” Glenn documents the spending — one might say “ownership” — of the ISS as $100 billion from the USA and $12-15 Billion from the rest of the countries, including Russia’s pittance.

Obama claims that the reduction of the NASA program is a cost-cutting measure. However, according to the mathematics in Senator Glenn’s article, it is clearly not a matter of saving money. Moreover, there are plenty of exceedingly wasteful federal programs that could be cut, with predictably good results.

America has spent hundreds of billions of Dollars seizing and maintaining the high ground in space. WHY, with the stroke of a pen, did Obama cede that high ground to the Russians?

The Marxist Russians were our stated enemy for many decades. It is clear from their submarines which prowl our coastline and from their dealings with Middle Eastern adversary nations that Russia is not our friend, much less an ally.

I am angry. Obama’s words, actions, and demeanor in the presence of foreign heads of state and their ambassadors have made many other thoughtful Americans angry, as well.

I believe that Obama’s action against NASA is indeed against all Americans. It is just one among many of his actions, statements, and misdemeanors which taken together indicate an impeachable disdain for America, capitalism, personal wealth, personal freedom, and many other pillars of America’s greatness.

The Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge is three counties deep, and 80 miles into America — including portions that extend north of Tucson. Obama has, effectively, ceded the entire National Park to illegal aliens. And, to help ensure the park’s transfer to illegal aliens, and according to Sheriff Paul Babeu of Pinal County, Obama suspended the fence construction on the park’s border with Mexico.

The park is now a protected freeway for illegal aliens, whose numbers include many Mexican para-military units and potential terrorists from mid-Eastern countries. And, Obama refuses the use of America’s military to help prevent the invasion, despite repeated requests by Arizonans, led by Governor Jan Brewer and Senator John McCain.

Instead of addressing the invasion, Obama has placed warning signs around the park to advise Americans not to enter this now-protected invasion trail. As Sheriff Paul Babeu explains,

“It’s shameful that we, as the most powerful nation on earth, can win wars and liberate countries throughout our history, yet we cannot even secure our own border and protect our own families. And, this is why crime in Arizona literally is and has been among the highest in the nation. And we need help!”

Refusal to protect our border in times of military invasion, a Constitutional obligation of the President, is an impeachable offence. From Wikipedia — the definition of High Crimes and Misdemeanors:

The charge of high crimes and misdemeanors covers allegations of misconduct that do not fall under a more clearly defined impeachable offence; e.g., high treason. This charge occurs only in cases of parliamentary impeachment and is unrelated to any offence in criminal law.

Most conservatives are wondering, “What can I, personally, do to help stop Obama’s anti-America juggernaut?” Recall that grammatically incorrect statement — “All politics is local.” It’s true! Every marxist and conservative in Washington is there because of local politics.

Do this. All patriotic citizens who cherish the vision of our founding fathers for the United States should attend the local Precinct Convention for their political party. It is at these meetings that the process of composing the party platform begins. At the Convention you will be asked to vote for or against Resolutions that will be forwarded to the County Convention, and if passed there, on to the State Convention. This is how national party platforms and some state laws are formed.

You can affect both party platforms and state laws. Make up your own Resolutions. Make them plain and specific to one issue. Give concrete and detailed reasons why adopting the resolution is necessary. If your Resolution is against the actions of a group, give no quarter. Take 3 copies to be signed and forwarded to the County Convention. Take many more to pass out to attendees.

The primary elections in the race for Texas governor will be held this Tuesday, March 2 for both major parties. Following the primaries, precinct meetings will be held to compose the party platforms. Conservative Texans are urged to attend their Precinct’s Convention about 7:15 p.m. next Tuesday. When you vote, ask someone where it will be held. It will likely be in a school classroom, cafeteria, etc.

At other times and in a variety of formats, similar efforts will be taking place in all of the other states. All patriotic Americans should learn the particulars for their location and become involved. The ideological forces of Marxism and Islamic sharia have insinuated themselves into the fundamental levels of our democratic process, and have permeated our public education. An overwhelming participation by true patriots is needed to rout them.

Here’s a bit of background. In 1961 (or 1962, I forget), I attended a meeting of the Christian Anti-Communism Crusade in the Emerald Room of the (then) Shamrock Hotel, in Houston, Texas. One of the many guest speakers was Herb Philbrick — whose real life experience in infiltrating the Communist party was the basis for the TV series, “I Led Three Lives.”

Philbrick told how the communists had taken control of many civic organizations across America, including his home town’s civic association in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The communists had previously gone to classes to learn Robert’s Rules of Order — and they learned those rules perfectly. They then went to many civic organizations’ meetings and participated. At every opportunity, they raised simple “points of order.” They would then, helpfully, state how some motion, etc., should have been handled. Soon, they had the confidence of the usual hometown Americans — who frequently knew nothing about the use of parliamentary law in meetings. Soon, everyone agreed that the person who knew the rules should become the president of the local organization.

Once in the controlling positions of the organization, they used the organization (and the organization’s money) to promote the communist agenda. As a local civic association, they had the local stature to raise funds. As the controlling officers, they had the power to direct those funds to the use of the Communist Party’s causes. The local civic organizations became communist fronts.

The same thing is going on today, not only by proponents of socialism, but now in addition by muslims, who seek to institute Sharia Law in our communities. One of their prime targets is the Precinct Convention meeting — after the primary polls close.

Be Warned!

1. Buy a copy of and brush up on Robert’s Rules of Order.
2. Many towns have “Parliamentary Law Clubs,” where ladies (mostly) fellowship together in a civic club with a purpose. Frequently, the members of such clubs are officers in other community organizations. If your town has one, join it. Those ladies are great contacts for networking.
3. Get your friends and neighbors to attend your Precinct meetings. Yes. I know. “It’s a pain.” Just do it. Or let the Muslims have the power in your local community.
4. Carry multiple copies (many require three copies) of typed party planks, to be voted on and forwarded to the County and State conventions. Don’t try to prepare them on the spot.
5. Do not allow any muslim to intimidate you by saying that you are persecuting him because of his religion. Islam is both a religion and a political system. Sharia Law is a political issue.

But, first and foremost: Don’t let foreign subversives — whether Marxist or Islamic — get control of your local organizations, precinct chairmanships, county organizations, or state organizations.

I’m a Texan so, as an example, let me share the resolution that I will be offering this Tuesday evening. For background, read this article — Organizing Kids for Obama:

President Barack Obama’s budget has added more than $100 billion of federal taxpayers’ money to what is called “education,” so that means it will be spent by alumni of the Saul Alinsky school of radical community organizing and/or the Chicago Democratic machine…. Obama is using the public schools to recruit a private army of high-schoolers to “build on the movement that elected President Obama by empowering students across the country to help us bring about our agenda.” We now know that Obama’s “agenda” is to move the United States into European-style socialism….

Obama’s Internet outreach during his campaign, Obama for America, has been renamed Organizing for America (OFA) in order to recruit students to join a cult of Obama and become activists for his goals. …the teacher of an 11th-grade government class in Massillon, Ohio, passed out the sign-up sheet, headed with Obama’s “O” logo, asking students to become interns for Organizing for America….

This must never happen in my state. Here’s my Resolution:

Resolution Opposing Use of Texas Public Schools for Community Organizing

WHEREAS in his inauguration speech, President Obama promised to “transform this country;”

WHEREAS in his budget, the Obama administration added more than $100 billion in taxpayer’s money for what he listed as “Education;”

WHEREAS at American Taxpayer expense, his Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, mailed instructions to every school on how to participate in the September 8 political speech that was broadcast to public school children, making it clear that he has no reservations about using taxpayer money to promote his agenda;

WHEREAS Mr. Obama’s campaign Internet outreach — Obama For America — has been renamed “Organizing for America” (OFA) with the purpose of recruiting students to become activists for his goals;

WHEREAS the application to join the OFA Internship program states its goal as, “empowering students across the country to help us bring about our agenda of change;”

WHEREAS the application further states, “credit must be approved by your school ahead of time;”

WHEREAS OFA’s “National Intern Organizer Curriculum” includes a reading list that includes Saul Alinsky’s “Rules for Radicals;”

WHEREAS OFA’s reading list also includes Zack Exley’s “The New Organizers” in which it brags about “an insurgent generation of organizers” inside the Obama campaign that has “almost without anyone noticing … built the Progressive movement a brand new and potentially durable people’s organization, in a dozen states, rooted at the neighborhood level;”

WHEREAS on OFA’s reading list is Rinku Sen’s “Stir It Up: Lessons from Community Organizing and Advocacy;”

WHEREAS on OFA’s reading list is Obama’s “Dreams of My Father,” who is well known as a radical Marxist-Leninist;

WHEREAS a federal government organization, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), having a budget of $1.416 billion, oversees other taxpayer funded “service organizations;”

WHEREAS CNCS oversees Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America, which regularly dole out millions of Dollars to radical liberal organizations; and

WHEREAS the U.S. Senate has recently confirmed CNCS’s new chief executive, Patrick Corvington, who was a senior official of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, which has given over a million and one-half dollars to the Acorn network of organizations;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that we urge the Texas Legislature to enact legislation requiring that neither Texas public schools nor their students be used as instruments for political agendas, such as community organization, but, rather focus on history, reading, writing, mathematics, and science.

Adopted this 2nd day of March, 2010, at the Precinct Convention of Precinct # ____ of the Republican Party of Texas.

__________________________________________
Precinct Convention Secretary

UPDATE: The Right Sided American Kafir created the following references to go with this article:

Robert’s Rules of Order

Parliamentary Motions Guide (chart)

Tea Party Patriots in Texas are excited about the candidacy of businesswoman Debra Medina for governor. Tonight the rest of the country will have an opportunity to hear this real American patriot talking about States Rights and limited government.

Many Texans want to send a clear message to Washington that Texans will no longer allow the Federal government to deny their State Sovereignty. The federal government has gone WAY beyond its constitutional authority. Texans are beginning to exercise their God-given, unalienable rights, and are demanding that ALL public servants — from Texas to Washington D.C. and from sea to shining sea — keep their Oaths of Office and work toward restoring the principles on which our great country was founded.

TONIGHT (2/9/2010) there will be a two-hour show on Blog Talk Radio. The first hour (8-9 pm CST) will be a discussion of States Rights, Sovereignty, and Nullification. You may prepare by reading The Fort Hill Address (PDF) by John C. Calhoun, defining the limited powers of the government under the Constitution. It will help you to understand the concepts of State Sovereignty and the historically proven legal doctrine of Nullification.

The special guest of the second hour (9-10 pm CST) will be Republican candidate for Governor of the Sovereign State of Texas Debra Medina. She will discuss States Rights and limited government. The subjects of Sovereignty and Nullification will continue as major topics.

The program will be carried by the Patriot’s Heart Network on Blog Talk Radio, streamed over the internet. If you have never before listened to Blog Talk Radio (BTR), you might consider reading How to Listen during the hours prior to the show to get pointers. You can also access the player from this page when it is time for the show. Or you can go directly to:

Patriot’s Heart Network Media

Or you can listen on this embedded player:

Federal and local authorities may have just violated the Second Amendment in Texas.

Saturday and Sunday there was a gun show scheduled in Austin at the North Austin Event Center (formerly known as the Crockett Center) sponsored by Texas Gun Shows. Before the event, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) and the Austin Police Department (APD) directed that only persons with a Federal Firearms License (FFL) would be allowed to sell guns. So the show’s sponsor posted the following notice:

VENDOR NOTICE-AUSTIN SHOW ONLY:
At the Direction of the Austin Police Department and the
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms,
ONLY LICENSED FFL DEALERS
will be allowed to set up and sell firearms
at the N. Austin Show Location.

However, it is illegal to stop second hand sales at gun shows in Texas, Louisiana, and some other states. So the bottom line is this: The BATFE and APD may have acted without legal authority when they made it illegal to sell guns at the show without a FFL. They even arrested one man, whom they released later without charge, an apparent attempt to intimidate those attending the show.

Here’s the story from the viewpoint of the show’s sponsor:

….the BATF called the original meeting regarding the gun show and used threats and intimidation to shut down the event. Darwin Boedeker of Texas Gun Shows provided details….

On Thursday, January 14, Mr. Boedeker was asked to meet with representatives of the ATF and Austin police at a building in Austin used for police interviews and interrogations. In addition to Boedeker, the two hour meeting included the participation of HEB, an Austin grocery retailer. HEB holds the lease on the building where the Texas Gun Shows events are held on the third week of every month.

Police, under the direction of ATF, told Boedeker he would be required to follow their “recommendations” or they would close down his event. Boedeker said he was told “you do what we say or we shut you down.” He said the ultimatum was recorded by the police and ATF.

Mr. Boedeker indicated enforcing the ATF recommendations would destroy his business. He said he would not issue a public notice unless it indicated the so-called recommendations were issued by the Austin Police and the ATF.

In order to make their case, the ATF and APD cited numerous alleged criminal cases associated with a previous gun show organizer. Mr. Boedeker said the ATF and APD did not seem aware that he is not associated with previous gun show events at the location….

Authorities used the threat posed by criminal aliens to justify their actions:

Gun enthusiasts in central Texas are upset over what they say is a heavy-handed effort by police in Austin, the capital, to restrict the legal sale of firearms at gun shows in violation of state and federal laws. Specifically, they accuse Austin’s police of unlawfully restricting the sales of guns between law-abiding citizens at a gun show last weekend.

Interestingly, police were in large part seeking to keep “undocumented immigrants” from buying guns — and so they “recommended” to the property owner on which a gun show was held that all gun sales be made by licensed gun dealers and that private sellers transfer their guns through gun dealers. The property owner, H-E-B, is a local grocery chain.

Austin is considered a “sanctuary city” and is home to many “undocumented immigrants,” primarily from Mexico….

The affair was also reported by the Austin American-Statesman — Gun show owner, police at odds over recommendations:

An Austin police effort to curtail the illegal sales of firearms at a weekend gun show sparked an angry response from the event’s organizer and raised concerns about whether the department overstepped its authority.

Several police recommendations about the operation of the show were intended to curtail crime there and should not have been viewed as requirements, authorities said Tuesday.

But the show organizer said he thought that law enforcement officials were instructing him to adopt rules that violated state and federal law, including a requirement that only licensed gun dealers be allowed to sell firearms. He said he begrudgingly enforced the recommendations.

The dispute, which began late last week, has since sparked a controversy that is playing out on Web sites and radio talk shows….

Two things are certain.

First, the sales to illegals cited by police were made by a different organization. That is very much like shutting down one restaurant because another one down the street commits health violations.

Second, the sales prevented by BATFE and APD are legal in the state of Texas. So both federal and local authorities took actions that resulted in the prevention of legal activity.

This lack of logic is characteristic of the opposition to gun rights, based on emotionalism, hysteria, and public posturing, rather than based on facts. Those elected officials who should be defending citizens’ rights are notably silent.

Where is Governor Perry when Texas needs him? ………SILENCE.

Where is Senator Hutchinson when Texas needs her? ………SILENCE.

“If ever a time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess
the highest seats in Government, our country will stand in need of its
experienced patriots to prevent its ruin.”   ~~Samuel Adams

For those of us who love the English language, especially when phrases are turned to insulting the worthy insultees, note the highlighted words… I’ll ignore his “him/his” case error, for the nonce.

Consider the following, posted at RedState:

In the constellation of op-ed writers it is hard to find a fainter star, or dimmer bulb for that matter, than Eugene Robinson. Today, however, he out does himself. In his effort to defend The One from all criticism, he not only criticizes General Stan McChrystal for something he didn’t do, he trashes some 250 years of the American tradition of civil-military relations and reveals himself to be a rather shameless liar in the process.

At issue, of course, is Barack Obama’s rather obvious intention to abandon any pretense at winning the war in Afghanistan. As I’ve noted before, Obama comes from a political tradition that is in equal parts deeply suspicious of American power and hostile to American strategic interests. He has stated that his is uncomfortable with the idea of victory in Afghanistan (though not as uncomfortable as I am with him thinking Emperor Hirohito signed the surrender document on the USS Missouri) and already his minions have started to walk back from the Afghan strategy he inarticulately articulated (in all seriousness, this speech would have passed as a computer generated hoax had he not been seen reading it) on March 27.

The administration has begun a whispering campaign, a campaign that will inevitably result in the ousting of General McChrystal, to lay the ground work for a withdrawal of US combat forces from Afghanistan for no other reason than Afghanistan is a distraction from what Obama really wishes to do to us.

This brings me to Eugene Robinson and his pair of working synapses….

…the rest of the story is here where you can read more like:

….To have a puss like Robinson tell a man like McChrystal his duty makes one want to gag….

….the American left, or rather the leftists who live in America,….

….the same leftists who are now hopping on board Obama’s helicopter leaving the roof of the US embassy in Kabul….

….even if it requires him to personally attack men who have actually achieved something in life….

Streiff has a way with words.

Related:

Washington Post — Out of Line on Afghanistan by Eugene Robinson

Council on Foreign Relations — Obama’s Strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, March 2009

From: Deb Frost in Alaska

[on having been asked, after the announcement: "WOW ... what's your take on this? Do you like her as your Governor?"]

Sarah Palin is the US’s answer to Margaret Thatcher! Anyone who thinks she cannot handle the job or deal briskly and efficiently with ANY issue, including foreign governments … well, they haven’t met our Sarah.

As an Alaskan resident as well as a resident of Wasilla, AK, where Sarah Palin was at one time Mayor … I can speak with confidence. Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska is exactly what she portrayed during her introduction this morning and exactly what our US Government needs. She is ethical to a fault (if there is such a thing), a refreshing change to the status-quo and as smart and determined a PERSON (gender really isn’t an issue here as far as I’m concerned) as anyone could ask for at the head of government.

Sarah is no naive ‘small town mayor’ – she just *started out* there. BTW, as Mayor of Wasilla, she brought this ‘small town’ through a lot of GOOD changes and left it at the end of her term having grown to the 4th largest CITY in Alaska – a lot of growth and a stronger economic base than ever before.

She has EXECTUTIVE experience *running a government* (something NONE of the other candidates can actually boast, even John McCain) as Governor of Alaska and got there by defeating the *incumbent* Republican Governor, who was definitely part of the ‘old school’ and who WAS very much in the pocket of the big oil companies. We in Alaska wanted change – and we got it in the person of Sarah Palin!

Sarah Palin is everything she looks to be and more. Her approval rating as Governor of Alaska has been as high as 95% and is currently leveled out consistently in the upper 80 percentile throughout the state (and in both parties) – the HIGHEST approval rating of ANY sitting Governor.

Sarah has been turning around corruption in the Legislature of Alaska – turning things on their ear for that matter; cutting spending in spite of the increased income the state is currently receiving due to the high oil prices – she has insisted on putting a huge amount of the ‘windfall’ into savings for the future rather than spending, spending, spending – and has insisted from the get-go on what she refers to as ‘honest, ethical and transparent governing’ – no more closed door meetings and dealings – the big oil companies thought she would be a pushover and have learned better to their chagrin.

She understands the ‘real people’ and the economic issues we all face (Alaskans along with the rest of the country) – she was one of ‘us’ not long ago. Rather than passing useless ‘laws’ or throwing money at pet projects, she (most recently) temporarily suspended the state gas tax (on gasoline at the pumps, fuel oil and natural gas for homes, etc.) and has ordered checks issued to ALL residents of Alaska this fall in an attempt to assist with the burden of high fuel costs for the upcoming winter. I could go on and on, but that’s enough for now. She isn’t doing these things to be popular – she is doing it because her constituents are HURTING financially and she can help.

She became Governor of Alaska by defeating the Incumbent Republican Governor and doing it *without* the money or the support of the Republican Party, which was amazing in itself – and she won by a landslide. The ‘powers that be’ at that time totally underestimated Sarah and learned better the hard way. She has done exactly what she claimed she was going to do and is just as popular today as the day she was elected – perhaps more so since even the Democrats up here seem to like her – she works well with both sides in the Legislature here.

Sarah ‘belongs’ to us (Alaskans) … and although we are going to be terribly sorry to see her leave before she finishes the job she started here (two years ago) straightening out OUR State … we understand she is needed for a bigger purpose and hopefully her Lt. Governor will be able to fill her shoes here and continue the job.

As for worrying about what would happen if McCain were to die or step down or whatever … Up here in AK we’ve only been wondering how long we would be able to KEEP Sarah in Alaska and have seen her as our first woman President of the USA from the start. It’s always been a matter of whether she would wait until the end of her TWO terms as Governor (no doubt at ALL that she would be re-elected if she ran for a second term at the end of her current term) … or end up in Washington sooner. She could do the job TODAY.

Personally, I feel a lot better about McCain now that I know he has someone as savvy, as strong, as ethical and as steady as Sarah at his back. She will be an excellent Vice President … and my guess is she will be our US Republican Presidential candidate in four years – AND by then the country will KNOW her – will love and respect her as we do here – and she’ll win by as much of a landslide as she did here in Alaska. I only wonder if McCain has a clue what he is unleashing on the US of A. She is going to be a fresh wind, but also a strong wind.

Is that enough of an endorsement? If not, I’ll add this … Jerry and I have for many years felt the best ‘vote’ was to vote for the lesser of two ‘evils’ and hope they didn’t do too much damage. Two years ago during our State Governor’s race was the first time EVER that we actually asked for not just a little sign to put in our yard showing our support of our candidate (something we’ve never felt the desire to do at all before) – we asked for a full 4′ x 8′ ‘SARAH PALIN FOR GOVERNOR!’ sign and were proud to have it. She hasn’t let us or Alaska down. She will do the same for the USA if given the opportunity.

Deb Frost in Alaska

Debbie & Jerry Frost
Wasilla, AK 99652
(907) 357-3060

This commentary refers to an earlier post, Our Marines by Frank Schaeffer.

I’d like to point out, from the only “filmage” we see on our TVs, first, that the cartridges found among the bodies being wrapped up in rugs appeared to be those of the AK-47. Second, the only bodies that we see on TV had bullets in their foreheads.

What does that suggest? Americans don’t kill in the execution style. Furthermore, with empty AK-47 brass on the floor, why shouldn’t that argue for the type of “warfare” that we are accostomed to seeing from these terrorist animals?

I suggest that the Americans were fired upon, that they returned enough fire power to win the skirmish, and upon entering the house, found executed civilians, staged for the media to exploit.

Thanks, MathMan.

This suggests a hammer with which conservatives might reply every time the Pelosi’s of this world use the phrase, “culture of corruption.” We should consider replies, such as, “Of course, that charge from the left is nothing new. Liberals have always despised capitalism, the free markets, and much of what made our country great.”

Yes, I realize that does not address what is meant by the left’s “culture of corruption” charge. But it is no less disingenuous. It returns a true statement about the left, that may be misdirected, against a false statement that was purposefully misdirected.

That is, our two-fold purpose would be (a) to make the left tire of hearing (b) the truth about their presuppositions.

Then, when they reply, “But Pelosi talks of politics, and your reply is about economics!”

We reply, “I stand by my statement that liberals have always despised capitalism, the free markets, and much of what made our country great. Of course, they never express their true convictions in public — that would be political suicide.”

After a while, they might realize that we are using the same tactics that they use. For example, the purpose of public congressional hearings is not to discuss the hearing’s stated agenda, but rather to provide a news media pulpit for liberal venom.

Let us use whatever pulpit we can to expose them for what they really are and believe. It is true that they despise most of what I hold dear about America.

In September 1835, Santa Anna sent his brother-in-law, General Martin Perfecto de Cos, to Texas to confiscate the inhabitants’ arms and to arrest Santa Anna’s political opponents. Like the Americans in 1775 who demanded their English common-law rights, the Texans of 1835 demanded their rights under the Mexican Constitution of 1824. Texans realized these rights could be protected only by an armed populace.

Sam Houston, commander of the Texas citizens army, urged the North Americans:

Let each man come with a good rifle and one hundred rounds of ammunition—and…come soon.

Our war cry is ‘LIBERTY OR DEATH.’

On March 2, 1836, the Texas Declaration of Independence was adopted. That document charges Santa Anna’s government:

It has demanded us to deliver up our arms, which are essential to our defense—the rightful property of freemen—and formidable only to a tyrannical government.

On March 9, a Declaration of Rights was adopted. Article 14 declared:

Every citizen shall have the right to bear arms in defense of himself and the Republic.

This statement, inspired by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, known as the American Bill of Rights, was an interpretation of what the Texans understood that American right to be.

Now, as in 1836, there are those who would deprive Texans, indeed all Americans, of this most basic right of free men. All other rights flow from this one. Without the means to resist oppression, none of our rights can be guaranteed.