Mitigating Circumstances

I'd like to comment in length on a post I recently read reference proposed law changes in Indiana about the "legality of firing on a law enforcement officer". Trying to express a complicated perspective in 140 characters or less was too challenging. I think in my effort, I may have been misunderstood and lost a few follows in the process. But such is life. The true seeker of knowledge and understanding will ask the hard question. Those just along for the ride will always abstain from confrontation.

So I want to qualify on a couple of points before I get to the confrontational portion of my expose' here.

I am a citizen of a currently free America. One that depends on the enforcement of laws established to keep it free, and peaceful. I want it known up front that I uphold the role of the law enforcement officer, and support the often horrific job they have to do.

Secondly I'd have to say that there is no greater calling than that of the protector. Whether that's LEO, military or citizen soldier. These are jobs that often times extract the very most that a human can offer, to wit their very life. They do it with substandard pay, and mostly under the woeful eye of those that want, and need, the protection they offer, but seldom want the restrictions that can come with security.

Thirdly, while I respect the badge of office, and authority, I also respect human nature for the flaws it can harbor. Which is where we are now going to tread.

As a young and rambunctious man, like many, I tended to push some envelopes of legality. It was never an intentional matter of seeking to break the law, but it was a somewhat self serving desire to do whatever I wanted to do, and whenever. I drove too fast, drank one too many beers, shot some game and did some fishing where, and when I shouldn't and without the proper credentials needed. I never hurt anyone, but as always, the potential is there. I got caught a few times, skated a few times, and slipped away without anyone being the wiser more times than I can count. But I never hurt anyone. No justification, just stating a fact.

All of that changed when I had kids. Because like so many others, we never really seem to understand the reasons behind restriction until we have someone we care about more than ourselves. When the kids came, life got serious. On to my point.

Several times in my life I've bumped up against that portion of human nature I mentioned before...the flawed side. The side that lacks that character trait that makes a person like you or me hesitate, and more often than not, refrain from progressing in a manner that is either illegal or carries the potential to hurt someone else. This is what is called Common Grace within the realms of the religious. That small piece of God's love given to every man as a gift that makes most people "good" even if they don't share a relationship with Him. This post isn't about religion so I won't expand here and now on that.

I think it is safe to say that while the majority of those that profess to be protectors carry enough of this Grace in their spiritual pocket to be righteous in the endeavor, there are certainly those that slip through that don't. These are the ones who wear the badge, or carry the weapon, because it renders them more powerful in their own mind. They are the dangerous ones. They present a problem in the military, and I've seen them on the streets of America. A few examples.

When I separated from active duty with the Marine Corps, my first choice for civilian employment was with a municipal police department. My first stop was the Maricopa County Sheriff's department, that at the time was listing some openings on it's deputy program. I wasn't successful at getting in, much to my displeasure, because it was only open to a minority selection. Not my point here either, but it points my direction.

Instead, I got a job with the Maricopa County Sheriffs Office in the jail system working on a project called Arizona Boys Ranch. They were part of the juvenile detention system of the county jail. We took boys between the ages of 15-18 into a work release half way house type program up into the mountains of Arizona where we worked for the Fish and Game, Forestry Department, and Parks and Recreation systems. For me it was a lateral attempt to get into the Sheriffs Department. For the people running the program it was a way to make money off of kickbacks, graft and shell games. Money supposedly spent on the welfare of the kids was making its way into private pockets, and when I figured it all out and spoke up about it in an employee meeting, I got the proverbial boot. That's the shady side of LEO administration that hurts the tax payers pocket, but doesn't really represent a victim. Here's a couple examples of the nasty street scenarios that do, did and could have potentially gotten someone killed.

In 2002 I was the director of security for my local church. Ah...I saw the flicker of the eyebrow, and the flash of eye that comes whenever I mention being "director of security" for a church. But I live in an ethnically diverse part of Charlotte, NC, and the church was across the street from one of the most crime challenged high schools in the city. The area is also rated as one of the worst in Charlotte and two years ago was rated as 8th from the top of the 40 worst neighborhoods reference crime in the nation. So yes, we have a security program, and I carry a firearm. I am licensed to carry that firearm concealed, and I am proficiently trained in its use.

So early one morning back in 2002, around 3:30 or 4a.m. I'm wakened by a loud bang. I only heard it once, and my sleeping mind told me as I was waking up that it resembled a gunshot, and close. I looked out the window and saw nothing. My bedroom faces the back yard, and that's where the noise seem to come from so I picked up my .45 that sits in the bedside drawer and walked out into the back yard. I had stood on the porch for a couple of minutes when I heard the noise again. This time, being awake, I knew it wasn't a gunshot, sounded metallic, but too squishy if that were to make any sense. It actually sounded like someone kicking a metal bucket, and it was coming from the front.

So I walked through the house with the pistol in my hand, wearing only camouflage pajama bottoms. Yea laugh, the kids bought'em for me for Christmas that year. I walked out on my front porch but couldn't see anything for the hedges around the front yard. I had my cellphone in one hand and the pistol in the other when I poked my head out from between the hedge path at the front walk. As I did, I heard the noise again to my right. So pushing the pistol into the waist band of my drawers I started down the sidewalk in the direction of the bangs. Two or three houses up the block I saw the culprit. A local drunk walking down the street with an aluminum baseball bat smacking mailboxes. I looked back at mine and sure enough, crushed. That was the bang that woke me up. I dialed 911 and started back down the walk towards my house talking to the dispatch on the way. I recounted what I had heard, what I had seen, and what I had done, and what I was doing.

I had just stepped into my yard when I was surprised to see the first squad car pull up. Much too quickly for them to have alerted to my call. One car, obviously seeing me, pulled to the street in front of my house, a second pulling up behind him. I approached the first car and immediately recognized the officer. He and I had made contact on several occasions within the community watch program I belonged to. I briefly explained to him that I had my pistol in the back of my pajamas (which I had to hold up because the pistol outweighed the elastic capacity of the waistband). I showed him the cell phone in my left hand and he could see my right hand holding up my pj's. I think he may have smirked a bit as I approached. I was explaining about the noise and the bonehead with the baseball bat when a third patrol car came zipping down the street from the same direction, passed the two parked in front of my house and went to the next block intersection. He flipped a screaming u-turn and barreled back down on us. As he approached, he slid to a stop, kicked his door open and while we all watched proceeded to draw his service weapon out, point it at me and scream, "Put your hands in the air where I can see them!!" I looked at the officer sitting in the car for direction, he looked at the other officer, seeing the drawn weapon, and stated I'd better do as told. I told him that if I let go of my britches everything was going to head south. He said he knew, and that he'd cover for me. Meanwhile the screaming officer was still screaming for me to raise my hands. I let go of my pj's and grabbed some sky...my britches fell, the pistol landed in the grass besides my feet and the officer I was speaking with got out of his car, all at about the same time. Skippy came running up slapped cuffs on me as my buddy was assisting with my exposure and retrieving my weapon.

I sat in the back seat of the police car for the better part of an hour while the officers tried to sort out what had occurred. My buddy told me that they had received several 911 calls about someone with a metal pipe destroying mailboxes. My call was the last and they were already in progress when it came in. They barrelled past the culprit and saw me in the glow of a street light. The officer explained that when he saw me in pajama's he recognized me and the circumstances of my call, so when he approached he had no great concern over his safety reference me. The second officer behind concurred. The third officer was an idiot and was bound and determined to arrest someone, even if it was the wrong person. He didn't arrest me, but he did cite me for a CCW violation because I didn't have my permit on my person and confiscated my pistol.

So even though I was responding to a situation which I considered a potential threat to my family and myself (until I figured out what was happening), and even though I was standing on my own property when skippy came barreling into the situation, and even though three other officers tried to talk reason about the situation into him, he persisted with the citation. Keep in mind that he also pointed a gun at my face without probable cause as well.

When I went to court over the ordeal, I didn't even have to speak on my own behalf. The officer testified first and was perhaps five minutes into his spiel when the judge stopped him and asked a couple of questions. Reading from the 911 transcripts of all the calls, he asked the officer what lead him to identify me, standing barefoot and in pajama bottoms only, as the subject. Secondly, how did he know I was armed as he approached, and if he saw the weapon, how could that constitute a concealed weapons violation. And last, what was the address of the arrest, and where was I standing. All issues I, and the other officers, had brought up back the night of.

The fact is, I could have been standing on my property outfitted like Rambo on a tantrum and there wouldn't have been anything they could have done. They tossed the ticket and six months later I eventually got my weapon back. But not before I spent $500 in attorney fees.

Second situation. If you've read any of my former posts you'll remember that I was a bondsman for several years licensed by the Dept. of Insurance in NC. My job was writing bonds for accused criminals, posting those bonds, maintaining contact with the accused until they appeared in court, and chasing them down if they ran.

I also worked doing fugitive recovery for other agents working for the same insurance company as I did. If I had a bond skip that I required assistance on, I sought their help, and I reciprocated when they needed help.

In February of 2006, we made a routine run down to Spartanburg, SC about 90 miles south of Charlotte. We were after a bond skip for drug charges that was written for $20,000. Information on the location was offered by a girlfriend who was a responsible party on the bond and looked to forfeit the collateral on that sum if he wasn't caught. We responded to a location with the assistance of a local Dept of Public Safety Officer who was called off at the last minute, but returned when that call was aborted about 15 minutes later. Four of us approached a housing project unit in a rough suburb of Spartanburg. The lead identified himself at the front door, showing badges and documents reference the reason for being there and requesting to search. Typically a resident (who is listed in primary bond documents) can't refuse a search as its part of the contract. But when a third party is involved, they have the option. The counter option is then presented as "either let us search, no fault no foul, we don't find the mark, we leave. Or, if you refuse, we call the Sheriff's department who can get a warrant and search. Anything found is evidence of a crime. They usually opt for the first. In this case they did. Three and a half minutes later, we were finishing up when the DPS officer showed back up, cleared the operations, and we all left. Two took information gotten from the girl friend and located the skip some five miles away at a car wash and the deal was done.

We had come into nominal "contact" with a third party individual while there. He had the same first name, but a different physical description as our skip and as a "guest" as well, was told to let us proceed and stay out of the way.

Six weeks later I was contacted by the lead agent about the circumstances of the operation. He indicated that this "third party individual" had filed a simple assault charge against him for allegedly "coming in contact with him while passing in a stairwell". There was no grounds for the charge so I told him I wasn't concerned.

Six months later he contacted me again and indicated he had been contacted by SLED agents (South Carolina Law Enforcement Division) about the circumstances of the operation. They wanted to talk to everybody concerned. I told him to give them my phone number and hung up. Several months later, in February, a year almost to the day, I got a call from a SLED agent. He asked me to describe what had happened, which I did, and he indicated it was consistent with the other accounts. Done deal.

Not hardly. August of that same year, 2007, I was in Arizona dealing with my dads first bout with leukemia. Things were looking pretty bleak for him and I had all but shut the doors to my NC business. I received a call from one of the other agents who proceeded to tell me that serious charges had been levied against us by this "third party individual". The simple assault he first claimed had been escalated to felony assault by pointing a gun, aggravated assault by unlawful containment, crossing state line without license, illegal entry, search and seizure. (Remember at this point that I told you we had been cleared by a DPS officer before leaving the scene) The total of which would have put the four of us behind bars for between 25 and 30 years each.

He told me they had all turned themselves in on the charges so they could get it cleared up as soon as possible. I told him where I was at, (Arizona) and what I was doing, he told me the smart thing, as it was all bogus, was to stay where I was until they could get through the worst of the bullshit. If they wanted me bad enough, and could find me, they could come and get me. I concurred but told him I'd do that anyway because my dad's situation was grave, and I wasn't going anywhere.

Several days later I got a call from my oldest son. He informed me that an armed SWAT team was at that point working their way through my house searching for me. They claimed to have a warrant, and information from an informant that I had been seen in the neighborhood that day. They apparently were not represented by NC LEO. A call was placed to my wife at work, she was instructed to come home. When she did, they took her into custody and tried to force her to tell of my where abouts. She told them the truth, Arizona. My son put an officer on the phone wherein I explained that I was in fact in Arizona. I had had no formal indication of charges bound over against me and had in fact checked NCIS on various occasions just to insure I didn't have a warrant on me. Being a recovery agent myself, I certainly wasn't interested in being a fugitive. SLED agents threatened to take my wife into custody, send my two minor children to DPS and ransack my house if I didn't come out of the woodwork. Because I was talking to them on a cell phone, they simply wouldn't believe that I was in Arizona.

I had to go to a Phoenix local police station and ask an officer to place a call on a land line before they would believe I wasn't hiding in the bushes somewhere in my neighborhood. The officer from AZ asked if there was any reason he should take me into custody on the warrant. The SLED agent said no. Now ponder this. If SC LEO are in NC, and they don't have a warrant posted on NCIS, and they don't have local LEO with them, why are they in my house with an armed SWAT team looking for me on charges I had yet to be presented with?

As it all turns out, this was all about that "third party individual" thinking that, because there was an insurance company involved, he could bamboozle some big money out of us with bullshit charges. The SLED agents were working for the State Attorney General who saw some big headlines over the case. What actually ended up happening was, two years later, June of 2009, the case finally went in front of a Superior Court Judge and a jury. The other agents were still working for the insurance company, so it payed their attorney fees. I wasn't, so it didn't. I didn't have the 15 grand he wanted so I defended myself. Sometimes having a fool for your attorney works to your advantage.

Because I wasn't schooled in law, but still had the right to defend myself, I made some mistakes in court that were overlooked. I asked unorthodox questions, and spoke to the jury in a format that was far from ordinary. I made a plea to their common sense.

The prosecution presented five witnesses that told five different versions of a really poor story. The jury, made up primarily in June of school teachers who had been passed over during the year, saw through the absurdity of not only the five stories, but the states case as well. We were acquitted of all charges and the state got slapped with a hefty bill.

Now, I have just explained in great detail, some of which I will more than likely have cut out by the time you get this far, some situations where I have been unjustly accused, and suffered the consequences. It was only my own intelligence, and not the mercy of any of the states advocates, in either situation that got me free. In both instances either myself, or members of my family, were in danger by the almost gangster tactics of roug officers. Even so, I bear no hostility towards LEO in general. But I can tell you this. As a citizen of these United States, I have not only the right, but the responsibility to protect those members of my family, as well as those other citizens within my area of influence.

My life, and those of my family, are no less precious that the lives of the officers working the streets of America. I'd give my life in defence of the righteous actions of any one of them. But I'll be damned if I'd not shoot one if I felt they were going to take my life or anothers without justifiable and righteous cause. There is no instinct more inherently ingrained in us than survival. And sometimes, bad guys wear badges.

Affirmative Action Run Amuck

A rant on AA gone bad.

It was at nineteen when I joined the Marines that I first came into contact with non-whites to any great degree. However, the USMC didn't harbor much tolerance for any form of bigotry. If I'd had any prejudices, they would have been quickly polished off by boot camp training. After that initial haircut, and getting uniforms, it was difficult enough to tell one person from another by sight, and way beyond reason to buck the "we all wear green, and bleed red" mentality that the Corps pushed. Boot camp training was a melting pot. There was a significant majority of whites, but not so much that the combination of Blacks, Hispanics, Filipino's, Orientals and Indians gave them any advantage. And like I said, the Corps had a zero tolerance for racial bigotry. During my four years of active duty, I worked with and grew to know many fine men, and women, of many races. The military in my time treated all with equality, so there was never any real pattern to be noticed with anybody receiving special attention. That all changed when I got out.

A few days after "coming home", I went down to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Department (yep roosting ground for our contemporary Sheriff Joe Arpaio) in answer to a job search where there was listed an opening as a deputy sheriff. After waiting in line for the better part of half a day mostly listening to a foreign language and screaming kids, I finally got my chance at an interview. I stood before the department recruiter for maybe ten minutes before I received this response, "Do you recall the Hispanic lady in front of you in line that had the three kids hanging on her legs?" To which I replied "Yes sir, I do", to which he responded, "She has a better chance of getting this job than you do". When I asked why a twenty five year old, 6'2" 200lb chunk of ornery Marine would get passed over by an overweight woman with three infant kids he responded with stats from his quota requirements for minorities in the department. Thus was my introduction to Affirmative Action.

I'm fifty three now, a Marine for life, though a slightly less lean 200 lbs. Over the years I can't tell you how many times I've felt that same sting of being a white male in the prime of my life physically and mentally, yet loosing out to someone because of color. Though white males between 18-50 may be greater in actual numbers, they certainly do not carry any majority power status.

We have taken this Affirmative Action thing, which kinda like the labor unions, was first started because specific people, of a specific characteristic, needed some specific protection, and turned it into a monster of epic proportions.

If I walk into a doctors office and have need of medical assistance, I need an insurance card. If I don't have that card, or cash money, I don't get help. A person of color, any color other than white, can walk into any emergency room and get whatever assistance they desire or require. They get food stamps, EPT's, financial aide, legal aide, educational aide, privileges and handouts without ever having to say a word.

And here's the kicker. My dad's mother was a full blooded Cherokee who in 1982 qualified for a reparation check on behalf of a screwed Cherokee Nation. His dad was a half breed Cherokee. I'm not sure what content that makes me, but I can guarantee you that I'd qualify for minority assistance if I pushed it. I never have though because I've never felt like I needed anyone else to do for me what I was perfectly capable of doing for myself. I could have gotten that job in '83 with the sheriff's department if I'd have claimed my "right" under Affirmative Action. But I didn't want the job based on how I was born. I wanted the job because I was a trained warrior, qualified for the job, and knew I could do it.

All of that to say this. There are enough instances of the ethical use of that status, by truly needy people who wouldn't otherwise be able to survive, to tax the coffers of the system. We certainly don't need the Warren's of the world exploiting it unethically, if not illegally, for personal gain. In my book, using the distinction of belonging to a "minority" for the purpose of getting a leg up on someone else, when working just a bit harder would achieve the same ends, is criminally lazy.

I'm damn tired of driving down the streets of the city I live in and seeing individuals who don't work, won't work and yet could, thriving off of programs that are entirely paid for by those of us who will, and do. I'm sick to death of standing behind the obese lady in the grocery store who used her EBT card for groceries, and then drags her six kids out and loads them into the Tahoe with four grand worth of DUBS on it that's parked in the fire lane. I'm tired of following that same Tahoe down the road and watching burger wrappers and pop cans fly out the window because they have no respect for what's been given them.

I'm tired of driving through our neighborhoods and seeing the idle porch sitters in the same seats they were in when I went to work. I'm tired of having to call the police every weekend following the first or the fifteenth of the month because those same porch sitters got their party on at the public expense.

I'm tired of religions shoving their irrational beliefs down our throats and not being able to counter with anything because it "offends" them. I'm tired of the atheist condemning my religion and forcing my God off of territory held for centuries. I'm tired of these "minority" status groups in general having the power to tell me how to live my live, where I can go to worship, what I can read, eat, do and say.

I'm tired of hearing how ignorant white people decided to vote for an asshat nobody knew simply because he was black and they didn't want to be perceived as a racist. I didn't vote against him because he was black, I voted against him because he was, and still is, an asshole.

I'm tired of having to see the butt cheeks of urban thugs walking in public calling themselves "nigga" and daring anybody that even looks at them to say anything about it. I'm tired of MSM telling us we have to tolerate the violent abuse because if we don't we're racists, or intolerant.

Most of all I'm tired of white liberals calling me a racist, homophobic and a radical because I believe in God, the Bible, and the Constitution, and they think that makes me weak.

It's time we pulled the plug on "Affirmative Action" and just took some plain old action to take back this country. I can live peaceably with any color, any race, and any religion or ideology. So long as they don't try and force what they believe down my throat, or try to make me pay for their lifestyle just because they're too damn lazy to pay for it themselves and they know that if they cry "minority entitlement" loud enough and long, somebody else will.

It is high time, that if we are a majority, and are going to be punished for being so, we act like one and take back control. My give-a-damn is busted. It's time to say "Okay, lets just do this...." Keep it legal, keep it ethical within the boundaries of what WE believe, but keep it real.

This country was built by people ready, willing and prepared to etch it out of a wilderness on the merit of their own capabilities. Because of that it has a rich and firm foundation. But if we don't get sensible, and stop giving away the resources needed to keep it strong and viable, somebodies going to come along and take it away from us. It would be a damn shame to have nobody but a bunch of slack ass moochers sitting on the front porch watching the new owners march down the streets and taking possession without a fight.

Sleeping dogs...

In all fairness, now that BHO had "outed" his views on gay marriage, he has allowed us to wake that dog up. Generally speaking this is always a one way conversation. Because, although the whole gay rights issue is about their right to express themselves openly, it's not about an open discussion. For as soon as the first word is spoken referencing opposition to these views, we hear cries of homophobia, gender bias, bigot etc. In reality this is a shadow effect of the whole liberal agenda. No opposing ideas are seriously entertained. One is either for their perspective, or they are a racist, bigot homophobic.

For this reason, conservatives have the tendency to clam up. By nature they don't want to be perceived as any of those, so rather than chance it, they zip it. Eventually, through silence of the right, the left assumes precious territory simply through lack of opposition.

That, however, is not my nature. As a conservative Christian, I have studied scripture. Because of my studies, I know what "turn the other cheek" really means. And though that sentiment is based in tolerance, it's not entirely about tolerance. Knowing what our final chapter will be, ergo eternity, and knowing that in the end, there really is none, Christians are empowered with the strength to know that acts of "contempt" perpetrated against us in this world are just history in the next.

You see the Jews, being a conquered nation, had to accept the contempt thrown at them by the Roman soldier. These soldiers could slap a Jew, back handed, as a sign of the contempt the Romans had for the conquered Jews. And yet, though conquered, they were protected as citizens from actual violence. So a soldier who violated these "protection laws" was susceptible to prosecution if they violated them. Hence, though humiliating, the slap was more of a slander than an assault. Something they, the Christian, knew they could endure. And, by turning the other cheek, thereby invoking the implied "thank you, may I have another", were actually expressing their contempt for the Romans. "Sticks and stones" if you will.

Keep this in mind though, an assault perpetrated against the Jew in those days was no more acceptable than it is in these days. Hit one open handed, with a closed fist, or wielding a weapon, and retaliation, or retribution was not only acceptable, but expected. A consept forgotten today by Christians, as well as their advesaries. Loving your "brother" doesn't necessarily mean you have to tolerate everything he does to you.

Christian benevolence has always been mistaken for weakness. And yet, it is a civilized religion that has stood dominant in the world for thousands of years. Why? Because eventually those pushing push too far.

So here's me pushing back.

Gays have traditionally been discouraged in the military for...well forever really, because war is serious business. And for the same reason women aren't allowed in subs, it's not a good idea for an open gay atmosphere to be allowed in the men's, or women's ranks. In a sub, in close quarters, and under battlefield circumstances, it can get very close, and very hot. Sailors sometimes have to strip down to bare essentials in combat. It doesn't take much imagination to see the potential for problems of distraction to arise. A logical perspective. Throw into an already tense situation, the sexual aspects of a group, whether men or women, and you have a higher potential for distraction.

Here's another.

I spent my time in the Marine Corps as an investigative liaison with the Navy, back grounding officer selection candidates, as well as training failures on board San Diego's Marine Corps training base. This put me front and center with the (then) policy of gays in the military. This was prior to don't ask don't tell. Gay behavior simply wasn't tolerated on any level. Therefore, push comes to shove, many who realized that boot camp was ...uhum, tough, tried to use that as an escape hatch. It was my job to disprove the claim. That involved investigating the claim to its truthful end. Often it was just that, a claim. A partner had to admit to times and places and all this had to be expressed in front of a three party panel. Parents, pastor, partners, wife etc. Extremely traumatic as can be expected. But my point is the military was adamantly opposed to gays because of the potential distraction it created. Bluntly spoken, I don't want somebody focusing on my fanny instead of the mission at hand. That might sound narrow minded, but I also know the distraction presented to me by a half dressed, and sweating female in a sub would be real. Consider also the lack of privacy that certain battlefield conditions can present.

It has very little to do with the professional abilities of the individual, but more with the absolutes of human nature. Especially when considering that gay men, with respect to physical ability, shouldn't necessarily have any shortcomings. As well as the fact that women are every bit as technically compitent, and physically in some cases, as any man.

It's more the esthetics of the situation. If I'm not gay, I should have the right to not be subject to the innuendo of those that are. Simply stated, my rights as a heterosexual male are just as valid as those of the gay. The large difference....I'm not advertising my sexuality. You don't need to know what I am, and I don't want to know what you are. Simple. Sexuality belongs behind doors, and not in the open where its a matter of public discourse.

The same thing applies with marriage. Marriage has never been recognized as the union, under Gods eyes, of anything other than a man and a woman. God rejects the concept of men and men co joining in any fashion and He makes that clear in scripture. There are some who will try to mince those words around to fit their means, but any true student of the bible knows what God has intended in them. He made them each the way He did so procreation was possible. A true scientist will tell you as well that if you start messing around with those formulas you either get sterile mules or nothing. Some would also go so far as to say that immune diseases and other STD's are a result of God's displeasure or complications created by abnormal intercourse. I don't personally subscribe to the first, and I'm not enough the scientist to speak on the second. I do know this, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Another push back is the thought by gays that just because they have the right to their lifestyle, which I would agree with, they have the right to force this lifestyle on the rest of us, to which I don't agree. I speak specifically of the issue of the gay agenda in schools, government, or public facilities. I, or my child, as a male or female, should be able to attend a restroom in any public institution with a reasonable expectation of privacy. We shouldn't be forced to accept as rule that we have to subject ourselves to either a same sex exposure, a cross sex exposure, or something remote and in between. Lobby for a third bathroom if you must, but don't expect that I want, or have to see your widget if I don't want to.

Lastly, lets be real. Sex has always been a bit of a taboo subject. It's been taboo because its personal. When you go and throw it out into every bodies purview, it takes away the intimacy of it. And that's whats happened. Sex is no longer intimate, so it's ordinary, and uneventful, and tawdry, and sometimes just plain weird. Everybody has the right to do what they want to do, so long as that doesn't infringe on my right to do what I want to do, or not as the case may be. In any case, have the common decency to do it in private. And by all means, keep what you do do to yourself every chance you get.

It is for these reasons that, in my expressed opinion, Barrack Hussein Obama, has demeaned not only himself, but the office of POTUS, in venturing into the realm of either agreeing or disagreeing with the concept of gay marriage. 43 previous presidents have seen the wisdom of leaving that sleeping dog lie. Something better left to the individual to determine. I personally don't believe that POTUS (or the government, by proxy) has any business inside my, or anybody Else's, bedroom.

But Barry, and liberals in general, are all about pushing envelopes. It's that whole "entitled" mentality. Anything goes. The liberal agenda is do whatever the hell you want, whenever you want to, and with as little regard to what anybody else thinks as possible. Because that's their "RIGHT". Well, here's Right back at ya, Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, is what Barry said in his outing disclosure and reasoning behind approving of gay marriage. But the reality of it is, they haven't got the moxxy to deal with that in reciprocity. Otherwise we wouldn't be hearing the "bigoted homophobic" cries because a majority of people in one of 31 states decided enough was enough and shot down the concept of a gay marriage being recognized by the state.

Whether the left wants to believe or accept it or not, the Constitution of the United States, as well as the Constitutions of all 50 individual states, are built on the foundation of Christian faith, and the precepts of God's moral standards. And it is high time that professing Christians stand up and say as well, enough is enough. Do what you want to do, but by all means keep it to yourself. And if you don't have the common decency to keep it to yourself, don't be surprised if you get the newspaper across the nose for doing in public what you should do only in private.

Do Not Tread On Me! And if you do, expect to get that same boot back.

Tolerance tested (exrpt)

My faith teaches that because I am not in a position to accurately judge someone, I must be tolerant of their actions. And, in so much as those actions don't cause me too much grief, that isn't a hard position to take. But tolerance sometimes turns into a sacrifice. And sacrifice is one of those two edged swords that cuts both ways.

Consider this. Scripture says that I should "love my brother, as I love myself". To the world, that sounds pretty difficult to comprehend. But to the Christian, it shouldn't be all that hard to determine the depth of the meaning. This is described in the Greek as, “phileo love”.Brotherly love, based on respect and regard. It's not the tender, emotional love I have for my wife, which is “eros”. Nor is it the unconditional love my God has for me, being “agape”.

Phileo love says we are equals in the sight of God. Reciprocity being key. It says in my heart, and mind, I love him, I respect him, I have regard, or concern for his well being, and because of this, he deserves all I can offer.

This kind of mutual consideration is what builds up our capacity to tolerate one another's differences. Be that opinion, religion or ritual. A difference in the color of skin, direction of faith, of determination of goals, all comes as no great hurdle. If we have the common trust of reciprocity.

It does not, however, say that he has the right to “take” my life, or even cause me harm because I am commanded to be “tolerant”.

And that’s where we are with this whole Jihad business. I’ve studied a good bit of scripture, but I’m no theologian. I have however, spent my fair share of time at the knee of some really well versed individuals who are. One of those men being an apostatized Muslim. I learned a great deal about the Islamic faith from him, and why he chose to convert to Christianity. I can tell you his decision was all about love, or the lack thereof.

You see, the Islamic faith is based on the precept of obedience, rather than love, or grace. If one follows Islam to its obedient end, the only reward is superficial. It has tangible meaning in this life, but has none of the eternal elements that we enjoy.If you are obedient, you get the girl, or several, and the knowledge that Allah really digs you. If you aren’t obedient, it’s off with the head, arm, foot, tongue, whatever. To get to this great place, you have to step on other people in pursuit of this “obedience”. You consider that anybody unlike yourself is an enemy. And not just an enemy to glower at over the fence, but one to conquer.

Christianity, on the other hand, offers an eternal salvation through the Sacrifice of a Loving God. And it is a gift. It’s not something that can be earned, or achieved. It is freely given because God loves us enough to give it. And we love Him because of Who He is, and not the giving of the gift. It says that if people are unlike us, we are to be tolerant of them. We are invoked by scripture to attempt to bring them this “good news”. And we can try as many times as is prudent.

But it is also very well stated, as in Mark 6:11, that “whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them.” Which means, if they ain’t picking up what you are throwing down, knock the dust off your boots, and boogie. Take no remnant of what they have, or own, just leave.

So here’s the deal. After considerable study, of both my “religion”, and that of the Islamic people, I can see no reasonable expectation of any of thisreciprocity that I’ve been speaking of.

I’m not interested in watering down what I believe to be true so that it fits well on the palate of someone who is bent on my ultimate destruction. People can say what they want. The media can downplay the differences between Christianity and Islam all they want. But just like arguing whether a mean dog will bite or not, sticking your hand out to test it is stupid. For that matter, that hand has been stuck out, and bitten, on too many occasions. So many so that I’m left to consider the statement, ”true stupidity is defined by following the same path, on multiple occasions, and expecting it to get you some place different each time.”

Islam is not about religion. It’s about control. It’s about controlling everybody. That’s what jihad is….for the sake of revenge, attacking the caravan and taking everything it owns, and putting everybody on it into subjugation.Period. And just because people want to believe it’s just another form of religion, just doesn’t make it so.

I haven’t figured out why the hell our “liberal leaders” are bent on going to bed with this faction of human society, yet, but I can tell you this, it ain’t gonna be no sleep over. These people want to steal All the covers. And they can do it too……if we let them.

As for me and my house, we will “continue to” serve the Lord…..not Allah, Mohammad, or anybody else who chooses to cow toe to the drivel they dribble…… Barry, you hear me?!

A Force To Be Reckoned With...

It has been said, throughout history, and by some pretty smart people, that "knowledge is power". While I've always believed this to be true, it's never been more true, or timely, than it is today.

I've left 50 behind me, have nothing more than a high school diploma, and a few certificates to prove my mettle, so to speak, but I've ever been the student. I figured it out once a while back, conservatively, I've read somewhere in excess of 4,000 books in my lifetime. I've purchased and read 141 books on my Kindle alone since Christmas '10. A very large number of those being fiction.

One thing I've always understood though, is that the fiction writer has to do extensive background on his subject of choice prior to the book. A lot can be learned about current technologies by reading yesterdays sci-fi. The westerns of my youth gave extensive insight into the plight of the American Indian (a soft spot having strong Cherokee heritage), and political thrillers give great cause for concern with regards to current Geo-political affairs.

Having been a Marine (still am!!!) in my youth, I can relate to military thrillers, novels on clandestine activities, Navy Seals, honor, duty, and war. I've read a bazillion technical, strategic, instructional, mythical, satirical, comical, and biblical books. I've read the Bible, (several times, still fascinated by new revelation each time), as well as a cluster of supporting pieces.

Five years chasing bail bond skips, studying police publications, reading and sitting through court cases gives me a feel for law enforcement tactics, books and procedures.

I've read Sun Tzu's Art of War, books on tactics to be learned from operations in Viet Nam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Germany, Poland, France, Fits, Farts, and Freckles.

I know that "Knowledge Is Power". And I know how we get it. We get it by reading. I know that there is a lot to be said for pictures...."A picture tells a thousand words", and all that. And I believe that to be true, to some extent. But there is a reason that God gave us the capacity to develop language, and the written word. He passes His wisdom to us through that Written Word. It is how we assimilate knowledge into biological cells clustered into our "brain housing group", as my Drill Instructor would say.

We're going to remember a scene, a sound, or a smell, but by and large, we recall these all in words. Try going through a medical, legal, technical course of study with nothing but pictures, video's and lectures. Without being able to read, we simply don't retain.

And that, my friends, has always been the bane of the poor man. If knowledge is power, he is weak without it. And keeping the common man weak has always been the endeavor of the tyrannical. "History shouts out again and again, how nature points out the folly of man, Godzilla!!"....sorry, had to throw that in, the "words" just popped into my head!

Which brings me closer to my point.

In medieval times, the ignorance of the masses lead to famine, sickness, and subjugation. The rich kept the poor barefoot and pregnant, so to speak. As long as the common man was ignorant of his God given equality with all men, proper hygiene, and what was "over the hill", he was easily subjugated.

Tyrants tout that you are common, less than, ignorant, incapable. In other words....OWNED!! And without knowledge, this remains largely true. But then something monumental occurred....the printing press.

Prior to the 14th century, all books were hand scribed. To copy a book took weeks, months, even years. They were vary scarce, certainly expensive, and almost impossible for the common man to acquire. Hence, his ignorance. But with the invention of the printing press, mass quantities of books could be flooded on the market. And then, just like today, more means cheaper. Suddenly, and I mean in the matter of a few weeks from the new publication of a given piece, common man realized that he was equal with the leaders of the world. At least in principle. Aside from the Revelation of Jesus Christ, the realization that God created all man equal was the greatest revelation to the world that has ever been offered.

Men who looked at the skies, nature, the beauty of the world that was presented before their very eyes, and wondered at "What created" it all, now knew! The Spirit of God entered into the heart of man. And not just the rich, and the privileged. The poor sitting before the hearth consuming the effort of their blood, sweat and tears, knew that God loved them as much as any man. This was monumental in the diaspora of the concepts of Freedom, and Equality.

In a few short decades this message was spread throughout the "known world" and revolution had engulfed Europe. From there it was quickly understood that the land just didn't have enough room for "you suppressing me". Innovation in technologies, understanding, and wondering what was "over the horizon" became paramount to shrugging off the tyranny of centuries. The New World came into view.

Our forefathers landed on this soil with thoughts of new beginnings, freedom and the right to pursue their own God given path of life, free from monarchies, tyrannies and prejudice of religion. That blossomed into what we know as these United States Of America. And those freedoms, unfortunately, are again under fire.

Which, again, narrows me down to the specifics of my point.

If knowledge is power, assimilating raw knowledge, with the capacity to sift it on our own is critical. As an educated nation, we have the capacity to hear the truth. We have the strength to bear the burden of that truth, and to judge its effect on our lives. In other words, no man has the right to judge what I am capable of enduring. Censoring, in any form, is unacceptable. If I see it, and I determine I don't want to see any more, I have the capacity to turn my head. I don't need anyone filtering for me.

If you can read what I've written here, and understand it, you have the capacity to comprehend almost anything any politician can throw at you, and that without the assistance of them telling you what it means. We know what it means, and most of that, not good.

I started my Twitter account in late January. Prior to that, and for the last few years, I've had my FaceBook account. Through them, I've been subjected to more "worldly knowledge" in the last few weeks than I've had in the prior 50 years of my life. I've communicated with a broader scope of people, ideals and concerns, and seen more lies exposed, corruption revealed, and understanding of truth gained than could ever have been believed prior to "Social Networking" phenomena (which is by no means a "new" concept).

The Internet, along with the capacity to see "over the hill", that it provides, is in fact this centuries printing press. Through it we have the capacity to understand what our brothers and sisters have concerns over. What fears they have, what strengths they posses, and what collectively we can do about those forces, that once again, attempt to entangle the masses in ignorance.

May God Bless the United States....and open our eyes to the beauty, as well as responsibility of protecting her. May He give us the temerity to continually seek that which is "over the hill", and that which is truth, and then the strength to apply that truth to our lives, in spite of the opposition. And lets offer Him thanks for the tools to achieve these lofty goals.

"Freedom is the sure possession of those alone who have the courage to defend it".

Tolerance Tested

After nearly twenty years in the faith, the term "tolerance" is not new to me, by any means. It's one of the very first precepts of Christianity that is taught. In part, it’s an acceptance of who, or what, a person, or thing is, based on it’s own merit. I have tolerance for someone because we are all created equal, and all have the right to life liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, providing that pursuit causes me no harm or threat. I’m tolerant of something, because it, in and of itself, presents me no harm or threat.

Judgment is another word we learn about in Christianity 101. The dispensation of it, and that rightly so, belongs only to the Creator. The reason being this, when I consider that it is impossible for me to see into the heart of a man, and to know why he does what he does, I understand why judgment isn't mine to dish out.

I've used a parable on many occasions to illustrate my point. Two boys, both dressed in scout uniforms, who might be observed crossing the street in the assistance to an elderly lady. An observer, watching from a distance, might observe, because of their actions, how much they both look like "fine young men", and might assume they were representative of a common history.

But in actuality, it might very well be that one of the young men, having been born and bred of means, and having therefore the benefit of all proper teaching, would consider that what he was doing was actually a bit of a bore to him. A chore, if you will, simply for the benefit of the badge he might win for doing "his duty". His motive ulterior in nature.

It could also be considered of the other young man that he came from a lower standing in life. Maybe, from a dysfunctional family where he was abused, or never taught to respect his elders. So he never had. Consider for this young man, that helping this elderly lady across the street was a challenge, as well as a milepost in his change from selfishness to charity. His intention was benevolent.

Though the action itself might rightly be judged as equal in both instances, the intent is a whole different issue. Thus, why we have neither the right, nor authority to judge. We can't see the heart of a man to know "why" he does what he does. All we can see is the moment.

My faith also teaches that because I am not in a position to accurately judge someone, I must be tolerant of their actions. And, in so much as those actions don't cause me too much grief, that isn't a hard position to take. But tolerance sometimes turns into a sacrifice. And sacrifice is one of those two edged swords that cuts both ways.

Consider this. Scripture says that I should "love my brother, as I love myself". To the world, that sounds pretty difficult to comprehend. But to the Christian, it shouldn't be all that hard to determine the depth of the meaning. This is described in the Greek as, “phileo love”. Brotherly love, based on respect and regard. It's not the tender, emotional love I have for my wife, which is “eros”. Nor is it the unconditional love my God has for me, being “agape”.

Phileo love says we are equals in the sight of God. Reciprocity being key. It says in my heart, and mind, I love him, I respect him, I have regard, or concern for his well being, and because of this, he deserves all I can offer.

This kind of mutual consideration is what builds up our capacity to tolerate one another's differences. Be that opinion, religion or ritual. A difference in the color of skin, direction of faith, of determination of goals, all comes as no great hurdle. If we have the common trust of reciprocity.

It does not, however, say that he has the right to “take” my life, or even cause me harm because I am commanded to be “tolerant”.

And that’s where we are with this whole Jihad business. I’ve studied a good bit of scripture, but I’m no theologian. I have however, spent my fair share of time at the knee of some really well versed individuals who are. One of those men being an apostatized Muslim. I learned a great deal about the Islamic faith from him, and why he chose to convert to Christianity. I can tell you his decision was all about love, or the lack thereof.

You see, the Islamic faith is based on the precept of obedience, rather than love, or grace. If one follows Islam to its obedient end, the only reward is superficial. It has tangible meaning in this life, but has none of the eternal elements that we enjoy. If you are obedient, you get the girl, or several, and the knowledge that Allah really digs you. If you aren’t obedient, it’s off with the head, arm, foot, tongue, whatever. To get to this great place, you have to step on other people in pursuit of this “obedience”. You consider that anybody unlike yourself is an enemy. And not just an enemy to glower at over the fence, but one to conquer.

Christianity, on the other hand, offers an eternal salvation through the Sacrifice of a Loving God. And it is a gift. It’s not something that can be earned, or achieved. It is freely given because God loves us enough to give it. And we love Him because of Who He is, and not the giving of the gift. It says that if people are unlike us, we are to be tolerant of them. We are invoked by scripture to attempt to bring them this “good news”. And we can try as many times as is prudent.

But it is also very well stated, as in Mark 6:11, that “whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them.” Which means, if they ain’t picking up what you are throwing down, knock the dust off your boots, and boogie. Take no remnant of what they have, or own, just leave.

So here’s the deal. After considerable study, of both my “religion”, and that of the Islamic people, I can see no reasonable expectation of any of this reciprocity that I’ve been speaking of.

I’m not interested in watering down what I believe to be true so that it fits well on the palate of someone who is bent on my ultimate destruction. People can say what they want. The media can downplay the differences between Christianity and Islam all they want. But just like arguing whether a mean dog will bite or not, sticking your hand out to test it is stupid. For that matter, that hand has been stuck out, and bitten, on too many occasions. So many so that I’m left to consider the statement, ”true stupidity is defined by following the same path, on multiple occasions, and expecting it to get you some place different each time.”

Islam is not about religion. It’s about control. It’s about controlling everybody. That’s what jihad is….for the sake of revenge, attacking the caravan and taking everything it owns, and putting everybody on it into subjugation. Period. And just because people want to believe it’s just another form of religion, just doesn’t make it so.

I haven’t figured out why the hell our “liberal leaders” are bent on going to bed with this faction of human society, yet, but I can tell you this, it ain’t gonna be no sleep over. These people want to steal All the covers. And they can do it too……if we let them.

As for me and my house, we will “continue to” serve the Lord…..not Allah, Mohammad, or anybody else who chooses to cow toe to the drivel they dribble…… Barry, you hear me?!

An American Soul

The Cherokee Indians claim that the land has a soul. That it lives, and breaths with the pulse of the people that depend upon it for survival. Coming from a strong Cherokee background, and having lived, and worked, in 46 of the continental states, I believe this to be true. I also believe that God, that Great Spirit, created this earth, and all who dwell upon it. Jesus truthed that when He came back, the first time, it was for the purpose of that Holy Spirit to dwell among His people. This I believe as well. It's not a far cry for me to believe therefore, that the soul of this great land dwells in the heart of every person who loves her, calls her home, and cares for her.

And this I do. With great pride, and determination. And it grieves my heart to think that the soul of this land weeps for the lost integrity of her children.


An integrity that was birthed in the hearts of men determined to produce a nation where all men would have the chance for freedom, prosperity, and the pursuit of happiness. I firmly believe that although the means sometimes may have appeared questionable, the intention of these men to develop a free nation, remained pure.

It is sad to think this "pursuit of happiness" has been bastardized into a "pursuit of entitlements". It is reprehensible that laziness, and apathy on all our parts, has lead us to hire thugs, cutthroats, shysters, and downright liars to handle our representative and leadership affairs. And yet, it isn't my purpose here to complain about what we have let be done. For complaint, without input of a solution, is nothing but that...complaining. It is ineffective, serves no practical purpose, and in effect wastes time, and resources, that could be better spent elsewhere, correcting the original problem.

So here's the deal. Up until 9/11, I couldn't give a rat's ass who was POTUS. The closest I came to paying attention was in the early eighties when Reagan was my commander in chief while I was in the Marine Corps. I can count the number of times on one hand that I have voted for a president. I did my very best to "not pay attention" to anything political. "What", I would say, was the point? Nobody "up there" gave a rat's ass about me, mine or how it all affected me, why shouldn't I reciprocate?

But when Clinton took it under the table, I started paying attention. I mean, really? So I voted for Bush. And when the planes flew, I was damned glad I did. I don't think we've had a president since Reagan who would have had the moxy to do what he did. Unfortunately, he allowed some left wing armchair bandits to sway his resolve, and subsequently stopped short of the ultimate goal. Which should have been to completely destroy the enemies capability of waging war.

And now...I said, and now! We've got the current administration advocating a complete showing of the throat. They want us to give it up for head gear, prayer rugs, mosques on Broadway, five dollar gas, Christ out of our lives, kids with full body pat down searches, naked body xrays of old ladies and pin-up girls, taxes up the wazoo, hippies camping out in the parks, screaming "gimme, gimme!", foreign aide, foreign oil, foreign debt, and garden Nazis, of all things. Just what Is an American to do?

I'll tell you....hunker down and do what we always do. Fill a pipe, pack a breach, and wait till they're close enough to see the whites of their eyes. Why "wait"? First, because sometimes it's not always easy to identify the enemy. Although, in this case, that's becoming more clear as the days go by. Second, we can't afford to waste resources with "misses". Make every shot count. Lastly, when they drop, you want to be close enough to make sure its permanent. Like I said, we've been here .

But, here's the thing, "It isn't enough to just think about what must be done, we must "do" it. Be prepared though, because while the first may require only some effort, the second may cost you your very life." We've been there before as well.

Getting back to some solutions though, instead of just complaining.

Prior to this recent "paying attention" I mentioned above, I would have taken at face value just about anything anybody in the media said. I mean, really, we are brought up to believe those that lead, tell the truth. In my naivety, what the media presented as leaderships words, unless I had some sure fire way of personally refuting, I believed.

Unfortunately, like the tyrannical regimes of days gone past, that was self serving propaganda dealt out by monarchies, and dictatorships, for the ignorant masses. Masses who believed that just because some stuffed shirt living up on the mountain told them that they were a lesser person, it was true. Simply because that person "had", and they "had not".

But reformation does occur from time to time.

I recently read an article that compared the social networking tactics of Luther, a fifteenth century monks' distribution of his '95 thesis, to the effectiveness of our current day social networking. Luther, some of his printing press buddies, along with a hand full of like minded merchants, was able to distribute his thesis across Germany, and then all of Europe, in just a matter of weeks. This distribution of the gospel message to the "ignorant" masses, in a pamphlet form, enabled the message of equality in the Creators eyes, to be clearly preached to those that, previously, had been convinced by their "masters", that they were less than equal.

That knowledge, if you will follow the thread, lead to insurrection, revolution, reform, and eventually a Diaspora of like minded people, fed up with oppression, that fled the European continent, braved oceans, wilds, and weather, to populate a new land, fresh for equality. And there, they started this great nation, based on the principles of that Gospel.

This time, we're not leaving. We're gonna stay right here, hunker down, wait till we see the whites of their eyes, and stand our ground.

But first, we gotta get it together, together. And that's where the social networking comes back into play. Yesterday we were listening to a media that was telling us only what those that live on the hill wanted us to hear. And we were the dumber for it. Today, we're talking to each other on a minute by minute basis. We're hearing things from hometown Americana that we've long been lied to about. We're hearing back channel whispers about why things are happening, and when. And these things are bringing to mind cold hard facts about how we are being screwed by those charged with leading us through the quagmire of world politics. Not only are we being sold out for our leaderships personal gain, the heritage we've fought to protect for the last two hundred plus years is being thrown under the bus.

I don't want to be put on record for advocating blood in the streets...yet. For the wisdom of the ages says "give peace a chance", but when the benevolence of a caring people is mistaken for weakness, a boot in the ass is sometimes the only solution. As they say, "there's more ways than one to skin a cat".

An armed and educated populace is a dangerous one, for a government bent on tyranny. We've never been invaded from outside, and for the same reason. But through the insidious process of "boiling a frog", we are being lulled to sleep through luke warm theology, piss warm lies, and the mercury light warmth of socialist security. We are, in fact being slowly eroded from within by the very ones paid to protect us.

I'm thinking that's about to end...for the soul of the American land, the people that inhabit it, and the heart that beats within them both, in life, and in spirit, cries out for justice. A justice long locked out of it's courts, classrooms, and churches. A justice that just might be heralded in, not by trumpets, but by tweets..........