Author: Guardian 6

Guardian 6 is at the ready: 1st General Order "I will guard everything within the limits of my post and quit my post only when properly relieved." 2nd General Order "I will obey my special orders and perform all of my duties in a military manner." 3rd General Order "I will report violations of my special orders, emergencies, and anything not covered in my instructions, to the commander of the relief."

Iran

Iran

Legacy Trumps US Security

Legacy trumps four decades of bi-partisan statesmanship of five consecutive presidents until President Barack Obama. Hubris is dangerous and in this case, it is undermining US foreign policy ignoring precedent and five decades of US policy toward Iran. Cult of personality and a self-assessment of “I know better than my predecessors “is a dangerous course in securing peace and fostering a more peaceful and unified world.

After awarding Iran $150 billion of US dollars that have been held since their 1979 Iranian Islamic Revolution ( coming to the table on Barack Obama’s nuclear deal), regardless of the history of holding US hostages for over a year during the Iran Hostage Taking of US Citizens and not changing Iranian sponsored terrorism; and their continued practice of taking hostages to foster their form of Islamic extremism on the world, the Iranian government actions signaling toward the US continues to be belligerent  including the most recent event of mistreating ten US sailors at gun point on their hands and knees for an apparent navigation error.

In regards to the $150 billion dollars we are giving Iran, Secretary of State Kerry said two days ago, “I think that some of it will end up in the hands of the IRGC or other entities, some of which are labeled terrorists” referring to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps. “You know, to some degree, I’m not going to sit here and tell you that every component of that can be prevented.” Question to Kerry, why then  are we doing this deal? Terrorists of sorted ilk attacked Fort Hood; Tennessee; New York City; Arkansas; and most recently San Bernardino, CA; but yet you are not concerned about that? What are we passionate about — the Iranians or protecting Americans  at any cost? Is there anything that Iran would do to cause you to recommend that we should not pursue this deal?

Your job Mr. President is to Protect Americans at all costs vs. taking a bow on the world stage for some ill-fated treaty that couldn’t secure enough votes in the US Congress, and once again relies on a President who issues edicts like a King in the form of Executive Orders because he can’t lead and build consensus through the strength of his convictions. Weakness begets weakness. You have failed us through your lack of engagement and serious consideration to the opposition party in the US Senate & House. It is ignorant to think you have it all figured out. We have reached a new low driven by your hubris. Peace through strength is no where to be found!

A few more points to the American public as we embark on President Obama’s Iranian Compromise:

  • Does it bother you that we likely lost over one thousand American lives in Iraq by the hands of Iranians either directly or indirectly through their creation of a most deadly form of an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) known as the Explosive Form Projectile (EFP)? These IEDs were manufactured in Iran and shipped to Iraq through their militia network
  • Does it bother you that we likely have tens of thousands of American troops suffering the loss of limb, battle fatigue and mental duress from being victimized from an IED/EFP?
  • Do you know that the Iranians trained southern Iraq Shia  and Shia militia to fight and kill US troops fighting in Iraq from 2003 through the ill-advised Presidential directive to withdraw against the advice and counsel of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and US Generals Officers (2011)? I seem to recall that VP Biden stated that the Iraq victory was going to be one of President Barak Obama’s greatest achievements in office. “Bin Laden is dead and GM is alive,” something like that. And today,  ISIS in Iraq and Syria represents the ignorance of our President to withdraw prematurely against the advice and consent of his senior military officers to leave a residual force to continue to train, advise and give a backbone to the new Iraq Army. Make sense? Of course it does!!  Except to the one who knows better than all of us — our current President.

When you have a President and a Secretary of State that puts legacy over US Security, we have a problem. When you have a President that chooses to not make his case to the opposition party because of his dogmatic style,  and outright goes around US public engagement, but chooses to makes his case to the “world,” we have something significantly less than an American leader devoted to the best interests of this nation’s people. Some have  questioned what President Obama really represents and his true agenda with this deal. It is this exact circumstance that makes us question his motives even that much more.

… lastly, and some wonder how a candidate named Trump has emerged as a front runner … perhaps because his message is simple, “Make America Great Again.” There are many Americans yearning for optimism, freedom and raising their children to live the American Dream free of terrorism and a terrorist state with nukes !!!

 

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Rights

Rights                 by pmwalt2

There’s been plenty of rhetoric recently on the topic of gun rights. Many consider our current gun laws too permissive while others consider them too restrictive.   Until recently, I thought we in the Commonwealth had attained a balanced, sensible balance of Second Amendment rights with common-sense safe guards in regulating how firearms were handled within the our borders.

Rather than debate whether or not current laws are adequate, let’s have an open discussion on how all of our rights are affected when those in power govern thru edict and proclamation.

Virginia’s Attorney General, thru the state’s Police Superintendent, recently revoked concealed carry permit reciprocity between Virginia and 25 states. This was done without the advice and consent of the State’s Legislature nor was there any offering for public comment. It appears this action was highly influenced by anti-gun lobbyist outside of the state. Prior to this, Virginia’s governor took steps to restrict the legal carry of firearms in certain state buildings, again doing so without the advice or consent of the legislature. Finally, our President has elected to adopt a course of action placing restrictions on legal gun ownership and is doing so without the advice or consent of the legislature.

I have trouble with this.

First and foremost, the powers of elected officials are granted to them from the citizens of this country. They are not our rulers and we are not their subjects. We are not a rabble who these officials lord after and permit us simple freedoms. We are, rather, those who have empowered these few to administer governments for our mutual benefit.

Secondly, I take great umbrage against people who think they know what is best for me – and treat my rights as one would treat an infant child. This arrogance of the elite who consider themselves superior to me and the collective citizenry of this land is insulting. They consider it their duty to restrict 2nd Amendment Rights because they know better than me. This elitism is pervasive and troubling because it creates an aura of a ruling elite. It is not a principal of how this country evolved or what it stands for. Ruling elitism is not good for any of our rights guaranteed under the Constitution … the 2nd Amendment being only the first of many placed at risk.

Disclosure: I’m a gun owner, a concealed carry permit carrier and a retired veteran of the Marine Corps. I’ve gone thru a NICS check every time I’ve purchased a firearm. I went thru an ATF background check before I received my Curio and Relics license from the ATF. I’m for sensible, well-reasoned and collectively agreed upon measures to keep firearms out of the hands of criminals or those with mental illnesses.

53rd Regiment Liberty

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Faith

A New Evangelization by Father JR

“The JOY OF THE GOSPEL fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept His offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness, and loneliness. With Christ joy is constantly born anew. In this Exhortation I wish to encourage the Christian faithful to embark on a new chapter of evangelization marked by this joy, while pointing out new paths for the Church’s journey in years to come”                                                                                      [Evangelii Gaudium #1].      

In his call for a “new chapter of evangelization,” Pope Francis offers us a great challenge. All members of the Church, lay and religious, priests and teachers must engage the world more effectively as “heralds of the Great King;” Jesus, our Lord and our God and our Brother. We should welcome this great opportunity to assess the effectiveness of our past efforts and to refine and improve our methodology and expression as we proclaim the Good News in our times.

What is this New Evangelization?

Although people frequently speak of a “new evangelization,” most of them would be hard-pressed to define just what it is. Is it “Catholic Television?” YouTube videos? Is it learning from or imitating protestant evangelical techniques?

For more than 2,000 years the essence of evangelization has been to proclaim simply and powerfully that “Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior.” Then something changed in 1979 when a young and newly-named Pope, now Saint John Paul II, returned to his native Poland and exclaimed, “A new evangelization has begun!”

During the ensuing 35 years, Pope John Paul II and his brother Popes Benedict and Francis have repeatedly challenged us to engage with new ardor, methods, and expression, “entire groups of the baptized [who have] lost a living sense of faith”… who “no longer consider themselves members of the Church and live a life far removed from Christ and His Gospel.” These groups are the particular focus of the “new evangelization” or “re-evangelization.”

Joy-filled Witness

In most parts of the world, and sadly, in our own society, Sunday worship, daily prayer, even the attempt to live a truly Christian lifestyle seem to be fading from the common cultural experience. Computer screens, earbuds, smart phones, and an imposing battery of technological gadgets very effectively draw us into a “virtual reality,” drowning out the words of the Gospel for many—perhaps most. Silence, solitude, the awareness of God abiding within us are now rarely a part of our daily lives.

Within this culture of “systematized distraction,” those who would evangelize must find a way to fascinate and captivate our brothers and sisters with the Gospel—and it won’t happen with “persuasive eloquence” or “wise argumentation.”  In the words of Pope John Paul II, we must be “credible evangelizers whose lives radiate the beauty of the Gospel.” Recognizable, tangible joy is certainly the hallmark of this endeavor.

Information and Formation

The problem with much of what is being presented as the New Evangelization is that it isn’t “new” at all. Certainly a greater ardor is in evidence among would-be-evangelists and catechists, but mere ardor won’t carry the day in these challenging times.

Passion and programming won’t accomplish much if they are merely “window dressing” for the same tired methodologies that have failed to set hearts on fire in the past 50 years. Many feel that orthodoxy or technological innovation are the essence of the New Evangelization. Although orthodoxy is essential, and an effective use of technology is indispensable, in themselves they are insufficient.

If we hope to succeed, our approach must both inform and form – not just passive students, but receptive disciples… who in turn will be prepared and ready to be evangelists, catechists, and apostles themselves.

Jesus Christ: Front and Center

The crucial weakness of most of our evangelical and catechetical efforts… elementary and high school kids, adult education and RCIA, and even those programs which faithfully employ the Catechism of the Catholic Church, is that they are not sufficiently Christ-centered.

Although Jesus may be mentioned with some frequency, weeks may pass (or longer periods still) without spending significant time reflecting on His words or pondering the events of His life. In our programs, textbooks, and media presentations, we tend to present our material according to our agenda and following our methodology.   We then bring Christ in as an illustration, a sort of “audiovisual aid” to illuminate the point we are trying to make. As a result, although we may sometimes convince people of the reasonableness and truth of what we are proclaiming, we are failing to bring people—even those who are open and receptive—into a deep, lasting, and intimate holy communion with Jesus Christ Himself.

 

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Benghazi

It’s not hard. If you put Americans in harms way, you best have a plan to get them out of harms way if need be. You owe them that. You owe their families that. If you work in a US Embassy, you have an emergency action plan to get out. You rely on the US government to monitor the situation and give the Ambassador and his staff orders securing US personnel and safeguarding designated information and equipment. If it is too dangerous and US citizens safety cannot be guaranteed, SOPs are executed on a deliberate, planned withdrawal. When this doesn’t happen, you have a systematic failure. When this doesn’t happen, you question leadership at every level. When this doesn’t happen on the anniversary of September 11th, people are relieved for their incompetence and failure to properly advise and secure US personnel, property and equipment. When this doesn’t happen, and you lose an Ambassador and US personnel, the Secretary of State doesn’t run for President. Ultimately, four American lives were lost makes a big difference to their families and the honor of this country. One of the country traits that historically makes the USA exceptional, is that one ordinary citizen’s life matters dearly. As a nation, our citizenry expects our government to move heaven and earth to bring our own back to safety. Did that happen here? Did we find a way to get every potential resource in play to save our fellow citizens lives? I don’t care if there is less than a 1% chance at saving a life and rescuing our fellow Americans, you give the order to rescue, safeguard and bring our people home, without hesitation. It is simple, Americans in harms way? We go get them and bring them home! If you hesitate, if you debate it, if you blame a youtube movie and insult our intelligence, you are not fit to serve in a low level position let alone as President of the Unites States!

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