Category: Uncategorized

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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