Transition August, 2013
Hello “Patriot64″ readers and fans. We will finally be transitioning to the site application of simply www.patriot64.com. It has been under construction for a while and should be ready for full release in the next few weeks. Don’t worry, when it goes on-line you will automatically be redirected from the old blog site which will remain active as an archive. We ask that you register and bookmark the new site also for your convenience. Thanks for being part of the discussion and we hope you enjoy "patriot64.com". Remember, “truth and reason first”… Spread the word…
Feel free to have look around the new site: http://www.patriot64.com/
Independence...
December 2024 M T W T F S S « Nov 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 “Patriot64”
7-4-1776
IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.-----
“We the People”
"We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."Categories
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What folks are saying…
- Jeffrey A. Coulter on Living the numbers…
- Mark Poirier on “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” (John 8:7)
- Eugene Bolton on “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” (John 8:7)
- Fred Comella "Patriot64" on June 6, 1944…
- Jeffrey A. Coulter on Indifference on a Presidential scale…
My Links
- Abundant Life Assembly of God My Church 10
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- Imprimis Education not indoctrination… 9
- Mark Levin The Great One… 9
- NASCAR The latest from the speedway… 10
- Paul Ryan Must listen to this! 7
- Rush Limbaugh Talent on loan from God… 9
- Sean Hannity A great American… 9
- The Blaze News and opinion… 10
- The Cary D. Conover Daily Published by Cary D Conover – 228 news spotters today 10
- The Good News Today “The” Christian Newspaper of record… 10
- The Heritage Foundation Leadership for America 9
- The Providence Journal My local read… 8
- Wounded Warrior Project Help those who fight in our stead… 10
Special Mention
- Country Babies USA For the finest Americana Crafts… 10
Category Archives: First Amendment
“Skin in the game”…
Dr. Benjamin Carson is the kind of man we should be sending to Washington. If not for the fact he is a doctor (a pediatric brain surgeon no less), and we are in such short supply of doctors because of Obamacare, I would start a petition today to draft him for a political run. Why do I say this, you ask?
I caught just a bit of his remarks at the recent National Prayer Breakfast where he lectured and President on healthcare and then schooled him on tax reform. This man has two things which are clearly in short supply in Congress these days, character and common sense. His basic premise on taxes (as described in his book, “America the Beautiful”), is a “flat tax” for all, very much like a “religious tithe”, would dramatically simplify the tax code and solve most of Washington’s spending vs. revenue issues. It would also go a long way to rooting out the political evil which now presides over our finances. Simply put, an across the board percentage of one single and mutually agreed upon “denomination” would be applied to every working American (and collecting one). Obviously, if you have some “skin in the game”, you are naturally more inclined to be concerned with how “your” money gets spent. Moreover, the incentive to better ones fiscal position, is reinforced by the notion that you are treated no differently than any other tax payer. The flip side of that coin of course, is that you should expect no different accommodation.
The videos and web page below are about as sensible an approach as I have heard in some time. There is no dark political objective, and no prevalent ideology with the exception of that which is our cultural, and undeniable national origin. I must agree, a “flat tax” would be the single best solution to our financial troubles to come along in over eighty years, and would return our nation to its Constitutional foundations. Politicians take note, “We the People” are gonna get this message eventually. Unfortunately, the rest of what Dr. Carson has to say is only for those who love and appreciate their country.
http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/economy-a-budget/282211-dr-ben-carsons-tithing-wisdom
http://video.foxnews.com/v/2161630388001/does-the-bible-endorse-a-flat-tax
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4fkBb3_E_g
All The President’s Media…
“We the People” must go to the media in one form or another for our information, but it’s not that simple anymore. There are many checks and balances available to us in the 21st century, so we may reconcile much if not all of what we hear. This requires effort however, and in many cases, intestinal fortitude if we truly desire the facts on any issue. With this in mind, there is no single news agency or pundit that/who gets it right 100 percent of the time, including this one. But when the man in the highest office in the land, a man charged by sworn oath to defend the rights of “We the People” as outlined in the Constitution, starts telling us who we should be getting our “information” from, it’s problematic to say the least. It shows us how little these supposedly learned and certainly untested academics we’ve sent to represent us, really understand about our Constitution. In an era when we are hearing professors, sheltered within the alternate universe of higher education, advocate we “dump” the founding documents in favor of “a new and more modern approach”, one can only conclude this nation, which has set the mark for human dignity and God given liberty, is sliding perilously close to a deep and dangerous precipice.
I was talking with a Liberal friend recently who fervently believes Bush 43 should be tried and “hanged” for treason. I chuckled and then shuddered a bit as I realized he was dead serious. It was at that moment I realized the battle lines have definitely shifted, and we can now see the unabashed and true intent of the Left. These are the folks who scream for justice at the loss of innocent young lives in Newtown Connecticut, yet defend something as gruesome and inhuman as partial birth abortion. They are the people who advocate for more spending on behalf of the “less fortunate”, but seek to destroy the means by which to pay for it. And they are citizens of this country who see it’s worth only in terms of how they may systematically dismantle everything it stands for, in order to make it fit some 1960’s narcotics driven version of the truth. Not surprisingly, their voices are now given weight with the 2nd election of an inexperienced, ideological and partisan standard-bearer. Moreover, that man, our President, now sees certain segments of the media as threats to the realization of this twisted and shallow dream of “Utopia”. Sounds scary doesn’t it.
Well I’ve listened to statements made by President Obama recently, and tried mightily to figure out how CBS could have had the nerve to air their recent “interview” with Mr. Obama and Secretary Clinton, and I couldn’t help but wonder how any fair minded person could come to any conclusion other than the following. With the exception of FOX News, and certain talk-radio shows, the press is largely and even gushingly sympathetic to this President and his ideology. Regrettably, these same media outlets, and those who own and operate them, have cast aside any shred of journalistic credibility they may have hidden away under the clever disguises of icons like Brokaw and Cronkite, two admitted but cautious and calculating Liberals.
Much of the battle to come will be fought inside these lines as folks gravitate to one camp or the other. In the end, it will not be which ideology you subscribe too, or which news outlet you feel best represents your view, but rather our future as a nation will be determined by whether or not “We the People” do our own homework, or whether we buy into the “main stream media’s” and/or the President’s interpretation of what we know to be true of our freedom and our Constitution.
Fact and reason only please…
I always cut radio and television folks a little slack, as I understand the ratings component. That said, I caught a bit of John DePetro’s broadcast on 630 WPRO AM this past Friday, when he seemed to belittle callers for their notions about the Second Amendment. During the segment he attempted to define the use of firearms in the case of a government ordered forfeiture. In doing so he was pitting firearms proponents against the Rhode Island National Guard in a fictitious battle, and asking if they would fight our volunteer army in defense of their guns, a foolish and cheap assertion at best. Now it is understood that not everyone is a Constitutional scholar, but let me see if I can help you understand what your callers were trying to say as you ridiculed them on the air, Mr. DePetro.
The simple truth is that the Second Amendment does in fact have a very specific meaning, one which politicians and gun control advocates don’t like discussing. It doesn’t suggest war with our Armed Forces, but it does speak to a populace left defenseless against an unbridled government, one which has forgotten its oath and origin, and which has moved away from the Liberty for which it was formed. This nation is unique in that posture John, and dare I say, its free citizens understand some of the collateral negatives associated with the misuse of firearms by those of an evil design.
We are all mournful to the horrors of Newtown, and we are all searching for answers. However, fact and reason must rule the day if those answers are to be realized. The idea of “safety” is not related to the Second Amendment as written. In fact the violence which occurs during a mass shooting is symptomatic of much broader and complicated social manifestations, which our elected officials do not wish to be scrutinized for.
Understand something Sir, history dictates that oppression and genocide in the 20th Century were always preceded by the subjugation of the masses, very often by removing the means by which the masses might prevent that subjugation. To think that it will never happen here, is to be, well, naïve.
No one is suggesting armed confrontation with our brave men and women in uniform. But purposely misrepresenting a Constitutional Amendment for the sake of generating controversy, speaks volumes for our declining recognition and respect for the document, and just makes you part of the problem.
Foregone conclusions…
A horrible and sickening event occurred in Newtown Connecticut this past December. A deranged person shot and killed innocent women and children at the Sandy Hook Elementary School. Consequently, there is little doubt the shock and despair associated with that incident will be with the families of the lost, as well as the nation for some time to come. Regrettably however, and in the time since that fateful day, it has become increasingly clear that the President of The United States, riding some perceived political mandate, will attempt to exploit the lost lives of Newtown in order to advance the ideological issue of gun control.
I do not say this lightly, and indeed I was willing to give the father of two young daughters the benefit of the doubt in the days immediately following the murders. Having said that, Vice President Joe Biden dropped the inevitable political bombshell today, as the newly formed “gun control task force” was meeting in Washington. Simply put, and to no one’s surprise who has been watching this Administration with any objectivity, Biden hinted Mr. Obama might in fact bypass Congress and invoke “executive privilege” to initiate gun control measures. I’m sorry folks, but this abuse of power is unnecessary and unwarranted based on the facts and common-sense. However it does give us great insight into the foregone conclusions drawn of this masquerade run by the VP. There will be no real consideration of the evidence, only a rigged outcome born of a baseless, ideological and un-Constitutional Left Wing agenda, ever-poised to strike with crisis afoot..
Make no mistake, the Newtown tragedy must serve as a catalyst for change, but not the change the President and his Left Wing buddies desire. Sandy Hook should remind us that in any free society there will be evil which must be addressed. Not with the stroke of a pen, or the politically motivated band-aid solution of a self-aggrandizing politician, but rather by way of education, community, prayer, and a fact-based common-sense approach which provides security while preserving liberty. That is the American way, and the best way to honor the memories of those little angels and their teachers.
I will see you on the field in 2013…
… As we attempt to take stock of Christmas 2012, there is obvious angst in America, and with good reason. I will be honest and tell you, I’m going to take a page from Bill O’Reilly’s book, and be “much tougher on the opposition this year”. For too long many of us have given a pass to those whose intentions we know to be anything but honorable, both in the political and news media arena. The truth and the facts have been watered down to accommodate a very vocal, disingenuous and agenda driven minority. Our heritage and culture are in danger of extinction, and our future is in question because we allow the argument to be framed as the enemies of freedom would have it. Our children will not live in their grandparents United States, as we parents have allowed their “inheritance” to be squandered in the name of a false utopia, predestined for failure by historical truth and example. No, I have decided there is far too much at stake, and little to be gained by simply allowing Progressivism to extinguish the torch of Liberty so many have died to protect. 2013 must be different. “We the People” must acknowledge and accept that we have dropped the ball, and time is no longer on our side. We must make a choice, or become just another failed nation which cast off freedom in favor of being ruled.
In the midst of a maelstrom of economic strife, albeit not just of one party’s making, President Barack Obama was elected and promised “Hope and Change” in 2008. He stood in the glow of history and eloquently described a new road for our country, a road paved with bi-partisan thinking and cooperation. Instead, we are on track to double our debt, and our economy is now on the brink of yet another crippling and potentially far more debilitating recession. Moreover, we have never seen a more uninformed and divided America, nor have we known a president more focused on ideological change and partisan politics, as this one. Now some may try and answer this with cries of racism and other baseless accusations, but I submit to you that there has not been an administration in U.S. history which has done more to promote that which they lament with such fervent gusto.
I’m sorry, but no more lies. No more acceptance of what common sense and sound principle tells us is wrong simply for the sake of “consensus”. In the end, a “consensus” of wrongheaded individuals who offer up the same tired, debt laden, and counterproductive so-called solutions, only prolongs the inevitable failure of a structure built on a compromised foundation.
We are indeed compromised in so many ways my fellow Americans. To deny this only makes you part of the problem. Instead, let us join together and face a storm unlike any we have ever faced. It will begin in our hearts, in our homes, and yes, in our churches. And it will only transcend to our cities, our states and to the nation, if it is shaped in the mold of a national movement to re-capture the “American Dream” we have lost. The reality is our “national death clock” has been sped up dramatically by irresponsible representation from local government to Washington, as well as a hijacking of the American self-reliant and entrepreneurial spirit our parents and grandparents passed on to us. We cannot and should not stand by and allow that spirit to be squashed by the naysayers and revisionists. This is not about party my friends. It’s simply “now or never” …
Honor them…
I suppose that in the age of the 24 hour news cycle we should expect nothing less than bell to bell coverage of the unimaginable tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut. Consequently, we should also expect agenda driven politicians and uniformed ideologues to exploit that tragedy for political and/or ideological gain. I recently posted on Facebook that I was trying desperately not to engage out of respect for the lost and their grieving families, and in spite of the enormous amount of misinformation being spewed by the anti-gun crowd. Unfortunately, it is now painfully obvious this may not be possible. The deaths of these young children and those who sought to protect them at the Sandy Hook Elementary School must not simply be the catalyst for change of the wrong kind, promoted by those of the wrong intent.
Make no mistake, the loss of these innocents by the hand of evil, manifested in the form of a person with mental illness, begs a discussion of a higher sort with the aim of protecting our most valuable resource on planet earth, our children. Having said that, the critical task at hand will require level headed and truthful participants with no ulterior motives, and whose intentions are laser focused on the above and nothing else. So let’s look at what is being put out there at present, both on the political as well as the media fronts.
For starters, it is clear the President will charge ahead with what he ignored in his first term because it was politically dangerous. On its face this should tell you much about Mr. Obama’s political intentions. I would add however, the suggestion his emotion is not genuine is simply ridiculous. The POTUS has two school age daughters and I’m quite sure he has been rattled by the events of 12/14. No, this is an ideological battle not a personal one, at least in terms of any solution going forward.
Notwithstanding personal attacks by either side, President Obama named his VP Joe Biden as the point man for a committee to make recommendations, citing Biden’s input on the Clinton era assault weapons ban. I’m sorry, would that be the ban which had “zero” impact on violent crime, as vetted by every credible reporting agency including the CDC, which conducted no less than 50 inquiries desperately searching for evidence to support the ban but found none? Oh, and Attorney General Eric Holder will be sought out for his input and has already recommended a stronger BATFE. I’m sorry, would that be the Attorney General and BATFE embroiled in the “Fast and Furious” gun running scandal which resulted in the deaths of over nine hundred Mexican civilians and two border agents?
When you add in Dick Durbin and Dianne Feinstein, two of the most partisan and uniformed politicians on the matter of gun control, it is easy to come to the conclusion that the “discussion” on how to make our children safer will be dominated by politics and misinformation. Moreover, the statistical data continues to show that so-called “assault weapons” account for just 1/5 of one percent of all violent crime, with 1/7 of all guns in circulation in the U.S. being “assault weapons”, just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the “numbers within the numbers” which clearly show the futility of additional gun control. (Note here, one only need look to the states with the highest violent crime rates to find the most draconian gun laws).
Look, this debate is just getting started. And while I continue to believe it is incumbent upon us to focus our efforts on supporting the families in their time of sorrow and loss, we must also guard against feel good applications which always results in the erosion of freedom, while doing nothing to address the issue of violence in our nation. Turning a blind eye to the root causes and societal factors which are at the heart of our “national condition”, is akin to doing nothing at all in the face of this unholy nightmare. As a father, I am with whoever truly endeavors in the name of the victims and the Newtown community, honestly and with the same motivations. As a patriot, I must also endeavor to preserve and protect my son’s liberty from those who would manipulate it by way of false and ideological rhetoric, intended only for political gain and offered not as substantive and genuine solutions. I feel the two approaches are inexorably linked. In the name of those lost, let the truth, the facts and a genuine desire to keep our children safe, be the catalyst for real “change for the better”…
Enough said!!! Now go and vote your conscience!!!
[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShdiYQ1EHvA&list=FLF1tWmIM1CdkdFxo5srduGg&index=1&feature=plpp_video’]
My prediction???
I have been asked over and over to predict the outcome of Tuesday’s Presidential Election. Some of my political foes have tried desperately to engage me along these lines, so they might enjoy some post-election “I told ya so” benefit if the President is re-elected. Not interested…
The problem for me is I know this election is less about the candidates than about our country, and our children’s country in an even broader sense. After the most divisive and bitter campaign in U.S. history, I think we can all agree we’ve reached a crossroads in America. The direction we take will determine whether we keep the promise of our forefathers, one of rewards for hard work and individual achievement, or go the way of dependency and collectivism, carefully packaged in such a way as to “suggest” fairness while embracing the rhetoric of class warfare.
With that thought in mind, I will not bore you with another diatribe centered on the differences between President Obama and Governor Romney specifically, mainly because I’ve come to the conclusion they mean very little. Far too many on the Left will go to the polls next week and vote against the hard reality of economic calamity for the sake of a purely partisan victory, and it is unlikely anything would change their minds. No, this is more about a fight to one side, and history to the other.
All I have ever asked is for Liberal/Progressives to admit that our Founder’s United States is not a nation they support. I can respect a truthful advisory. But as most “Left Wingers” continue to disguise their contempt for the God-given and unalienable rights which have provided for their freedom of speech, I can only reiterate my own positions for the sake of debate.
It is simply impossible to espouse entitlement without means to support it, and sound off like a champion of the “American Dream” at the same time. Nowhere in that dream were there any handouts without responsibility, or aid without accountability. And the words which gave “birth” to it all, included the guarantee of (life) as well as “Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness”. Moreover, the denial of faith in favor of “truth” managed by a vain humanity, has shown us beyond doubt that our current course is a perilous one, fraught with the pitfalls of fractured families and a compromised moral foundation.
In the end, we must answer a couple of very basic questions in the voting booth on Tuesday. Firstly, how much of our grandfathers country are we willing to generationally steal from our children, because he is not here to tell us we are selfish jackasses? And second, how far is beyond the point of no return for America?
Come on people, you know the score. Is this the direction you want for your children? Are you okay with the nearly $60,000.00 in debt born to every child in the United States today? Are you comfortable with someone else’s private lifestyle being thrust upon you in a state of forced acceptance in order to somehow legitimize the personal behavior of others, all in the name of perceived equality? And will you stand by while someone tells you your country is not and should not be exceptional, rather than defend the greatness of a body politic which fought against all odds and changed the world for the better?
No my friends, this election is not about Obama or Romney, it’s about you! For this reason I will not make a prediction, but rather an observation. The United States of America has either lost or forfeited its soul. A soul, brave men and women have died to protect. On November 6th 2012, it will be up to you to find, recover or discard that soul. But I will predict this, we will not have long to wait before we see the results of any wrong decision on the part of the electorate. Sadly though, “the new norm” may already have chosen for us… See you all on the other side…
This can’t be…
Based on now overwhelming evidence, reasonable people must agree the Obama Administration and its surrogates, to include Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, UN Ambassador Susan Rice and Chief WH Spokesperson Jay Carney, lied to the American people and the world regarding the attacks on our consulate in Benghazi, Libya. At the very least, that evidence now indicates there was a planned and highly coordinated assault on both the embassy proper and its annex one mile away lasting nearly seven hours, in which Ambassador Stevens, his attaché and two security forces personal were murdered. And while this “act of war” and the facts which surround it will continue to unravel in the days and weeks ahead, it is not why I write tonight.
I write because I continue to be stunned and outraged at the notion only FOX News is covering this story in its appropriate context, that being an unforgivable act of combat violence against a sworn ambassador and his team in a foreign land. I am not suggesting these types of travesties will not or can never happen. What I am saying, is that by and large the majority of American media outlets have chosen to down-play the events so as not to jeopardize the re-election of President Barack Obama.
This is without a doubt the worst abuse of the free press I have ever witnessed, and goes far beyond the typical Left Wing slant. While the families of the lost wait in anguish for what now appear to be answers which have existed right along, the majority of the “lame stream” media have failed in their sacred profession, and chosen instead to spit in the face of every American who looks to them for a truthful and un-biased reporting of the facts. In doing so, they are compromising everything our soldiers are fighting and dying for, as well as the sanctity of the America electoral process. I am nothing short of disgusted to know, that had this been George W. Bush or any Republican President, these same fools would be screaming for his resignation or immediate impeachment. It is a sad day in America when our allies around the world look on in disappointment as “truth, justice and the American way” are slowly relegated into obscurity by this President and his administration.
Election 2012 aside, the events in Benghazi, and the now obvious attempt at cover-up by the Obama Administration and a complicit media, have already cast a cloud over our national soul that will not soon be removed. What a damn disgrace.