Veritas Vos Liberabit

Black Friday Primer for the Future

2011-11-25T23:34:00.000-08:00

Black Friday Primer for the Future

Gill Rapoza

Friday, November 25, 2011

Hello All,

After watching the Black Friday shopping videos, I saw a lesson there. Thus, this short commentary.

I fairly often advise people on this list to be prepared for anything that comes their way. One of the things I frequently say is to have the things you need in a sufficient amount, just in case. The things you need are your staples, including food, water, meds, self-protection items, effective clothing, sanitary items, and perhaps a few more. Assuming you have a safe place to dwell, this is a pretty good short list. These would be the things you need, with the first two having priority. When Jesus taught His follower to pray, He used the words, “Give us this day our daily bread” right in the middle of the prayer. In fact it was the only specific, physical thing He said to ask for. Daily bread simply means the basics that are essential for our life.

Here is what I saw on TV and the web today just in the Wal-Mart stores.

In California, a woman peppered sprayed other customers in an alleged attempt to gain an advantage over her competition for Wal-Mart sales in the Porter Ranch area of Los Angeles.
In Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, two people suffered injuries in an apparent armed robbery attempt after they left a Wal-Mart store around 1 AM Friday.
In Kingston, North Carolina, an off-duty police officer working security at Wal-Mart sprayed shoppers with pepper spray in an attempt to stop a disturbance there.
In Kissimmee, Florida near Orlando, a person was arrested after an early morning altercation at the jewelry counter at Wal-Mart.
In Rome, New York, a brawl erupted in the electronics department at Wal-Mart shortly after midnight. Two people were taken to the hospital afterwards.
In Florence, Alabama, police had to use a stun gun twice on a Wal-Mart customer. The target was charged with public intoxication, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest.
Finally, in Southington, Connecticut, police used a stun gun on a man at the Wal-Mart store for an unknown reason. An iReporter, according to CNN News, witnessed the event.

I got the above just from one web article: http://technorati.com/women/article/black-friday-too-violent-to-shop/

This is the supposed cheerful “Christmas shopping.” The truth is this has nothing to do with either. These things were not cheerful nor were they Christmas related. This was greed buying perhaps, but not the other. I also saws news items where people pulled guns on each other. And in at least one location thieves did their robbing/shopping at gunpoint outside the store after others shopped and took what was bought.

Here is your moment to think about it. If there is a large scale catastrophe, major national weather event, full government failure, attack by a foreign or domestic enemy, failure of essentials to be delivered to the store, total bank crash, or something else detrimental affecting many thousands or millions of people in your area, are you going to have some sort of plan already in place? Will you have enough of the “daily bread” to sustain your family and self?

Today was a good lesson for those who watch and work. If TEOTWAWKI shows up, you should know that the same sort of people who will fight or rob over video games and big screens will kill over that last loaf of bread.

I hope you are awake and thinking now.

Godspeed,

Gill Rapoza

Veritas Vos Liberabit

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

9-1-1—or—Where Was God? 2011

2011-09-10T09:53:00.000-07:00

Hello 92251 List Members & Blog Readers,

This is my annual 9/11 post, which is called a 9-1-1 post for the clear reasons stated below. This is the ten year anniversary of the day ISLAMIC TERRORISTS attacked America.

I certainly hope that awful day was a wake up call for you as it was for me. I became more aware and alert on several fronts. I spoke out more. I can recall so much of the day in detail, both what I saw on TV and how I interacted with people at work. It was a very personal attack, and it still is. I am no longer an active duty “First Responder,” but much of what I saw and learned is still with me because of my chosen profession, and it will not go away. It is still something I hold dear in my heart.

I saw that second plane hit on live TV. Even though I was not in New York City, I felt it deep inside. That took me back to the actual deadly plane crash I assisted with in San Diego. Unlike San Diego, I could not respond to New York or DC, and in part, that very much irritated me. It is what responders do. When everyone else is leaving, we go in.

It irritates me now to see the idiots in charge that now restrict the First Responders and the Christian and Jewish chaplains from praying at the event. I am irritated that the clowns in charge think more of an “Islamic Center” than our fallen and the rest whom it cost so dearly. It is irritating that we are being told not to speak of Al Qaeda. Politicians are back to forgetting the ONE GOD that so blessed this nation. They barely recall the nation God once blessed. I will bet none of them will call this Patriot Day.

Some of the contents of the post have changed, but not so much. The contents of list changed too after that day, particularly with some of the things I now write or comment on. I have no issue about saying ISLAMIC TERRORISTS – it is what they were and still are.

My wife and I have jackets that we wear each winter with portions of this post written on it. It is very special to me.

This was one of the posts I got to put up on a then recognized notable blog. If you click the link you won’t find it any longer. TownHall bought out The Conservative Voice, and took down the stuff us lesser known writers used to post.

Today – I am New York. Today – I am the District of Columbia. Today – I am Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Today – I am America. And it all brings a tear to my eyes. Can we not also yet be One Nation Under God?

When all others may falter, you remember! This is to the many fallen, that we can not ever bring back. Remember! לזכור

Godspeed,

Gill Rapoza

Veritas Vos Liberabit

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

9-1-1—or—Where Was God?

By Gill Rapoza

Original post was in 2001

Minor updates in this edition (and the original link no longer works)

http://www.theconservativevoice.com/article/18118.html

http://grapoza.blogspot.com/

In every person’s life we will always remember certain days and events.

In the late fall of 1963, as I sat in the 4^th grade classroom of Saint Louis School, our principle, Sister Mary Nathan, came into our class to talk with us. She said President Kennedy was just shot, and was dying, and we must go to pray for him and our country. I will never forget that day. I know where I was that day. I was part of a group of young students that prayed and remembered God. Others did the same, but many still questioned God.

In the fall of 1978, I was home one morning, at about 9:00, when the television broke the news; “An airline has crashed in the North Park area of the city, killing everyone onboard, plus others on the ground.” As a member of the San Diego Police Department, I knew what my job was. I went to the crash site to help. It was hot and miserable. The area stunk of jet fuel and burning buildings. The place was a horror, like nothing I had personally seen before or after. Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 182 went down killing 156 people. I saw pieces of bodies everywhere. It was hard to cope.

I knew where I was that day. I was not so sure where God was that day. I was one of those that sat and wondered. I did not know why He was not there to help. My relationship to God was not all that it should have been. I, as others, questioned God.

This September 11^th marks the ten-year anniversary since the infamous events of September 11^th, 2001. The same day can rightly be called 9-1-1, the day we called for help as a nation. Millions of Americans once again have their thoughts drawn to the horrors and heroism of that day and the ensuing aftermath. For many, the images are as graphic and painful today as they were on that day of the cowardly attacks.

For thousands of Americans who lost family and friends that day, this first anniversary will remind them of the grief over the senseless death of loved ones. Most all of us will too have grieved today over such a tragic loss.

For many of us, this day is a day of pain and wonder. This is a day we cannot forget. We must not forget.

In such a time of grief and struggle, it is most important that we turn to God ... and each other ... for comfort, support and encouragement. I ask that we would all pray for those who are still grieving and reliving the suffering they experienced 9-1-1.

I was never at ground zero, but I can appreciate what the people saw and thought. My experience at PSA Flight 182 had taught me much. My relationship to God has much improved since 1978.

“Where was God that day?” many have asked. Others asked, “Why did He not do something?” Many sat and wondered as I once would, “Where was God?”

Job 38 gives us an answer when we think we should question God:

1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,

2 Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?

3 Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.

4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding.

5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? Or who hath stretched the line upon it?

6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? Or who laid the corner stone thereof;

7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

8 Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?

9 When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,

10 And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors,

11 And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?

12 Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place;

13 That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it?

14 It is turned as clay to the seal; and they stand as a garment.

15 And from the wicked their light is withholden, and the high arm shall be broken.

16 Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? Or hast thou walked in the search of the depth?

17 Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? Or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death?

18 Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? Declare if thou knowest it all.

A deeper intensity of purpose to proclaim the saving grace of Jesus for the forgiveness of sin and the renewing of the heart, mind and spirit prevails. The need for the Gospel has never been more pronounced and more urgent. Speaking to people about the hope of Jesus is the single most important thing I can do. Events like 9-1-1 remind me of how helpless we are apart from God.

So, Where Was God on 9-1-1?

The above reading of Job will not satisfy everyone, so I will tell you where else was God on that fateful day.

God was with the rescue workers who ran into the burning buildings as most people were running out. (1)

God was with the flight attendant who called her husband as her plane was being hijacked to tell him that she loved him. (2)

God was with the hundreds of rescue workers, cops, fire, and medical people, who died trying to save others. (3)

God was with the two men who carried a wheelchair-bound woman down 70 flights of stairs to safety. (4)

God was with the strangers in cars, picking up those they did not know, stranded in the city and taking them home to their families. (5)

God was with the people who were begging to volunteer, to do anything to help. (6)

God was with those who perished ... those who cried out to Him in their moment of deep despair and anguish. (7)

God was with the hundreds of thousands of people, sending money, donating blood, saying prayers, from thousands of miles away, for people in New York and Washington D.C., to help people they have never met, living in cities they have never been to. (8)

God is with the people who are comforting someone ... even when they don’t know what to say. (9)

God is with the people who watched and cried for the suffering. Though they may remain anonymous in name, they will never be in their sacrifice. God knows them by name! (10)

God is in the neighborhoods where flags wave not just for patriots, but to remember those who are gone. (11)

God was with the rescue workers who looked at 100 million tons of rubble, yet saw hope in finding survivors. (12)

God was with ALL the heroes, most of whom will never be interviewed, never make the news ... whose stories might only be told to their closest friends and family ..., some who died without anyone but God knowing of their braveness and heroism. (13)

God was NOT with the ungodly terrorists that caused these inhumane events. (14)

However, God was indeed there, when and where He was needed most. (15)

If we as a nation would continue to love God and obey His commands as revealed through His Son Jesus, this nation would once again be blessed. (16)

Those who were on my email list in 2002 got the story of Todd Beamer, but for those who did not, this is how God was with him on that terrible day.

The Faith of Todd Beamer – Let’s Roll

“I don’t think we’re going to get out of this thing. I’m going to have to go out on faith.”

It was the voice of Todd Beamer, the passenger ... and Wheaton College graduate ... who said, “Let’s roll” as he led the charge against the terrorists who had hijacked United Flight 93, the one, you will remember, that crashed in the Pennsylvania countryside.

The whole world knows how brave Beamer and his fellow passengers were on September 11th. But this week we learned more fully what buttressed that bravery: Faith in Jesus Christ. Todd died as he lived, a faithful evangelical believer.

In an article titled “The Real Story of Flight 93,” Newsweek reveals gripping new details from the actual transcripts of the now-recovered cockpit voice recorder. “Todd had been afraid,” Newsweek relates. “More than once, he cried out for his Savior.”

After passengers were herded to the back of the jet, Beamer called the GTE Customer Center in Oakbrook, Illinois. He told supervisor Lisa Jefferson about the hijacking. The passengers were planning to jump the terrorists, he said. And then he asked her to pray with him.

As Newsweek relates …Beamer kept a Lord’s Prayer bookmark in his Tom Clancy novel, but he didn’t need any prompting. He began to recite the ancient litany, and Jefferson joined him: “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name.”

As they finished, Beamer added, “Jesus, help me.”

And then, Beamer and his fellow passengers prayed a prayer that has comforted millions down through the centuries ... the prayer that David wrote in a time of great anguish:

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want ... Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.”

And then the famous last words:

“Are you guys ready? Let’s roll.”

We now know from the cockpit voice recorder that Beamer and other passengers wrestled with the hijackers and forced the plane to crash into the ground, killing themselves but foiling what was believed to have been the hijackers’ plan to fly Flight 93 into the Capitol or the White House.

As Christians, we know that God can bring good out of evil. In Todd Beamer, the world witnesses a faith that held up in the extremity of fear. A faith that is even now comforting his widow and two young sons.

Lisa Beamer told NBC’s Dateline, “You know, in the Lord’s Prayer, it asks us to forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” “As Todd prayed this prayer in the last moments of his life, in a way,” Lisa said, “He was forgiving those people for what they were doing, the most horrible thing you could ever do to someone.”

It wasn’t Todd Beamer’s job to fight terrorists. He was just a passenger, who along with several others, did what he didn’t have to do but foiled a terrible evil that might have been done to his country.

As Flight 93 hurtled towards destruction, Todd Beamer could not have known that his quiet prayers would ultimately be heard by millions … that the story of his last acts on earth would be a witness to the Lord he loved and served and a lasting example of true heroism.

I’d like to recall the last portion of the speech given by President George W Bush at the National Cathedral on September 14, 2001.

“On this national day of prayer and remembrance, we ask almighty God to watch over our nation, and grant us patience and resolve in all that is to come. We pray that He will comfort and console those who now walk in sorrow. We thank Him for each life we now must mourn, and the promise of a life to come.

“As we have been assured, neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, can separate us from God’s love. May He bless the souls of the departed. May He comfort our own. And may He always guide our country.

“God bless America.”

Even more so, may we, and America bless God by turning to Him, and doing what is right.

So now, is the time to answer a question with a question. The next time you are asked, “Where was God.” you will be able to ask a question back. “Where were you?” God was there all along, waiting for you to seek Him.

You will also be able to have confidence in the one true God, by your trust in Him.

Psalm 9:10 “And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.”

Notes:

1. Psalms 18:29 “For by You I can run upon a troop; And by my God I can leap over a wall.”

2. Proverbs 31:10 “An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels.”

3. John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.”

4. Isaiah 40:31 “Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.”

5. 3 John 1:5 “Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the brethren, and especially for strangers;”

6. Isaiah 1:17 “Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless, Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow.”

7. 2 Chronicles 20:9 “Should evil come upon us, the sword, or judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before You (for Your name is in this house) and cry to You in our distress, and You will hear and deliver us.”

8. 2 Samuel 10:12 “Be strong, and let us show ourselves courageous for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God; and may the LORD do what is good in His sight.”

9. Isaiah 57:18 “I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will lead him and restore comfort to him and to his mourners,”

10. Lamentations 3:48 “My eyes run down with streams of water Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.”

11. Romans 13:7 “Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.”

12. Psalms 9:18 “For the needy will not always be forgotten, Nor the hope of the afflicted perish forever”.

13. Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,”

14. Proverbs 6:16-18 “There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil,”

15. Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.”

16. 2 Chronicles 7:14 “If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

Some of the quotes of Todd Beamer have come from varied sources and were not mine.

All of the Bible quotes were from the King James Version

As always, if you have comments, questions, and even complaints, send them my way. I will answer what I can when I can.

The usual Copyright © rules apply with the exception that this writing may be republished, reposted, or emailed providing the person or organization doing so does not charge for subscriptions or advertising and that the column is copied intact and that full credit is given to the writer. And please let me know if you want to post this someplace.

Where Are We Going As A Nation?

2010-10-12T15:42:00.000-07:00

Where Are We Going As A Nation?

By Gill Rapoza

October 12, 2010

I read a lot of material on a daily basis. I buy good books when I can, as well as read the stuff I see on the net. I do take a lot of things on the web with a grain of salt. Several of you on this list send me interesting material sometimes too. I enjoy reading what I see in Scripture. Seems I learn things all the time. A lot of it is a warning, and certainly not that silly “happy all the time talk” some preachers on TV put out. God tends to give warnings, particularly when things are not right. He lets thing happen He would not otherwise. Even Israel, His witness, got warned and knocked about from time to time when they were not paying attention to doing right.

All of this led me to wonder; where are we going as a nation? That was not a rhetorical question, I wonder. We have willingly as a nation, and as many individuals, gone so far down this road away from what is right, that I think maybe God might let just continue on. It could be to our own national demise if we don’t turn around.

As nations go, we are still largely free. But that freedom is slowly eroding. We let it go, so we should not complain when it is gone. Who would have ever thought this country would hire a Socialist nut job, who does not like Christianity or Capitalism, who openly bows to the Muslim leader of a country whose citizens caused the greatest single destructive hit on US soil, who has no real experience other than a community agitator, whose only true love seems to be himself, to be president? Just in case anyone was wondering, we did it ourselves as a nation. This article is not about Barry, it is about us messing up.

I don’t think we are done as a nation just yet, but it is not for a lack of effort. “I want, we want, government give me… gimme, gimme, gimme …” Those that think that way are praying to the wrong god! That would be government with a little “g” or goods, with another little “g”. On this road we travel we will soon enough see most all our freedoms go away. You will have a right to do what the little g says you can have, and it may change overnight if we get that far.

What have we lost? It is forbidden in places if you openly speak out against Muslim terrorist activity on our soil (mosque next to twin towers), gay marriage (no such thing), or abortions (50 million plus killed). If you peacefully protest against government wrongs, government officials (hello Nancy) will accuse you of being non-tolerant (I hate that word), bigoted, and get this, a “terrorist.” If you dare say the man living at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is the wrong fellow for the job, you must be hateful, racist, or both according to not only those in high politics, but the shills in the media cheering them on. The new national health care (phooey on us) will REQUIRE you belong to the government system, as in health insurance, no matter if you want it or not. That is not freedom! If you happen to belong to the NRA, are a returning member of the military, say the two party system is corrupt, and/or want to openly preach Jesus Christ as the only way (my personal favorite), then you too will be labeled with the bad guys. Who would have thought? That is right here in America!

People are sort of waking up; but I return to the question of where will we go as a nation? Perhaps I should also ask; what will the citizens of this sometimes great nation do?

Complete government control over anything is a very bad idea, and people are wondering about what comes next. I am only speculating as to what others may be thinking. I sometime think of the one famous line in the movie Network, where one of the main characters tells people to yell out their windows, “I’m as mad as Hell and I’m not going to take this any more.” <www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMz_RQuTBlI&NR=1> Some are that mad perhaps, but who will do what? Where are we going? Do we have the will to do better?

There are the Tea Party folks, which I like even though I only went to one event ever. If they would continue to do what is right while getting bigger, and not go way off track as the big parties have, it would be a great improvement. But will it be enough? Is the One God in Scripture included in their overall picture? Perhaps with some of them. We may see in time if they can overcome things through the ballot box.

There might be some open armed rebellion if many are that angry and think they are backed into a corner. That sort of reaction would certainly mean people get killed. Not one of the better options. I have no problem taking up arms, but it would be for the defense of my family or self, and others in some cases. But I am not looking for a battle. Open rebellion worked during the American Revolution, with the Colonists against the Brits. I don’t know if it would work the same now. Those people on the other end of the anger at are not the Brits from far away, but our own right here. And it would not be like the Civil War either, with North and South. The territories and boundaries would not be nearly so clear.

We could possibly see a break-up of the country into several smaller nation states, and that is not something pleasing to me either. It could happen by peaceful means or violent means. I don’t think it would go down too peaceful. I keep in mind the unpleasant thought that America is not listed in Scripture, and that makes me think she will not be much of a power in the end. If it happens, it would only be because we rejected God first. And then He let us go our own way.

Perhaps some would hold up someplace and see if and when it will all be over. The survivalist mentality is very alive and well in parts of the nation. Many of these just want to protect their families and stay away from it all. To go “off the grid” can be very appealing. Lots of work would be involved. Raising your own food and providing for other needs is not all that easy, but it certainly can be done here in America, or even what she may become.

Some think there will be an over run attempt by other nations, or even parties in agreement with the United Nations. There are many scenarios involved in this one. Some peaceful and some not. The sad part is that we have idiots and traitors in our own ranks that will go along with this one world happy crap. It will not be happy. The idiots and traitors would come from both the government and some churches. Dead Michael Jackson may have gotten a bunch of people to sing with him that they were the world, but not me, not for Christians who are supposed to be in the world but not of it, and not for real American Patriots.

We as Americans have never seen the likes of what is going on now. I learned from reading some good articles and books that in Russia, when it was the Soviet Union, the people did a lot of things in an underground economy. China has an underground economy in their Communist system now. The people are not free really. You can not worship freely there. They have the government approved churches, just as the Russians did, but those were the only ones where the Gospel was preached. The government approved churches had the social gospel only.

You may notice that I did not offer a lot of answers just yet. It is coming. I am curious as to where you want to go, and what you want to do.

My plan is simple. And this is mostly because I think any combination of the above can happen to us as a nation. I plan to be ready for near anything that comes my way. I pray regularly for our nation, that our leaders will wake up, do right, or be replaced with ones that will. I ask that I and others will be ready, awake for what shows up on the horizon. Most of you know me well enough by now that I am not so good at following instructions when they are wrong. I don’t believe any of us were called to do that. Will I, and we, have hard times yet to come? Probably. I strongly recommend that you too pray for our nation, or if God has tolerated us long enough, for those who will still be here. You have got to be right with God first before you can expect any of this to happen.

So, where are we going as a nation? What will you do? Looks like something is coming our way. I’d love to hear from you on this.

Godspeed,

Gill Rapoza

Veritas Vos Liberabit

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

The Universalism Rally – A Spiritual Issue For Christians

2010-09-05T19:39:00.000-07:00

The Universalism Rally – A Spiritual Issue For Christians

By Gill Rapoza

September 5th, 2010

I have gotten several links or articles from members of this list and from other folks on the Glenn Beck rally of 08/28/10. With the exception of one article in the generally conservative venues I reviewed of what was sent me, they were all positive as to what Beck and company accomplished. However, I am not going to write a glowing report. Beck was wrong on August 28, and the rally had other serious spiritual issues.

First of all I will tell you that for the most part I like Beck for his political views, at least the ones he talks about regularly. I like his offbeat sense of humor. I like the idea that he is smart enough to hire and employ a very good research team. I have a couple of his books. His premise and delivery of the big “Restoring Honor” rally of August 28, I do not applaud at all! It was wrong.

It was quite an accomplishment to gather the huge crowd that Beck got, probably numbering in the several hundred thousands. It was wonderful to see the ability of a tremendously large group like that to peaceably assemble. The constitution speaks well of this. The patriotic flags and the pro American stance taken was great! But what was the rally about?

Beck had on stage with him some 240 religious leaders, said he, and even if that number was off, I still saw a bunch of them. Beck said we must all honor and turn back to God. I like that idea, but what or who does Beck and all those other leaders pray to and honor. While there is but one true God, it is not the same for each of them of those on stage with Beck, and Beck’s god, along with at least a few others’ god is not my God. The Mormon god has no place in prayer or otherwise with the One God.

Beck honors the god of Latter Day Saints (LDS), Mormonism. The Mormon god was the one that has physical sex with Mary the mother of Jesus Christ <www.exmormon.org/mormon/mormon385.htm>. That is not my God. The “Jesus” of the Mormon faith was/is a brother of Lucifer the Devil, but their “Jesus” had a better plan for salvation so some council or other said to go with the Mormon “Jesus” plan. In the LDS records their founder Joseph Smith claimed to do what our Jesus could not do, hold a church together <http://carm.org/joseph-smith-boasted>. The present LDS teaching is that the Bible may be a holy book, but not as perfect as the Book of Mormon (LDS – History of the Church, November 28, 1841, Vol. 4, p. 461), what they call “another testament of Jesus Christ.” I have a problem with all this.

But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.

Galatians 1:8

If there was nothing else to go on but LDS’ Beck leading other religious leaders that would be enough for me to say “run don’t walk to the nearest exit” if I can toss my best Walter Martin imitation in there. If you get God wrong, Jesus wrong, the virgin birth wrong, Lucifer wrong, multiple gods (a wrong Mormon teaching), LDS founder Joe Smith wrong for thinking he can do better than Jesus, the Bible wrong, “another gospel” wrong, I don’t have to give Beck or anyone else that follows the LDS a whole lot of more chances at being right. This was a “we are all of the same god” Mormon like rally made to look like it was acceptable to and in line with Christianity, the faith most involved in America’s founding.

On the stage with Beck were, if I understood him correctly, among the 240 religious leaders, there were Muslim Imams, Roman Catholic priests, Evangelical Christians, Jewish Rabbis, and just about every other type represented. I tried to find a list of who was actually there in that group, but have so far only identified a few by name. I looked at the pictures Beck published of those with him <www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/44930/> and some were Native American leaders. There is one picture in the group that looked like the Native American leaders were in a collective opening prayer with some type of minister that I did not identify.

The Salt Lake Tribune had a lot to say of the recognized leaders that showed up:

Southern Baptist (SBC) executive Richard Land was pleased at how religious Glenn Beck’s “Restoring Honor” rally turned out to be.

Bishop Harry Jackson, a black evangelical leader, was pleasantly surprised that the Fox News talk show host and Mormon convert said things “some of my close friends could have written.”

And Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. was among the faith leaders to enlist in Beck’s new “Black Robe Regiment.”

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/faith/50196925-142/beck-evangelicals-mormon-evangelical.html.csp

I suspect the Mormons had a field day with this and it will be used as propaganda. The SBC used to think of Mormons as a cult, but now in the age of “we are the world,” basic doctrines do not matter any longer for some.

As to the “Black Robe Regiment” that it says that Jerry Falwell Jr. was joining (above). I have big problems with that. Falwell, an evangelical leader, son of the preacher most associated with the term “Religious Right,” will lead by example that it is OK to be under the spiritual authority of someone who believes wrongly. And if you look up history you will see the members of the Black (Robe) Regiment were the Christian preachers of the American Revolution! And that makes it a claimed spiritual endeavor, one that long predated the Joseph Smith-LDS system. The second issue I take with it is that Chuck Baldwin already began this in a Christian (not Universal) fashion, as in “No King but Jesus,” three years earlier, www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2007/cbarchive_20070724.html. I posted this way back then!

Here is something some who are supposed to be Christian leaders who praised the Beck rally forgot:

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. 18 Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us. 20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. 21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

I John 2:15-23

Some of these Christian on stage, with Beck leading them in prayer, forgot that Beck’s god is not their God, and that Beck’s group does not know Jesus as the Christ. By now you will have figured my biggest problem was not that others wish to practice a different religion than I, but those that claim they practice the same faith as I are willing to be led in prayer, Christian (religious) singing, and otherwise imitation Christianity (religion) by a non-Christian. Yeah, I have a problem with it. I will be, and have for a long time been very respectful to others doing any religious service different to mine. I am not good at the same when a non-Christian leads any Christian thing for me.

I saw people singing “Amazing Grace” (my favorite) <http://www.upi.com/News_Photos/Features/Glenn-Becks-Restoring-Honor-rally-in-DC/3759/8/> with people that do not believe in grace but works, and other things. And the LDS still need Joseph Smith to give them permission to be with God in Heaven <http://www.utlm.org/onlineresources/sermons_talks_interviews/jofdvol7p282_291smithholdskeystoheaven.htm>. If we need all that, it is not grace, something which God gives freely, then works will not suffice, and neither would making Joe Smith happy.

And here is a little more evidence that our own “good” is not enough, and Smith (who may be elsewhere) has nothing to do with it.

14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. 15 But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. 16 And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. 17 For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) 18 Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.

Romans 5:14-18

6 But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away. 7 And there is no one who calls on Your name, Who stirs himself up to take hold of You; For You have hidden Your face from us, And have consumed us because of our iniquities.

Isaiah 64:6-7

Here is a Southern Baptist that said things very right,

“A Mormon television star stands in front of the Lincoln Memorial and calls American Christians to revival. He assembles some evangelical celebrities to give testimonies, and then preaches a God and country revivalism that leaves the evangelicals cheering that they’ve heard the gospel, right there in the nation’s capital.”

“The news media pronounces him the new leader of America’s Christian conservative movement, and a flock of America’s Christian conservatives have no problem with that.”

“It’s taken us a long time to get here, in this plummet from Francis Schaeffer to Glenn Beck. In order to be this gullible, American Christians have had to endure years of vacuous talk about undefined “revival” and “turning America back to God” that was less about anything uniquely Christian than about, at best, a generically theistic civil religion and, at worst, some partisan political movement.”

“Too often, and for too long, American “Christianity” has been a political agenda in search of a gospel useful enough to accommodate it. There is a liberation theology of the Left, and there is also a liberation theology of the Right, and both are at heart mammon worship. The liberation theology of the Left often wants a Barabbas, to fight off the oppressors as though our ultimate problem were the reign of Rome and not the reign of death. The liberation theology of the Right wants a golden calf, to represent religion and to remind us of all the economic security we had in Egypt. Both want a Caesar or a Pharaoh, not a Messiah.”

Russell D. Moore – Moore to the Point – Sunday, August 29th, 2010

http://www.russellmoore.com/2010/08/29/god-the-gospel-and-glenn-beck/

Read the whole article; it was great!

And if that was not enough, read the following from that same Salt Lake Tribune article,

“But, as his religious rhetoric attests, Beck has gone fishing for a new audience recently. Weeks before the rally, he gathered about 20 prominent religious leaders for a dinner at which, according to Land (Richard Land of the SBC), he said God was leading him to talk about revival in America.”

The night before the rally, he held a “Divine Destiny” event that promised to leave participants with a “strong belief that faith can play an essential role in reuniting the country.”

Now if you are a Christian leader, and you are at a dinner with a well-known Mormon personality, and he says he has got a message from God for America and you, what do you do?

1. Ask for the check and leave

2. Wait for desert and hear the plan out

You would need to choose option number one and also not promise support and attendance at the rally. And you best not bring your membership with you if you have your thinking hat on right! Remember, it was Joseph Smith that started off just like that, a “message” from God. Problem was he did not have any such thing, but was rather a charlatan looking to get rich and take other men’s wives in the process. Even the Blues Bothers said they were on a “mission from God,” and that was just a movie! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-xtJYIwfYo

Back in the early 1980’s, when I was driving a bus for a living, I drove a charted bus to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. The Mormon group rented the whole place for a couple of days at least. The event culminated with this tremendous full stadium of cheering, shouting, flag waving, singing “Godly” and patriotic songs. Man, it was a sight to see and hear. But it was a Mormon rally that sounded something like what a big Christian or patriotic rally might sound like. I would be the first to admit that it was exciting and fun, but even by then I understood enough of what they really taught to not be fooled by a great event. When I saw the clips of the Beck rally, I saw it as the same kind of staged event that I saw in the Rose Bowl.

It is important to know that getting people feeling good about the LDS religion is what they do. And they know how to do it well. The LDS teach that there would be a “burning of the bosom” also called “bosom burning” (LDS – Doctrines and Covenants 9:8) where they test the “Spirit” and see if it feels right. When I was at that Rose Bowl rally I felt pretty good about the patriotic music and such, as it was very well done, but I still did not change my mind and join up. I saw all those very happy looking people at Beck’s rally and wondered how many at that point thought that it was all the same.

23 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand.”

Matthew 24:23-25

I will venture that many of those people at the rally, including those of the different faiths and creeds may have thought, hey we are all the same really. Nothing could be further from the truth. Some were Christians, some Jews, some Mormons, some Muslims, some pagans, and just about anyone else in a group that big. If we say we are all the same, then we deny our individual and very conflicting beliefs. Something has to give.

“Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?”

Amos 3:3

The way people try to fix it is that they drop a little of this and a little of that, so all are the same. In the end there is one big universal religion where the only ones that are wrong are those that disagree with the big group.

When a Christian lets down his guard and says everyone is going to the same place no matter what, they deny what Jesus Christ said.

1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.” 5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

John 14:1-6

Jesus also had something to say about the rest and what choice they needed to make.

13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Matthew 7:13-14

In the end there will be this great One World Religion, led by the Anti-Christ and the Beast. They are not going to come on the scene like mean old dogs, but nice and friendly, pleasant to the touch, and easy to hear. These two bad guys and their many deceived followers are going to be sweet, at first. They’d be your best friend if you’ll let them. But the end result will be very bad.

13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

2 Corinthians 11:13-15

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

Matthew 7:15-20

So what do you in all this? You pray for wisdom, and not good feelings. You pray for guidance that God will show you what to do or say. You first make sure you know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and it was not just a feel good exercise.

Then you continue to study, pray, and fellowship with like-minded folks. You certainly will not go wrong by praying for your nation and your leaders. But if they refuse to listen, you pray for their replacement. Failing that you pray for the protection of yourself and those around you, because you will need it about then. It will get very bad at some point. You pray for your enemies while you pray for your friends. You pray that none around you will be confused and go wrong. You pray for your own continued mercy and grace from God. And let God do the work and get the praise in anything you do or say.

As to Beck himself, I don’t know what his full intents are, other than promote a message he was taught was good, as are Mormons taught in general. Beck just might be one of the many deceived followers, one who is a very popular radio and television personality. In any case, what he preaches is still wrong, and anyone who is a Christian leader of any kind is wrong for following along. Pray for him as well. But singing happy religious songs with anyone of a wrong belief system is very detrimental to one’s Christian walk, including all those at the big rally. It would not be a good Christian testimony.

Godspeed,

Gill Rapoza

Veritas Vos Liberabit

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

________________________________________

All of the Bible quotes were from the New King James Version
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. – Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

________________________________________

As always, if you have comments, questions, and even complaints, send them my way. I will answer what I can when I can.
The usual Copyright © rules apply with the exception that this writing may be republished, reposted, or emailed providing the person or organization doing so does not charge for subscriptions or advertising and that the column is copied intact and that full credit is given to the writer. And please let me know if you want to post this someplace.

Hooray For Utah; Boo For Indiana

2010-05-13T00:05:00.001-07:00

Hooray For Utah; Boo For Indiana

By Chuck Baldwin

May 11, 2010

http://chuckbaldwinlive.com/home/?p=1534

The Tea Party in Utah flexed its muscle over the weekend and booted longtime establishment Republican senator, Bob Bennett, from office. Hooray! (Now, Arizona, please do America a favor and show John McCain the door!) Unfortunately, Tea Party activists were unsuccessful in Indiana, as longtime establishment Republican, Dan Coats, defeated the principled patriot, John Hostettler. Boo!

Predictably, mainstream Republican spokesmen are lamenting Bennett’s ouster, saying Bennett was a true conservative, touting an 80% ranking in the American Conservative Union (ACU) index. However, the ACU index is completely irrelevant to the true measure of a congressman’s fidelity to constitutional government. The index that people should pay attention to is the Freedom Index (formerly called the Conservative Index) at The New American magazine. This index is far and away more accurate in determining a congressman or senator’s fidelity to limited government. In this index, Bennett’s latest rating was a pathetic 50.

Bennett needed to go; the good people of Utah did America a great favor by showing him the door. I trust and pray that this is an indication of how the November elections will fare. I would have been extremely optimistic that this might be the case, except for the miserable election results recorded in Indiana. Dan Coats is merely another establishment neocon in the similitude of Bob Bennett.

In the 105^th Congress, Coats’ final rating was a dismal 55 in The New American’s index. On the other hand, John Hostettler’s last ranking stood at 85. Hostettler deserved the enthusiastic support of Tea Partiers throughout Indiana. It is tragic that he lost to someone such as the neocon, Dan Coats. Therefore, what was gained in Utah was lost in Indiana.

And this is going to be the danger for the Tea Party movement this year: If Tea Party activists do not truly understand the issues of limited government, or if they are fooled by establishment politicians, or if they fail to materialize at the polls on election day, all that will happen is one Big Government neocon will be replaced with another Big Government neocon. And, as Sonny and Cher used to sing, “The Beat Goes On.”

Proponents of limited government already had a setback in Texas when establishment neocon Rick Perry defeated Debra Medina. Obviously, Tea Party favorite Sarah Palin campaigned hard for Perry, and another Tea Party” leader,” Glenn Beck, did a hatchet job on Medina on his TV show, characterizing her has a “Truther” (with the associated vitriolic condemnation that such a person must be awful). Now, Texas is stuck with the same old same old establishment neocon.

This is why I again warn Tea Partiers to be very cautious of Palin and Beck. They promote limited government on one hand and then turn around and promote Big Government candidates on the other hand. If Tea Partiers do not grow a large head of discernment quickly, Washington insiders will quickly neuter both their voices and their votes.

Perhaps the biggest threat to the Tea Party movement is Newt Gingrich. Be alert, Tea Partiers: Gingrich is not a friend to limited government. He is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He proved that in 1995 when he (almost single-handedly) destroyed the Conservative Revolution of 1994. He will do the same to the Tea Party movement in 2010, if he is given the opportunity. Avoid him like the plague!

There are scores (probably hundreds) of great constitutionalist candidates running for State and federal offices this year. It is critical that Tea Partiers learn who they are and turn out in force to support them in the various primary elections. If we wait until the general elections in November, most of the good candidates will already have been defeated, and we will be left with the same old choice between Tweedledee and Tweedledum. That was a big problem in Indiana: voter turnout was anemic.

Believe me, Big Government pariahs are watching the elections of 2010 intently. By electing solid constitutionalists en masse (at both the State and federal levels) this year, Tea Partiers could literally ignite a modern revolution—a revolution of freedom and constitutional government rivaling the Tea Party of 1773--that could continue right on through the 2012 elections.

On the other hand, if establishment types such as Gingrich, Coats, Perry, McCain, etc., are allowed to beguile Tea Partiers, the revolution for limited government will be dead by midnight on November 2. Furthermore, it is extremely important that Tea Partiers not be conned by the major media into neglecting their State elections. Electing principled constitutionalists to State office is probably more important than who we elect to federal office. State sovereignty and freedom issues are mushrooming all over America, and truly our liberties will ultimately be won or lost at the State level.

The elections in Utah and Indiana send mixed signals. While Utah heralds great hope, Indiana portends more Big Government—all the Tea Party hype notwithstanding. Which Tea Party will show up next time? It’s anyone’s guess. All I know is, the stakes could not be higher. Whichever way then elections go in 2010 will probably determine the rise or fall of freedom in America.

I pray the Tea Party of 2010 is worthy of the Tea Party of 1773.

*If you appreciate this column and want to help me distribute these editorial opinions to an ever-growing audience, donations may now be made by credit card, check, or Money Order. Use this link:

http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/donate.php

NOTE TO THE READER:

To subscribe, click on this link and follow the instructions:

http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/subscribe.php

Chuck Baldwin’s commentaries are copyrighted and may be republished, reposted, or emailed providing the person or organization doing so does not charge for subscriptions or advertising and that the column is copied intact and that full credit is given and that Chuck’s web site address is included.

Editors or Publishers of publications charging for subscriptions or advertising who want to run these columns must contact Chuck Baldwin for permission. Radio or television Talk Show Hosts interested in scheduling an interview with Chuck should contact chuck@chuckbaldwinlive.com

Readers may also respond to this column via snail mail. The postal address is P.O. Box 37070, Pensacola, Florida. When responding, please include your name, city and state. And, unless otherwise requested, all respondents will be added to the Chuck Wagon address list.

Please visit Chuck’s web site at http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com

Gill Rapoza

Veritas Vos Liberabit

http://grapoza.blogspot.com

When Is America Going To Wake Up?

2010-05-12T09:38:00.001-07:00

Hello Everyone,

There are times when we must absolutely pay attention to what is around us. It should be very clear by now that those in charge are not interested in doing what is right. When there is obvious evidence that tells you what is going on before you is wrong, and at the same time the powers that be continue to say “No it’s not,” then are not in safe place to be. The day may come quicker than any of us want, and I pray and hope it is NOT so, that we are on the edge of some awful time not so far away.

At least a couple of my friends and associates think we are nearing WWIII. One or two lean toward the idea of a national break-up on the horizon. Some I know think a complete financial collapse is real close. Maybe some see a combination of these or worse.

The fellow in the white house does not seem to notice or care so long as he can look in the mirror and smile at his own arrogance. The media, once great that was supposed be the watchdog has completely lost its bark. Too many of our fellow citizen just believe what they our told and see nothing at all going on.

I remember reading that God used other nations to cause calamity or even destruction on Israel of old. I recall in the Old Testament in particular where God did the same for other nations, after sending warnings for them to get their act together. Could these things be our warnings? Might God withdraw His hedge and allow Islam to do their bad deeds because we no longer have the desire to follow as we should? And these are not rhetorical questions, but something I wonder about.

Godspeed,

Gill Rapoza

Veritas Vos Liberabit

http://grapoza.blogspot.com/

When Is America Going To Wake Up?

Islamic radicals are here

By Laurie Roth

The Roth Show

May 4, 2010

http://therothshow.com/2010/05/when-is-america-going-to-wake-up-islamic-radicals-are-here/

Once again we see an attempt at a horrific Islamic terrorist attack in New York by Faisal Shahzad who lived in Bridgeport, Conn. He drove the SUV with a major bomb set up in it hoping to murder 100s or 1000s of New Yorkers this week. He almost did. We know from careful analysis that the bomb was major. Doug Hagmann recently investigated the makings of the bomb and concluded this was no ‘amateurish’ job. Security Secretary Janet Napolitano was also quick to describe this bomb in Times Square as ‘one off,’ minimizing it as a one time occurrence. Hagmann described the bomb:

‘The bomb was composed of three filled propane tanks, two 5-gallon containers of gasoline, an ammunition locker type of box filled with inert fertilizer. The triggering mechanism was identified as a can filled with about 2 dozen M-88 type commercial firecrackers hooked to at least one alarm clock. A second alarm clock inside the vehicle was destroyed by fire. The construction of the bomb is very similar in design to the vehicle bombs used in the attempted attack in London in 2007.’

Isn’t it fascinating that most of what we see by this administration and media in response to domestic attack attempts is manipulative, minimalist and pathetic at best? We saw recently with the Christmas airplane attack and Fort Hood attack…..a 3 day delay before we heard from Obama; Media and Obama saying ‘Don’t rush to judgment’ regarding the Ft. Hood attacker, which was obviously an Islamic radical in our military, and chronic minimizing of the whole Islamic agenda and danger that surrounds us.

The Christmas attack was within a smoky inch of happening, while the Ft. Hood carnage was horrifyingly real. Now, we see most recently the bomb starting to smoke and explode in the SUV in Times Square, New York. Isn’t it a shock, but it was put there by another Islamic radical from Pakistan, just caught while trying to leave the country. This too was within an inch of happening and wiping out a sea of passing New Yorkers.

What do we hear from the leftist idiots? Well, Mayor Bloomberg made sure his glowing, opinion was known with that extraordinary mind, Katie Couric. She asked the Mayor if he thought the bomb was home grown. He went on to speculate that the bomber was most likely mad about ObamaCare and a domestic person, meaning a conservative or Tea Party activist. Bloomberg didn’t say one time in this interview that it could possibly be an Islamic terrorist attack.

How quickly we forget when we are a liberal at heart! Never mind, that New York was bloodied and partially gutted in 2001 by Islamic radicals on a Jihad mission. Naturally, now, though we have just had recent attacks on Christmas and with Ft. Hood (many others since 9/11 domestically) we should assume that any new attacks will be domestic terrorists (tea party and conservatives) mad at Obamacare. I knew Bloomberg was a liberal but he now enters my new category of specialness. ‘HE IS DUMB AS A POST.’

Already, 8 others have been arrested and are in custody in Pakistan in connection with Faisal Shahzad and this attack in New York.

Gee, there seems to be an organized, funded, planned and very Islamic radical plan to this New York attack. It was hardly amateur hour, a ‘one time’ event and tea party attack. Expect more attacks NOT from conservatives or Tea Party folks, but from the usual, Islamic radicals who have infiltrated our country.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 4th, 2010 at 12:55 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

Gill Rapoza

Veritas Vos Liberabit

http://grapoza.blogspot.com

The Audacity of Illegals and Federals

2010-05-08T07:51:00.001-07:00

The Audacity of Illegals and Federals

Timothy Baldwin

May 5, 2010

http://libertydefenseleague.com/2010/05/05/the-audacity-of-illegals-and-federals/

For generations, the federal government has pissed on the integrity of the union, supposedly formed by the bonds of choice, reflection, friendship and likeness[1]. It has treated the people of the States as scoopers in the valley of the crap they roll down hill, of which they claim to be king. The society of each state serves as nothing more than just another creditor to their addictive gambling game of power, corruption and debauchery.

Anymore, one cannot even possess an accurate knowledge of just how much degradation permeates the entire system of the federal government and its chain-gang of states. Amazingly, some still believe that freedom can be restored through the political gamesmanship in Washington D.C. For this reason, some of the States have finally awakened to this reality and are beginning to act appropriately and accordingly.

Another blaring contemporary illustration highlights just how true this is.

As many now know, Arizona passed an illegal immigration law which is designed to secure the borders of its State from those who are in that State illegally. The response from the federal government was predictable and typical: “Arizona can’t do that; it is our sole prerogative to ‘secure’ the border. Arizona’s action is unconstitutional. Blah, blah, blah.” Of course, there are always those nationalists and statists who criticize a State for doing anything without the federal government’s permission: “The new law, which is due to take effect in late July or early August in the unlikely event it withstands constitutional challenges, essentially codifies racial profiling, throwing civil liberties to the wind.”[2] (Emphasis added). Together, they make a beautiful partnership of distortion and misinformation.

The federal government and its supporters would rather oxymoronically protect illegal immigrants’ supposed “legal rights” than protect the natural and compact rights of the state citizens, governments and societies. They would rather each state suffer the irreparable harm and costs of allowing (and yes, encouraging!) millions of illegals to come here and suck the life out of these States for now and most assuredly for later.

These people paint a portrait with a set of children’s crayons on cheap toilet paper and frame it with used cardboard paper from a flea market. And somehow we are supposed to hang it on the walls of our most revered sanctuaries and say, “look how pretty our country is with the federal government in control.”

Why would these illegals confidently and self-righteously protest against such a state law: because they have no respect for the law to begin with; they do not know what the purpose and responsibility of the state government is; they could not care less about the cultural, moral and American ideals forming the individual republics of the States and the United States; they do not respect the union of the states’ formation, nor do they care about its foundation; and they know the federal government has no intention of enforcing the already-existing laws to secure U.S. borders. Ultimately, just leave them alone: they are doing fine with the federal government in control of illegal immigration.

Why would the federal government ignore its responsibility in securing the borders and then criticize a state for protecting itself in response to the federal government’s failure to do so: because its agenda is one of amnesty and integration; it is ready and willing to buy illegals’ votes and support by “guaranteeing” them all of the social and governmental benefits that we, the legal workers in America, pay for and provide; and it prefers and seeks after a one-world system of government and despises the sovereignty of individual states and nations. Ultimately, just leave them alone: they are accruing the power and control they desire by exercising unfettered control.

Thankfully, some of the States do not agree. Best-selling author, Jerome Corsi, recently described Arizona’s illegal immigration law as “sparking a state rights revolution”.[3] His acknowledgment of the State rights revolution is correct, but Arizona’s law is not the spark. Rather, it is another burst of oxygen on the fire that has been burning brightly for over a year and has been stoking for many.

The fire will only continue to grow given the despicable manner in which the federal government and its faithful supporters disrespect and even despise the (original) U.S. Constitution, the tenth amendment, the principles expressed in the Declaration of Independence and the ideals of freedom founding the union of thirteen independent and sovereign states of America.

I welcome the fire’s growth and encourage its success. In fact, I just happen to have some (very expensive) gasoline I am willing to donate to Arizona and its like.

[1] “[We are called upon to decide whether] societies of men are really capable or not of establishing good government from reflection and choice, or whether they are forever destined to depend for their political constitutions on accident and force.” Alexander Hamilton, Federalist Paper 1 (emphasis added). “With equal pleasure I have as often taken notice that Providence has been pleased to give this one connected country to one united people–a people descended from the same ancestors, speaking the same language, professing the same religion, attached to the same principles of government, very similar in their manners and customs, and who, by their joint counsels, arms, and efforts, fighting side by side throughout a long and bloody war, have nobly established general liberty and independence.” John Jay, Federalist Paper 2 (emphasis added).

[2] Author Unknown, “When it comes to illegal immigration, Arizona goes too far,” APP.com (May 3, 2010), found at http://www.app.com/article/20100503/OPINION01/5040309/1029/OPINION/When-it-comes-to-illegal-immigration-Arizona-goes-too-far

[3] World Net Daily, “Arizona law sparks states’ rights revolution,” (May 3, 2010), found at http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=149085.

Gill Rapoza

Veritas Vos Liberabit

http://grapoza.blogspot.com

Why Would Anyone Want to Blow Up Times Square?

2010-05-07T07:21:00.001-07:00

Hello Everyone,

It is not so hard to see that the media and the politicians go out of their way to not offend the evil that Islam is. It is a pagan religion based on hate, lies, and death. Outside of a few, not so many want to say what is before them.

Remember that you can not defeat and enemy you will not name. Even the idea of saying we are fighting terrorism is completely insufficient. Either we are fighting Islamic terrorists or we are not. How foolish!

Godspeed,

Gill Rapoza

Veritas Vos Liberabit

http://grapoza.blogspot.com/

Why Would Anyone Want to Blow Up Times Square?

by Daniel Pipes

National Review Online

May 5, 2010

http://www.danielpipes.org/8336/why-blow-up-times-square

When news comes of Muslims engaging in violence, the triad of politicians, law enforcement, and media invariably presumes that the perpetrator suffers from some mental or emotional incapacity. (For a quick listing of examples, see my collection at “Sudden Jihad or ‘Inordinate Stress’ at Ft. Hood?”).

Instead, I argue, they should begin with a presumption of jihadi intent. That is, the default expectation should be ideological passion, not insanity. Spreading Islam and applying Islamic law are the goals. Of course, some crazy Muslims exist and they do engage in violence, but they constitute a microscopic percentage of the 15,247 Muslim terrorist incidents since 9/11, as counted by www.thereligionofpeace.com.

The failed effort to blow up an SUV in New York’s Times Square prompted speculation about the would-be bomber’s motives even before the identity of Faisal Shahzad, an immigrant from Pakistan, had been made public. The Nation’s Robert Dreyfuss discounted the possibility of a jihadi from the Pakistan-based Taliban, “it seems far more likely to me [he] was either a lone nut job or a member of some squirrely branch of the Tea Party, anti-government far right.”

Then, just hours after Shahzad had been arrested, authorities rushed to assure the public his action had nothing to do with Islam. Examples from May 4:

· Mike Bloomberg, mayor of New York City: the bomb could have been placed by “somebody with a political agenda who doesn’t like the health care bill or something. It could be anything.”

· Mahkdoom Qureshi, Pakistan’s foreign minister: “This is a blow back [for U.S. military activities in Pakistan]. This is a reaction. This is retaliation. And you could expect that. Let’s not be naive. They’re not going to sort of sit and welcome you eliminate them. They’re going to fight back.”

· Nadeem Haider Kiani, spokesman for the Pakistani embassy in Washington: it’s too soon to tell exactly what motivated the bomber but early indications suggest he is “a disturbed individual.”

· Cable News Network: “It can confirm that his house has been foreclosed in recent years. I mean, one would have to imagine that brought a lot of pressure and a lot of heartache on that family.”

· CBS News: “It isn’t clear if more suspects are at large OR what the motive could be.”

· The Washington Post: Under the title, “The economic crisis meets terrorism,” Ezra Klein notes that Shahzad’s house was foreclosed and comments: “This guy is like string theory for the media: He brings together the seemingly incompatible stories that drove the past decade. That said, you of course don’t want to speculate on why someone ‘really’ did something. The hearts of men are opaque, and motives are complex.”

And here’s a collection from today’s papers

· Law enforcement (as reported by NY1): “Investigators say they still have no motive for Shahzad’s actions.” (May 5, 2010)

· Kifyat Ali, a relative of Shahzad’s: “We are shocked. He had no connection with any political party or jihadi group.” (May 5, 2010)

· Associated Press headline: “NY car bomb suspect cooperates, but motive mystery.” (May 5, 2010)

· Associated Press story: “Federal officials aren’t talking about a motive in the arrest of a naturalized U.S. citizen charged with attempting to set off a bomb in New York’s Times Square.” (May 5, 2010)

· New York Post “exclusive”: Shahzad “said he was driven to evil by the slew of deaths among leaders of the terror group, law-enforcement sources revealed yesterday. Sources said he was an eyewitness to the onslaught throughout the eight months he spent in Pakistan beginning last summer.” (May 5, 2010)

· USA Today headline: “Motive of NYC car bomb suspect remains a mystery.” (May 5, 2010)

· The Guardian headline: “Times Square bomb: Pakistanis puzzled by bomber’s motives.” (May 5, 2010)

The establishment agrees - Islam played no role in Faisal Shahzad’s attempted terrorism.

Comments:

(1) Some of these interpretations say the motives are mysterious, some of them speculate about one thing or another – but all assiduously avoid the elephant in the room.

(2) You can’t win a war if you don’t have the courage to name the enemy.

(3) Naming the enemy means changing some of the more pleasant aspects of Western life, and so is tough to do.

(4) I expect that naming the enemy will occur only after a cataclysm ends our patience with minced words.

Mr. Pipes is director of the Middle East Forum and Taube distinguished visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University.

This text may be reposted or forwarded so long as it is presented as an integral whole with complete information provided about its author, date, place of publication, and original URL.

Gill Rapoza

Veritas Vos Liberabit

http://grapoza.blogspot.com

Obama’s Boys Call in Riot Cops on Tea Party Protesters

2010-05-06T08:01:00.000-07:00

Obama’s Boys Call in Riot Cops on Tea Party Protesters

(Chavez Would Be Proud)

By Doug Giles

http://clashradio.com/column.html

Somebody help me here. What kind of ominous situation requires local law enforcement to dispatch their Darth Vader look-alike SWAT units to keep the peace or kick some criminal butt? I’m guessing it has to be a SNAFU’d type of thang that regular cops can’t handle which requires special weapons and tactics, correct?

The reason I’m asking this is because of the events of last week in which riot police were sent out to two different locales on two completely different types of crowds. One I understand, but the other has left me a little discombobulated and a tad discomfited.

The first mob that riot cops were called out for was the one in Phoenix comprised of thousands of out-of-control illegal Mexicans who were POed at the fact that Arizona finally wants to treat them like they’re illegal. Imagine that.

Yep, I get why the SWAT dudes from PPD rolled out for that melee. The mass of protesting Mexicans were out of whack, grabbing their crotches in defiance of our laws, smearing refried bean swastikas on government windows, flipping American patriots off, trashing and destroying property, and cursing in TexMex at the Arizonans who want our immigration laws upheld and who are sick of the costly mayhem these illegals have brought to their beautiful state.

Let’s see, what else did the criminal aliens do to solicit the Phoenix PD’s riot police presence? Man, I know there was something else they did. What was it? Come on, Doug, think man, think! Oh yeah, I remember: They pelted Phoenix’s finest with bottles and trash. Yeah, that was it. Oh, and of course the location of their protest was completely trashed after their ridiculous display of unrighteous outrage.

Hey, Julio ... way to further endear Americans to your earthly plight, el stupido. I guess Phil Collins was right; it’s no fun being an illegal alien.

The other crowd that got SWAT called down on them last week was in Quincy, Illinois-a two-hundred member Tea Party that mainly consisted of peaceful, blue haired old ladies in Depends singing “God Bless America” outside of the venue where His Highness was reading a teleprompter about how great he is and how he plans to further whiz on the Constitution.

Yep, in a scene right out of some B-grade Orwellian flick, the tamest and nicest little old nanas and middle-class couples had Quincy’s Robo-Cops dispatched on them to quell... the, uh ... uh ... orderly protest and ... the ... uh ... um ... patriotic singing and ... er ... the ... the American flag waving. Boy does that make Quincy and BHO look bad, or what?

Y’know, what I have gathered from my SWAT friends down here in Miami and what I have watched throughout the years on TV and on the big screen is that the SWAT card only gets played when things are severely jacked up (as in the Phoenix fiasco), but it seems as if the insane-in-the-membrane element was missing a wee little bit from the quaint Quincy rally. But it got the same treatment as Phoenix. Now that’s weird.

Here are my questions: Did the Quincy tea partiers represent a high-risk op that regular officers couldn’t handle? That’s an option, even though that place looked like Barney Fife could have manned it without ever extracting his lone bullet from his left shirt pocket. Who knows?

Maybe Mr. Whipple had an underwear bomb and was going to light his junk on fire after Obama’s speech? Who can say? Maybe Mr. Rogers had secret hostages sequestered in the Dairy Queen freezer that Quincy SWAT was called in to extract. Or, maybe, just maybe, Grandma Moses posed a terror threat with those long-ass knitting needles she carts around and her high-speed electric wheel chair?

I know ... it was the possibility that Floyd the barber would show up to that event secretly armed with his straight razor that required Quincy’s cops to send out an elite paramilitary tactical unit with assault weapons, stun grenades, high-end body armor, and armored vehicles! Gosh, maybe. Who knows? I hope that there was that type of over-the-top reasonable cause for Quincy’s cops to roll like that because if there wasn’t that little display of overt force is beginning to smack of Chavez’s Venez-frickin’-uela to me.

Lastly, if I were a cop and my superiors wanted me to put on storm trooper gear and march against salt of the earth patriots like those in Quincy, Illinois, I’d tell them no, and if they didn’t like it then they could stick my pointy metal badge up their confused and chunky backside.

mail@clashradio.com · 305.788.6485 · ClashRadio.com · P.O. Box 800554 · Aventura, Fl. 33280

Gill Rapoza

Veritas Vos Liberabit

http://grapoza.blogspot.com

Just Whose Feelings?

2010-05-05T08:58:00.001-07:00

Just Whose Feelings?

Charlie Daniels

04/26/2010

http://www.charliedaniels.com/soapbox-2010/soapbox-2010-0426.htm

When Barack Obama, Janet Napolitano and all of the rest of the politically correct crowd refuse to call the War on Terror the War on Terror and the Islamic radicals the terrorists they are, just whose feelings are they trying to keep from hurting?

Could it be the people who killed 3000 American citizens on 9/11?

Or perhaps the ones who murdered the Dutch politician for saying something they considered derogatory about Islam.

Maybe the same bunch that put a murder warrant on Salman Rushdie’s head for writing The Satanic Verses or the Danish cartoonist who drew pictures of Mohammed with a bomb in his turban.

Could it be the murdering S.O.B.s who bombed our Marine barracks in Lebanon or blew a hole in the side of the U.S.S. Cole?

Or could it be the terrorist who blew up a subway in London or a train in Spain?

Or maybe it’s in memory of the Ayatollah Khomeini who used children to clear minefields?

Or could it be the ones who strap explosives to the backs of little kids and send them out to blow up human beings, maybe even the individual who told the little boy that when the bomb on his body went off it would explode in flowers, the same ones who send mentally retarded children out as suicide bombers?

Or maybe it’s the sadistic fanatic that cuts off the heads of prisoners while they videotape it.

What do you call somebody like Bin Laden if not a terrorist and what do you call the blood bath we’re involved in but the War on Terror?

Just what is al-Qaeda, if not a terrorist organization?

We are fighting in Iraq but we’re not fighting Iraq so what are we doing there.

We’re fighting in Afghanistan but we haven’t declared war on that nation. Who and what are we fighting there?

Iran is developing a nuclear bomb and has declared that they will destroy Israel. What do you call people who threaten another nation with total extinction?

When death threats are made against American citizens because of the content of a television show they’ve produced, what do you call it?

And the thousands of militants around the world whose most fervent wish is to destroy the United States of America and all the people in it.

Just what name do you put on these people Mr. Obama?

What caused that hole in the ground in New York where two of the earth’s most magnificent buildings once stood Ms. Napolitano?

You can call a rattler a green snake if you want to, but it’s not going to change the fact that it is deadly and would think nothing of biting you and no matter how nice you are to it, it’s not going to change the fact that you can never turn your back on it or drop your guard.

You can’t coddle a rattlesnake Mr. President and you’re going to learn that, I’m just afraid it’s going to be the hard way.

What do you think?

Pray for our troops, and for our country.

God Bless America

Charlie Daniels

©Copyright The Charlie Daniels Band

Gill Rapoza

Veritas Vos Liberabit

http://grapoza.blogspot.com

What We Omit Says a Lot

2010-05-04T08:22:00.000-07:00

What We Omit Says a Lot

David C. Stolinsky, MD

April 29, 2010

http://www.stolinsky.com/news/news/news_item.asp?NewsID=711

In one of his most famous cases, Sherlock Holmes noted that a dog didn’t bark in the night. Holmes concluded that the dog knew the intruder and thus solved the case. “The dog that didn’t bark” became an expression for something that should have happened − but didn’t.

If Holmes were here today, he would have many similar cases. If the dog fails to bark, intruders can enter. If media moguls, journalists and “experts” tamper with the facts, fraud and bias can creep in.

The case of the missing First Amendment.

“South Park” is notoriously irreverent. It has caricatured famous political and religious figures. This provoked criticism, but never threats. There are about 2.1 billion Christians in the world, but to my knowledge, not one threatened “South Park” because of insults to Jesus.

When “South Park” depicted Jesus, Moses, Muhammad and Buddha together, it received no death threats − but that was before 9/11. Recently, the episode was removed from the website. This time, “South Park” caricatured not Muhammad, but the inability to depict him. He was shown completely enclosed in a bear suit. But even caricaturing the inability to caricature Muhammad brought death threats to Comedy Central, so these images were also removed.

There are 1.5 billion Muslims in the world, and insulting their prophet brings death threats. Recall the Danish cartoons, which caused riots resulting in deaths. Recall Dutch film maker Theo van Gogh, who was murdered because he made a film documenting mistreatment of women in some Muslim nations.

If there are 2.1 billion Christians in the world, why are there no death threats when “artists” exhibit photos of an actual crucifix immersed in urine, or a painting of the Virgin Mary covered with dung? Why do threats of violence come from only one side? And why do cowards give in to the threats?

It is said that discretion is the better part of valor. But for Comedy Central, it’s excretion. Clearly, they soiled their drawers. If people are afraid to stand up for their values, can they remain free? I wouldn’t bet on it.

The case of the altered speech.

In the film “Pearl Harbor,” Jon Voigt gives a fine performance as President Roosevelt asking Congress for a declaration of war against Japan in the “Day of Infamy” speech. The screen version follows the actual speech, but with a major omission. Roosevelt declared:

With confidence in our armed forces − with the unbounded determination of our people − we will gain the inevitable triumph − so help us God.

The film version omitted “so help us God.” Why? Did it detract from the drama? No, it was very dramatic. Was it irrelevant? No, it was entirely appropriate for a respected leader to ask for God’s help in an hour of danger.

So what was the problem with those four words? Or rather, what was the problem with that one word? When people are frightened of dying, or of their loved ones dying, many call upon God. The screenwriters apparently would not do so − fine. But why pretend that others wouldn’t?

Why construct an artificial world where nobody is religious? Why not depict the real world as dramatically as possible? Is an agenda more important than an accurate and dramatic film?

The case of the stolen guns.

In the film “Schindler’s List,” Liam Neeson gives an outstanding performance as Oskar Schindler, a womanizing, hard-drinking German who was a Nazi Party member. Yet during World War II, he saved about 1200 Jews from extermination by putting them to work in his factory. They now have over 6000 descendants.

Schindler escaped the clutches of the Gestapo by claiming that “his” Jews were doing essential war work. But Schindler was even braver. He did something that could not have been explained away. Had it been discovered, he would have been executed.

He stole guns and gave them to “his” Jews, so that if they were discovered, they could defend themselves. The film ran 3 hours 15 minutes, yet somehow there was no time to include this incident, which would have taken a minute or two.

Was the incident boring? No, it would have been dramatic. Was it violent? No, the film depicted awful violence. The problem was that an anti-gun agenda was more important to the film makers than depiction of a dramatic and revealing incident.

To believe that today’s Americans shouldn’t have guns is illogical. Careful studies show that allowing law-abiding citizens to carry guns reduces the rate of violent crime. But to believe that Jews during the Holocaust shouldn’t have had guns borders on being genocidal.

The guns were stolen twice − by Schindler to help the Jews, and by the film makers to further their leftist agenda.

The case of the unrecognized heroes.

Some time ago, a respected TV newscaster died in Los Angeles. His grieving colleagues gave him an extensive tribute, including details of his distinguished career in journalism.

Also noted was that during World War II, he served in the Army Air Forces and flew 29 combat missions, for which he received the Distinguished Flying Cross. Photos of him and his youthful buddies were shown.

The Los Angeles Times ran a lengthy obituary, including details of his TV career, but omitting his military service entirely. When I asked why, a spokesman replied that if it had been included, there might not have been room for other details I found “interesting.” The problem was not what I found “interesting,” but what was important. The editors thought it unimportant that this man risked his life 29 times to defend our country.

If I depended on the mainstream media, I never would have heard of Paul Smith, Jason Dunham, Michael Murphy, Michael Monsoor, Ross McGinnis or Jared Monti. Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse? It’s on the front page of the New York Times for 32 consecutive days. But courage and sacrifice by our troops? Positive role models for young people? Honoring those who defend our freedoms, including freedom of the press? It’s not “interesting.”

The case of the missing corpses.

Whether America should make reparations for slavery is a subject that exacerbates the debate on race. But the question implies something untrue − that no reparations have yet been paid.

The total death toll for both sides in the Civil War was about 624,511. About one-third of a million white men and boys died fighting for the Union. This does not include African American soldiers who died, nor does it include Confederate deaths.

Approximately one in four Union soldiers who served died in the war. The total population of the Union was about 20 million. One-third of a million deaths represented an enormous loss of life.

In addition, all serious arm or leg wounds were treated by amputation. Veterans on crutches or with pinned-up sleeves were a common sight on American streets for many years.

If all those severed limbs, and all the blood that soaked into the earth from the dead and wounded, do not constitute reparations, nothing ever could. Yet these facts are rarely mentioned when the subject of reparations is raised. Why? Are the dead and wounded unimportant? Or are they merely inconvenient?

Perhaps we have watched too many televised trials and seen famous, high-priced lawyers make mountains of evidence “disappear” to get their clients acquitted.

Perhaps we have watched too many politicians posturing for the media, while accomplishing nothing even remotely useful.

Perhaps we have watched too much TV and seen mousse-haired “talking heads” shamelessly slanting the news, while omitting inconvenient facts.

We may have gotten the impression that the truth is something we can fabricate to suit ourselves.

People judge us by what we say. But it is equally logical to judge us by what we don’t say. What we choose to omit is as revealing as what we select to include. It tells a great deal about our values.

Dr. Stolinsky writes on political and social issues. Contact: dstol@prodigy.net.

www.stolinsky.com

You are welcome to post or publish these articles, in whole or in part, provided that you cite the author and website.

Gill Rapoza

Veritas Vos Liberabit

http://grapoza.blogspot.com

Arizona Has It Right

2010-05-03T08:26:00.001-07:00

Arizona Has It Right

By Chuck Baldwin

April 30, 2010

http://chuckbaldwinlive.com/home/?p=1490

Open borders advocates are livid that the State of Arizona has enacted a new law authorizing State law enforcement personnel to arrest illegal aliens. The Reverend Al Sharpton is threatening to march. The mayor of San Francisco has declared Arizona off limits as a travel destination. The national government of Mexico has issued travel warnings. President Barack Obama is contemplating bringing a federal lawsuit against the State. Some are calling for a boycott of the State.

So, why all the fuss?

The State of Arizona is rightly sick and tired of the federal government’s refusal to protect our nation (and the State of Arizona specifically) from this foreign invasion that is commonly referred to as “illegal immigration.” In other words, the State of Arizona has said, “If the federal government won’t enforce the law, we will.” I say, good for them! Now, the other border states (Texas, New Mexico, and California) should do the same thing. Arizona has it right, and the vast majority of the American people know it.

As an aside, if you are considering a visit to the American Southwest this summer, why not support the brave legislators and governor of Arizona, and make a point to spend your leisure dollars in Arizona? And when you do, write a letter to the State capitol and tell them. Even more importantly, I suggest that everyone contact their own State representatives, senators, and governors, and urge them to enact a similar law—to the one Arizona passed—in your State.

And since the national news media refuses to set the record straight on the subject of illegal immigration (one could even say that the national news media is deliberately covering up the record), let’s do that right here and now.

First, let’s talk about numbers. Even though the Census Bureau (CB) estimates 11 million illegal aliens live in America, the real numbers are much higher. Even CB officials admit that many illegal aliens purposely avoid the census count. A more reliable count is provided by Bear Stearns. It puts the number of illegal aliens at around 20 million. Former US Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO), who was Chairman of the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus, puts the number at over 18 million.

According to Tennesseans for Responsible Immigration Policies (TNRIP), 6,000 immigrants arrive in America EVERY DAY. That equates to more than 2 million EVERY YEAR. In many communities in the Southwest, including Los Angeles, California, and Houston, Texas, Hispanics now comprise a majority of the population. But numbers of illegal aliens are quickly beginning to mount in cities throughout the United States.

For example, TNRIP documents the fact that the Hispanic population grew in three Tennessee counties by more than 70% between 2000 and 2004. In one of those counties (Robertson) it grew over 95% during that time. In seven Tennessee counties, the Hispanic population grew by more than 40%. Now, Tennessee can hardly be considered a “border state.” The fact is, what is happening in Tennessee is happening all over the United States. And lest you think this is all harmless, think again.

According to TNRIP, the financial cost of this foreign invasion to U.S. taxpayers is staggering! Here is a breakdown of the annual costs:

Ø Education: $22.5 billion

Ø Bi-lingual Education: $3.3 billion

Ø AFDC: $2.4 billion

Ø SSI: $2.9 billion

Ø Social Security: $24.8 billion

Ø Housing Assistance: $2.6 billion

Ø Criminal Justice: $2.6 billion

Ø Jobs Lost by Americans: $10.8 billion

Ø Other Programs: $51.4 billion

Ø Food Stamps: $7 billion

Ø Health Care: $1.4 billion

The first study of the net cost of illegal immigration to American taxpayers was conducted in 1997 by Dr. Donald Huddle, Professor Emeritus of Economics at Rice University. This study concluded that from 1970 to 1997, illegal immigration had cost taxpayers over $69 billion. Obviously, the financial numbers have exploded since then.

Furthermore, during 1996 alone, more than 2.3 million American workers were displaced by (mostly) illegal aliens. Harvard Professor George Borjas estimates that today American workers lose $133 billion per year in wage depression and job loss.

Back in 2007 it was reported, “LA County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich announced that a new report shows illegal aliens and their families collected over $35 million in welfare and food stamp allocations in July.

“In the report, illegals are said to have collected nearly $20 million in welfare assistance for July 2007 and an additional $15 million in monthly food stamp allocations for an estimated annual cost of $440 million.

“‘Illegal immigration continues to have a devastating impact on Los Angeles County taxpayers,’ said Antonovich. ‘In addition to $220 million for public safety and $400 million for healthcare, the $440 million in welfare allocations bring the total cost to County taxpayers that exceeds $1 billion a year—this does not include the skyrocketing cost of education.’”

Consider, too, this recent report by Heritage Foundation’s Robert Rector. According to Byron York at National Review, “Rector found that in 2004, the most recent year for which figures are available, low-skill households received an average of $32,138 per household—the great majority in the form of means-tested aid and direct benefits. (Rector excluded from that figure the cost of public goods and interest; with those included, he says, each low-skill household receives an average of $43,084.) Against that, Rector found that low-skill households paid an average of $9,689 in taxes. (The biggest chunk of that was the Social Security tax--$2,509--followed by state and local taxes, consumption taxes, property taxes, and federal income taxes, but Rector counted everything, including highway levies and lottery purchases.) In the final calculation, he found, the average low-skill household received $22,449 more in benefits than it paid in taxes—the $32,138 in benefits, excluding public goods, minus the $9,689 in taxes.

“Taking that $22,449, and multiplying it by the 17.7 million low-skill households, Rector found that the total deficit for such households was $397 billion in 2004. ‘Over the next ten years the total cost of low-skill households to the taxpayer (immediate benefits minus taxes paid) is likely to be at least $3.9 trillion,’ Rector writes. ‘This number would go up significantly if changes in immigration policy lead to substantial increases in the number of low-skill immigrants entering the country and receiving services.’”

See York’s column at: http://tinyurl.com/illegal-imm-cost.

It has been noted that 75% of people on LA’s most-wanted list are illegal aliens. Nearly 25% of all inmates in California detention centers are here illegally, and roughly 30% of inmates in the federal prisons are illegal aliens.

In addition, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reports half of all gang members in Los Angeles are most likely illegals from south of the border. According to Tancredo, gang membership by illegal aliens in many states is 50%, and in Phoenix, Arizona, illegal aliens constitute 34% of child-molestation and 40% of auto theft cases.

Furthermore, illegal aliens murder (on average) 12 Americans EVERY DAY, according to Congressman Steve King (R-Iowa). Plus, illegals that drive drunk kill another 13 Americans EVERY DAY. That means illegal aliens kill more Americans EVERY YEAR than have been killed in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars in total.

See the report at: http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=53103

Of course, Arizonans are still reeling from the recent high profile murder of a fellow citizen on his own property by an illegal.

Law enforcement agencies are very much cognizant of a surge in Latin American “ultra-violent” gangs that have sprung up in more than 40 US states. According to the FBI, one gang called MS-13 has been identified in 42 states. Another group called the 18^th Street Gang is in 37 states. According to FBI MS-13 National Gang Task Force director Brian Truchon, “When the gang migrates throughout the U.S., there is always a road back to L.A. From L.A., there is always a road back to Central America.”

Retired lawman Jim Kouri wrote, “According to Lt. Steve Rogers, a decorated cop and award-winning writer, there are tens of thousands of murderers, rapists, child predators, robbers and drug dealers who are illegally in the United States. One study shows over 200,000 criminal aliens are preying on U.S. citizens.”

What the Arizona law does is authorize its law enforcement personnel to ENFORCE THE LAW. No one in Arizona is talking about racial profiling or violating citizens’ constitutional rights. In fact, the new Arizona law actually mirrors already established federal law. But the federal government has hamstrung State and local police agencies in their attempts to arrest illegals for decades. Now, Arizona policemen can arrest illegals for being in the State of Arizona illegally, and have them deported: something they should have been doing (and have every right to do) all along. No wonder the vast majority of the American people (not to mention the citizens of Arizona) supports the Arizona law.

But there is a greater issue here: the right of the State of Arizona to protect, defend, and govern itself. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the State sovereignty movement is growing like a wildfire. Whether it is Arizona, Montana, Idaho, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Georgia, Texas, Florida, Alaska, or a couple dozen other states, legislators are beginning to awaken to the constitutional and moral responsibility of each State to govern itself. And when the central government in Washington, D.C., abridges or impedes that responsibility, it is the right and duty of states to resist.

This is why I tell people everywhere I speak, What is going on in [Your State] is infinitely more important than anything that goes on in Washington, D.C. Without the approbation of the State, DC’s actions and attitudes are irrelevant. This is why we need county sheriffs, State legislators, State judges, State attorneys general, and governors who—along with their State’s citizenry—understand the Constitution and are willing to courageously hold the line for freedom and constitutional government in their respective states. And by passing this anti-illegal alien bill, the State of Arizona did just that—the chagrin and consternation of open borders advocates notwithstanding.

*If you appreciate this column and want to help me distribute these editorial opinions to an ever-growing audience, donations may now be made by credit card, check, or Money Order. Use this link:

http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/donate.php

NOTE TO THE READER:

To subscribe, click on this link and follow the instructions:

http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/subscribe.php

Please visit Chuck’s web site at http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com

Gill Rapoza

Veritas Vos Liberabit

http://grapoza.blogspot.com

The Allure of the Goddess

2010-05-02T07:07:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

In this ever-changing world we are in some things never change. While I can not ever claim to be a professional or even well trained theologian, I have studied a fair amount of the pagan systems in contrast to true Christianity. And from it I have learned a few important things.

It would seem to me that more and more of the pagan symbolism and or beliefs creep in all the time with what should be a Christian nation. I for one grow weary of hearing those cry out for “Mother Earth,” “Mother Nature,” the “spirits” (that supposedly want to help us), or the “saints” that intervene on our behalf. I expect things of this nature from the pagans, but I should not be hearing such from those that desire to use the title of Christian, which means a follower of Christ. Not so hard to get it right really.

This nonsense of accepting of all religions and religious ideas means a possession of none at all really, if that is the chosen route. I used the word accept instead of tolerate, because I may tolerate what another believes so long as it does no harm to me or mine, but I sure don’t accept it. I have a dental appointment next week. So I will tolerate a minor tooth pain until I can get it fixed.

All religions do not lead to the same God or place. There is one real God, one real Heaven, and for many, to hear a Christian say so is offensive. I am not bothered that others want to hang out with Buddha, are looking for their 72 Mo virgins, hang a big “G” on their porch, or think they are coming back again as an elevated being (or perhaps a worm), and they should not be offended that I don’t follow any of that. I have looked at the evidence, and Jesus Christ is the way.

We should be clear that I do not desire that any should perish in Hell, and I am willing to do what I can to provide evidence on how to avoid the journey and destination. But at the same time don’t expect me to wear a home-made utility belt that goes boom to make the point. That only makes people get to Hell quicker, including the wearer of such belt.

And for those that are keeping score, when I say a pagan system or pagan belief, I do mean satanically influenced.

I like the simple Biblical ideas. Ideas like, it is but appointed once for all of us to die, then comes the judgment. And that there is but one mediator between God and man, Jesus Christ. Of course we must not ever forget that there is only one way to the Father in Heaven, Jesus Christ. It keeps my life simple, and makes people want to call me a fundamentalist (or other less pleasant names). Works for me.

Godspeed,

Gill Rapoza

Veritas Vos Liberabit

http://grapoza.blogspot.com/

The Allure of the Goddess

By Carl Teichrib, Chief Editor

Forcing Change, Volume 4, Issue 3, (April 2010)

http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/forcing-change/010/4-goddess.htm

“The Goddess has now emerged from the dark moon phase of a long-term lunar cycle at a time when humanity is collectively passing through a dark phase in the precessional age solar cycle. With the rebirth of the Goddess, we are being given the opportunity to reclaim her dark aspect.”

Demetra George, Mysteries of the Dark Moon: The Healing Power of the Dark Goddess, p. 266.

Goddess worship is alive and well. Berit Kjos, a good friend and author, relates numerous stories of goddess-inspiration making its way into mainstream Christian culture. In her book, A Twist of Faith, she describes a visit to her husband’s prairie hometown,

“You probably wouldn’t expect to find goddesses in a conservative farming community in North Dakota. I didn’t. But one day when visiting my husbands rural hometown, a neighbor told us that a new bookstore had just opened in the parsonage of the old Lutheran Church. ‘You should go see it,’ she urged.

“I agreed, so I drove to a stately white church, walked to the parsonage next door, and rang the bell. The pastor’s wife opened the door and led me into a large room she had changed into a bookstore, leaving me to browse. Scanning the shelves along the walls, I noticed familiar authors such as Lynn Andrews who freely blends witchcraft with Native American rituals, New Age self-empowerment, and other occult traditions to form her own spirituality.

“Among the multicultural books in the children’s section, one caught my attention. Called Many Faces of the Great Goddess, it was a ‘coloring book for all ages.’ Page after page sported voluptuous drawings of famed goddesses. Nude, bare-breasted, pregnant, or draped in serpents, they would surely open the minds of young artists to the lure of “sacred” sex and ancient myths.

“Driving home, I pondered today’s fast-spreading shift from Christianity to paganism. Apparently, myths and spiritualized sensuality sound good to those who seek new revelations and ‘higher’ truths. Many of the modern myths picture deities that fit somewhere between a feminine version of God and the timeless goddesses pictured in earth-centered stories and cultures.” (A Twist of Faith, pp. 10-11)

While the New Age Movement has placed goddess worship into a contemporary setting, it’s historical context stretches back millennium.

In the ancient Egyptian mystery religions, Isis was venerated as a universal goddess. Barbara Watterson, author of Gods of Ancient Egypt, notes that Isis was “known as ‘The Goddess of Many Names’ and indeed she is found as a form of every great female deity from Nut and Hathor to the Greek moon goddess Astarte.” [p. 72]

Eminent author and historian, Will Durant, writes of this Isis-goddess connection,

“Profound, too, was the myth of Isis, the Great Mother. She was not only the loyal sister and wife of Osiris; in a sense she was greater than he, for – like woman in general – she had conquered death through love. Nor was she merely the black soil of the Delta, fertilized by the touch of Osiris-Nile, and making all Egypt rich with her fecundity. She was, above all, the symbol of that mysterious creative power which had produced the earth and every living thing….She represented in Egypt – as Kali, Ishtar and Cyble represented in Asia, Demeter in Greece, and Ceres in Rome – the original priority and independence of the female principle in creation...” (The Story of Civilization, Volume 1, p. 200)

“Great Mother,” “Queen of Heaven,” “Mother of God.” All of these titles have been attached to Isis. Ishtar too, the Babylonian goddess, had similar titles. Moreover, the lines between the various goddesses of antiquity blur, with each mirroring the other in terms of purpose, symbolism, and meaning.

Commenting on this universal goddess aspect, Professor Cesar Vidal writes,

“The importance of mother goddesses in the various mythologies of paganism is so evident that even a shallow description could easily fill entire volumes… The mother goddess received different names and external appearances, but, in substance, she was always the same. In Egypt, she was called Isis.

“In Crete, she was represented as a mother who made friendly contact with snakes. In Greece she was known as Demeter, and in Rome she was worshiped as Cybele, the Magna Mater (Great Mother), a mother goddess of Phrygian origin. There is practically no ancient culture that did not worship this type of deity.” (The Myth of Mary, pp.74, 75)

Even the ancient Hebrews succumbed to goddess worship. In Jeremiah chapters 7 and 44, we find God chastising the Israelites for worshiping “the Queen of Heaven,” baking cakes to her, offering sacrifices, and purposely choosing to follow the Queen of Heaven rather than Himself.

Our modern culture likewise has a propensity to following the “Queen of Heaven.” The New Age Movement has been a real force in this, bringing the Gaia concept to the forefront – the idea that the Earth is a living organism, a “hypothesis” intrinsically linked to the goddess movement and “Mother Earth.”

Science writer Lawrence E. Joseph explains,

“Gaia’s closest cousin is Terra, the Roman Earth goddess; both are kin to Isis of the Egyptians, Kwan Yin of the Chinese, Lakshmi of the Hindus, Yemanja of many African peoples, Shekinah of the Jews from the days of the cabbalah, the Changing Woman of the Navajo, and many others, including Mother Nature, who at one time or another has appeared or occurred to almost everyone. All are sublime fem ale Earth deities, givers of life, wisdom, pleasure, and death.” (Gaia: The Growth of an Idea, p. 224)

As alluded to in the beginning of this article, Christianity isn’t immune to the allure of the goddess. In 1993, at the Re-Imaging Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2000 women from a variety of protestant denominations were introduced to Sophia, the goddess personification of “Divine Wisdom.” Furthermore, this particular event, which included creating a “sacred space” and Sophia invocations, received funding from a number of major protestant/evangelical church bodies [for more on this event, see A Twist of Faith].

“Mother Earth,” too, can be found in our modern church culture – especially through Earth Day celebrations within the Christian community (See Goddess Earth by Samantha Smith and Dave Hunt’s Occult Invasion: The Subtle Seduction of the World and Church).

But goddess influence within churches goes beyond Mother Earth and Sophia. The biblical figure of Mary has been erroneously elevated to a goddess status by Roman Catholic theologians. She is known as the Queen of Heaven, Mother of God, Eternal Virgin, Queen of Peace, Our Mother, Lady of the Good Death, Co-Mediatrix, and Blessed Mother. Thousands of shrines around the world commemorate her. Visions, apparitions, visitations, and channeled messages accompany the mystical experiences of her followers.

Cesar Vidal elaborates,

“The idea of the universal motherhood of Mary, which does not appear historically until the 11^th century, has a much greater connection with paganism than with Scripture. The same can be said of the representation of Mary with the divine child. This concept was also unknown… in the first centuries of Christianity.

“…it is especially significant that Mary worship, which we find in Catholicism and in the Eastern churches, does not stem at any point from biblical concepts, but from the absorption of pagan theologies like those present in the myths of Isis, Demeter and Cybele.” (The Myth of Mary, p. 86, 89)

Concerning the pagan goddess influence within the Roman concept of “Mary,” historian Will Durant draws a similar conclusion to that of Vidal. Christian apologist Dave Hunt (see Occult Invasion), along with a host of other historians and researchers, also recognize this basic linkage. Even occult sources such as H.P. Blavatsky [Isis Unveiled, volume II] and Manly P. Hall [The Secret Teachings of All Ages] attest to this goddess Roman-Mary interconnection. Sadly, this Romanized-paganized Mary is now being embraced by some within Protestant circles.

Detailing the broader New Age-goddess/feminist influence within church and society, Berit Kjos writes,

“…This new spiritual movement is transforming our churches as well as our culture. It touches every family that reads newspapers, watches television, and sends children to community schools. It is fast driving our society beyond Christianity, beyond humanism – even beyond relativism – toward new global beliefs and values. No one is immune from its subtle pressures and silent promptings. That it parallels other social changes and global movements only speeds the transformation. Yet, most Christians – like the proverbial frog – have barely noticed.

“This feminist movement demands new deities or, at least, a re-thinking of the old ones. The transformation starts with self, some say, and women can’t re-invent themselves until they shed the old shackles. So the search for a ‘more relevant’ religion requires new visions of God: images that trade holiness for tolerance, the heavenly for the earthly, and the God who is higher than us for a god who is us.

“The most seductive images are feminine. They may look like postcard angels, fairy godmothers, Greek earth goddess, radiant New Age priestesses, or even a mythical Mary, but they all promise unconditional love, peace, power, and personal transcendence. To many, they seem too good to refuse.” [A Twist of Faith, pp. 9-10]

The point that Mrs. Kjos makes is essential to understanding our times: Christianity is facing a paradigm shift of global proportions, and the goddess thrust of the New Age Movement is an important facet of this spiritual and societal-wide change.

“In recognizing the impact that this alternative spiritual reality has on our cultural makeup – including its bearing on churches and Christianity – it behooves us to consider the words of Ephesians 6:10-13,

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. There take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” [Ephesians 6:10-13, NKJV]

Carl Teichrib is editor of Forcing Change (www.forcingchange.org), an online, monthly intelligence journal on international trends and world change.

Benefits of Forcing Change membership...

Access to every issue of Forcing Change, our fully documented monthly publication.

Membership-only admittance to a large assortment of source documents, including many rare items, all in downloadable PDF.

Access to specialized e-reports such as The Power Puzzle: A Compilation of Documents on Global Governance.

Direct access to media files, reading lists, audio features, and more!

Membership in Forcing Change allows access to the full range of FC publications, including e-reports, audio and media presentations, Forcing Change back issues, downloadable expert documents, and more. FC receives neither government funding nor the financial backing of any other institutions; rather, Forcing Change operates solely on subscription/membership support. To learn more about Forcing Change, including membership benefits, go to www.forcingchange.org

Forcing Change

P.O. Box 31

Plumas, Manitoba, Canada

R0J-1P0

For publications: Permission to re-publish articles found in Forcing Change is granted, providing that FC credit is acknowledged (preferably with the Forcing Change URL attached), and that Forcing Change is notified of the public article use.

Gill Rapoza

Veritas Vos Liberabit

http://grapoza.blogspot.com

Al, This Is Out Of Your League

2010-05-01T08:16:00.000-07:00

Al, This Is Out Of Your League

Charlie Daniels

04/23/2010

http://www.charliedaniels.com/soapbox-2010/soapbox-2010-0423.htm

I’m sure you’ve heard about the disruption of air travel into and out of Europe, leaving thousands of passengers stranded on the opposite side of the Atlantic from where they want to be.

And this event was actually caused by pollution.

Al Gore has warned us for years that pollution was going to cause catastrophic problems in the years to come ruining the air quality, driving the polar bear into extinction and causing a greenhouse effect that could spell the end of life on the earth.

They’ve warned us about the imminent danger of cow flatulence and CO2 emissions. Did you ever stop to think that by the very act of breathing in we gobble up the planet’s precious oxygen and by exhaling we emit the deadly CO2?

So was mankind’s carelessness the cause of the costly disruption of air travel, were there simply too many cows in Texas this year or did too many people forget to ride their bicycles to work?

Or perhaps it could have been the delay of getting the cap and trade bill passed and implemented.

Did the greedy Americans simply use too much electricity necessitating the burning of too much fossil fuel to produce the power to enable their decadence? Has global warming raised its ugly head again?

Was it an act of the indifference and apathy of mankind?

No, Al. It was an act of God.

As we all know the eruption of a volcano in Iceland is the cause of the problem as the prevailing westerly winds have blown the volcano’s emissions across the North Atlantic making it impossible for airplanes to fly without a danger of the engines ingesting it.

The emissions contain particles of glass that were melted by the heat of the volcano, hurled thousands of feet into the air by its force and frozen by the cold temperatures of the atmosphere.

If it were sucked into the engines of jet planes, it would again be melted and wreak havoc, at worst causing an immediate crash or at the least severe damage to the engine.

This volcano is under the command and control of the God who created it, only He knows when it’s going to erupt and no amount of legislation, no purchasing of carbon credits and no degree of scare tactics by a Nobel Peace Prize winner is going to alter that fact.

I believe in practicing conservation, I believe in clean water and clean air and I believe there are some things mankind can do to make the earth a cleaner place, but for anybody to think that man can control the temperature of a planet, to me is total arrogance.

The bad news is that there is another volcano in Iceland that usually goes off when the currently active one does and its emissions could go on for a year or so.

And no power on earth can stop it, but there is one in heaven that can.

We need, more than ever, to realize man’s helplessness and God’s might.

Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto God what is God’s.

What do you think?

Pray for our troops, and for our country.

God Bless America

Charlie Daniels

Gill Rapoza

Veritas Vos Liberabit

http://grapoza.blogspot.com

What’s More Important: Liberty Or The Entity That Protects It?

2010-04-30T08:39:00.000-07:00

What’s More Important: Liberty Or The Entity That Protects It?

By Chuck Baldwin

April 27, 2010

http://chuckbaldwinlive.com/home/?p=1293

Let me ask readers a question. What’s more important: freedom and its undergirding principles, or the entity meant to protect it? A word of caution: be careful how you answer that question, because the way you answer marks your understanding (or lack thereof) of both freedom and the purpose of government.

Thomas Jefferson—and the rest of America’s founders—believed that freedom was the principal possession, because liberty is a divine—not human—gift. Listen to Jefferson:

“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. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men.” (Declaration of Independence)

Jefferson could not be clearer: America’s founders desired a land in which men might live in liberty. By declaring independence from the government of Great Britain (and instituting new government), Jefferson, et al., did not intend to erect an idol (government) that men would worship. They created a mechanism designed to protect that which they considered to be their most precious possession: liberty. In other words, the government they created by the Constitution of 1787 was not the object; freedom’s protection was the object.

Again, listen to Jefferson: “That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men.” In other words, government is not the end; it is the means. Government is not the goal; it is the vehicle used to reach the goal. Nowhere did Jefferson (and the rest of America’s founders) express the sentiment that government, itself, was the objective. Listen to Jefferson once more:

“That whenever ANY FORM OF GOVERNMENT becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.” (Declaration) (Emphasis added.)

Jefferson is clear: people have a right to alter or abolish ANY FORM OF GOVERNMENT that becomes destructive to liberty. To America’s founders, there was no such thing as a sacred cow when it came to government. Government had but one purpose: “to secure these rights.” When ANY FORM of government stops protecting sacred, God-given liberties, it is the right and duty of people to do whatever they deem appropriate to secure their liberties—even to abolishing the government.

To America’s founders, patriotism had everything to do with the love of liberty, not the love of government!

Today’s brand of patriotism (at least as expressed by many) is totally foreign to the fundamental principles of liberty upon which America was built. I’m talking about the idea that government is an end and aim in itself; the idea that government must be protected from the people; the idea that bigger government equals better government; the idea that criticism of the government makes one unpatriotic; the idea that government is a panacea for all our ills; and the idea that loyalty to the nation equals loyalty to the government. All of this is a bunch of bull manure!

When government—ANY GOVERNMENT—stops protecting the liberties of its citizens, and especially when it begins trampling those liberties, it has become a “destructive” power, and needs to be altered or abolished. Period.

Can any honest, objective citizen not readily recognize that the current central government in Washington, D.C., long ago stopped protecting the God-given rights of free men, and has become a usurper of those rights? Is there the slightest doubt in the heart of any lover of liberty that the biggest threat to our liberties is not to be found in any foreign capital, but in that putrid province by the Potomac?

Therefore, we must cast off this phony idea that we owe some kind of devotion to the “system.” Away with the notion that vowing to protect and prolong the “powers that be” makes us “good” Americans. The truth is, there is very little in Washington, D.C., that is worthy of protecting or prolonging. The “system” is a ravenous BEAST that is gorging itself on our liberties!

Patriotism has nothing to do with supporting a President, or being loyal to a political party, or anything of the sort.

Is it patriotic to support our country (which almost always means our government), “right or wrong”? This is one of the most misquoted clichés in American history, by the way. Big Government zealots (on both the right and the left) use this phrase often to try to stifle opposition by making people who would fight for smaller government appear “unpatriotic.”

The cliché, “My country, right or wrong,” comes from a short address delivered on the floor of the US Senate by Missouri Senator Carl Schurz. Taking a strong anti-imperialist position and having his patriotism questioned because of it (what’s new, right?), Schurz, on February 29, 1872, said, “The senator from Wisconsin cannot frighten me by exclaiming, ‘My country, right or wrong.’ In one sense I say so, too. My country—and my country is the great American Republic. My country, right or wrong; if right, to be kept right; and if wrong, to be set right.” (Source: The Congressional Globe, vol. 45, p. 1287)

Schurz then later expanded on this short statement in a speech delivered at the Anti-Imperialistic Conference in Chicago, Illinois, on October 17, 1899. He said, “I confidently trust that the American people will prove themselves . . . too wise not to detect the false pride or the dangerous ambitions or the selfish schemes which so often hide themselves under that deceptive cry of mock patriotism: ‘Our country, right or wrong!’ They will not fail to recognize that our dignity, our free institutions and the peace and welfare of this and coming generations of Americans will be secure only as we cling to the watchword of TRUE patriotism: ‘Our country—when right to be kept right; when wrong to be put right.’” (Source: Speeches, Correspondence and Political Papers of Carl Schurz, vol. 6, 1913, p. 119) (Emphasis in original.)

Amen! In a free society, genuine patriotism demands that our country be RIGHT, as our nation’s policies and practices reflect the values and principles of its citizens. To feign some kind of robotic devotion to a nation without regard to sacred principle or constitutional fidelity is to become a mindless creature: at best, to be manipulated by any and every Machiavellian that comes along, or, at worst, to be a willing participant in tyranny.

As to loyalty to a President merely because he is President, Theodore Roosevelt may have said it best:

“Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the President or any other public official save exactly to the degree in which he himself stands by the country. It is patriotic to support him insofar as he efficiently serves the country. It is unpatriotic not to oppose him to the exact extent that by inefficiency or otherwise he fails in his duty to stand by the country. In either event, it is unpatriotic not to tell the truth—whether about the President or anyone else.”

Hence, freedom-loving Americans cannot afford to become infatuated with Washington, D.C. We cannot allow these propagandists on network television to distort the meaning of true patriotism in our hearts.

Patriotism means we love freedom. It means we understand that freedom is a gift of God. It means we understand that government has only one legitimate function: to protect freedom. It means that our love of liberty demands that we oppose, alter, or even abolish ANY FORM of government that becomes destructive to these ends. And it means that we will never allow government to steal liberty from our hearts.

As I asked at the beginning of this column, What’s more important: freedom and its undergirding principles, or the entity meant to protect it? The right answer is, freedom and its undergirding principles. If you understand that, then you rightly understand that the current government we find ourselves under is in desperate need of replacement. And whatever, however, and whenever that replacement reveals itself is not nearly as important as that liberty is preserved.

On the other hand, if you mistakenly believe that government (the entity meant to protect liberty) is more important than liberty, you are both tragically deceived and pathetically impotent to preserving freedom. You may also have identified yourself as an enemy of freedom.

As for me and my house, we will stand with Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence—in whatever form it may present itself in a modern world bent on dismantling our liberties. In other words, I pledge no loyalty to any government that seeks to destroy our freedom—including the current one!

*If you appreciate this column and want to help me distribute these editorial opinions to an ever-growing audience, donations may now be made by credit card, check, or Money Order. Use this link:

http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/donate.php

NOTE TO THE READER:

To subscribe, click on this link and follow the instructions:

http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/subscribe.php

Please visit Chuck’s web site at http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com

Gill Rapoza

Veritas Vos Liberabit

http://grapoza.blogspot.com

Obama’s Eligibility: Here’s Your Sign!

2010-04-29T08:46:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

Timothy Baldwin is not a hard core “birther;” that is to say, it is not the main focus of some of his writings. But he is well up there in knowing how to make good points.

I would probably be placed in that “birther” category too, simply because I want to see the proof of where the guy was born. No more and no less. No allegations, but I wonder why things just don’t add up.

The regular members of this list have read my reasoning and wondering why a guy would go out of his way to hide something if there is no big deal about it. And there was a lot of money spent on lawyers who worked hard at not letting the American people see what we should see.

For those interested there is another interesting article on the topic at http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/22221.

I pray regularly for answers and for lots of help to fix what is wrong and so “We Don’t’ Get Fooled Again.” <http://popup.lala.com/popup/432627077911181154>

Then I’ll get on my knees and pray

We don’t get fooled again

Don’t get fooled again

No, no!

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

I have very serious doubts that BHO will be fooling as many folks in the next election. In the meantime we need to ask God for mercy and forgiveness. We can use a bit of healing of our own.

Godspeed,

Gill Rapoza

Veritas Vos Liberabit

http://grapoza.blogspot.com/

Obama’s Eligibility: Here’s Your Sign!

by Timothy Baldwin

April 24, 2010

http://libertydefenseleague.com/2010/04/24/obama’s-eligibility-here’s-your-sign/

In a recent article written by JB Williams entitled, “DC Knows that Obama is Ineligible for Office,”[1] Williams highlights some facts signaling that the federal government, the main-stream media and those closely related to both know that Barak Obama is ineligible to be the President of the United States of America under the U.S. Constitution.

Williams cites these facts in support of his assertion:

· -Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic Party did not certify that Obama qualified to run as a candidate for President of the U.S., but only that Obama was the Democratic Party candidate;

· -the news media previously and numerously referred to Obama as “Kenya-born” before he ran for President. Afterwards, “Kenya-born” was dropped;

· -Obama has spent over 2 million dollars in hiding what they say exists (his birth certificate) and supposedly have in hand;

· -the Justice Department is doing everything they possibly can to keep Americans from pursing Obama’s eligibility in court;

· -federal judges have dismissed over 400 hundred court cases on Obama’s eligibility, ruling that these citizens do not have standing to know who is acting as President of the U.S.;

· -Michelle Obama has described Barak’s home as being the country of Kenya;

Williams is not alone, of course, in the conclusion that Obama is an illegitimate President and that his illegitimacy is being covered up by Congress, the federal courts, those in the Republican and Democratic national parties and others. Ever since Obama campaigned for U.S. President, millions in America have raised his eligibility as a fundamental concern for the integrity of the U.S. Constitution and rule of law, all to no avail.

It is not only “average Joe” who believes Obama is illegitimate, but state governments are expressing the same notion. The state of Arizona has recently passed a law, expected to be signed by the governor, which declares that Barak Obama must prove his U.S. citizenship before being permitted to be on the ballot in 2012.[2] Many states are expected to follow Arizona’s lead of resistance to unlawful federal actions, just as so many states are doing lately on many different fronts (thankfully!).

Given these serious insinuations believed by many millions of Americans concerning Obama’s illegitimacy and concerning its cover up, that more serious deductions and conclusions are not being raised–at least publicly–surprises me.

Consider what is really implied about Obama’s ineligibility and the cover up by those in the federal government, the main-stream media and the two major political parties. The cut-to-the-chase conclusion underlying this whole ordeal is that the United States government is completely and utterly illegitimate and reeks of bad faith and intent. Any other conclusion is very difficult to believe, using logic and reason.

How can the people have any confidence, trust or loyalty whatsoever to a federal system of government that is covering up and perpetuating one of the most audacious and bold lies concerning one of the most simple and clear of constitutional matters? How can the people put any hope in restoring freedom by voting for any person associated with the two major parties that are intrinsically linked to the cover up of Obama’s eligibility? How can the people believe one word coming from any main-stream news source, which are in bed with both political parties? How can the states submit to any federal laws coming from such a government? How can the states remain in such a union under such a regime?

Do not be deceived: if Obama is an illegitimate President because he was born in Kenya or some other foreign country, it is not his dirty little secret alone. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of people who know and are in positions of the so-called highest power.

Insultingly so, this matter does not involve some complex legal issue for some “supreme” tribunal of life-term judges to decide. This is simply a matter of, SHOW ME YOUR CITIZENSHIP! This is simply a matter of providing what you say already exists. Any idiot is capable of doing this. In fact, most states now require that you provide proof of your birth certificate to be able to obtain a driver’s license.

Yet somehow the President of the United States is exempt from providing America (those who “license” any person to hold office) the same proof when the importance of Obama’s proving the same is of much higher and greater importance that it is literally comparing a pebble to the Rocky Mountains. That a person would spend millions of dollars to conceal a document allegedly in hand and in existence reeks of dishonesty, corruption and conspiracy. That the Justice Department would spend thousands of man-hours and millions of tax-dollars to prevent a court from ordering Obama to provide this proof is the epitome of suspicion and presumptive proof of illegitimacy.

I dare ask the question: who in their right mind would desire to reconcile with a federal government of that sort, especially given the track record of the federal government since 1865? (No, this is not about the Democratic Party: it is about the federal system.) What person who desires a free government and society would hold the belief that such a government is worthy of anything other than your separation from it? This matter goes to the very heart of consent-of-the-governed and a free state and people.

Assume that Obama shows America his birth certificate, and come to find out, his birth certificate proves he is a natural born U.S. citizen. What is to be said of the hundreds of millions of tax payer dollars that were spent to keep America from seeing what they are entitled to see? What is to be said of the federal system that hid the proof from America for so long? What is to be said of the news media who mocked all of you “crazy ‘birthers’” as conspiratorial nut-jobs for making such an issue of Obama’s citizenship? What is to be said of the two major political parties (on the national level) that only perpetuated the mystery and contributed to the shamefulness of the cover up?

However, that Obama is legitimate is not the assumption at this point. The assumption held by literally millions of Americans–and now, state governments–is that the person sitting as President of the United States of America is illegitimate–and consequently, implying the corruption, degradation and tyranny of the federal regime. This assumption necessarily carries with it the presumption that the entire federal government is complicit in Obama’s unlawful command of the executive branch.

We know that Congressman Bill Posey (FL – R) introduced a bill[3] (along with eleven co-sponsors) that would require any future candidate for President to prove his eligibility under HR 1503, which states:

“in the case of a principal campaign committee of a candidate for election to the office of President, a copy of the candidate’s birth certificate, together with such other documentation as may be necessary to establish that the candidate meets the qualifications for eligibility to the Office of President under section 5 of article II of the Constitution.’”

But, we have yet to see what shall come of that bill. Meanwhile, Obama still acts as President. Troops continue to be deployed. Wars fought. Lives lost. Taxes spent. Laws passed and signed. Freedom lost. All the while, the States are, through their independent state sovereignty actions, having to spend billions of dollars in justifiably resisting the horrific demonstrations of federal tyranny, as if the people of the states are not suffering economically enough as it is.

Moreover, this matter of Obama’s eligibility reaches deeper than even the conspiracy of cover up by the federal government and others: it reaches to the roots of society itself. Consider that some 64 million people voted for a man who presumably does not even qualify to be President. Yet, they do not even care. They celebrated in November 2008 as the man they voted for promised America a transparent federal government. There was now going to be “change we can believe in!”

Yet, when asked to produce proof that Obama is eligible to be President, 64 million people come to his defense, including those in the federal government and main-stream media, calling anyone who would dare broach the subject as a right-wing conspirator, psychopath. Truth be known, they do not care that Obama is or is not eligible, and they certainly do not care whether the U.S. Constitution is complied with according to its true meaning. The only concern is “might makes right.” He won, and that’s that. Now we have Obama-care and free health insurance! Oh! What a beautiful utopia we live in!

How can freedom survive in that climate? It is already gasping for air as it is being drowned in the ocean created by indifference, lethargy, self-interest, corruption, ambition and greed. How can a union of fifty states so divided remain in such an opposed and depraved state? It is being held together now only by the fear that the federal government will seek and destroy any state who secedes. (Oh, what a benevolent master we serve!) How can a Republic stand for the principle of self-government in that environment? As the evidence is unfolding, the conclusion is freedom cannot survive, such a union will not remain, and a Republic will not stand in the current conditions. (See my article, Plan For Freedom, for further discussion on, “Will America breakup?”)

So, when you consider Obama’s eligibility, look beyond the birth certificate and look at the actual sign: the federal government and system is as illegitimate as Obama is.

[1] JB Williams, “DC Knows that Obama is Ineligible for Office,” Canada Free Press (April 20, 2010), found at http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/22221. For a follow up article by the same author, see, JB Williams, “The Bottom Line on Natural Born Citizen,” Canada Free Press (April 21, 2010), found at http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/22262.

[2] AP Report, “Ariz House: Check Obama’s Citizenship,” KPHO.com Phoenix News, (April 19, 2010), found at http://www.kpho.com/news/23202195/detail.html

[3] H.R. 1503: To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act, 111th Congress, 2009-2010 Session, found at http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-1503

Gill Rapoza

Veritas Vos Liberabit

http://grapoza.blogspot.com

PC Alert: Rev. Franklin Graham Banned by the Pentagon for Telling the Truth About Islam

2010-04-28T00:39:00.001-07:00

Hello Everyone,

Graham stands his ground. Giles stands his ground as well. There is no room for calling evil good, and good evil. The politically correct stuff only serves to kill more, and more so send additional people to Hell. I am not for that.

A couple of you sent me info on this one, thank you. I get Doug Giles updates via email too. I enjoy seeing what he has to say on several matters.

Godspeed,

Gill Rapoza

Veritas Vos Liberabit

http://grapoza.blogspot.com/

PC Alert: Rev. Franklin Graham Banned by the Pentagon for Telling the Truth About Islam

By Doug Giles

http://clashradio.com/column.html

Franklin Graham, distinguished Christian minister and son of an American evangelical treasure (i.e. Billy Graham) was banned from praying at the Pentagon for their upcoming May 6^th National Day of Prayer event because he called Islam “evil.”

Apparently Franklin didn’t get the memo that we can’t say squat about Islam anymore. Oh, hell no. Muslims are groovy no matter what they do, and anyone who says otherwise ... is ... well ... evil ... in the eyes of the thought police who’re heading up the United States of Political Horse Smack.

Check it out: When Muslims kill 3,000 Americans, we can’t call them “wicked.” When they abuse women, cut off little girls’ clitorises, stone unruly wives, honor kill their teenage daughters for texting someone not named Achmed, and keep precious women in stone-age bondage worldwide, we can’t say that’s BS because that might offend them. And God forbid we should offend folks who’re six bubbles off level and don’t get basic women’s rights.

I’m scratching a bald spot on the back of my head on this one because we won’t put up with that bollocks with any other people or religion except with Islam; they get a free pass. Yes, we’re being whipped into believing that we’re misjudging them even though the preponderance of historical evidence indicates that those who believe they’re bogus are spot on.

I think it is legitimately safe to say-and extremely sad to say-that Political Correctness has officially seeped its fetid sewage into the brass inside the beltway.

Matter of fact, I’m wearing black today because I’m in mourning. As far as I’m concerned, it’s calamitous when the U.S. Army bans a solid Christian minister and upstanding citizen (who has added much to America’s Christian heritage and the well-being of millions of suffering people worldwide) from praying for our troops just because he called Muslim crap crap. You can read the full horror story here.

Lastly, I’d like to thank Franklin for having the holy testosterone-amidst the many craven and neutered capitulating clerics, pundits and politicians across our land-to call Islam’s actions wicked because ... duh ... they are. Good job, old chap. It seems as if only South Park, Robert Spencer, David Horowitz, a smattering of other analysts (mostly women) and Graham will come out and verbally hammer these cats for their “faith”-inspired atrocities against non-Muslims and their own women.

Oh, by the way: If you’re not convinced Islam is evil, check out this video.

mail@clashradio.com · 305.788.6485 · ClashRadio.com · P.O. Box 800554 · Aventura, Fl. 33280

Gill’s note on the above video link:

The link was working sporadically, and not at all times. I found another working link:

If you request the link I will send it to you. I'd rather first advise that this is a VERY VIOLENT and GRAPHIC video than post it here, and that is not for most.

Graham and Giles are both very correct to call this evil!

Here is a written link by Robert Spencer and Phyllis Chesler <http://www.scribd.com/doc/2526263/The-Violent-Oppression-of-Women-in-Islam> which gives a good overview of the same thing without the graphics and violence.

Gill Rapoza

Veritas Vos Liberabit

http://grapoza.blogspot.com

Don’t Talk About Muhammad or You’re Dead

2010-04-27T08:00:00.001-07:00

Hello 92251 List Members,

While are on the topic of biased behavior, I have one for you. Franklin Graham was uninvited to be the prime speaker at the Army’s National Day of Prayer event. Seems that someone from one of those “peaceful religion” groups (Muslims) complained about Graham. Graham apparently said the Islam religion was evil right after the Islamists killed many Americans on 9/11, and also was planning to pray in the name of Jesus, and not include Yoda, or whoever the god of the day was.

All I can say is way to go Franklin! Doing what is right beats the rest of that nonsense no matter whom else does not like the way he operates. I have noticed that Franklin Graham is much more like his father (Billy Graham) was in the early years of his preaching than later on. I heard him on TV last night. He still has that strong fire and does not care if not everyone likes him.

Godspeed,

Gill Rapoza

Veritas Vos Liberabit

http://grapoza.blogspot.com/

Don’t Talk About Muhammad or You’re Dead

By Laurie Roth

The Roth Show

April 21^st, 2010

http://therothshow.com/2010/04/dont-talk-about-muhammad-or-youre-dead/

We already know the culture and passion of Islamic radicals, fundamentalists and Jihad experts. They want an international caliphate going back to the 1920s. That means they want to control the world and have it run by Sharia law, all other Religions and people submitting to Islam. It has always amazed me just how shrill Islamic fundamentalists and leaders are. Criticism, challenges, humor against or for is just not allowed. By all means don’t you dare tell the truth about Muhammad or analyze his own words and life. You might just die for that. We all remember Theo van Gogh, the Dutch filmmaker who was murdered in 2004 after putting out a documentary on violence against Muslim women.

Even though it was an exceptional and honest film highlighting the regular beatings Muslim women endure, it was not allowed to shed any light on the huge elephants running through the bloody and bruised room. Naturally, van Goh had to be punished so he was murdered.

Now, ‘South Park’ creators are Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s lives are being threatened because they dared to include a caricature of the Prophet Muhammad disguised in a bear suit. They were displaying typical, South Park, off the wall humor as they usually do, but this time they dared to touch the untouchable….Muhammad and Islam.

The unbelievable thing in all this is that Christianity and Jesus Christ is shredded, made fun of, slandered, mocked and lied about practically on a daily basis. When people drop something on their foot and swear it is never ‘Oh Muhammad.’ It is always ‘Jesus Christ’ or ‘GD.’

It is now fashionable and a huge industry to mock Christians and Christ. Just a few books out that come to mind on the New York Times as best sellers include: “God is Not Great: Why Religion Poisons Everything, Christopher Hitchens; “The End of Faith” by atheist Sam Harris; “The God Delusion” by Richard Dawkins.

Evangelical, Charismatic and traditional Christians are the classic poster child for domestic terrorist, racist, bad Americans and hypocrites. Too many movies, comedians and politicians to count have practically made a living condemning The Bible and Jesus, yet you don’t see an ocean of bloodied bodies lying around do you?

As a Christian I grew up with constant mocking and criticism, especially as I grew up and tried to live a real, Christian life, although incredibly imperfect and deserving of criticism, I didn’t sleep around and do the drug and alcohol scene. I wanted to please the Lord and follow His teachings the best I could. That meant loving those who despitefully used you and hated you.

How is it that millions of Christians in this country and around the world are to put up with constant and vicious mocking, yet fundamentalist Islamics call for violence and death. Theo van Gogh, the Dutch filmmaker only dared to put the light of day on a real and very serious problem within Islam, violence against Muslim women.

All of Islam should be horrified about this and should have celebrated Theo’s work. Instead, they murdered this truth teller. Now, the goofy ‘South Park’ guys are being threatened by Islamic radicals due to daring to use humor and showcase Mohamed as a Bear. Is Islam so frail that no one can laugh, challenge, or question anything about Islam or Muhammad? Many women are beaten in Islam. We aren’t to notice? Many scriptures in the Koran and Hadith do read like racist, warring statements against Christians and the Jews. We aren’t to notice? Obviously, people aren’t to tell the truth about Islam, challenge Islam or laugh about and even rudely question Islam or it is a death sentence.

How sad and pathetic. Try living the life of a Christian for a few days some of you ever so sensitive and offended Islamics.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 21st, 2010 at 2:15 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

Gill Rapoza

Veritas Vos Liberabit

http://grapoza.blogspot.com