Today we experienced the San Diego at its finest. My lovely wife asked to go to the San Diego Auto Show. This is an event held annually at the San Diego Convention Center. The cost is $10.00 per person, thus for the three of us it would be $30.00, plus $10.00 Special Events Parking. All this to allow automakers to show us their products in the hope we might buy them.
After wending our way through the Gas Lamp Quarter, over torn up streets, around sleeping bums and drug addicts, we arrived to the front of the Convention Center. The underground parking was closed, FULL said the sign, although there were no cars to be seen in the parking garage. Oh, yes, and a sign – Additional Parking at 801 Harbor Drive – with no indication of which way was 801 Harbor Drive. The only thing was to go the way we were going, finally turn around and find the parking structure at 801 Harbor Drive. Two entrances, both with cars 10 deep, to park in a garage one the opposite side from the entrance to the show.
So, how was the show? No idea. We left. The people who planned our trip through the bums, the tank traps that pass for roads, who closed the parking garage can look for some other suckers to pay the $40.00 to look at The National City Mile of Cars inside a building. All we wanted was out of town.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Can you tell me more about the Sixth Commandment?
The Sixth Commandment which has been the source of much confusion, misdirection and misinformation for Christians has been translated as follow:
Thou shalt not kill. (Exodus 20:13) KJV
Thou shalt do no murder (1928BCP)
As many people are aware, but perhaps tend to forget, the Ten Commandments had to be written down twice. Moses got them once, but upon his return to camp he found that people had started the party without him. Naturally incensed, he made the blunder of smashing the tablets upon which God had written his commandments. This was God's first work as an author, and now it was lost! But God, being God, felt capable of salvaging the matter. He told Moses that he'd write them down again, exactly as they had been written originally. With two originals, it is not surprising there are now a myriad of different translations. It is often believed one of the key Commandments states, “You shall not kill. ” But the original Hebrew does not use “kill. ” It says, “You shall not murder, ” which is clearly very different.
Like English, Hebrew, the language in which most of the Old Testament was written, uses different words for intentional vs. unintentional killing. The verse translated "Thou shalt not kill" in the KJV translation, is translated “Thou shalt do no murder” or "You shall not murder" in modern translations - because these translations represents the real meaning of the Hebrew text. The Bible in Basic English translates the phrase, "Do not put anyone to death without cause.’ The Hebrew word used here is ratsach, which nearly always refers to intentional killing without cause (unless indicated otherwise by context). Hebrew law recognized accidental killing as not punishable. In fact, specific cities were designated as "cities of refuge’, so that an unintentional killer could flee to escape retribution. The Hebrew word for "kill" in this instance is not ratsach, but nakah, which can refer to either premeditated or unintentional killing, depending upon context. Other Hebrew words also can refer to killing. The punishment for murder was the death sentence. However, to be convicted, there needed to be at least two eyewitnesses.
Many believers regard this as perhaps the most basic and easily accepted of all the commandments. After all, who would object to the government telling people not to kill? Unfortunately, this position relies upon a very superficial and uninformed understanding of what is going on. This commandment is, in fact, much more controversial and difficult that it appears at first.
To begin with, what does it mean to “kill”? Taken most literally, this would forbid killing animals for food or even plants for food. That seems implausible, however, because the Hebrew scriptures contain extensive descriptions about how to properly go about killing for food and that would be strange if killing were forbidden.
More significantly is the fact that there are many examples in the Old Testament of God commanding the Hebrews to kill their enemies — why would God do that if this were a violation of one of the Commandments? Thus, many translate the original Hebrew word ratsach as “murder” instead of “kill.” This may be reasonable, but the fact that popular lists of the Ten Commandments continue to use “kill” is a problem because if everyone agrees that “murder” is more accurate, then the popular lists — including those often used for government displays — are simply wrong and misleading. In fact, many Jews regard the mistranslation of the text as “kill” to be immoral in and of itself, both because it falsifies the words of God and because there are times when one has an obligation to kill.
How much does the word “murder” help us? Well, it allows us to ignore the killing of plants and animals and focus just on the killing of human beings, which is useful. Unfortunately, not all killing of human beings is wrong. People kill in war, they kill as punishment for crimes, they kill because of accidents, etc. These killings are not prohibited by the Sixth Commandment. There is so much in the Hebrew scriptures that describes how and when it is morally licit to kill other human beings. There are many crimes listed in the scriptures for which death is the prescribed punishment. Despite this, there are some Christians who read this commandment as though it prohibits any killing of other human beings. Such committed pacifists would refuse to kill even in times of war or to save their own lives. For Christians, the Sixth Commandment must be read much more narrowly. The most reasonable interpretation would seem to be: Thou shalt not take the lives of other human beings in a manner proscribed by the law. That’s fair and it’s also the basic legal definition of murder.
Thou shalt not kill. (Exodus 20:13) KJV
Thou shalt do no murder (1928BCP)
As many people are aware, but perhaps tend to forget, the Ten Commandments had to be written down twice. Moses got them once, but upon his return to camp he found that people had started the party without him. Naturally incensed, he made the blunder of smashing the tablets upon which God had written his commandments. This was God's first work as an author, and now it was lost! But God, being God, felt capable of salvaging the matter. He told Moses that he'd write them down again, exactly as they had been written originally. With two originals, it is not surprising there are now a myriad of different translations. It is often believed one of the key Commandments states, “You shall not kill. ” But the original Hebrew does not use “kill. ” It says, “You shall not murder, ” which is clearly very different.
Like English, Hebrew, the language in which most of the Old Testament was written, uses different words for intentional vs. unintentional killing. The verse translated "Thou shalt not kill" in the KJV translation, is translated “Thou shalt do no murder” or "You shall not murder" in modern translations - because these translations represents the real meaning of the Hebrew text. The Bible in Basic English translates the phrase, "Do not put anyone to death without cause.’ The Hebrew word used here is ratsach, which nearly always refers to intentional killing without cause (unless indicated otherwise by context). Hebrew law recognized accidental killing as not punishable. In fact, specific cities were designated as "cities of refuge’, so that an unintentional killer could flee to escape retribution. The Hebrew word for "kill" in this instance is not ratsach, but nakah, which can refer to either premeditated or unintentional killing, depending upon context. Other Hebrew words also can refer to killing. The punishment for murder was the death sentence. However, to be convicted, there needed to be at least two eyewitnesses.
Many believers regard this as perhaps the most basic and easily accepted of all the commandments. After all, who would object to the government telling people not to kill? Unfortunately, this position relies upon a very superficial and uninformed understanding of what is going on. This commandment is, in fact, much more controversial and difficult that it appears at first.
To begin with, what does it mean to “kill”? Taken most literally, this would forbid killing animals for food or even plants for food. That seems implausible, however, because the Hebrew scriptures contain extensive descriptions about how to properly go about killing for food and that would be strange if killing were forbidden.
More significantly is the fact that there are many examples in the Old Testament of God commanding the Hebrews to kill their enemies — why would God do that if this were a violation of one of the Commandments? Thus, many translate the original Hebrew word ratsach as “murder” instead of “kill.” This may be reasonable, but the fact that popular lists of the Ten Commandments continue to use “kill” is a problem because if everyone agrees that “murder” is more accurate, then the popular lists — including those often used for government displays — are simply wrong and misleading. In fact, many Jews regard the mistranslation of the text as “kill” to be immoral in and of itself, both because it falsifies the words of God and because there are times when one has an obligation to kill.
How much does the word “murder” help us? Well, it allows us to ignore the killing of plants and animals and focus just on the killing of human beings, which is useful. Unfortunately, not all killing of human beings is wrong. People kill in war, they kill as punishment for crimes, they kill because of accidents, etc. These killings are not prohibited by the Sixth Commandment. There is so much in the Hebrew scriptures that describes how and when it is morally licit to kill other human beings. There are many crimes listed in the scriptures for which death is the prescribed punishment. Despite this, there are some Christians who read this commandment as though it prohibits any killing of other human beings. Such committed pacifists would refuse to kill even in times of war or to save their own lives. For Christians, the Sixth Commandment must be read much more narrowly. The most reasonable interpretation would seem to be: Thou shalt not take the lives of other human beings in a manner proscribed by the law. That’s fair and it’s also the basic legal definition of murder.
Sunday, September 17, 2006
You make the choice, but remember Radiation is our Friend
No matter what our religion (unless it is their particular brand of Islam), whether we like it or not, we are in a worldwide religious war with people who claim the religion of Islam and claim to be followers of Allah. These “Holy Warriors” are honor bound to kill or convert each of us to their own particular brand of Islam. Anyone who is not in their narrowly cast brand is an “infidel.” Not just Islamist against Christians, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists and atheists, but Sunnis killing Shittes, etc.
For all practical purposes, Mohammedans, Moslems, Followers of Allah, by whatever name are divided into two camps:
• Those who follow the Koran
and
• Apostates
The followers of the Koran have the following values inconsistent with civilization as we know it:
• With regard to those they consider infidels, they have only three choices:
- Conversion
- Death
- Taxation until one of the above
• They only recognize an Islamic government as legitimate
Those who would appease the Islamofacists fail to recognize they will be the first to die when the Islamofacists take over.
Let it be written that we have no real options in dealing with followers of the Koran; they must all die. The only other choice is for us to die.
Like World War II, we did not start this war. Unlike World War II, it will not be over in six years, unless the end starts with a sunrise like that seen in Japan. It would be best for those “Moderate Muslims” to reflect on the words of Yamamoto, “We have wakened a sleeping giant. I fear we have but six months to rage like a wild boar.” Then think further on to realize that once awakened, the sleeping giant will take no prisoners and turn their homelands into a glass lake.
Christianity is based on Christ’s words, “My kingdom is not of this world” and “Cast not your pearls before swine.” We cannot accept the presence in this world of suicidal forces who believe in the forcible spread of their cancer.
You are with us or against us.
You make the choice, but remember Radiation is our Friend.
For all practical purposes, Mohammedans, Moslems, Followers of Allah, by whatever name are divided into two camps:
• Those who follow the Koran
and
• Apostates
The followers of the Koran have the following values inconsistent with civilization as we know it:
• With regard to those they consider infidels, they have only three choices:
- Conversion
- Death
- Taxation until one of the above
• They only recognize an Islamic government as legitimate
Those who would appease the Islamofacists fail to recognize they will be the first to die when the Islamofacists take over.
Let it be written that we have no real options in dealing with followers of the Koran; they must all die. The only other choice is for us to die.
Like World War II, we did not start this war. Unlike World War II, it will not be over in six years, unless the end starts with a sunrise like that seen in Japan. It would be best for those “Moderate Muslims” to reflect on the words of Yamamoto, “We have wakened a sleeping giant. I fear we have but six months to rage like a wild boar.” Then think further on to realize that once awakened, the sleeping giant will take no prisoners and turn their homelands into a glass lake.
Christianity is based on Christ’s words, “My kingdom is not of this world” and “Cast not your pearls before swine.” We cannot accept the presence in this world of suicidal forces who believe in the forcible spread of their cancer.
You are with us or against us.
You make the choice, but remember Radiation is our Friend.
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Israeli Restraint
Everywhere we hear about the need for Israeli restraint.
Why?
If your family was being shelled and rocketed, would you exercise restraint or would you eliminate the problem?
If you are one of those restraint exericisers, I do not want you in my family.
If my family is shot at, trust me, I will exercise every last bit of force I can get my hands on to eliminate the problem from the face of this earth.
There is only so long until the "End Game", tolerating evil only accelerates the timing. The Israelis, rather than using excessive force, by their "restraint" are only speeding the final days. The time for taking prisoners is long gone. Muslims only see prisoners as something to bargain for. The next time they kidnap an Israeli to get back their Muslim friends, the Israelis should execute every Muslim in that prison, and then go on to the town the ransom note came from.
The time for understanding, understatement and restrain is long gone.
There are 1.5 billion Muslims. If only 10 percent are hardliners, that is 150 million.
A point to keep in mind, the Israelis only have about 300 warheads. On the other hand, the Muslims only have about 100 targets of value. Thus, there are 200 warheads left for Europe in the end game.
Why?
If your family was being shelled and rocketed, would you exercise restraint or would you eliminate the problem?
If you are one of those restraint exericisers, I do not want you in my family.
If my family is shot at, trust me, I will exercise every last bit of force I can get my hands on to eliminate the problem from the face of this earth.
There is only so long until the "End Game", tolerating evil only accelerates the timing. The Israelis, rather than using excessive force, by their "restraint" are only speeding the final days. The time for taking prisoners is long gone. Muslims only see prisoners as something to bargain for. The next time they kidnap an Israeli to get back their Muslim friends, the Israelis should execute every Muslim in that prison, and then go on to the town the ransom note came from.
The time for understanding, understatement and restrain is long gone.
There are 1.5 billion Muslims. If only 10 percent are hardliners, that is 150 million.
A point to keep in mind, the Israelis only have about 300 warheads. On the other hand, the Muslims only have about 100 targets of value. Thus, there are 200 warheads left for Europe in the end game.
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Israel, nice people and Collateral Damage
Unfortunately we learn the lessons of the last war and usually not the lessons that mattered. The Japanese fought World War II on the basis of the Russian War of 1905; they just missed the real points. We fought Gulf I on the basis of Viet Nam, we just missed the real points. Israel is fighting this war on the basis of the our example of Kosovo.
The Israelis are surrounded by people who want them dead. They do not have enough territory to allow an in depth defense. There are only two real solutions, either allow no incursions or attacks without massive and complete destruction of the perpetrator or take enough territory to allow an in depth defense.
Israel should never have occupied any territory beyond its borders. It should have expanded its borders and expelled or eliminated any previous occupants who did not desire to become Israelis. The occupation of territory is a mistake. That implies the territory is not legitimately theirs.
Our enemies, for in this case Israel's enemies are also those of the United States, and in fact enemies of the entire non-muslim world, must understand that we will accept no nibbling away at our toes. If they strike at us from a location, we will take that location for our own. For when it is our territory we need not fear attack from it. Muslims who will not acknowledge the civil authority of non-islamic government need to be expelled. There is no freedom under even the United States Constitution to advocate the violent overthrow of our government.
Our enemies also need to understand that what we take, we will never give up. Never.
Airpower is nice, precision is nice. A rifleman wins the war. With enough airpower, you can make it easier for the rifleman, but the war is not over until the rifleman holds the ground.
Precision has its limits and is not always that helpful. Perhaps rather than precisioning a 125 pound warhead, it would be better to precision a 3,000 warhead and tell people not to get too close to the enemy.
The Israelis are surrounded by people who want them dead. They do not have enough territory to allow an in depth defense. There are only two real solutions, either allow no incursions or attacks without massive and complete destruction of the perpetrator or take enough territory to allow an in depth defense.
Israel should never have occupied any territory beyond its borders. It should have expanded its borders and expelled or eliminated any previous occupants who did not desire to become Israelis. The occupation of territory is a mistake. That implies the territory is not legitimately theirs.
Our enemies, for in this case Israel's enemies are also those of the United States, and in fact enemies of the entire non-muslim world, must understand that we will accept no nibbling away at our toes. If they strike at us from a location, we will take that location for our own. For when it is our territory we need not fear attack from it. Muslims who will not acknowledge the civil authority of non-islamic government need to be expelled. There is no freedom under even the United States Constitution to advocate the violent overthrow of our government.
Our enemies also need to understand that what we take, we will never give up. Never.
Airpower is nice, precision is nice. A rifleman wins the war. With enough airpower, you can make it easier for the rifleman, but the war is not over until the rifleman holds the ground.
Precision has its limits and is not always that helpful. Perhaps rather than precisioning a 125 pound warhead, it would be better to precision a 3,000 warhead and tell people not to get too close to the enemy.
Friday, July 21, 2006
Pat Buchanan and the Bloodthirsty Hebrews
In two columns, posted at WorldNetDaily this week, Pat Buchanan accused President Bush of being a puppet of nefarious Jewish warmongers. Nothing sets Buchanan’s imagination racing like a Bush-backed Israeli war. On Tuesday, Pat asked, “Who is whispering in his ear?” His answer: bloodthirsty Hebrews.
“That Tel Aviv is maneuvering us to fight its wars is understandable. That Americans are ignorant of, or complicit in this, is deplorable.”
This occurred after “Israel instructed the United States to terminate all aid to the Palestinian Authority,” and “Our Crawford cowboy meekly complied.” In an overtly ethnic reference, he added, “Bush sounded less like the leader of the Free World than some bellicose city councilman from Brooklyn Heights.”
In Thursday’s column, entitled “No, This is Not ‘Our War,’” Buchanan writes America is “impotent” because “we have allowed Israelto dictate to whom we may and may not talk.”
Worse, blood-drenched Jews are using America equipment to commit war crimes. “Israeli airstrikes [are] an outlawed form of collective punishment, that has left [Hezbollah supporters] with no sanitation, rotting food, impure water and days without light or electricity in the horrible heat of July.” (Days without light in July?)
He sagely concludes: “And we wonder why they hate us.”
I am a bit offended by the reference to paleoconservatives and Pat Buchanan in same sentence. I presume the paleo… refers to "old" and then ties in conservative.
Pat Buchanan is a populist, one of those who the founding father hoped to protect us against when they did not make this a democracy, but rather a constitutional democratic republic. The function of the Constitution in a large part is to stabilize the government and protect the minority from the tyranny of the majority.
In addition to being a populist, Pat Buchanan is either a devil buddy or a fool.
The Israelis have tried since the the year 33AD to make people like them by being timid. They ignored the instructions in the Old Testament, their Torah; they ignored the lessons of the Inquisition; they ignored the lessons of the Holocaust; they ignored the lessons of the first seven Arab-Israeli wars, which were really Muslim-Israeli wars. Seven wars, the Israelis won each one of them. There are still Muslims left. How many Jews would be left if the Muslims won one war?
The Israelis need to listen to history. Those who are ignorant of history are doomed to repeat it; repeat it they certainly have.
The Israelis need to:
• Tell the Muslim world that they have a right to exist;
• Tell the Muslims that they will no longer accept Muslim violence passively;
• Tell the Muslims in advance that they will annex permanently any territory that harbors perpetrators of violence against Israel, but not annex the people; they will drive the people out and it will become Israeli territory forever;
• Tell the world this is a new dawn, Israel will no longer beg for mercy;
• Put their fighters on Victor alert;
• Tell Europe in no uncertain terms the Victor alert fighters will nuke the European capitals as well as the Muslim world in the event of a war that the Israelis appear to be losing;
• Name every operation with code words like FAT BOY, LITTLE MAN, SUNRISE, MUSHROOM and the like, just to make sure the world groks the plan in its fullness;
• Remind the world of Masada and tell them the sword goes out first this time;
• Strike the heart of any nation who allows violence to cross their borders into Israel.
It is well known that Muslims are either at your throat or at your feet. The word of Allah, as interpreted by the Wahabbist, leaves no room for other religions, thus there is no room for other religions. Thus, either you kill them, or they kill you.
Let there be no misunderstanding; no talk of compromise; no talk of love without love in return.
Give violence a chance.
Molon labe
“That Tel Aviv is maneuvering us to fight its wars is understandable. That Americans are ignorant of, or complicit in this, is deplorable.”
This occurred after “Israel instructed the United States to terminate all aid to the Palestinian Authority,” and “Our Crawford cowboy meekly complied.” In an overtly ethnic reference, he added, “Bush sounded less like the leader of the Free World than some bellicose city councilman from Brooklyn Heights.”
In Thursday’s column, entitled “No, This is Not ‘Our War,’” Buchanan writes America is “impotent” because “we have allowed Israelto dictate to whom we may and may not talk.”
Worse, blood-drenched Jews are using America equipment to commit war crimes. “Israeli airstrikes [are] an outlawed form of collective punishment, that has left [Hezbollah supporters] with no sanitation, rotting food, impure water and days without light or electricity in the horrible heat of July.” (Days without light in July?)
He sagely concludes: “And we wonder why they hate us.”
I am a bit offended by the reference to paleoconservatives and Pat Buchanan in same sentence. I presume the paleo… refers to "old" and then ties in conservative.
Pat Buchanan is a populist, one of those who the founding father hoped to protect us against when they did not make this a democracy, but rather a constitutional democratic republic. The function of the Constitution in a large part is to stabilize the government and protect the minority from the tyranny of the majority.
In addition to being a populist, Pat Buchanan is either a devil buddy or a fool.
The Israelis have tried since the the year 33AD to make people like them by being timid. They ignored the instructions in the Old Testament, their Torah; they ignored the lessons of the Inquisition; they ignored the lessons of the Holocaust; they ignored the lessons of the first seven Arab-Israeli wars, which were really Muslim-Israeli wars. Seven wars, the Israelis won each one of them. There are still Muslims left. How many Jews would be left if the Muslims won one war?
The Israelis need to listen to history. Those who are ignorant of history are doomed to repeat it; repeat it they certainly have.
The Israelis need to:
• Tell the Muslim world that they have a right to exist;
• Tell the Muslims that they will no longer accept Muslim violence passively;
• Tell the Muslims in advance that they will annex permanently any territory that harbors perpetrators of violence against Israel, but not annex the people; they will drive the people out and it will become Israeli territory forever;
• Tell the world this is a new dawn, Israel will no longer beg for mercy;
• Put their fighters on Victor alert;
• Tell Europe in no uncertain terms the Victor alert fighters will nuke the European capitals as well as the Muslim world in the event of a war that the Israelis appear to be losing;
• Name every operation with code words like FAT BOY, LITTLE MAN, SUNRISE, MUSHROOM and the like, just to make sure the world groks the plan in its fullness;
• Remind the world of Masada and tell them the sword goes out first this time;
• Strike the heart of any nation who allows violence to cross their borders into Israel.
It is well known that Muslims are either at your throat or at your feet. The word of Allah, as interpreted by the Wahabbist, leaves no room for other religions, thus there is no room for other religions. Thus, either you kill them, or they kill you.
Let there be no misunderstanding; no talk of compromise; no talk of love without love in return.
Give violence a chance.
Molon labe
Friday, June 02, 2006
Can you sleep when the winds blows?
This is not mine, I have no idea where it came from, other than it was sent to me by Melanie. It bears reading and thinking about. "We know not at what hour the Master cometh." It is far better to be ready now. Hap
==============
Years ago, a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops. As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals.
Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer. "Are you a good farm hand?" the farmer asked him. "Well, I can sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man.
Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, Hired him. The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work.
Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand's sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, "Get up! A storm is coming!Tie things down before they blow away!"
The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, "No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows."
Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm.
To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down. Nothing could blow away. The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.
When you're prepared, spiritually, mentally, and physically, you have nothing to fear. Can you sleep when the wind blows through your life?
The hired hand in the story was able to sleep because he had secured the farm against the storm.
We secure ourselves against the storms of life by grounding ourselves in the Word of God. We don't need to understand, we just need to hold His hand to have peace in the middle of storms.
==============
Years ago, a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops. As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals.
Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer. "Are you a good farm hand?" the farmer asked him. "Well, I can sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man.
Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, Hired him. The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work.
Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand's sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, "Get up! A storm is coming!Tie things down before they blow away!"
The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, "No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows."
Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm.
To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down. Nothing could blow away. The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.
When you're prepared, spiritually, mentally, and physically, you have nothing to fear. Can you sleep when the wind blows through your life?
The hired hand in the story was able to sleep because he had secured the farm against the storm.
We secure ourselves against the storms of life by grounding ourselves in the Word of God. We don't need to understand, we just need to hold His hand to have peace in the middle of storms.
Sunday, May 21, 2006
The Great Disconnect
This is like finding Waldo. Can you find the problem?
First Directive – You must verify that a person is a legal resident of the United States and has the necessary paperwork allowing them to work in the country before you pay them to cut your grass. This seems reasonable to me. I want people to be here legally. I do think it can be a more cumbersome process than necessary, but the issue of being here legally is an important one.
Second Directive – The State may not ask a person about their legal residency status before they give them welfare, medical treatment, driver’s license or anything else. This does not seem reasonable to me. I think the government has the same responsibility to follow the law that I do.
Let's boil this down to a simple one v one:
I cannot pay an illegal alien to cut my grass; on the other hand, the State takes money from me at the point of a gun to pay illegal aliens.
Being the State has its privileges, doesn’t it? Abuse under color of authority is a egregious crime.
I cannot pay for an illegal alien, so if they need money, they go to the State who can pay them, but only if they do not work.
Do you still wonder why we have a budget deficit?
Our government has a mental illness called liberalism.
First Directive – You must verify that a person is a legal resident of the United States and has the necessary paperwork allowing them to work in the country before you pay them to cut your grass. This seems reasonable to me. I want people to be here legally. I do think it can be a more cumbersome process than necessary, but the issue of being here legally is an important one.
Second Directive – The State may not ask a person about their legal residency status before they give them welfare, medical treatment, driver’s license or anything else. This does not seem reasonable to me. I think the government has the same responsibility to follow the law that I do.
Let's boil this down to a simple one v one:
I cannot pay an illegal alien to cut my grass; on the other hand, the State takes money from me at the point of a gun to pay illegal aliens.
Being the State has its privileges, doesn’t it? Abuse under color of authority is a egregious crime.
I cannot pay for an illegal alien, so if they need money, they go to the State who can pay them, but only if they do not work.
Do you still wonder why we have a budget deficit?
Our government has a mental illness called liberalism.
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
The Three Choices of Islam
Islam or Mohamedism is very clear on its only choices for non-believers:
• Convert
• Pay tribute to live
• Die
The Islamofacists have a particular distaste for Christians and Jews. There are people who claim to follow Islam, who in reality are like many who claim to be Christians. They like the bullet points of the religion (at least those they agree with) and are willing to ignore the points they do not like, or find inconvenient. Those are the public wine drinkers (for Islam). They are not a problem in their religious mode. In the secular mode, they can be as much or as little trouble as the next person.
True followers of Mo Hamed are a major problem. They do not have the same value structure that Christians and Jews share:
They follow a man, not a god.
We follow God at the direction of the Son of God.
They praise "Allah", but follow Mo Hamed.
We praise God and at His Son's direction pray to Him and follow Him only.
Their kingdom is intended to be here on earth.
Ours is not of this world.
They want all government to follow their rules, sharia.
We are told to respect civil authority, to render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's.
They are told to overthrow all governments who will not follow their rules.
We are told to pray for the civil rulers.
It is no coincidence the evil Klingon Empire and the CS Lewis Tash people were based on Islam.
This new fellow in Iran is particularly troublesome in a worldly sense. He believes it is time for Ragnarok (the Viking Final Battle). He is working on developing nuclear weapons with the stated purpose of leveling Israel. This is what he is saying on the open world forum, his internal communications are far more inflammatory. Frankly, I am far more concerned near time that he will be able to buy some of the former Soviet nuclear weapons, of which there are hundreds, if not thousands unaccounted for.
If you do not see the conflict, one can only say, "There are none so blind as those who will not see."
It is also good to be prepared for the end of the world at a moment's notice. For our personal world can end at any time and we face our Lord at the Final Sorting Hat.
• Convert
• Pay tribute to live
• Die
The Islamofacists have a particular distaste for Christians and Jews. There are people who claim to follow Islam, who in reality are like many who claim to be Christians. They like the bullet points of the religion (at least those they agree with) and are willing to ignore the points they do not like, or find inconvenient. Those are the public wine drinkers (for Islam). They are not a problem in their religious mode. In the secular mode, they can be as much or as little trouble as the next person.
True followers of Mo Hamed are a major problem. They do not have the same value structure that Christians and Jews share:
They follow a man, not a god.
We follow God at the direction of the Son of God.
They praise "Allah", but follow Mo Hamed.
We praise God and at His Son's direction pray to Him and follow Him only.
Their kingdom is intended to be here on earth.
Ours is not of this world.
They want all government to follow their rules, sharia.
We are told to respect civil authority, to render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's.
They are told to overthrow all governments who will not follow their rules.
We are told to pray for the civil rulers.
It is no coincidence the evil Klingon Empire and the CS Lewis Tash people were based on Islam.
This new fellow in Iran is particularly troublesome in a worldly sense. He believes it is time for Ragnarok (the Viking Final Battle). He is working on developing nuclear weapons with the stated purpose of leveling Israel. This is what he is saying on the open world forum, his internal communications are far more inflammatory. Frankly, I am far more concerned near time that he will be able to buy some of the former Soviet nuclear weapons, of which there are hundreds, if not thousands unaccounted for.
If you do not see the conflict, one can only say, "There are none so blind as those who will not see."
It is also good to be prepared for the end of the world at a moment's notice. For our personal world can end at any time and we face our Lord at the Final Sorting Hat.
Monday, April 10, 2006
Islam as a "Religion of Peace"
Islam as a "Religion of Peace" is vastly over rated. Christianity has as one of its basic tenants, "Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar and unto God that which is God's" and "Do not cast your pearls before swine."
Christianity recognizes, or should if the Bible is followed, the authority of the civil government over the affairs of this world (those of the physical body) while leaving the affairs of the soul to religious law. It also calls for believers to offer up their beliefs to unbelievers and if they are not interested not to bother them further.
This is a far cry from Islam's insistence that the bizarre set of rules set by someone calling himself a Prophet of Allah should govern everyone's life here on earth and that if you will not "believe", "true believers" are duty bound to kill you.
The "War of Terror" is simply a half hearted response to a global war by Radical Islam (which by the way means anyone who follows the Koran/Qran/Quaran). Terror is a method used by Islamofacists to wage war, thus the War on Terror could be equated to an earlier War on Blitzkrieg or War on Kamikaze.
Interesting, isn't it.
Christianity recognizes, or should if the Bible is followed, the authority of the civil government over the affairs of this world (those of the physical body) while leaving the affairs of the soul to religious law. It also calls for believers to offer up their beliefs to unbelievers and if they are not interested not to bother them further.
This is a far cry from Islam's insistence that the bizarre set of rules set by someone calling himself a Prophet of Allah should govern everyone's life here on earth and that if you will not "believe", "true believers" are duty bound to kill you.
The "War of Terror" is simply a half hearted response to a global war by Radical Islam (which by the way means anyone who follows the Koran/Qran/Quaran). Terror is a method used by Islamofacists to wage war, thus the War on Terror could be equated to an earlier War on Blitzkrieg or War on Kamikaze.
Interesting, isn't it.
Friday, April 07, 2006
Sheep, Wolves and Sheepdogs
In brief, Jill Edwards, a junior math major at the University of Washington, and a member of the UW student senate, opposed a memorial to UW grad "Pappy" Boyington. Boyington was a U.S. Marine aviator who earned the Medal of Honor in World War II. Edwards said that she didn't think it was appropriate to honor a person who killed other people. She also said that a member of the Marine Corps was NOT an example of the sort of person the University of Washington wanted to produce.
What follows is Gen. Dula's letter to the University of Washington student senate leader. Read and comprehend what is being said and decide if you are a "sheep".
To: Edwards, Jill (student, UW)
Subject: Sheep, Wolves and Sheepdogs
Miss Edwards, I read of your 'student activity' regarding the proposed memorial to Col Greg Boyington, USMC and a Medal of Honor winner. I suspect you will receive a bellyful of angry e-mails from conservative folks like me. You may be too young to appreciate fully the sacrifices of generations of servicemen and servicewomen on whose shoulders you and your fellow students stand. I forgive you for the untutored ways of youth and your naiveté.
It may be that you are, simply, a sheep. There's no dishonor in being a sheep - - as long as you know and accept what you are. Please take a couple of minutes to read the following. And be grateful for the thousands - - millions - - of American sheepdogs who permit you the freedom to express even bad ideas.
Brett Dula
Sheepdog, retired
----------------------------------------------------------
ON SHEEP, WOLVES, AND SHEEPDOGS
By LTC(RET) Dave Grossman, RANGER,
Ph.D., author of "On Killing."
Honor never grows old, and honor rejoices the heart of age. It does so because honor is, finally, about defending those noble and worthy things that deserve defending, even if it comes at a high cost. In our time, that may mean social disapproval, public scorn, hardship, persecution, or as always,even death itself. The question remains: What is worth defending? What is worth dying for? What is worth living for? - William J. Bennett - in a lecture to the United States Naval Academy November 24, 1997
One Vietnam veteran, an old retired colonel, once said this to me: "Most of the people in our society are sheep. They are kind, gentle, productive creatures who can only hurt one another by accident." This is true. Remember, the murder rate is six per 100,000 per year, and the aggravated assault rate is four per 1,000 per year. What this means is that the vast majority of Americans are not inclined to hurt one another.
Some estimates say that two million Americans are victims of violent crimes every year, a tragic, staggering number, perhaps an all-time record rate of violent crime. But there are almost 300 million Americans, which means that the odds of being a victim of violent crime is considerably less than one in a hundred on any given year. Furthermore, since many violent crimes are committed by repeat offenders, the actual number of violent citizens is considerably less than two million.
Thus there is a paradox, and we must grasp both ends of the situation: We may well be in the most violent times in history, but violence is still remarkably rare. This is because most citizens are kind, decent people who are not capable of hurting each other, except by accident or under extreme provocation. They are sheep.
I mean nothing negative by calling them sheep. To me, it is like the pretty, blue robin's egg. Inside it is soft and gooey but someday it will grow into something wonderful. But the egg cannot survive without its hard blue shell.
Police officers, soldiers, and other warriors are like that shell, and someday the civilization they protect will grow into something wonderful. For now, though, they need warriors to protect them from the predators.
"Then there are the wolves," the old war veteran said, "and the wolves feed on the sheep without mercy." Do you believe there are wolves out there who will feed on the flock without mercy? You better believe it. There are evil men in this world and they are capable of evil deeds. The moment you forget that or pretend it is not so, you become a sheep. There is no safety in denial.
"Then there are sheepdogs," he went on, "and I'm a sheepdog. I live to protect the flock and confront the wolf."
If you have no capacity for violence then you are a healthy productive citizen, a sheep. If you have a capacity for violence and no empathy for your fellow citizens, then you have defined an aggressive sociopath, a wolf.
But what if you have a capacity for violence, and a deep love for your fellow citizens? What do you have then? A sheepdog, a warrior, someone who is walking the hero's path. Someone who can walk into the heart of darkness, into the universal human phobia, and walk out unscathed
Let me expand on this old soldier's excellent model of the sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs. We know that the sheep live in denial, that is what makes them sheep. They do not want to believe that there is evil in the world. They can accept the fact that fires can happen, which is why they want fire extinguishers, fire sprinklers, fire alarms and fire exits throughout their kids' schools.
But many of them are outraged at the idea of putting an armed police officer in their kid's school. Our children are thousands of times more likely to be killed or seriously injured by school violence than fire, but the sheep's only response to the possibility of violence is denial. The idea of someone coming to kill or harm their child is just too hard, and so they chose the path of denial.
The sheep generally do not like the sheepdog. He looks a lot like the wolf. He has fangs and the capacity for violence. The difference, though, is that the sheepdog must not, can not and will not ever harm the sheep. Any sheep dog who intentionally harms the lowliest little lamb will be punished and removed. The world cannot work any other way, at least not in a representative democracy or a republic such as ours.
Still, the sheepdog disturbs the sheep. He is a constant reminder that there are wolves in the land. They would prefer that he didn't tell them where to go, or give them traffic tickets, or stand at the ready in our airports, in camouflage fatigues, holding an M-16. The sheep would much rather have the sheepdog cash in his fangs, spray paint himself white, and go, "Baa." Until the wolf shows up. Then the entire flock tries desperately to hide behind one lonely sheepdog.
The students, the victims, at Columbine High School were big, tough high school students, and under ordinary circumstances they would not have had the time of day for a police officer. They were not bad kids; they just had nothing to say to a cop. When the school was under attack, however, and SWAT teams were clearing the rooms and hallways, the officers had to physically peel those clinging, sobbing kids off of them. This is how the little lambs feel about their sheepdog when the wolf is at the door.
Look at what happened after September 11, 2001 when the wolf pounded hard on the door. Remember how America, more than ever before, felt differently about their law enforcement officers and military personnel? Remember how many times you heard the word hero?
Understand that there is nothing morally superior about being a sheepdog; it is just what you choose to be. Also understand that a sheepdog is a funny critter: He is always sniffing around out on the perimeter, checking the breeze, barking at things that go bump in the night, and yearning for a righteous battle. That is, the young sheepdogs yearn for a righteous battle. The old sheepdogs are a little older and wiser, but they move to the sound of the guns when needed, right along with the young ones.
Here is how the sheep and the sheepdog think differently. The sheep pretend the wolf will never come, but the sheepdog lives for that day. After the attacks on September 11, 2001, most of the sheep, that is, most citizens in America said, "Thank God I wasn't on one of those planes." The sheepdogs, the warriors, said, "Dear God, I wish I could have been on one of those planes. Maybe I could have made a difference." When you are truly transformed into a warrior and have truly invested yourself into warriorhood, you want to be there. You want to be able to make a difference.
There is nothing morally superior about the sheepdog, the warrior, but he does have one real advantage. Only one. And that is that he is able to survive and thrive in an environment that destroys 98 percent of the population.
There was research conducted a few years ago with individuals convicted of violent crimes. These cons were in prison for serious, predatory crimes of violence: assaults, murders and killing law enforcement officers. The vast majority said that they specifically targeted victims by body language: Slumped walk, passive behavior and lack of awareness. They chose their victims like big cats do in Africa, when they select one out of the herd that is least able to protect itself.
Some people may be destined to be sheep and others might be genetically primed to be wolves or sheepdogs. But I believe that most people can choose which one they want to be, and I'm proud to say that more and more Americans are choosing to become sheepdogs.
Seven months after the attack on September 11, 2001, Todd Beamer was honored in his hometown of Cranbury, New Jersey. Todd, as you recall, was the man on Flight 93 over Pennsylvania who called on his cell phone to alert an operator from United Airlines about the hijacking. When he learned of the other three passenger planes that had been used as weapons, Todd dropped his phone and uttered the words, "Let's roll," which authorities believe was a signal to the other passengers to confront the terrorist hijackers. In one hour, a transformation occurred among the passengers - athletes, business people and parents. -- from sheep to sheepdogs and together they fought the wolves, ultimately saving an unknown number of lives on the ground.
There is no safety for honest men except by believing all possible evil of evil men. - Edmund Burke
Here is the point I like to emphasize, especially to the thousands of police officers and soldiers I speak to each year. In nature the sheep, real sheep, are born as sheep. Sheepdogs are born that way, and so are wolves. They didn't have a choice. But you are not a critter. As a human being, you can be whatever you want to be. It is a conscious, moral decision.
If you want to be a sheep, then you can be a sheep and that is okay, but you must understand the price you pay. When the wolf comes, you and your loved ones are going to die if there is not a sheepdog there to protect you. If you want to be a wolf, you can be one, but the sheepdogs are going to hunt you down and you will never have rest, safety, trust or love. But if you want to be a sheepdog and walk the warrior's path, then you must make a conscious and moral decision every day to dedicate, equip and prepare yourself to thrive in that toxic, corrosive moment when the wolf comes knocking at the door.
For example, many officers carry their weapons in church. They are well concealed in ankle holsters, shoulder holsters or inside-the-belt holsters tucked into the small of their backs. Anytime you go to some form of religious service, there is a very good chance that a police officer in your congregation is carrying. You will never know if there is such an individual in your place of worship, until the wolf appears to massacre you and your loved ones.
I was training a group of police officers in Texas, and during the break, one officer asked his friend if he carried his weapon in church. The other cop replied, "I will never be caught without my gun in church." I asked why he felt so strongly about this, and he told me about a cop he knew who was at a church massacre in Ft. Worth, Texas in 1999. In that incident, a mentally deranged individual came into the church and opened fire, gunning down fourteen people. He said that officer believed he could have saved every life that day if he had been carrying his gun. His own son was shot, and all he could do was throw himself on the boy's body and wait to die. That cop looked me in the eye and said, "Do you have any idea how hard it would be to live with yourself after that?"
Some individuals would be horrified if they knew this police officer was carrying a weapon in church. They might call him paranoid and would probably scorn him. Yet these same individuals would be enraged and would call for "heads to roll" if they found out that the airbags in their cars were defective, or that the fire extinguisher and fire sprinklers in their kids' school did not work. They can accept the fact that fires and traffic accidents can happen and that there must be safeguards against them.
Their only response to the wolf, though, is denial, and all too often their response to the sheepdog is scorn and disdain. But the sheepdog quietly asks himself, "Do you have any idea how hard it would be to live with yourself if your loved ones were attacked and killed, and you had to stand there helplessly because you were unprepared for that day?"
It is denial that turns people into sheep. Sheep are psychologically destroyed by combat because their only defense is denial, which is counterproductive and destructive, resulting in fear, helplessness and horror when the wolf shows up.
Denial kills you twice. It kills you once, at your moment of truth when you are not physically prepared: you didn't bring your gun, you didn't train. Your only defense was wishful thinking. Hope is not a strategy. Denial kills you a second time because even if you do physically survive, you are psychologically shattered by your fear, helplessness and horror at your moment of truth.
Gavin de Becker puts it like this in Fear Less, his superb post-9/11 book, which should be required reading for anyone trying to come to terms with our current world situation: "...denial can be seductive, but it has an insidious side effect. For all the peace of mind deniers think they get by saying it isn't so, the fall they take when faced with new violence is all the more unsettling."
Denial is a save-now-pay-later scheme, a contract written entirely in small print, for in the long run, the denying person knows the truth on some level. And so the warrior must strive to confront denial in all aspects of his life, and prepare himself for the day when evil comes.
If you are warrior who is legally authorized to carry a weapon and you step outside without that weapon, then you become a sheep, pretending that the bad man will not come today. No one can be "on" 24/7, for a lifetime. Everyone needs down time. But if you are authorized to carry a weapon, and you walk outside without it, just take a deep breath, and say this to yourself..."Baa."
This business of being a sheep or a sheep dog is not a yes-no dichotomy. It is not an all-or-nothing, either-or choice. It is a matter of degrees, a continuum. On one end is an abject, head-in-the-sand-sheep and on the other end is the ultimate warrior. Few people exist completely on one end or the other.
Most of us live somewhere in between. Since 9-11 almost everyone in America took a step up that continuum, away from denial. The sheep took a few steps toward accepting and appreciating their warriors, and the warriors started taking their job more seriously. The degree to which you move up that continuum, away from sheephood and denial, is the degree to which you and your loved ones will survive, physically and psychologically at your moment of truth.
My personal Signature
"If It Weren't For The United States Military, There Would Be NO United States of America"
What follows is Gen. Dula's letter to the University of Washington student senate leader. Read and comprehend what is being said and decide if you are a "sheep".
To: Edwards, Jill (student, UW)
Subject: Sheep, Wolves and Sheepdogs
Miss Edwards, I read of your 'student activity' regarding the proposed memorial to Col Greg Boyington, USMC and a Medal of Honor winner. I suspect you will receive a bellyful of angry e-mails from conservative folks like me. You may be too young to appreciate fully the sacrifices of generations of servicemen and servicewomen on whose shoulders you and your fellow students stand. I forgive you for the untutored ways of youth and your naiveté.
It may be that you are, simply, a sheep. There's no dishonor in being a sheep - - as long as you know and accept what you are. Please take a couple of minutes to read the following. And be grateful for the thousands - - millions - - of American sheepdogs who permit you the freedom to express even bad ideas.
Brett Dula
Sheepdog, retired
----------------------------------------------------------
ON SHEEP, WOLVES, AND SHEEPDOGS
By LTC(RET) Dave Grossman, RANGER,
Ph.D., author of "On Killing."
Honor never grows old, and honor rejoices the heart of age. It does so because honor is, finally, about defending those noble and worthy things that deserve defending, even if it comes at a high cost. In our time, that may mean social disapproval, public scorn, hardship, persecution, or as always,even death itself. The question remains: What is worth defending? What is worth dying for? What is worth living for? - William J. Bennett - in a lecture to the United States Naval Academy November 24, 1997
One Vietnam veteran, an old retired colonel, once said this to me: "Most of the people in our society are sheep. They are kind, gentle, productive creatures who can only hurt one another by accident." This is true. Remember, the murder rate is six per 100,000 per year, and the aggravated assault rate is four per 1,000 per year. What this means is that the vast majority of Americans are not inclined to hurt one another.
Some estimates say that two million Americans are victims of violent crimes every year, a tragic, staggering number, perhaps an all-time record rate of violent crime. But there are almost 300 million Americans, which means that the odds of being a victim of violent crime is considerably less than one in a hundred on any given year. Furthermore, since many violent crimes are committed by repeat offenders, the actual number of violent citizens is considerably less than two million.
Thus there is a paradox, and we must grasp both ends of the situation: We may well be in the most violent times in history, but violence is still remarkably rare. This is because most citizens are kind, decent people who are not capable of hurting each other, except by accident or under extreme provocation. They are sheep.
I mean nothing negative by calling them sheep. To me, it is like the pretty, blue robin's egg. Inside it is soft and gooey but someday it will grow into something wonderful. But the egg cannot survive without its hard blue shell.
Police officers, soldiers, and other warriors are like that shell, and someday the civilization they protect will grow into something wonderful. For now, though, they need warriors to protect them from the predators.
"Then there are the wolves," the old war veteran said, "and the wolves feed on the sheep without mercy." Do you believe there are wolves out there who will feed on the flock without mercy? You better believe it. There are evil men in this world and they are capable of evil deeds. The moment you forget that or pretend it is not so, you become a sheep. There is no safety in denial.
"Then there are sheepdogs," he went on, "and I'm a sheepdog. I live to protect the flock and confront the wolf."
If you have no capacity for violence then you are a healthy productive citizen, a sheep. If you have a capacity for violence and no empathy for your fellow citizens, then you have defined an aggressive sociopath, a wolf.
But what if you have a capacity for violence, and a deep love for your fellow citizens? What do you have then? A sheepdog, a warrior, someone who is walking the hero's path. Someone who can walk into the heart of darkness, into the universal human phobia, and walk out unscathed
Let me expand on this old soldier's excellent model of the sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs. We know that the sheep live in denial, that is what makes them sheep. They do not want to believe that there is evil in the world. They can accept the fact that fires can happen, which is why they want fire extinguishers, fire sprinklers, fire alarms and fire exits throughout their kids' schools.
But many of them are outraged at the idea of putting an armed police officer in their kid's school. Our children are thousands of times more likely to be killed or seriously injured by school violence than fire, but the sheep's only response to the possibility of violence is denial. The idea of someone coming to kill or harm their child is just too hard, and so they chose the path of denial.
The sheep generally do not like the sheepdog. He looks a lot like the wolf. He has fangs and the capacity for violence. The difference, though, is that the sheepdog must not, can not and will not ever harm the sheep. Any sheep dog who intentionally harms the lowliest little lamb will be punished and removed. The world cannot work any other way, at least not in a representative democracy or a republic such as ours.
Still, the sheepdog disturbs the sheep. He is a constant reminder that there are wolves in the land. They would prefer that he didn't tell them where to go, or give them traffic tickets, or stand at the ready in our airports, in camouflage fatigues, holding an M-16. The sheep would much rather have the sheepdog cash in his fangs, spray paint himself white, and go, "Baa." Until the wolf shows up. Then the entire flock tries desperately to hide behind one lonely sheepdog.
The students, the victims, at Columbine High School were big, tough high school students, and under ordinary circumstances they would not have had the time of day for a police officer. They were not bad kids; they just had nothing to say to a cop. When the school was under attack, however, and SWAT teams were clearing the rooms and hallways, the officers had to physically peel those clinging, sobbing kids off of them. This is how the little lambs feel about their sheepdog when the wolf is at the door.
Look at what happened after September 11, 2001 when the wolf pounded hard on the door. Remember how America, more than ever before, felt differently about their law enforcement officers and military personnel? Remember how many times you heard the word hero?
Understand that there is nothing morally superior about being a sheepdog; it is just what you choose to be. Also understand that a sheepdog is a funny critter: He is always sniffing around out on the perimeter, checking the breeze, barking at things that go bump in the night, and yearning for a righteous battle. That is, the young sheepdogs yearn for a righteous battle. The old sheepdogs are a little older and wiser, but they move to the sound of the guns when needed, right along with the young ones.
Here is how the sheep and the sheepdog think differently. The sheep pretend the wolf will never come, but the sheepdog lives for that day. After the attacks on September 11, 2001, most of the sheep, that is, most citizens in America said, "Thank God I wasn't on one of those planes." The sheepdogs, the warriors, said, "Dear God, I wish I could have been on one of those planes. Maybe I could have made a difference." When you are truly transformed into a warrior and have truly invested yourself into warriorhood, you want to be there. You want to be able to make a difference.
There is nothing morally superior about the sheepdog, the warrior, but he does have one real advantage. Only one. And that is that he is able to survive and thrive in an environment that destroys 98 percent of the population.
There was research conducted a few years ago with individuals convicted of violent crimes. These cons were in prison for serious, predatory crimes of violence: assaults, murders and killing law enforcement officers. The vast majority said that they specifically targeted victims by body language: Slumped walk, passive behavior and lack of awareness. They chose their victims like big cats do in Africa, when they select one out of the herd that is least able to protect itself.
Some people may be destined to be sheep and others might be genetically primed to be wolves or sheepdogs. But I believe that most people can choose which one they want to be, and I'm proud to say that more and more Americans are choosing to become sheepdogs.
Seven months after the attack on September 11, 2001, Todd Beamer was honored in his hometown of Cranbury, New Jersey. Todd, as you recall, was the man on Flight 93 over Pennsylvania who called on his cell phone to alert an operator from United Airlines about the hijacking. When he learned of the other three passenger planes that had been used as weapons, Todd dropped his phone and uttered the words, "Let's roll," which authorities believe was a signal to the other passengers to confront the terrorist hijackers. In one hour, a transformation occurred among the passengers - athletes, business people and parents. -- from sheep to sheepdogs and together they fought the wolves, ultimately saving an unknown number of lives on the ground.
There is no safety for honest men except by believing all possible evil of evil men. - Edmund Burke
Here is the point I like to emphasize, especially to the thousands of police officers and soldiers I speak to each year. In nature the sheep, real sheep, are born as sheep. Sheepdogs are born that way, and so are wolves. They didn't have a choice. But you are not a critter. As a human being, you can be whatever you want to be. It is a conscious, moral decision.
If you want to be a sheep, then you can be a sheep and that is okay, but you must understand the price you pay. When the wolf comes, you and your loved ones are going to die if there is not a sheepdog there to protect you. If you want to be a wolf, you can be one, but the sheepdogs are going to hunt you down and you will never have rest, safety, trust or love. But if you want to be a sheepdog and walk the warrior's path, then you must make a conscious and moral decision every day to dedicate, equip and prepare yourself to thrive in that toxic, corrosive moment when the wolf comes knocking at the door.
For example, many officers carry their weapons in church. They are well concealed in ankle holsters, shoulder holsters or inside-the-belt holsters tucked into the small of their backs. Anytime you go to some form of religious service, there is a very good chance that a police officer in your congregation is carrying. You will never know if there is such an individual in your place of worship, until the wolf appears to massacre you and your loved ones.
I was training a group of police officers in Texas, and during the break, one officer asked his friend if he carried his weapon in church. The other cop replied, "I will never be caught without my gun in church." I asked why he felt so strongly about this, and he told me about a cop he knew who was at a church massacre in Ft. Worth, Texas in 1999. In that incident, a mentally deranged individual came into the church and opened fire, gunning down fourteen people. He said that officer believed he could have saved every life that day if he had been carrying his gun. His own son was shot, and all he could do was throw himself on the boy's body and wait to die. That cop looked me in the eye and said, "Do you have any idea how hard it would be to live with yourself after that?"
Some individuals would be horrified if they knew this police officer was carrying a weapon in church. They might call him paranoid and would probably scorn him. Yet these same individuals would be enraged and would call for "heads to roll" if they found out that the airbags in their cars were defective, or that the fire extinguisher and fire sprinklers in their kids' school did not work. They can accept the fact that fires and traffic accidents can happen and that there must be safeguards against them.
Their only response to the wolf, though, is denial, and all too often their response to the sheepdog is scorn and disdain. But the sheepdog quietly asks himself, "Do you have any idea how hard it would be to live with yourself if your loved ones were attacked and killed, and you had to stand there helplessly because you were unprepared for that day?"
It is denial that turns people into sheep. Sheep are psychologically destroyed by combat because their only defense is denial, which is counterproductive and destructive, resulting in fear, helplessness and horror when the wolf shows up.
Denial kills you twice. It kills you once, at your moment of truth when you are not physically prepared: you didn't bring your gun, you didn't train. Your only defense was wishful thinking. Hope is not a strategy. Denial kills you a second time because even if you do physically survive, you are psychologically shattered by your fear, helplessness and horror at your moment of truth.
Gavin de Becker puts it like this in Fear Less, his superb post-9/11 book, which should be required reading for anyone trying to come to terms with our current world situation: "...denial can be seductive, but it has an insidious side effect. For all the peace of mind deniers think they get by saying it isn't so, the fall they take when faced with new violence is all the more unsettling."
Denial is a save-now-pay-later scheme, a contract written entirely in small print, for in the long run, the denying person knows the truth on some level. And so the warrior must strive to confront denial in all aspects of his life, and prepare himself for the day when evil comes.
If you are warrior who is legally authorized to carry a weapon and you step outside without that weapon, then you become a sheep, pretending that the bad man will not come today. No one can be "on" 24/7, for a lifetime. Everyone needs down time. But if you are authorized to carry a weapon, and you walk outside without it, just take a deep breath, and say this to yourself..."Baa."
This business of being a sheep or a sheep dog is not a yes-no dichotomy. It is not an all-or-nothing, either-or choice. It is a matter of degrees, a continuum. On one end is an abject, head-in-the-sand-sheep and on the other end is the ultimate warrior. Few people exist completely on one end or the other.
Most of us live somewhere in between. Since 9-11 almost everyone in America took a step up that continuum, away from denial. The sheep took a few steps toward accepting and appreciating their warriors, and the warriors started taking their job more seriously. The degree to which you move up that continuum, away from sheephood and denial, is the degree to which you and your loved ones will survive, physically and psychologically at your moment of truth.
My personal Signature
"If It Weren't For The United States Military, There Would Be NO United States of America"
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Thoughts and Advices from the Rodent King
These things are to be valued above all, God, Honor, Country and Family. Without God there is no reason to be, for he alone gives meaning to life. With God and Honor, one can exist anywhere. Our fine Country gives a place to live, live well, even if not a perfect place. With God, Honor and Country, one can have a loving and wonderful Family. With that Family, one can have a reason to build, to better the world and someone to share all things with.
Our job in this world is to leave it an even better place than we found it. This we can do by each of us living our lives as we have been given guidance from God so to do. Our mission in this world is clear. God has given us both dominion and stewardship over the Heavens and the Earth and all the animals therein. We cannot but take this obligation with all the gravity due. This is not an easy task, yet it is possible to do as we have been charged. God has not asked us to make the world perfect, in His wisdom, he did not even ask this of His son, our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ. He has only charged us with making the world better than we found it, to the best of our abilities. This we are trying our very best to do; our job must be carried on by our children.
Our job in this world is to leave it an even better place than we found it. This we can do by each of us living our lives as we have been given guidance from God so to do. Our mission in this world is clear. God has given us both dominion and stewardship over the Heavens and the Earth and all the animals therein. We cannot but take this obligation with all the gravity due. This is not an easy task, yet it is possible to do as we have been charged. God has not asked us to make the world perfect, in His wisdom, he did not even ask this of His son, our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ. He has only charged us with making the world better than we found it, to the best of our abilities. This we are trying our very best to do; our job must be carried on by our children.
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